This review is WAY overdue (so sorry Juan & team!). 

 

My husband & I got married @ the Excellence Riviera Cancun on Friday, 06/29/12 and we used Juan Navarro as our photographer.  We also did a Cenote Trash The Dress session with Juan on the Monday following our wedding.

 

We can not express our gratitude enough or explain in words how much we love our pictures.

 

Planning a wedding away from "home" is inherently a little stressful... the lack of control is a little scary.  I was nervous about choosing a wedding photographer we'd never met in person.  I was nervous about choosing a wedding photographer based solely on internet reviews.  I was nervous that the only assistance I got from my fiance at first was, "hire whoever you want".  Like every bride, I wanted my wedding pictures to be PERFECT!  

 

I was in search of a photographer that would be able to catch the feeling/mood of our wedding (I'm not a fan of "posed" pictures).  I love candid photos. I love photojournalistic wedding pictures.  I was more concerned about the photographer capturing the emotions of the day than I was about the photographer capturing the "standard" wedding pictures (e.g. posed rings, particular family photos, etc.). 

 

Juan & his team (after many hours of internet research/stalking haha) seemed like the perfect fit.  Then I found the underwater Cenote Trash the Dress pictures, and I about died of excitement.  I'd never seen anything like the pictures.  Underwater wedding pictures?!  Are you kidding me!?  And they were AMAZING.  I showed my husband, and I got a response, "YES, WE ARE SO DOING THIS". 

 

My husband and I got engaged in September 2011, and I ended up contacting Juan shortly after via e-mail for his availability in June 2012.  My husband and I actually wanted to see what dates Juan was available prior to picking our wedding date.  We were willing to change our wedding date, but we were NOT willing to change our photographer!  We also were not willing to be married at a location/resort that did not allow outside photographers.  

 

Juan responded almost immediately, and we finalized a date.  I can not speak highly enough about our communication with Juan via e-mail prior to the wedding.  All the planning was done via e-mail, but I was never nervous or hesitant.  Juan & his team were EXTREMELY professional, prompt, and helpful answering any & all of our questions.  My e-mails were ALWAYS answered within 24 hours, sometimes sooner.  I was amazed at quick responses.  It was great.  I wish my wedding coordinator had responded as quickly and thoroughly as Juan!  Ha!  A photographer was provided with our wedding package through the resort, which we decided not to use, and Juan suggested we ask the wedding coordinator if we could use the photo session during our rehearsal dinner.  What a GREAT idea!  I would have never thought of it on my own, and the wedding coordinator at the resort did not present the option of using the photographer session during another night of our wedding vacation!  Great suggestion from Juan!  And a great idea for brides missing out on traditional "engagement" pictures!

 

I also followed Juan on facebook, which I enjoyed.  In anticipation for our own wedding, I was loving looking at all the pictures he posted, and how he was able to post them so quickly after his wedding or trash-the-dress shoots!  Now that our wedding is over, I still love looking at his pictures from other weddings!  They're so much fun!

 

On our wedding day, Juan & his assistant met me in my room at the resort at 3:30pm for "getting ready" pictures.   This was probably a little early since Juan & his assistant were so efficient!  From the moment they arrived, it was very obvious that they have a TON of experience!  There was no awkward conversation about "how I wanted my wedding pictures to look".  There was no awkward conversation or exchange of lists of "must have pictures".  He just arrived, and started taking pictures!!  Again, Juan & his assistant were EXTREMELY professional, friendly, fun & all-around amazing to work with.  I thought it was great that he had an assistant while we were getting ready... Juan stayed in my room while I was getting ready & his assistant went to my husband's room while he was getting ready.  It was nice to have pictures of both of us prior to our ceremony.  My husband wrote my Mom a letter, and my mom didn't have her reading glasses with her in my room.  Juan lended her his.  I was cracking up while she was wearing them.  For some reason, Juan seemed like an old family friend when he arrived in the room to take pictures.  It would not have been the same without him there. 

 

Juan was also able to capture quite a few pictures from my walk from my room, to meet my dad to walk down the aisle, and my trip down the aisle with my Dad.  At the same time, his assistant was able to catch my husband getting down to the ceremony site,  our friends and families taking their seats, the ceremony site prior to the guests sitting down, etc.  Great.

 

The photos from our ceremony are beautiful.  There was a nice mix of close-ups and pictures that were taken at a distance.  I thought all the pictures were very flattering.  I was concerned about the shadows the beach gazebo was casting during our ceremony, but they actually look great in pictures.  Juan was also able to turn some of our photos black & white, which also looked amazing.  We were given the full color version of anything that was black & white also.

 

My only gripe from the ceremony was that I had this crazy piece of hair that escaped from my up-do during the wedding (note: this is a gripe about my hair, not the photographer!). We had an amazing breeze, and it wrecked a little havoc on my hair!  For some reason I thought Juan would "photoshop" this out of our pictures, but he did not.  I do not think Juan & his team do as many COSMETIC touch-ups) if any?) as other wedding photographers might, but I personally like this.  I like that our pictures reflect how we ACTUALLY looked.  Some brides may not.  I wanted wedding pictures, not glamour shots!  

