Destination Wedding Photography: Krabi (Railay), Thailand
When most of us dream of exotic beaches and locations…we think:empty beaches…remote areas…beautiful plants…a cold beverage in hand.
And as a wedding photographer, I have been to some amazing beaches throughout the world. Harbour Island in the Bahamas is one such place. But even more remote: Railay, Thailand. Railay is a remote part of Krabi, and it is a mecca for rock climbers all over the world. The rock formations are pretty unbelievable. The terrain is so intense…there are no roads leading to Railay. You get to Thailand by flying to Bangkok, hop on a plane to Krabi, 40 min shuttle bus to a dock, and finally you take a long boat to Railay. The boat pulls up on the beach…you hop out into the water and carry your bags to the beach!
Yes. It is a remote area. =)
And this is where Nina and Phil celebrated their ‘western’ style destination wedding ceremony! You can see photos from their traditional Thai and Korean ceremonies held in Bangkok at this blog post. But here in Krabi…Nina had her white dress and walked down to the aisle with palm trees and Railay’s rock formations in the background.
And while Railay is remote area…there is a 5 star luxury resort hotel there. And this is where Nina and Phil had their wedding ceremony and reception! The Rayavadee Krabi Hotel is an amazing place. Railay feels like Jurassic Park. But instead of dinosaurs running around, there are wild monkeys! An absolutely beautiful part of Thailand and a perfect place for a destination wedding!
A photo of Nina’s wedding dress in one of the Rayavadee Hotel’s villas.
She got ready at the Rayavadee Spa –
A photo of the beautiful bride!
Another great photo of Nina-
Finding cool spots for photos at the Rayavadee Spa-
Her bouquet-
Phil sporting his new custom suit from The Needle King shop in Bangkok. A quick shout out to Roger at the Needle King! Great job on Phil’s suit…and on mine as well! =)
Love this photo of Phil-
This is the ceremony ‘altar’ area. Note the circular flower mat they will stand on. And of course…the rock formations of Railay, Thailand in the background!
Cute details on the back of the chairs!
Loved this ‘tray’ for the rings! The team at Rayavadee did a fabulous job with all the little details!
A destination wedding in Krabi, Thailand? Um…yes PLEASE! It’s great being a destination wedding photographer!
Love the emotions in this photo- and the Railay rock formations in the background!
And in case you were thinking…we don’t have these rock formations jutting out of Lake Michigan. Thailand is where it’s at! Whenever I photograph a destination wedding, I always try to incorporate the various unique elements of that area. And with Nina and Phil, I wanted to include as many rock formations in the photos as I could!
Love this silhouette photo- and note the islands in the background!
The reception site at the Rayavadee. Right next to the beach.
Love the Rayavadee touch!
You can see the ocean in the backgound!
A little touch by Nina + Phil!
And to finish the night…the highlight of my trip. They lit gigantic biodegradable lanterns! Nina’s brother, Kris, surprised her with these special ordered lanterns from Chaing Mai, Thailand! You light them…and once they fill up w/hot air…they shoot up like balloons! Except there’s no helium! It was SOOOOO much fun! Definitely one of the most fun things I’ve ever done at a wedding! (Nina + Phil had a extra one that I could release! =) It’s currently my profile picture on facebook)
In the background of this photo- you can see the first batch of lanterns we released!
Congrats again to Nina + Phil! A fabulous time was had by all in Thailand! From the Sukhothai to the Rayavadee…you guys know how to celebrate in Thailand! A unique wedding experience! From a Thai water ceremony, Korean Paebaek ceremony, to releasing lanterns into the sky…what a destination wedding! Thank you for having me as your wedding photographer and being willing to bring me all the way from Chicago!
And a special shout out to Facebook for allowing Nina and I to reconnect after we hadn’t really seen each other since 8th grade!
with love
Kenny
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