escaping to different corners of the globe to photograph beautiful destination weddings is by far one of the best parts of being destination wedding photographers and videographers. while we love our home base of washington, d.c., there’s nothing more inspiring than photographing love stories in the midst of exotic cultures, beautiful locations, and adventurous vibes.

so we were naturally thrilled when we were asked to photograph and film deena and john’s riu palace aruba wedding. we love south america, so flying to one of the caribbean islands off of the coast of venezuela sounded incredible, and aruba definitely met all expectations! the island’s slogan is “one happy island,” and we’d definitely say that’s an understatement.

we loved getting to meet deena + john. they have such a genuine love, and their entire focus of their whole aruba destination wedding was that everyone else have the best weekend. they love vacationing in the caribbean and got engaged in jamaica, so it seemed like a no-brainer for them to choose a caribbean island for their wedding. their families and fiends came from new jersey and beyond to a weekend full of sunshine and festivities.

deena looked amazing in her angel rivera dress + shiny jimmy choos, and john was her perfect compliment in his custom khaki suit. their simplistic details allowed the focus to be on the beautiful couple, gorgeous light blue water and endless aruba skies. it’s obvious that they are best friends and share a deep admiration for each other!

after a beach ceremony, the couple celebrated during cocktail hour with a steel drum band and appetizers, then danced the night away with their guests. we can’t wait to share with you their fun aruba wedding film and day after trash the dress session in aruba.

but first, their gorgeous wedding…!

thanks for letting us be part of your wedding celebration, j+d!
XO,

anna + mateo

|| vendor love ||
photography + videography: anna + mateo
venue, florals, catering: riu palace aruba palm beach
dress: angel rivera couture
hmua: bride
shoes: jimmy choo