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Destination Weddings

Planning a wedding, in general, is a daunting task, especially when adding in the factor of a destination wedding. Planning from afar, scheduling travel and coordinating with family and guests is never easy. But, Katelin and Matt did it with ease. They planned a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic, specifically at the Hard Rock, Punta Cana.

Even though we were wary when we arrived due to the tourist incidents, we felt safe and taken care of upon arrival and I loved being there. The culture and people are fun, vibrant and happy and so easy to get along with. The Dominican Republic reminds me so much of Colombia and I felt at home! For those that aren’t aware, I am half Colombia and fluent in Spanish, so I was in my happy place!

Weddings at Hard Rock Punta Cana

Katelin and Matt had an amazing on-site coordinator named Camila, she was on the ball and so very wonderful to work with! So if you’re having a destination wedding make sure that you have a trusty coordinator that will walk you through everything. Having a travel agent is always a good idea if you’ll be traveling with larger groups of people. Even if it’s just you, your fiancé and a few vendors, it’s still worth looking in to!

The timeline wasn’t a traditional wedding timeline, per se. Because of the heat they purposefully planned things out to have breaks in between the different events. We did the first look in the early afternoon in a grove of palm trees that was beautiful. Then we ventured indoors for some AC because it got too ridiculously hot in that afternoon sun.

Then we had an hour and a half break until the ceremony and an hour or so between the ceremony and reception. This allowed guests to retreat to their rooms and freshen up so they didn’t get too overwhelmed by the heat. Once the sun had set and everything cooled off (just a bit, it wasn’t ACTUALLY cool haha) it was way more enjoyable for the reception. It was genius! Having a little bit of time to cool off was really nice.

Now without further ado, here is a collection of photos from the Centeno Wedding!

Sunny palm tree beach ceremony site at Hard Rock Punta Cana Two photos side by side of the grooms vow book, bow tie, and black and white photo of the grooms shoes and suspendersPhotos of groom and best man cooling off under the AC at Hard Rock Punta CanaWhen I say it was hot, I mean hot. Even in the hotel rooms with AC full-on, it was hot. These poor guys were burning up in their long sleeves and standing under the air vents to find some relief from the heat. It was pretty hilarious. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t stand over there a few times during the getting ready process haha.Side by side images of groom buttoning his shirt and getting his suspenders on.Black and white photo of a groom buttoning his sleeves on his shirt.The brides wedding dress hanging in the hotel room at Hard Rock Punta CanaBlack and white photo of a bride cheering in excitement at the idea of getting married.I asked Katelin to show me how excited she was to be getting married. HOW ADORABLE IS THIS?Bride and Maid of honor standing side by side smiling at each other in hotel room at Hard Rock Punta Cana Bride standing in front of a window looking down at her shoulder with her bride robe and veil on Black and white photo of a bride getting the last touches of hair spray in front of a window Side by side photos of brides detail photos vow book, garter and dress. Black and white photo of the brides dress being zipped by her maid of honor Side by side photos of bride smiling in wedding dress and black and white photo of mom twirling her in her dressBlack and white photo of bride putting on her wedding shoes

First Look among Palm Trees at Hard Rock Punta Cana

Katelin and Matt’s first look was SO special! They literally didn’t stop smiling, kissing, hugging and loving on each other the whole time. We had an hour + to just explore around the hotel grounds and get some sweet photos of just the two of them before the big day and it was super special.

I know a lot of people go back and forth on whether they should do a First Look or not. It has become increasingly popular for couples to pick and choose traditions or create new ones. If you want to follow traditions, great, if not, that’s great too! Do your own thing because you want to. I think it’s super refreshing when couples choose to do their own thing!

Everyone thinks it is ‘unlucky’ for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. This originates from arranged marriages where bride and groom weren’t allowed to see each other before the wedding. If you aren’t doing a first look because of superstition and family pressure, don’t feel like you have to!

First Look

First Looks are becoming a big thing for couples that want to have a private moment together before the ceremony. It allows them to take a breather, reduce jitters, and be together to enjoy their time before the crazy starts.

Down the Aisle

If you prefer the down the aisle look for that moment you lock eyes as the first steps are taken, then yessss, that is totally okay! Both versions of the ‘first look’ are equally special moments. Just don’t choose one or the other because someone is pressuring you.

