Wedding Spotlight: Cynthia & Jose Destination Wedding at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana

Why did you choose a destination wedding?
We chose a destination wedding because we live in NYC and we wanted a different scenery for our day

How many attendees did you have?
We had 63 guests fly in.

What kind of experience did you envision your guests having?
We wanted a weekend of fun! Since we were getting married so close to the holidays, we knew our guests would probably be paying a little more to travel than normal so we wanted them to have a great weekend that was both wedding fun and a little vacation fun.

What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn’t have done alone? How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?
I would have to say that coordinating with the hotel was difficult at first. I initially tried to navigate this on my own however when you’re in a different country and have so many other responsibilities happening it can be an extremely stressful situation. To begin with, I wasn’t sure which hotel was the best option for me and my guests both financially and experience wise, then I didn’t know who to contact, what were the right questions to ask etc. Having a specialist take on this task helped reduce an enormous amount of stress. They were able to ask and answer any question I had through out the whole process and were able to help my guest with any issues that arose.

What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?
Make sure you do a thorough check on all your vendors before signing any contracts. I found that reading reviews from multiple sources really helped me narrow down and decide who I believed were the best communicative and reputable vendors that were going to do their best to execute my vision. During my initial process I saw a lot of great pictures of hair, makeup, venues etc… but upon deeper investigation of their work or through “communicating” via email or Whatsapp I realized they were not a good fit for me.

What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on?  What surprised you the most about your wedding?
Fireworks!!! I will never regret this pricey decision, lol. The decision for fireworks came to about 6 months from the wedding and my fiancé at the time, thought I was insane for even considering them but once I knew they were an option, I knew I had to have them. We didn’t tell anyone about them so it was a great surprise for our guest at the end of the night and they made for some beautiful pictures!

If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?
Intimate, warm and perfect

What is your favorite memory from your big day?
My favorite moment was the walk down the aisle. So many stressful days and sleepless nights had finally come to an end and I was able to let go of all the stress and just be in the moment.

Photography Credit: Boyko Photography

Jewelry: Engagement ring from Vladdy’s diamonds, NYC Wedding bands from Catbird, NYC

Hair & Make-up: Anna Nuet-Hair Yanet Contreras-MUA

The Dress: Wedding dress- Galia Lahav purchased at Bridal Reflections, Carle Place-Long Island

First Dance: If I ain’t got you-Alicia Keys