A photographer who knows the Riviera Maya

Destination weddings are very different from weddings close to home.

Couples are often planning their most important day from thousands of miles away. They may have never visited their venue before, they may not know how the light changes during the day, and they cannot always anticipate the weather, the beach conditions or the logistics of a destination wedding.

This is where experience matters.

After more than 18 years photographing weddings in the Riviera Maya, I’ve learned that being a good photographer is only part of the job.

You need to know when the light is right.

You need to know where to take a couple when the beach is crowded.

You need to understand how a resort works.

You need to work naturally with planners and coordinators.

You need to know when to guide a couple and when to simply step back and let the moment happen.

And, perhaps most importantly, you need to remain calm when something unexpected happens.

My approach to wedding photography

My style combines documentary photography with an editorial eye.

I want to capture the real moments — the emotions, laughter, tears, small gestures and unexpected moments that make your wedding yours.

At the same time, I love creating photographs that have a strong sense of composition, light and atmosphere.

I don’t want your wedding to feel like a photoshoot.

I want you to experience your wedding.

My job is to guide you when necessary, disappear when appropriate, and create photographs that feel authentic to you.

More than a photographer

One of the things I value most after all these years is the relationship I build with my couples.

Many of them arrive in Mexico without knowing anyone locally. They are trusting me not only with their photographs, but with a small part of an experience that they have been planning for months — sometimes years.

That’s something I don’t take lightly.

From the first conversation to the wedding day, my goal is to make the photography experience clear, relaxed and personal.

You enjoy your wedding. I’ll take care of the photography.

Mexico changed my photography

Living in Mexico has also changed the way I see photography.

The Caribbean light, the colors, the jungle, the cenotes, the ocean and the Mayan culture have all influenced my visual language.

But what fascinates me most is still people.

Every couple brings a different story, a different energy and a different way of experiencing the day.

That’s why, after all these years, I still love photographing weddings.

No two are ever the same.

Beyond weddings

Wedding photography is an important part of my work, but photography has always been broader than weddings for me.

I continue to work on personal and fine art photography projects, exploring people, places, memory and the relationship between photography and storytelling.

This personal work constantly influences the way I approach weddings — with curiosity, patience and an attention to moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.

18+ years. Hundreds of weddings. One place I call home.

PhotostudioAB started with a camera and a decision to build a life in Mexico.

Today, it is a team and a photography experience built around the same principles that brought me here in the first place:

experience, authenticity, creativity and human connection.

If you’re planning your wedding in the Riviera Maya, I’d love to hear your story.

Your story. Our Riviera Maya.

Alessandro “Ale” Banchelli

Founder & Photographer — PhotostudioAB

Photographing love stories in the Riviera Maya since 2008.