Vibrant photos of first look in palm tree grove at Hard Rock Punta Cana Vibrant photos of first look in palm tree grove at Hard Rock Punta Cana First kiss after the first look at Hard Rock Punta Cana Almost kiss after first look in palm tree groveBlack and white detail photo of wedding ring Vibrant and colorful photos of couple in palm tree grove of groom kissing brides neck Black and white almost kiss in palm tree grove Couple hugging and laughing amidst palm trees at the Hard Rock Punta CanaDetail photo of brides colorful bouquet at her Hard Rock Punta Cana wedding Side by side photos of bride and groom with their flowers standing in front of arch Bride and groom dip kissing in front of driftwood arch at Hard Rock Punta CanaCouple hugging and laughing in black and white photo in palm tree grove Couple dip kissing on the beach by the Caribbean ocean. Black and white photo of couple kissing with veil on the beachCouple standing side by side holding hands facing away from each other in gazebo Black and white photo of couple standing together smiling at each other Couple almost kissing in hard rock punta cana gardensBlack and white photo of couple hugging in gardens Bride and groom sitting together on orange leather couch against brick wall. Black and white photo of bride and groom kissing in hallway of lights at Hard Rock Punta Cana Bride and groom sitting on orange leather couch snugglingSide by side black and white photos or bride and groom hugging and snuggling Couple sitting on grass at Hard Rock Punta Cana Mother of the bride dancing down the aisle at hard rock punta cana Mother of the groom crying as she walks down the aisle Grooms parents dancing down the aisle Best man and maid of honor dancing down the aisle Groom seeing bride as she drives up to ceremony Bride driving up on remodeled golf cart at Hard Rock Punta Cana Bride being walked down the aisle at Hard Rock Punta Cana Groom seeing bride walk down the aisle Father of the bride hugging daughter and son-in-law Bride hugging groom after she walked down the aisle Beautiful beach ceremony at hard rock punta cana under driftwood arch maid of honor smiling during ceremony on beach at Hard Rock Punta Cana Photo of beach ceremony at hard rock punta cana Best man standing at ceremony Black and white photos of couple holding hands at ceremony Fun first kiss gif of couple at ceremonyBride and groom cheering after first kiss at ceremony at Hard rock punta cana Black and white photo of couple walking back down the aisle at wedding at hard rock punta cana Champagne toast after ceremony at hard rock punta cana Mother of the bride hugging bride after ceremonyFun family photo of bride and groom with brides parents Fun family photo of bride and groom with grooms mom Fun family photo of bride and groom with brides family Fun family photo of bride and groom with grooms family Fun family photo of bride and groom with grooms family Fun gif of family popping biodegradable flower confetti after Hard rock punta cana ceremonyWhite wedding cake with flowers at hard rock punta cana Couple signing guest book at tropical beach weddingBride and groom sweetheart table at hard rock punta cana weddingMother of the groom dancing into reception Parents of the groom dancing into reception parents of the bride dancing into reception Best man and maid of honor dancing into reception bride and groom dancing into reception bride and groom dancing into receptionSide by side photos of best man and maid of honor speeches Side by side photos of mother's and father's speeches at beach wedding Grooms family crying during speeches at reception Black and white photo of the bride and grooms first dance Bride and groom twirling during first dance at hard rock punta cana Side by side photos if bride and groom during their first dance at their beach wedding at hard rock punta cana Groom picking bride up during first dance with dj lights in the background at hard rock punta cana Couples choreographed first dance at wedding at hard rock punta canaBride and groom twirling during first dance at reception with cold firewoods behind them at hard rock punta cana Gif of bride and groom spinning during first dance with cold fireworks in the background with cold fireworksKatelin and Matt spent time before there wedding to learn two choreographed dances with a dance instructor. Their first dance was romantic and sweet and their second dance was a surprise dance to Happy. It was fun and upbeat at the end they pulled all their guests out to dance.Couple dip kissing after first dance at hard rock punta canaBlack and white photo of bride and groom cutting the cake at their beach wedding at the hard rock punta canaBride and groom cutting the cake at their receptionBlack and white photo of the bride and groom cutting their cakeBride feeding cake to the groom after cutting the cakeGroom leaving cake on the brides nose after cutting the cake Side by side photos of mother son and father daughter dance at weddingBride and groom surprise reception dance bride and groom fun dance during reception Side by side photos of the bouquet toss at Hard rock punta cana wedding Woman really excited to catch bouquet at weddingGroom taking the garter off the bride at reception Groom kissing bride after taking garter off her at reception Brother of the groom really excited to catch the garter at wedding Bride and groom partying it up during their reception Best man dancing with wife at wedding Black and white photo of bride and groom getting their groove on at their wedding Family dancing at wedding in hard rock punta cana Bride and groom dancing at reception Groom and best man dancing during reception at hard rock punta cana Black and white photo of Bride and groom laughing and dancing during their reception Maid of honor and husband kissing while dancing at wedding Black and white photo of bride and mother dancing at wedding Grandmother, aunt and daughter dancing together during wedding reception Towards the end of the reception, we could hear thunder far off and see lightning flash across the sky. We were trying to wrap up all the last things with the reception and Matt got up to give a thank you toast to their guests. Right after his speech the heavens opened and let down a torrential downpour. We all laughed crazily and everyone scattered towards their hotel rooms. As we booked it out, lightning struck right at the Hard Rock Punta Cana and all the power went out. It went pitch black and I screeched to a halt, almost eating it on the slippery ground. A few seconds later the generator kicked in and we all started running again. It was the perfect chaotic end to the most amazing wedding day that felt like it was straight out of a movie.Black and white photo of bride and groom giving final goodbye

Are you having a destination wedding?

I would absolutely love to be a part of your big day! I provide a stress-free, super fun and easy-going experience that will make you forget you’re in front of the camera. Plus, if it’s in a Spanish speaking country, I can be your personal interpreter if ya need me! Let’s chat!

If you’re planning a wedding at the Hard Rock Punta Cana or the Dominican Republic in general, you should read this!

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Hard Rock Punta Cana | Destination Wedding | Dominican Republic

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