Puerto Vallarta Photographer
You’ve chosen one of the world’s most breathtaking destinations for your wedding. Now comes the decision that will determine how you remember it forever: finding the right photographer to capture your celebration in Puerto Vallarta.
We’re Vallarta Photo—a team of professional photographers and videographers led by Evgenia Kostiaeva, specializing in destination weddings for discerning couples from the United States and Canada. With over 15 years photographing weddings throughout Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, and Punta Mita, we understand both the artistry and logistics of documenting luxury destination celebrations.
Puerto Vallarta Photographer for Destination Weddings & Luxury Experiences
When you’re investing in a destination wedding, photography isn’t just another vendor category—it’s how your entire celebration will be remembered and shared. The images from your Puerto Vallarta wedding will outlive the flowers, the cake, and even the venue itself. They become your family’s visual legacy.
That’s why choosing a Puerto Vallarta photographer requires more than browsing Instagram feeds. You need someone who understands luxury destination weddings from a logistical standpoint, who knows how light behaves on these beaches throughout the year, and who can seamlessly coordinate with international planners and resort coordinators while making you feel completely at ease in front of the camera.
Why Puerto Vallarta Is One of the World’s Top Wedding Destinations
There’s a reason couples from across North America choose Puerto Vallarta for their destination weddings. The combination of accessibility, natural beauty, and sophisticated infrastructure creates the perfect environment for luxury celebrations.
Direct flights from major US and Canadian cities mean your guests arrive in under five hours—no lengthy connections or complicated travel logistics. The destination offers an impressive range of venues, from intimate beachfront villas and bohemian Sayulita settings to five-star resorts like the Four Seasons Punta Mita and private estates overlooking Banderas Bay.
The light here is extraordinary. Unlike some tropical destinations where harsh midday sun dominates or where rainy seasons create unpredictable conditions, Puerto Vallarta offers consistently beautiful golden hour light from November through May—the peak wedding season. As a Puerto Vallarta photographer who works here year-round, I can tell you that this consistency is invaluable when planning your photography timeline.
The surrounding region expands your options even further. Sayulita offers a laid-back, editorial aesthetic perfect for couples seeking that boho-luxury vibe. Punta Mita delivers ultra-luxury resort experiences with pristine beaches and world-class service. And the private villas dotting the coastline provide exclusive, intimate settings for couples who want complete privacy and personalization.
Our Photography Style: Natural, Editorial, Timeless
Luxury wedding photography has evolved significantly over the past decade. Today’s sophisticated couples want images that feel authentic and editorial—photographs that could appear in a design magazine yet still capture genuine emotion and connection.
Our approach combines photojournalistic documentation with refined editorial portraiture. We’re not creating heavily posed, artificially lit images that will look dated in five years. Instead, we capture real moments—the way your partner looks at you during the ceremony, your grandmother’s tears, the spontaneous laughter during cocktail hour—while also creating those beautifully composed couple portraits you’ll want framed in your home.
This style works particularly well for destination weddings, where the natural environment itself is stunning. We work with Puerto Vallarta’s beaches, architecture, and landscape rather than fighting against them with excessive flash or artificial setups. The result is imagery that feels both elevated and effortless—exactly how a luxury destination wedding should feel.
Meet Your Puerto Vallarta Photography Team
One of the most significant advantages of working with Vallarta Photo is that you’re hiring an established team of professionals, not a solo photographer operating alone in a foreign destination.
Evgenia Kostiaeva — Lead Puerto Vallarta Photographer
I’m Evgenia Kostiaeva, founder and lead photographer of Vallarta Photo. I’ve been photographing destination weddings in Puerto Vallarta since 2009, documenting hundreds of celebrations for couples primarily from the United States and Canada. My work has earned WeddingWire’s Couples’ Choice Award consecutively from 2019 through 2024, and I’ve built relationships with virtually every major resort, venue, and wedding planner in the region.
But credentials only tell part of the story. What truly matters is understanding the unique pressures and expectations of destination weddings. When couples invest significant resources bringing family and friends to Mexico, the photography must be flawless. There’s no opportunity for a reshoot if something goes wrong. That level of responsibility is something I take seriously with every single wedding.
My photography philosophy is straightforward: create images that transport you back to the feeling of your wedding day, even decades later. Not just what it looked like, but how it felt. That requires technical excellence combined with genuine human connection—the ability to make couples comfortable, anticipate meaningful moments, and work efficiently within tight timelines.
The Vallarta Photo Team Advantage
Here’s something most couples don’t consider when booking a solo destination wedding photographer: what happens if that photographer gets sick? Has a family emergency? Faces unexpected travel complications?
With a solo photographer, you’re taking a significant risk. Even if they have referral relationships with other photographers, there’s no guarantee of style consistency, no established working relationship, and often no availability on short notice.
