When you talk about dream weddings, this is what we’re talking about. A stunning, private villa on the ocean in paradise with thirty of your closest family and friends and wedding thrown into the middle of a perfect, tropical vacation. Samantha and Michael were the most relaxed and fun-loving couple. They truly wanted their guests to have a memorable vacation instead of all the attention on their wedding. Every detail of the wedding was based on how much fun it would bring to the guests.
Designing a wedding in the Dominican Republic from Texas, the planner in Fort Worth and the couple in Houston, proved to have its challenges. Not to mention the hurricanes that Mother Nature threw our way one week before the wedding! Although it seemed like island time would push our planning timeline off the ocean cliff, our couple remained so calm. Nothing seemed to phase them as they were just so excited to be married and spend some time traveling with family.
Travel is an important part of the couple’s relationship and they are often jetting out to new places. They had previously traveled to the Dominican Republic for a family vacation and the spot has a huge part in their hearts. That vacation was the first time Samantha came with on Michael’s family’s trips and it was when Michael knew she was the one. So, it was easy to pick the DR as their wedding weekend location.
Michael and Samantha really wanted a venue that could sleep all of their family and also serve as the wedding venue. We searched all over the island and landed on Casa Alegre on the Casa de Campo Resort in the La Romana area. Surrounded by lush green golf courses and nestled perfectly on the rocky ocean edge, there were no shortage of gorgeous views from the villa. The estate had five smaller casitas for the guests to make home for the weekend. Communal areas by the pool were always full of guests napping, swimming, sipping on a margarita and two families truly becoming one. Not being able to tour the space before the wedding gave the planner some sleepless nights, however, when you arrive your stress just melts away.
We started the weekend off with a colorful welcome party complete with taco bar and lantern send off. We were going with a neutral color palette for the wedding so we decided to go all out with the colors for the welcome reception. using fuchsia, orange, yellow and green we welcome the guests to paradise in true tropical style. The bride and her bridesmaid sisters wore brightly colored flower crowns that perfectly matched the pineapple floral centerpieces. The air was filled with the sweet scent of fruit and flowers as everyone took in the stunning beauty of the venue. A lasting memory for all was when the sun set and we started to light wish lanterns in honor of the bride and groom. As you looked around you could see couples embracing and kissing as they sent their lantern off to the heavens.
The ceremony was held on a rocky patio that juts out into the ocean. The hurricanes brought in a thick layer of sand and the villa owners decided to embrace it! A truly perfect space for their intimate wedding with the ocean waves crashing on the rocks behind the altar. Punta Cana Live Entertainment provided the perfect tropical background music as the bride walked down the aisle and throughout the cocktail hour. Guests loved the cajon versions of some popular songs including Ed Sheeran.
Tres Eventos helped create a magical design that was exactly what the bride was envisioning. From the custom floral arch at the ceremony to the palm and coconut reception table decor, everything was absolutely stunning. Samantha wanted to nod to the tropical location but didn’t want anything too overboard. The simple green and white color palette allowed the colors of the ocean and lush green landscape to complement one another.
Cocktails and dinner happened poolside underneath the large hatch roof patio cover. The couple really wanted a family style dinner with a seating plan that allowed for great conversation. The u-shaped tables had guests chatting and laughing all night! Once the dinner and speeches were over guests were surprised with a fire dance performance! The bride and groom really wanted a moment of surprise for their guests and this did not disappoint! It really helped kick off the dance party (to end all dance parties)!
Proving just how fun-loving they really are, Samantha and Michael decided to take the dance party up another notch by jumping into the pool! Guests then followed suit and soon you couldn’t tell the difference between the dance party and the pool party!
Capturing the whole day were Allen Tsai of Allen Tsai Photography and Adam Grumbo of Adam Grumbo Wedding Films. The bride and groom wanted every moment captured and these two did a wonderful job of seeing the event through the guests’ eyes. It says a lot about how amazing the wedding and newlyweds are when the photography team doesn’t pack up and leave at the end of the night and instead decides to join in the pool party!
This wedding is really one for the books and will be hard to top. It is what all future destination weddings will be pitted against. Everyone was in the best island-time mood and savored all the beautiful moments the weekend brought. The bride and groom have become good friends and there’s nothing better than that!
Cheers!
Liz Ise (Chancey Charm, Destination Wedding Planner)
VENDOR CREDITS
Allen Tsai, Liz Ise for Chancey Charm, Tres Eventos, Anna Nuet, Punta Cana Live Entertainment, Adam Grumbo Wedding Films, Emily Baird Design
2 Comments
A wedding in the Dominican Republic is like a dream come true and that to with just the closest of family and friends makes it the most fun and most memorable one. Thank you Sarah for scripting the complete wedding event of Samantha and Michael. The pictures and the notes proved that nothing could be as mesmerizing as the sea in the backdrop to get married.
A wedding in the Dominican Republic is a wonderful experience… That atmosphere feels like a fantasy…