Dazzling, sparkling, and, INSPIRING. That pretty much sums up the ISS experience in Mexico. The luxurious event, held in Cancun, Mexico, was filled to the brim with exquisite details, expert speakers and an electrifying atmosphere. It was absolutely amazing to shoot and participate in such a creative, fun-filled environment. I can’t thank Stacie, founder of Inspire Smart Success, enough for trusting me with such a huge endeavor. Each day was filled with so many unforgettable details and experiences. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the event, but shooting the fire-dancers during the Blanco Party was definitely a thrill! Everyone at the event was warm and welcoming and we built an instant bond. I can’t begin to describe and count the immense talent behind this event. The gorgeous paper products created by Tifany of Gourmet Invitations, the beautiful cinematography of Ryan and Eric of Epic Motion, the unparalleled service by the staff of Now Sapphire resort, just to name a few.

Last summer I had the privilege of attending ISS-Orlando as a guest and it was an incredible experience but it could never have prepared me for what I experienced in ISS-Mexico. I must admit that shooting this event was not an easy task, especially without my amazing second-shooter (aka: my hubby) but I couldn’t have done it without the help of Karl & Nanette of Luminaire Foto. We had a blast together (you’ll see a bit of the fun in their photobooth at the end of this post) and it was a blessing meeting both of them.

Besides making new friends and sharing unbelievable experiences together, here are some mentionable highlights of my time in Mexico:
-Almost (accidentally) throwing Mike Colon off a lifeguard tower, this one to be exact. (Thanks Austin for the snapshot, priceless memory and thank you Ana, our talented model)
-Preston Bailey complimenting our work and autographing his book with, “Mariana & Khaled, you both have an amazing eye.” Yes, right at that moment life couldn’t get much better.
-Rooming with Krystyn of Bridal Beauty Chicago. I had never met her before and instantly felt like she was family.
-Christopher Confero and Clayton Gray. LOVE them both to the moon and back.
-Opening my dinner invitation on Day 2 to find that it was with Sonny Ganguly…you know, the guy that created Sony. (I guess it’s a bit of an inside joke).
-Working closely with Sandie (Stacie’s mom), Rachel, The Jens and the rest of the crew. They did a phenomenal job and it was such a pleasure.
-Getting to know Ceci Johnson. I met Ceci before in Miami last year and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to chat more with her in Mexico. She’s a big inspiration and I absolutely love her work.
-Tajin Seasoning. Lisi Korn, although we didn’t get to hang out as much as I would have loved, a big thank you for introducing me to the delicious seasoning. I finally found it in Tampa and use it on everything!
-It was hilarious and fun to spend time with Dana Larue and her hubby, Hunter. The monkey showing his ‘affection’ to Hunter was probably one of my favorite memories.
-Riding the van from the airport to the resort with Youngsong Martin and getting to know her and her hubby was a great experience.
-Traveling with my airport pals ❤ Petronella, Eddy and Marilyn, Eileen and her hubby, Brad.
-Meeting Kathy Romero. I can’t describe what a wonderful and inspiring woman she truly is. It’s no wonder why her beautiful face is gracing the cover of the first issue of  ISS Magazine. I might even have to create a blog post to feature her and how she’s motivated me in many ways. Kathy…We’re.On.Fire.
 
There are just too many memories to list, but I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and share amazing memories with such a wonderful group of top-industry professionals. Wishing 2012 is full of much success and happiness for each of you!

If you haven’t attended yet, I highly recommend you check out and register for one of the upcoming ISS events!

Cruising aboard the Carnival Inspiration for 4 days, pristine aqua-marine water, a beautiful ceremony on an exclusive and limited access beach club with a lovely couple and their sweet family and friends.

Margarita and Juan’s destination wedding in Mexico was definitely an adventure and an unforgettable experience. There are so many details, that the feature will be two-parts. Their lovely wedding day as you’ll see below and part II will include the rest of our 4-day adventure.

There are many elements that made this experience so unique, but one of my favorites was spending a few days with our couple, their family and friends, and the very special person who made this all possible by referring us to Margarita, one of our first brides- turned amazing friend, Nerlin. (You can see Nerlin and Andy’s beautiful wedding from Nov 2010 here)

Within a few seconds of meeting Margarita, you cant help but smile and be infected with her laughter. She is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. Her eyes light up whenever Juan’s around and it’s adorable.  I’ll never forget how excited she was to see Juan for their first look. We set it up so that while everyone was debarking the ship, Margarita and Juan were alone at the top of the ship with an incredible view and practically the entire area to themselves! It was gorgeous! I found out there are many advantages to going on a cruise for your destination wedding, but I’ll save all those tips for a future blog post.

When we arrived in Mexico we had an awesome surprise waiting for us. An extra hour. Yep, we didn’t realize the time difference and had a whole additional hour! Let me tell you, to a wedding photographer that’s like winning the lottery! When we got past the port, (and everyone there either congratulating the couple or yelling that they still had time to reconsider, lol) we took a taxi and Juan brought us to a beautiful rocky beach area where we did their bride and groom portraits. Juan also introduced us to coconuts with lime and chile…yum!