Our team-based approach eliminates this vulnerability entirely. Every photographer on the Vallarta Photo team is trained in our signature style and familiar with local venues and logistics. If an emergency arises—which, thankfully, is rare—another team member steps in seamlessly. You still receive the same quality imagery and service level you booked.
This structure also enables us to offer multi-day coverage for elaborate destination weddings. We can cover simultaneous getting-ready locations, document welcome parties and rehearsal dinners, and provide second-shooter coverage without the fatigue that affects solo photographers working 12+ hour days.
For comprehensive insights on what to look for when hiring in this region, explore our guide: Best Puerto Vallarta Photographers: Your Essential Hiring Guide.
Destination Wedding Photography in Mexico (Designed for US & Canada Couples)
Most of our clients are planning their Puerto Vallarta wedding from the United States or Canada, often coordinating details across time zones while managing full-time careers and daily responsibilities. We’ve refined our process specifically for this scenario.
Planning a Destination Wedding from the US or Canada
The single biggest concern couples express when hiring a Puerto Vallarta photographer is communication. Will responses be timely? Will language barriers create misunderstandings? Will the photographer understand North American wedding traditions and expectations?
Because we primarily work with US and Canadian couples, we’ve built our entire business model around seamless international communication. We operate in Central Time, which aligns with much of the United States and Canada, making scheduling calls and sending quick questions incredibly straightforward. All correspondence is in English, and we’re familiar with the planning process, timeline expectations, and family dynamics typical of North American weddings.
We also understand the unique timeline considerations of destination weddings. Your guests have traveled significant distances, often taking vacation time from work. The weekend schedule is compressed—you might have a welcome party on Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and a farewell brunch on Sunday. Coordinating photography coverage within this structure requires experience with destination wedding logistics, not just photography skills.
Resort and venue coordination is another area where local expertise proves invaluable. We’ve worked at virtually every major Puerto Vallarta resort and know their specific policies—which properties charge outside vendor fees, which require liability insurance, which have restrictions on beach ceremony locations, and which coordinators are wonderful collaborative partners. This knowledge prevents surprises and ensures smooth execution on your wedding day.
Luxury Wedding Photos That Travel Well
One aspect of destination wedding photography that’s often overlooked is how the final images will be used. These aren’t just digital files you’ll scroll through occasionally—they’re images you’ll print, frame, create albums from, and share with family members who couldn’t attend.
Our editing style is designed with this longevity in mind. We deliver true-to-life color that won’t look oversaturated or artificial in five years. We avoid trendy filters and heavy-handed processing that dates imagery quickly. The result is photographs that feel current now but will remain timeless decades from now—the kind of images your children and grandchildren will treasure.
We also deliver your images optimized for both print and digital use. Whether you’re creating a large-format album, printing a canvas for your living room, or sharing images on social media, the files are properly sized and color-corrected for each application. This attention to technical detail is part of what distinguishes professional destination wedding photography from casual vacation snapshots.
Beyond the Wedding Day — The Full Guest Experience
Destination weddings aren’t single-day events—they’re multi-day experiences where families gather, friends reconnect, and memories are created beyond the ceremony and reception. Smart couples understand that documenting these surrounding events creates a complete narrative of their wedding weekend.
Welcome Parties & Rehearsal Dinners
Many destination weddings begin with welcome parties the evening before the ceremony—an opportunity for guests to arrive, settle in, and begin celebrating together. These events are often more relaxed than the wedding itself, with candid conversations, tropical cocktails, and the first glimpses of your wedding destination.
As a Puerto Vallarta photographer who frequently documents these events, I can tell you they produce some of the most genuine, emotional imagery of the entire weekend. Parents meeting their child’s partner’s family for the first time. Old friends reconnecting after years apart. The bride and groom finally able to relax after months of planning, surrounded by everyone they love.
Rehearsal dinners at beachfront restaurants or private villas provide another opportunity for documentary-style coverage that captures the atmosphere and connections without the formal pressure of the wedding day itself.
Yacht Sessions & Catamaran Celebrations
Puerto Vallarta’s geography—situated on Banderas Bay with the Sierra Madre mountains as a backdrop—creates spectacular opportunities for yacht and catamaran sessions. Many couples incorporate sunset cruises into their wedding weekend, either as pre-wedding portrait sessions or as post-wedding celebrations with their closest friends and family.
These sessions offer a completely different aesthetic from beach photography. The play of light on water, the wind in your hair, the sense of adventure and romance—it’s editorial luxury photography at its finest. And because we’re familiar with the various yacht companies and departure points around Puerto Vallarta, we can recommend options that align with your vision and coordinate timing for optimal light.
