The Story
Katy and Declan came to Puerto Vallarta from Dublin and wanted something that felt the opposite of the Irish winter they'd left behind: warm, colorful, intimate, and outdoors. Casa Karma was the natural choice.
Casa Karma is a private villa-style venue in the hills above Puerto Vallarta — not a resort, not a hotel, but a house that happens to be extraordinary. The garden is dense and tropical, with bougainvillea draped over every archway and afternoon light filtering through the palms in a way that makes photographers feel like they're cheating.
Katy spent the morning in the main house with her bridesmaids. She was the most relaxed bride I've photographed in years — laughing, eating breakfast, at one point just reading on the terrace. She wasn't performing calm; she genuinely was calm, because she was certain. Certainty reads in photographs. You can always tell.
Declan arrived early and walked the garden alone before the guests came. I followed him at a distance. He stopped at the altar, looked at the arrangement his mother had helped design, and stood there for a long moment. That image is in the gallery.
The ceremony was informal by design — just forty guests, seated in two curved rows, facing the garden and the mountain view behind it. The officiant was a friend. The whole thing lasted twenty minutes and felt complete.
What made this wedding stand out photographically was the light. Casa Karma faces west, and in February the sun sets to the northwest — meaning the golden hour light comes sideways through the trees at exactly the right angle for portraits. Katy's dress, which was a slightly ivory shade rather than pure white, picked up every warm note in that light beautifully. We had about sixty minutes of perfect conditions and used every one of them.
The reception followed in the garden as the sky deepened to violet. Fairy lights came on over the long table. The food was brought out gradually, guests moved between conversations, and the evening took on the quality of a very good dinner party rather than a formal event. Which is exactly what Katy and Declan had wanted.