Amy and Travis: Magens Bay Beach

I know I've said it before, but I really love what I do and the amazing people I get to meet along the way. Amy and Travis are truly a great inspiration and a ton of fun! We all met up on Valentines evening to make some photos at Magens Bay Beach. 

They had found me on Instagram when researching their upcoming vacation on St. Thomas and wanted to meet up to make some photos for their feed. I love all the great ideas they brought to our photo session. Here are a few of my favorite photos from our session...

They are both extremely strong and in amazing shape. You should check out their Instagram feed here, I'm sure you will get inspired :) 

When is the best time for a beach wedding?

Timing is everything when it comes to photography.

When planning a destination wedding on the beach in the Virgin Islands, it’s important to time your ceremony carefully to get the perfect wedding photos. Personally, I like the way the beach looks either first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. The main reason is that people are more comfortable on the beach when the sun is less intense to avoid squinting and sweating. I have also noticed when people are comfortable they look more beautiful in photos. There also tends to be fewer sunbathers on the beach at either end of the day. 

A morning wedding tends to have a very “Caribbean look” where the sky is a vibrant blue and the ocean looks crystal clear. The morning light tends to be a little cooler and crisp. The one thing I love the most about a morning wedding is that you have all day to celebrate your wedding day after the big event. Here are a few examples of what photos look like at a morning wedding:

Sunset weddings are the most popular. A sunset wedding should be planned to start at least one hour prior to the sun setting.  There are certain beaches on St Thomas that need to be planned even earlier because of the angle of the sun. The evening light tends to be softer and more pastel. The color of the ocean and sky tend to look dark blue and the light is very warm. Here are a few examples of sunset wedding photos:

Since the Virgin Islands are so close to the equator our light changes quickly. This is why it’s so important to make sure you are on time for your wedding. Just being 15 minutes late might mean the difference of catching the perfect sunset wedding photos to being in the total darkness. 

The Perfect Gift for Mom and Dad on your Wedding Day

Are you looking for the perfect wedding gift to give your parents? I love these personalized embroidered wedding handkerchiefs for mom and dad. I've seen brides give them to their parents the day of their wedding while they are getting ready and think they are just perfect. They are also small and easy to pack when traveling to the US Virgin Islands :)

Etsy (of course) has a bunch of personalized wedding options HERE.