Post-Wedding & Farewell Brunch Coverage
There’s something special about the morning after a wedding. The pressure is off, the celebration is complete, and couples often experience a profound sense of joy and relief. Many of our clients book post-wedding sessions for exactly this reason—to capture themselves as newlyweds, still glowing from the previous day’s celebration but now relaxed and fully present.
Farewell brunches provide a final opportunity to document your wedding weekend. Guests are more casual, emotions are still high, and there’s often beautiful morning light perfect for natural photography. For couples creating wedding albums, these images provide the perfect closing chapter to their destination wedding story.
Sayulita & Punta Mita Photography Services
While Puerto Vallarta proper offers incredible wedding venues, the surrounding region provides distinct aesthetic options that appeal to different couple personalities and wedding styles.
Sayulita Photographer for Intimate & Luxury Weddings
Sayulita has evolved significantly over the past decade. What was once a small surf town has transformed into a sophisticated bohemian destination that attracts couples seeking that effortlessly cool, editorial aesthetic without sacrificing comfort or quality.
The town’s colorful streets, artisan boutiques, and laid-back beach clubs create a completely different visual environment from Puerto Vallarta’s resort corridor. Weddings here tend to be smaller, more intimate, and styled with an emphasis on natural textures, local craftsmanship, and organic beauty. Think driftwood arbors, hand-dyed textiles, and sunset ceremonies on less-developed beaches.
As a photographer who works extensively in Sayulita, I love the creative freedom this environment provides. The authentic character of the town—the weathered beach palapas, the vibrant street murals, the genuine local culture—adds depth and interest to wedding imagery that sterile resort environments simply cannot match.
For couples considering a Sayulita wedding, we’ve created a comprehensive resource covering everything from venue selection to photographer logistics: [The Essential Guide to Hiring Your Sayulita Wedding Photographer].
Punta Mita & Surrounding Destinations
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Punta Mita represents ultra-luxury destination weddings. The Four Seasons and St. Regis resorts here set the standard for high-end service and pristine natural beauty. Private villas in the gated Punta Mita community offer even more exclusivity for couples seeking complete privacy and customization.
The beaches here are protected and immaculately maintained, the architecture is sophisticated, and the level of service allows for elaborate multi-day celebrations executed flawlessly. As a Puerto Vallarta photographer familiar with these properties, I understand their specific requirements, their coordinator preferences, and how to maximize their stunning natural settings for photography.
The surrounding areas—Sayulita, San Pancho, and even small private beaches accessible only by boat—provide additional options for couples who want to explore beyond traditional resort settings while maintaining luxury standards.
Wedding Photography Pricing in Puerto Vallarta
Let’s address the question every couple asks: what should you expect to invest in a Puerto Vallarta photographer for your destination wedding?
What Influences Wedding Photographer Cost in Puerto Vallarta
Photography pricing in Puerto Vallarta is generally 40-60% less than comparable destination wedding coverage would cost with a US or Canadian photographer—before accounting for their travel expenses. However, significant variation exists depending on several factors.
Coverage length is the primary cost driver. Intimate elopements requiring 2-3 hours of coverage cost substantially less than full-day 10-12 hour wedding documentation. Multi-day coverage for welcome parties, wedding day, and farewell events increases investment accordingly.
Team size affects pricing as well. A single photographer can efficiently cover small weddings, but larger celebrations benefit from second-shooter coverage to capture simultaneous moments—the bride and groom getting ready in separate locations, ceremony reactions from multiple angles, or comprehensive reception coverage without missing key moments.
Multi-day events naturally require greater investment but provide comprehensive storytelling that single-day coverage cannot achieve. For elaborate destination weddings where guests travel internationally, many couples find that documenting the full weekend experience is worth the additional investment.
Complexity factors like remote locations requiring significant travel, drone photography, videography services, or expedited editing also influence final pricing.
For detailed pricing information specific to 2026-2027 wedding coverage, we’ve created a transparent breakdown: Wedding Photographer Cost Puerto Vallarta (2026–2027 Prices).
Why Couples Choose Us As their Puerto Vallarta Photographer
Beyond technical skill and aesthetic style, certain operational qualities distinguish truly professional destination wedding photographers from talented hobbyists or part-time photographers.
Experience with Premium Destination Weddings
The majority of our clients are planning sophisticated celebrations with significant budgets and high expectations. They’re coordinating with luxury planners, working with premium florists and designers, and creating experiences their guests will remember for years.
This level of wedding requires a photographer who understands the broader context of luxury event production. We know how to coordinate with planners and coordinators efficiently, how to move quickly through family formal portraits without creating bottlenecks in your timeline, and how to document elaborate design details in ways that do justice to the creative team’s work.
We’re also familiar with the cultural expectations and family dynamics typical of North American weddings—the traditions, the timeline flow, the relationships that matter most. This cultural fluency means we anticipate important moments without requiring constant direction from you or your planner.
