Amanda & Chad: A Beachfront Celebration at Sandos Finisterra

Golden hour in Cabo is its own thing. The light comes over the rocks, turns the sand pinkish, and warms up everything it touches. Amanda and Chad got married right in the middle of it, on the sand at Sandos Finisterra. The whole day had an easy feel. Laughing in a stone-walled suite. A beach ceremony with the Pacific behind them. A barefoot walk on the sand after sunset. They were so focused on each other that we mostly just had to keep up.

Getting Ready at the Resort

Amanda’s suite had stone walls and soft tropical light, so we wanted to photograph all of it. Her bridesmaids were already in pink floral robes and already laughing. Outside, her lace gown hung on a vine-covered wall in patchy sun. The details set the tone: a blush and white bouquet with eucalyptus, a watercolor invitation among bamboo stalks, and white heels next to a bright red hibiscus.

Then Amanda’s mom pulled her close as the dress went on. We moved in tight and let that one stay quiet. Over on Chad’s side, a navy suit hung against ornate metalwork, next to blue suede shoes and a leather belt. With stone and ironwork throughout the resort, good backdrops were never far away.

Wedding Party and Beachfront Ceremony

Once everyone was dressed, the wedding party gathered on a terrace against warm adobe walls. Bridesmaids in dusty blue with white and blush bouquets. Groomsmen in navy. Amanda and Chad in the middle, foreheads almost touching, while everyone around them cheered. Nobody was stiff, and that makes a group photo easy.

The ceremony was right on the sand, under a draped white arbor with the Pacific behind it. We kept these in black and white. Amanda’s dad hugged her before the walk. They traded vows with the waves coming in, and kissed under the arbor with nothing but ocean and sky in the frame. Then the bouquet went up and both of them were grinning like they’d just pulled off the best idea they ever had. Hard to argue with that.

Golden Hour Portraits in Cabo

After the ceremony, we borrowed Amanda and Chad from cocktail hour for portraits. It’s a small trade, and it paid off. The evening light caught the hillside and the water, and gave us a short window we didn’t want to waste.

One spot was a rooftop infinity edge with Cabo and the sea behind them. Another was a rocky desert trail, where scrubby trees and boulders framed them against the mountains. The sun was dropping fast, lighting Amanda’s hair from behind and flaring into the lens. We found the spot, put them in it, and let the light do its thing.

We also photographed them on winding stone staircases and garden terraces. Sandos Finisterra is built into the hillside, so every turn gave us something new: ivy on stone walls, iron railings, cacti, flowering vines. All of it made their portraits feel like a little adventure.

Reception Details and Dancing Under the Stars

The reception space had natural stone walls and warm light. Amanda and Chad set up a photo guestbook with an Instax camera, and next to it, framed photos of loved ones who couldn’t be there. Two dogs in tiny tuxedos had a prominent spot in that display. We love finding details like that. They tell you a lot about a couple.

After dark, string lights ran across the outdoor dance floor. Their first dance was quiet and close, just the two of them swaying under the lights. We stayed back with a long lens and let it be theirs. The night ended the way the day started: warm and easy, with the two of them completely themselves. To see more weddings like this one, visit our wedding photography portfolio.