fbt
Screenshot
polly-profile-pic-2

About

Polly and The LoveBites

Hi, I’m Polly – British-born human, based in Akumal Mexico. Wedding photography is my 3rd career – my first love is fashion. I studied and worked in London and Paris as a designer in the 2000’s. Highlights include a prototype shoe made by Louis Vuitton, preparing Haute Couture with Givenchy, and my years spent as a designer for Jean Paul Gaultier. Working with talented individuals at the top of their field instilled in me endless love of creativity, exquisite craftsmanship, and fierce beauty.

Fast forward to: quitting fashion, backpacking in East Africa for 3 years, becoming a scuba diving instructor, then – hop – Mexico. Buying an underwater camera, meeting my freakin’ awesome husband, and becoming a wedding photographer in the Riviera Maya.

After a decade of working for others as an associate photographer, I created The LoveBites, a space to pursue my vision of beauty. Authentic, raw, and powerful photographs, blending fim and digital photography, artistic, poetic imagery and candid, documentary photography. I am of course inspired by beautiful fashion editorial imagery – my forever love.

This first thing I want to say about polly is everything about her is amazing from her personality to her photography. When you first meet her she is the easiest person to talk to and laugh with. She makes you feel like you’ve known each other for years! On top of all of that her photography is outstanding! She gets the most amazing candid moments as well as doing her best to get all the photos you ask for! One of many things I was impressed with was her survey that she has designed to make sure she understands and is informed with exactly all the photos and styles you want to be captured. She has a talent for capturing the audiences as well as your emotion in every picture she gets. She is so fun and easy to work with and does everything she can do make your day amazing! She absolutely was a huge part in making my wedding day the best it could be! Polly photographed me and my husbands engagement and we loved her so much we asked her to do our wedding too! We love Polly!
Katie + TrevorSpring Farm Wedding
Katie + Trevor
The photos are BEAUTIFUL! We’re so happy with them. Pauli said “I always thought it was a waste of money to pay for photos/do a photoshoot while on a trip but we’re doing it every trip now.” They’re awesome. Thank you so much. We’re so happy to be able to have these as a memory of our trip and time together. Also, thank you for not resisting on the black and white edits. Turns out I love them equally as much as color!
Pauli & JacobAkumal Vow Renewal
Pauli & Jacob
Wow! These photos are amazing! We are blown away!!!! Thank you for capturing our day, love for each other and friends. I love the intimate moments between us. This is exactly what I hoped to see. We look forward to making an album with these. Hugs and again many thanks!
Liz & ScottAkumal Bay Wedding
Liz & Scott
Polly is an absolute dream to work with! She went above and beyond to make us feel completely comfortable, and the entire shoot was such a fun and relaxed experience. The photos she delivered are beyond stunning — truly magical! We are obsessed and will 100% be coming back for more. Highly, highly recommend!
DharmaMayakoba Babymoon Session
Editorial Film + Digital Maternity Session at Banyan Tree Mayakoba
We met early on a Saturday on the beach and here comes Polly dressed in all black, camera in hand with a grin on her face. We hugged and immediately went into a wild Tuesday of sisterhood and fun. Every image she captured of each sister present illuminates the essence of their being. I personally felt playful and creative. Every shoot I have been blessed to experience with Polly has pushed me to be a better model—to affectively communicate with my body what I would usually say with words. It’s an honor to know her and I believe if you’ve read this entire review, it’s time for you to experience the magic.
Alia Shanti GumboSupermuse
A black-and-white photo of three friends smiling and laughing, laying closely together outdoors with relaxed, joyful expressions. Two are wearing sleeveless tops, while the third has braided hair and a visible hoop earring. All appear happy and carefree, capturing the spirit of Playa del Carmen.
Polly was INCREDIBLE. She photographed my women's retreat and was so professional, caring, fun, and just a joy to be around. It felt like she was genuinely invested in my business and the experience of the women in the retreat - and she was so thoughtful about getting the most gorgeous shots in spots I wouldn't have even noticed. She went above and beyond and I highly recommend Polly and am so grateful she was recommended to me
Tasia HawkinsZoya Wellness Retreat
Tasia Hawkins
Our family photo shoot with Polly was truly a highlight of our trip. She was very helpful and patient working with our group of 6 (including a toddler). She is creative, professional, and thoughtful. We received the full set of images within days and they are spectacular. Highly recommended!!
Donna ThorsenVidanta Family Photoshoot
Donna Thorsen
Polly is an amazing photographer who is committed and passionate about every shot. I love how she directed us throughout the shoot and had awesome ideas and brought together the right vibe for our Sisterhood theme. I highly recommend Polly if you need to capture your beautiful memories here in Playa Del Carmen!
Rizalyn CorcueraArtistic Friends Session
Rizalyn Corcuera
SIMPLY AMAZING!!!! I recently met Polly while doing a photoshoot with my loves here in Playa and I am in awe with her work!! Phenomenal, to say the least! I've never done a photoshoot of any kind and really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and I was made to feel so comfortable, guided and beautiful. Thank you for SUCH a beautiful experience, Polly! I speak that we'll be connecting again for more magic soon! <3
Niah NicoleArtistic Friends Session
Niah Nicole

