Punta Cana Destination Wedding
Have you ever thought about a destination wedding?
Do you and your partner love to travel to tropical destinations? Or just love traveling in general? If you said yes, then a destination wedding might just be perfect for you! In this weeks blog we’re going to dive deeper into this Punta Cana destination wedding I photographed in August. Now you might be thinking… August?? And let me tell you, photographing a destination wedding in Punta Cana in August is NOT for the faint of heart and proceed with caution. This For McMurray couple got engaged on a family trip to the Dominican Republic a few years back so they headed back to Punta Cana for their destination wedding with only their closest friends and family at their side.
I’m so grateful for this Fort McMurray Alberta couple who trusted me to capture their special destination wedding and bring me all the way to the Dreams Royal Beach resort in Punta Cana.
We kicked off the morning
with getting ready at the Secrets Spa by Pevonia right on the Dreams Royal Beach resort grounds. The hair and makeup artists in the spa were so friendly, efficient and all the girls looked absolutely amazing, plus their hair and makeup stuck all day in the +35 degree weather!
Once they were finished with hair and makeup in the Secrets Spa by Pevonia, we headed back up to the rooms to get everyone dressed and do our bridal party first look. Being on a resort in Punta Cana, I was able to bounce back and forth from the bridal party getting ready over to the groomsmens suit were they were getting ready for their destination wedding experience!
Check out some of the getting ready portion of their wedding photography below!
Their destination wedding ceremony
took place down on the beach of the Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana resort and if I do say so myself, wedding ceremonies that I can kick off my shoes and have my toes in the sand, really do hit different!
Their wedding ceremony was short and sweet, and had only their closest friends and family in attendance. Small intimate destination weddings are amazing because the couple genuinely has time to visit and vacation with all their favourite people and this is why I just love intimate weddings in general, no matter where they happen to be in the world.
If you and your partner love the beach, why not get married on one am I right?!
Flip through the reel below to check out more images from this Punta Cana destination wedding ceremony below!
Next up, wedding party portraits
The day before the wedding when I arrived to the Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana resort for this destination wedding, I walked around to explore the resort a little bit more and find some good, shaded places to do wedding party and bridal portraits. Shade was a non-negotiable on this +38 degree day for their group wedding photos.
Would you brave the August heat in Punta Cana Dominican Republic for a destination wedding?
This Alberta couple and their family absolutely LOVE the heat so this was a no brainer for them, but August definitely isn’t the most common time for Canadians to head out for a destination wedding.
And now to my favourite part
The reception!! And if you’re reading this still planning your destination wedding, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO KEEP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER INTO YOUR RECEPTION!! As an Alberta wedding photographer, there’s nothing I love more then a poppin dance floor during a wedding reception. These photos truly speak for themselves at what a blast this group was.
The shooting technique you see below with all the light streams is called shutter drag and it’s one of my favorite techniques to use while photographing a wedding! It really brings the dance floor at your wedding reception to life so if you’re looking for ideas on how to livin up the dance floor at your wedding, definitely look into have some kind of coloured lights in the room.
These destination wedding reception photos are some of my favourites of all time, check it out below!
I’m so grateful
I’m able to have these experiences as a Canadian destination wedding photographer. If you’re debating if you should either bring a wedding photographer with you from home or use the resort photographers, I always suggest bringing a photographer you know, trust and can connect with before your trip. If you’re planning your destination wedding, I would absolutely love to a part of that journey with you so come check out my socials, get to know me a little bit more or inquire and let’s chat about your dream destination wedding!