 

We also took a few "traditional" group shots on the beach.  We had 20 guests at our wedding, and these pictures are a select few we have of all 20 guests together.  Juan & his assistant did NOT give a lot of directions for theses pictures.  I love them.  So brides may not.  Our legs are not all crossed in the same directions, our arms are not all positioned "perfectly", and again, we've got some crazy hair happening in the pictures.  But I smile EVERY time I look at these pictures.  Every time.  I feel like they tell the story of the day, and that is what was most important to me.  

 

From the ceremony & "traditional" pictures taken after the ceremony, Juan & his assistant did a great job capturing the mood, the emotions, and the weather.  Again, very photojournalistic.  When I look at our photos, they definitely tell a story.  There is a lot of laughing in the pictures, and a few happy tears.  They seem like OUR WEDDING pictures... they're not of a canned "every bride has this picture" variety.

 

During our cocktail hour Juan & his assistant swept my husband and I around for a whirlwind of beach pictures & other pictures at the resort.  It was SO HELPFUL that Juan knew his way around the resort.  He already knew the perfect places to take pictures.  They came out great.  Theses are some of my favorites.

 

During the ceremony Juan actually suggested that my husband and I do our special dances prior to dinner, at the beginning of the reception, because the lighting would be better for the pictures (vs. when the sun went down and it was dark).  We said okay.  Our pictures are beautiful.  Our father/daughter dance pictures and mother/son pictures are amazing.  I will treasure them forever.

 

Juan & his assistant didn't stay at the reception very long (we had only had 5 hours of photography coverage).

 

The Monday morning following the wedding we did a Cenote Trash the Dress session.  AMAZING.  We were picked up by Juan's assistant, Daniel, at our hotel and taken to the Cenote where we changed into our wedding clothes.  We went down to the Cenote where Juan and a 2nd assistant were getting ready.  Juan was in a wet suit in the Cenote when we arrived.  The Cenote is beautiful.  You should see the photography equipment Juan has.  It's amazing.  

 

Juan & his team, in my opinion, gave WAY more instruction for the trash-the-dress pictures than our actual wedding day pictures.  Taking underwater pictures is something we'd never done before, so it was helpful that he told us how to breath so we didn't have air bubbles coming out our noses, etc.  He put weights in my husbands pockets to help him stay underwater.  Little things.  We had SO MUCH FUN during this shoot.  We were laughing all morning.  Juan & his assistants were showing us the pictures on their cameras when they thought they got a good shot.  If there was a shot Juan wanted to get, and we fudged it all up by choking or breathing weird or a fish being in the way, Juan let us know, and we re-took the photo.  

 

After the trash the dress shoot, my husband and I commented on how much FUN we had.  We decided that even if our pictures were TERRIBLE, we didn't care because we had SO MUCH FUN that morning.  Lucky for us, our pictures are BEAUTIFUL.  Words can't describe.  Our wedding pictures are amazing, but these trash the dress pictures really are something special.  They're so unique.  We love them.  

 

After the shoot, Juan opened a cooler, we had a celebratory corona, and a frozen milky way candy bar.  It was like hanging out with friends for a morning. 

 

The DAY AFTER our wedding, and the AFTERNOON OF THE trash the dress Juan had 10 pictures posted on facebook.  LOVED THIS.  It was like a "sneak peek".  Instant gratification. Our friends and family also loved being able to see the pictures SO SOON after we already got married.  It was VERY NICE for our friends and family who could not join us in Mexico.

 

When we returned to Ohio after our wedding, our pictures were mailed to us in a timely manner.  I thought a few of the pictures were missing for some reason, so I e-mailed Juan.  Within a week, he re-mailed all of our pictures on DVD a second time!  Woah!  Above and beyond!  I thought I might get an e-mail with an attachment, but we got ALL the pictures again.  Although this was probably not necessary, I like feeling like we still have all our pictures should a DVD get scratched!  He was also very apologetic.  No complaints here at all.  Again, I've never had such prompt, professional communication.   

 

Brides, if you are having any hesitations about choosing Juan as a photographer, forget them.  It is unnecessary worrying.  Juan & his team are wonderful, talented people.  I can't speak highly enough. I actually think this review has taken me so long to write, because I have SO MANY good things to say.  If anyone has specific questions, feel free to message me.  Again, I have nothing but good things to say.  Best words of advise: quit worrying.  book Juan.  do a trash the dress. 

 

Juan & assistants, if you read this... THANK YOU.  Our wedding pictures and trash the dress pictures are truly magical.  It was an ABSOLUTE PLEASURE.  Your passion and talent is a gift.  You will forever be a part of our wedding memories.  THANK YOU.  Many apologies this review is written so late... sometimes the most important thank yous are the hardest to write. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one from me :)