Bernie and Kendall’s destination wedding took us all the way to the Dominican Republic, full of breezes, beautiful beaches and palm trees. A stunning beachy color palette of sea glass teal, gray, green and blue was evident from their custom letterpress invitation suite, thoughtful welcome bags and sparkly bridesmaid dresses from Adrianna Papell.
Bernie and Kendall invited their friends and family to the Majestic
Elegance Resort in Punta Cana, where they said their vows on a white
sand beach with the beautiful blue ocean as the perfect backdrop. Take a peek at the full gallery, photographed by Audra Wrisley Photography, and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to an island paradise.
A Few Words From The Photographer
I am eternally grateful for the countless opportunities to connect with
wonderful people and see new places, that my life as a photographer has
provided me with. Each client has touched me in their own significant way, and shaped me
into who I am as a photographer and person today. Bernie and Kendall
have been exceptional to me in this regard, as the strength of this
inspiring couple has had a great affect on me personally. Despite the
numerous challenges they have faced, are making the most of every
single day of their lives, and being in their presence has inspired me
to do the same.
Don’t Count Out A Destination Wedding
Keep
a destination wedding as an option when beginning to plan your wedding.
We found that having a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort
made planning incredibly easy, as you only have a small number of
options to choose from, and that some of those decisions can be made
once you get to the resort! The resort assigns a wedding coordinator to
you, and they will do everything to ensure your special day goes
smoothly. Since many resorts do weddings on a regular basis, they’ve got
it down to a science, so hardly anything goes wrong!
Read on to see how much this wedding cost, as well as additional advice from the bride. Please note that costs change as the years go by, and prices are subject to change. This is just one couple’s breakdown to give you a rough estimate on how much a wedding like this may cost you. Also, if you’re in the need of more Punta Cana prettiness, check out this Destination Wedding.
Save-the-Dates, Wedding Invitation Suite & Postage: $1200
Photography: $7700 (We flew a photographer from home down to the DR.)
Videography: $1800 (We used a local videographer.)
Resort fee (included florals, venue, DJ, food, cake, alcohol, all-inclusive hotel for 6 nights): $3800
Dress & Alterations: $2000
Bridal Jewelry & Accessories: $150
Groom’s Suit & Shoes: $600
Welcome Bags: $700
Tips: $250
Makeup: $0 (Had a friend do it)
Hair: $0 (Did my own since it’s short)
Total: $18,200
I
wish I created a seating chart & table cards. I was lax with my
planning, so my guests just chose wherever they wanted to sit. It was
good in that people got to sit and mingle with others they may not have
if I had assigned seats, but at the same time, it may have been a little
stressful for my guests to find seats once tables started filling up.
If
choosing to have a destination wedding, some of your guests may not opt
to use long distance or change SIM cards. In that instance, make sure
that they are aware of apps that use WiFi to call and message other
guests, etc. Viber and What’s App were the most popular ones our guests
used.
Some
of my family decided to rent a house in Punta Cana instead of staying
at our resort. When my cousins who did stay at the resort invited those
staying off to come for dinner & drinks, they weren’t aware that
each guest would get harassed by security at the gate (since it was so
late in the evening). They also weren’t aware that if they did want to
visit, there would be a significant fee per person to enter and enjoy
the amenities at the resort. Looking back, I would’ve made sure all my
guests (both staying on and off the resort) were aware of the resort
policies. That may have influenced guests’ decisions to attend/not
attend the wedding, or, whether to stay on or off the resort.
Some
of my family who didn’t know the wedding party weren’t aware of the
schedule for the wedding weekend, and I hadn’t thought about sending an
email out regarding it prior to the wedding. If I could re-do it, I
would have included a schedule in our welcome bags.
