A Same-Sex Destination Wedding at One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos

After fifteen years together, Craig and Jason decided it was time. They chose Cabo, they chose One&Only Palmilla, and they brought the people who had been there for all fifteen of those years.

I photographed their wedding almost ten years ago. Recently, they came back to order their wedding album. I can’t think of a better way to explain why I photograph weddings the way I do.

Getting ready at One&Only Palmilla

The day started in their suite at five in the afternoon, with two cold beers and a bed covered in suits, shirts and shoes. Nobody was in a hurry. There was a toast, the rings came out of their boxes, and there was a kiss in the middle of getting dressed, the kind of moment you only get if the photographer is quiet enough to be forgotten.

Palmilla’s rooms are generous with light. The carved wooden doors and the shutters do half the work: the late sun comes in in stripes, and all you have to do is wait for someone to walk into it.

Before the ceremony

Guests arrived by golf cart, bridesmaids in coral holding their bouquets. On a terrace above the ocean, Craig and Jason saw each other dressed for the first time. Somewhere between the terrace and the lawn, I caught them kissing in the mirror of a golf cart. They never knew.

A sunset ceremony by the sea

The ceremony took place at six-thirty, on the oceanfront lawn at One&Only Palmilla, in the last hour of light. Craig’s mother read the vows.

There were vows read into a microphone, there was laughter from the first row, and when it was over, there was a moment of pure, unscripted joy that I still love looking at: arms in the air, palm trees behind them, the sea right there.

Golden hour on Palmilla beach

After the hugs and the congratulations, we walked down to the beach for a few minutes. Not a photoshoot, just the two of them, the sand, and the point of Palmilla behind them as the sun went down.

Dinner, prayers and toasts at Agua by Larbi

Dinner was held on the oceanfront terrace of Agua by Larbi, Palmilla’s restaurant, under its lanterns: one long table, candles and family on both sides. Before eating, everyone held hands and prayed together. There were toasts, a lot of them, and the kind of laughter that only comes from people who have known each other for decades.

The night ended the way the best ones do: with cake on their faces, and a last drink at the Agua bar.

Photographing a wedding at One&Only Palmilla

Palmilla is one of my favorite places to photograph a wedding in Los Cabos, and not for the obvious reasons. Yes, the ocean is beautiful. But what makes it special is the light inside: the carved doors, the white lattice balconies, the shutters, the lanterns at night. It’s a place where real moments look good without anyone having to pose.

If you’re planning a wedding at One&Only Palmilla and you’d rather live your day than perform it, I’d love to hear from you.