Margarita and Juan had their ceremony at the exclusive Nachi Cocom Beach Club in Cozumel. Their wedding colors included tangerine tango the stunning 2012 Pantone Color of the year. Ana and the rest of the Nachi Cocom team did an amazing job with all the details and the lovely wedding cake was scrumptious! I wanted to bring some back home with me, along with a little bit of the  home-made salsa and chips!

This was our first time to Cozumel and hopefully not our last. Margarita and Juan, we wish you many, many years of happiness and from the bottom of our heart, thank you. For trusting us with your beautiful memories and for sharing this wonderful adventure with us! Much love to you and your family!

 

Oh, Cancun. I left my heart there. Also my voice, ability to walk and thanks to your amazingness, I’m working today in my comfy pj’s. Covering the unbelievably gorgeous events at Inspire Smart Success Experience over three days could easily equal to covering 6 weddings in the same time frame! I can’t wait to share all the details and images of the last four days!

I met a fabulous group of talented and super-inspiring individuals that have become friends I will treasure forever! Many of the things I was able to do were beyond my imagination, such as ignoring my fear of heights and climbing a wobbly wooden tower with a stunning view of the Caribbean Sea to shoot with Mike Colon- only to almost push him off, accidentally of course. Oh, and lets not forget eating apples with lime-cajun spices (Thanks Lisi), and much, much more! Expect a jam-packed blog post with all the details, beautiful images, and my thoughts on this unforgettable experience!

A HUGE thank you to Stacie Ivers Francombe, Rachel Saito, Jennifer Warwick-Lewis, Jennifer Fisher, Christina Springfield, Shay Bell, Tifany Wunschl, Karl Rouwhorst, Nanette Dorbeck, Ryan Koral, the wonderful staff at Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun and everyone that helped make ISSE happen!

For now, enjoy this little preview brought to you by Epic Motion!

Inspire Smart Success Experience {ISSE} Cancun, Mexico from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

Ok, I admit it. Speedy Gonzales gave me my first exposure to a place called Mexico. Yes, I was six year old, who can blame me? He was the funniest little cartoon ever! However, as I grew older I fell in love with something much more important: Mexican food! Hey, I’m not talking Tijuana Flats, Chipotle, or Taco Bell (although, I love every.single.one.of.those.) I’m talking about authentic, scrumptious, Mexican food. Those tasty empanadas, tortillas made from scratch, enchiladas and mouth-watering sauce…yeah, I’m getting hungry.

You can imagine my excitement as I was having lunch with my previous bride, Nerlin, and she went into detail about her sweet friend, Margarita’s, destination wedding to…you got it, Mexico! It was a few months later that we would have the opportunity to meet Margarita and Juan in person and we couldn’t be happier to document their beautiful wedding day.

Margarita and Juan will be saying their I-do’s in Cozumel at the exclusive Nachi Cocum Beach Club this Saturday and we’ll be boarding the Carnival Inspiration headed to Cozumel this evening!

We’ll be doing many ‘firsts’ on this adventure. It’ll be Khaled’s first cruise. My first time traveling internationally, which means my first time using my passport. (Yay! The travel junkie in me is just throwing a huge party!) Our first time to Mexico, our first international destination wedding, and our first cruise together. To say we’re thrilled is an understatement.

¡Ándele! ¡Ándele! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! Have a fabulous weekend!

As unreal as it feels, Kismis Ink is just a couple months short from its 2 year anniversary. It’s mind-boggling that in such a short time, we’ve had the privilege to work with amazing clients, vendors, build a stronger business and travel quite a bit this year. An ‘Alice in Wonderland’-inspired wedding in Georgia, a new Mr. & Mrs. session in Vegas, an intimate courthouse wedding in Miami Beach and we are looking forward to our first international wedding at the exclusive Nachi Cocom Beach Club in Cozumel, Mexico this November!

As we are getting closer to year-end, I recently took some time to revisit our 3-5 year business goals and realized that we met most of the goals listed already! That just makes more room to add some new goals, but I’m thankful and excited for what’s in store for 2012 and beyond!

This time last year, I was conceptualizing a gorgeous wedding editorial with the help of some super-talented vendors. It was our first creative editorial and we were humbled with the support and trust we received from local and international vendors. It gives us such pleasure to share that a selection from our first wedding editorial can be found in the inspiration galleries of Grace Ormonde and the editorial has been selected for a 3-page print feature in another one of our favorite magazines to be released early next year!

I am eager to share the images, details & absolutely stunning creative film by Tampa Wonderworks Film but we’ll have to wait until after the publication comes out.

A huge thank you to everyone that has supported, believed, and worked with us. We put our heart into everything we do and we’re blessed with your relationships.