WEDDING BLOG

Coffee and monkeys and pineapples, oh yes! This Dominican Republic beach wedding at The Palms Punta Cana had all of our favorite summer wedding elements and then some! Aisha’s simple and flowing BHLDN dress and Andy’s casual white suit and Hawaiian shirt were perfect for the relaxed island venue. For their decor, they used fresh pineapples, wood planks, white florals, and simple greenery to tap into that classic airy and cool beach vibe. The couple’s only goal was for their guests to feel if they were vacationing on the beach and, judging by the fact that all the guests ended up in the pool by the end of the night, we think they nailed it! Ricardo Enrique Morales did an incredible job capturing all of the unforgettable moments of this wedding, including a special guest who made an appearance in the couple’s pre-ceremony portraits!

The Couple:

Aisha and Andy

The Wedding:

The Palms Punta Cana, Uvero Alto, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

As we prepared for our wedding, we kept one thing in mind: we wanted to create a relaxed environment. For us the wedding was the perfect excuse to have friends and family gather together to have a fun vacation and celebrate love. We wanted everyone to feel laid back and comfortable, just as one would at the beach sipping on coconut water or piña coladas. For this reason, the most important thing was to find a venue big enough to accommodate a fun weekend getaway for our families, as well as host our ceremony and reception.

Our best planning advice is to make the process fun by having wedding planning date nights! Andy and I were long distance up until a month before the wedding, so we had very intense planning sessions whenever one of us made a trip out to see the other. Through it all, we made sure to make the planning process a special occasion. We also kept the mantra, “let it flow,” in mind throughout the entire process!

No one really tells you how fast it all happens, which is why having amazing photos of the day has been incredible because we get to relive the day over and over again! One of the most memorable moments was right after the ceremony. We had just taken some group photos and it was time for some couple shots. We headed towards the water with our amazing photographer and then something we didn’t expect happened: our photographer told us to take a walk on our own. He told us this was our time to soak it all in, and so we did. We treasured our very first minutes as husband and wife with the sound of waves crashing against the shore line and the sun setting on the horizon. Our photographer also managed to get some unbelievable shots from afar.

Figuring out what to give our guests as a reminder of our special day was our favorite part of planning the wedding. We are both big coffee drinkers, so we decided that we would give our guests each 30 grams of fresh roasted coffee beans by Andy’s cousin, Danny Hermosillo, who is venturing into the coffee roasting business. Being able to include him in the process was very special for us, as was giving our guests great quality coffee. Additionally, we gave our guests a magnet with a verse of a poem I wrote for our engagement video. The design was drawn by a sweet and talented friend, Lauren Younis of A Quartzy Life, who makes beautiful art and is always looking to do custom work. We absolutely LOVED working with her!

Processional – “Households” by Sleeping at Last
Recessional – “Real Love Baby” by Father John Misty
First Dance – “XO” by Beyoncé (John Mayer cover)

Thank you so much, Aisha and Andy, for sharing your special day with Junebug! We wish you a lifetime of happiness and adventure together! Do these beautiful photos by Ricardo Enrique Morales have you dreaming of a beach wedding? This gorgeous Tulum beach wedding is a breath of fresh air and is sure to give you more incredible inspiration!