Consistent, High-End Results
One significant advantage of working with an established team is consistency. Whether Evgenia photographs your wedding or another Vallarta Photo team member, you receive the same signature editing style, the same attention to detail, and the same level of service.
Our editing approach prioritizes true-to-life color and timeless aesthetics over trendy filters or excessive manipulation. We deliver your complete gallery within three weeks—significantly faster than the 8-12 week timelines many photographers require. For couples eager to share their images with family and friends, this quick turnaround is invaluable.
We also offer heirloom-quality albums and print products for couples who want tangible keepsakes beyond digital files. These professionally designed albums become family treasures that are shared across generations—far more meaningful than digital galleries that might remain on a hard drive indefinitely.
Booking a Puerto Vallarta Photographer for 2026–2027
If you’re planning a 2026 or 2027 destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, timing your photographer booking appropriately ensures you secure your preferred dates with your chosen photographer.
Ideal Booking Timeline for Destination Weddings
For peak season weddings (November through April), we recommend booking your Puerto Vallarta photographer 12-18 months in advance. This timeline provides the best selection of available dates and allows adequate time for planning coordination.
Many couples book their photographer shortly after securing their venue—often before finalizing other vendors. This makes sense when you consider that photography is one of the few vendors whose work you’ll experience long after your wedding day. The flowers will wilt, the cake will be eaten, but your photographs remain forever.
For off-season weddings (May through October), booking 9-12 months ahead is generally sufficient. However, holiday weekends and popular dates can book earlier regardless of season.
Limited Availability for Multi-Day Weddings
We deliberately limit the number of weddings we photograph each year to ensure every couple receives our full attention and creative energy. We’re not a high-volume photography business churning through multiple weddings every weekend—we’re a boutique team focused on quality over quantity.
This approach means our availability for premium multi-day wedding coverage is particularly limited. If you’re planning an elaborate destination wedding with welcome events, full wedding day coverage, and post-wedding sessions, early booking is essential.
How far in advance should we book a Puerto Vallarta photographer?
For peak season weddings (November-April), we recommend booking 12-18 months in advance to secure your preferred dates. Off-season weddings can often be booked 9-12 months ahead, though popular holiday weekends fill earlier regardless of season.
Do you work with wedding planners and venues?
Absolutely. We've collaborated with virtually every major wedding planner and venue in the Puerto Vallarta region over the past 15 years. We understand coordinator preferences, venue policies, and how to integrate seamlessly into your planning team. Many planners specifically recommend us to their US and Canadian clients because they trust our reliability and quality.
Do you travel to Sayulita and Punta Mita?
Yes, we regularly photograph weddings throughout the greater Puerto Vallarta region, including Sayulita, Punta Mita, San Pancho, and other surrounding areas. There's no additional travel fee for venues within this region—it's all included in your package pricing.
How many photos do we receive?
This varies based on coverage length, but as a general guideline: 2-3 hour coverage yields approximately 200-300 edited images, 6-8 hour full wedding day coverage produces 600-800 images, and multi-day coverage can exceed 1,000 images depending on the scope of events documented. We deliver every quality image from your wedding—we don't artificially limit the number of photos you receive.
Do you offer engagement or proposal sessions?
Yes! Many couples visiting Puerto Vallarta before their wedding book engagement sessions to get comfortable in front of the camera and capture beautiful images of their relationship in this stunning destination. We also photograph surprise proposals for couples who want that moment professionally documented.
Are albums and prints available?
We offer professionally designed heirloom albums, fine art prints, and framed gallery walls for couples who want tangible products beyond digital files. These are optional add-ons to our photography packages and can be ordered anytime after receiving your digital gallery.
What makes Vallarta Photo different from other photographers?
Three primary factors: our team-based approach provides backup security that solo photographers cannot offer; our exclusive focus on US and Canadian destination wedding clients means we understand your specific needs and expectations; and our 15+ years of local experience means we know every venue, understand seasonal light patterns, and have established relationships throughout the Puerto Vallarta wedding industry.
Start Your Puerto Vallarta Wedding Photography Inquiry
You’re planning something extraordinary—a destination celebration that brings together everyone you love in one of Mexico’s most beautiful locations. Your photography should reflect the significance of this moment while making the entire experience feel effortless and enjoyable.
We understand luxury destination weddings because we’ve dedicated our careers to perfecting this very specific type of photography. We know what matters to couples traveling from the US and Canada, we understand the logistics that make these celebrations successful, and we’re committed to creating imagery that exceeds your expectations.
Our 2026 and 2027 calendars are accepting limited bookings now. If you’re planning a Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, or Punta Mita wedding and want to discuss photography coverage, we’d love to connect.