Seen In

artistic-tulum-wedding-photographer-1
extreme close up of bride and groom lips shot in black and white, vintage feel film look wedding photography
Unique wedding reception decor idea, menu burnt into a tortilla place setting at Oaxaca wedding editorial, Proyecto Murguia with Frida Enamorada

My Style

Fashion-inspired \\ Emotion-driven \\ Unmistakably individual

My photography brings together editorial wedding photography, candid documentary moments and a dynamic mix of digital and film to create images that feel fashionable and considered, but still loose, emotional, imperfect, and alive. I want my wedding galleries to feel timeless and beautiful, but also a little unexpected in ways that are authentic to each individual couple and their day.

I love sculptural compositions, interesting light, movement, grain, and black and white. My galleries move between fashion-led portraits, quiet, poetic moments, and wonderfully human chaos.

Rather than imposing one aesthetic on every wedding, I develop a visual language around each couple, creating a dynamic collection of photographs that reflects their personalities and the atmosphere of their celebration. If you love a little weirdness, humour, edge and personality, we’re going to get along just fine. Weddings can be unexpected, offbeat and incredibly beautiful all at once.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

F A
Q ?

Where are you based, and do you travel?

I live in Akumal, 30 minutes from both Playa del Carmen and Tulum – right in the middle of the Riviera Maya. I regularly photograph weddings and portrait sessions across Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Costa Mujeres, as well as the islands of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Holbox.

I also photograph destination weddings and events across Mexico, including Mérida and Oaxaca. I love travelling, so if you’re planning a wedding anywhere in Mexico or further afield, I love to travel.

What services do you offer?

I offer wedding photography ranging from full wedding weekends and multi-day coverage to smaller, quieter elopements with just a couple of hours of shooting. My work is a mix of digital and film photography, and I’m a still-image-only photographer. That said, I’ve recently started collaborating with a local filmmaker to offer Super 8 wedding films for couples who want something nostalgic and a little bit different alongside their photos.

How long have you been photographing weddings, proposals and portraits?

Photography is my 3rd career – I was a fashion designer, then a diving instructor, before entering the wedding world in 2014. I worked for 10 years for a boutique wedding photography company and I have photographed 100s and worked on post production and client care for over 1000 weddings.

You won’t see those 10 years of weddings here, but you will see work that I’ve created as an independent photographer taking everything that I’ve learnt and filtering it through my point of view.

Do you provide film photography?

Yes – I love film, I shoot hybrid film and digital for all my weddings because I love the texture it brings to a final gallery. I shoot some portrait sessions on film too, and I recently started working with a friend to offer Super8 videography.

Most of the film you’ll see on my website in 35mm with some polaroid and 120mm shot on a Holga too.

See more about my approach to film photography HERE

Do you provide inclusive photography for LGBTQ+ weddings, proposals and portrait sessions?

Absolutely. I photograph LGBTQ+ and non-binary weddings and offer inclusive wedding photography for all couples and celebrations. See my same-sex wedding and gay photography archive HERE