Oceanside Dominican Republic Wedding with Gold Details
In an unusual combination of glamour and earthy, we're completely smitten with the sweet sentiments and beautiful aesthetics of this gorgeous destination wedding, photographed by Mary Claire Cook! This couple wanted to let the beauty of the DR speak for itself, and rightfully so as it is such a captivating oceanside location. One of our favorite details was the simple and lovely flower backdrop for their ceremony, which as the bride tells us at the bottom of this post ended up being such a perfect photo op for guests later, too! Be sure to read over all of the details from planner Rachael Ellen Events and don't forget to stop at the end to read how sweet it was to see groom Andy get emotional....
From planner Rachael Ellen Events: "The color palette was based around romantic naturals. We used soft shades of pink and rose to compliment the natural sandy tones found in the villa and the beach. Whites, creams, and taupes complimented the look to give the feel a modern feel while still holding that natural, feminine touch.
The style was romantic and intimate. The flowers were styled loose—in a garden inspired manor and were all tied with raw chiffon blush ribbon. Guests dined on one long table under a canopy of bistro lights. The table featured a natural linen, gold napkin and flatware and china with gold details. To add in a feminine touch, I styled the antique brass candle holders with rose colored taper candles to compliment the raw silk runner. We foraged natural greens from the Dominican jungle for down the center of the table which we then adorned with blooms. Each place setting had a leaf that served as a place card to keep the tropical yet romantic feel. Overall, this event captured the intimate, romantic, secluded feel of the Dominican Republic rather than the tropical sort of style.
The place cards were a fun twist on the traditional paper card. We especially loved installing the hanging flowers from the almond trees down at the beach. The way the trees arched seemed like the perfect place for a ceremony and this romantic touch perfectly captured Cassidy’s style.
My favorite moment was the bride and grooms vows during the ceremony. The sway of the flower install, the sound of the ocean, and their precious love notes to each other—it was all just so romantic!
The flowers were a mix of naturally sourced product and paper flowers from The Lovely Ave. Because the flower selection is so limited in the Dominican Republic, we were so lucky to have these amazing paper blooms to style and work with. Not only were we able to have garden rose variations that you can’t get in the DR, but they were able to withstand the heat amazingly and were the perfect compliment to the natural roses and flowers we sourced from within the DR. The floral palette ranged from white through blush to a softer rose. Greenery was added for that organic look and all the flowers were tied with raw silk ribbon."
From the bride:
What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?
As a couple we have always loved to travel. We knew that we wanted something very small and intimate where we could share our special day with the people who meant the most. Planning a trip where we could take each of our loved ones and make them all come together and celebrate for days was exactly what we needed. For our wedding day I envisioned bringing romance and glamour to the beach. I wanted the aesthetic to consist of blush pinks, golds, and hints of greenery that would set the tone while still letting the beauty of the Dominican shine. Overall what I truly envisioned most leading up to our day was just seeing everybody have a genuinely great time. I wanted everybody to dance, to let go of life and just live in the moment in one of the most beautiful places the world has to offer.
What was your color palette and your style vision?
blush pinks, creams, and gold with touches of greenery
What unique elements or DIY details did you include?
We had roughly 36 guests travel for our wedding and I wanted to focus a lot of my details on those people so they knew how much we appreciated their company.
What was your favorite moment? Your favorite crafted detail?
I actually have 2 favorite moments. Seeing Andy see me for the first time in my dress would have to be one of the best moments of my life. We had talked about what the moment would be like leading up to our wedding day. He is not a very emotional person so to see him get red cheeks and quivery lips is a moment I will never forget. Another one of my favorite moments was getting ready with my bridesmaids. They put together a book compiled with letters from each of them, my mother and my mother in law. It was so special to me and really reminded me of how wonderful the people I have in my life are. It is the best gift I have ever been given and something I will cherish forever.
My favorite crafted detail would probably be our backdrop for the ceremony. We wanted the beauty of the Dominican to do most of the work for us so we opted out of having an arch and did a very simple flower install that hung from two trees that over lapped making a natural arch with the ocean behind us. It was perfect and made for a beautiful photo opportunity for our guests as well.
Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.
My gown was a very simple, Mikaella lace gown with a sweetheart neckline. I wanted something that was timeless yet sexy at the same time and was wearable for the beach. It had a beautiful train with dainty straps and a very low back. I wore a long veil which added a lot to the look.
Our cake was a a white two tiered red-velvet cake with rasberry filling. We added some flower blossoms onto the outside of the cake to add some detail.
What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?
If I were to offer my advice to any future brides it would be to surprise your guests with things they may not be expecting. What your guests will take away are the memories that you gave them so focus the most on the overall experience people will have. Things will go wrong leading up to your day but when your day comes you just need to let everything go and live in that moment and take in all of the love that everybody is there to give you.
Vendor Details
Photographer: Mary Claire Cook | Film Lab: Photovision | Styling and Florals: Rachael Ellen Events | Dress Designer: Mikaella Bridal | Accessories: Bhldn | Venue: Flor de Cabrera | Paper Goods: Minted | Paper Flowers: The Lovely Ave | Calligraphy: Lustr | Wedding Dress Shop: Schaffer’s | Tuxes: Black Tux | Linen: La Tavola | Silk Runners: Tono & Co | Ribbons: Silk and Willow
Comments
I like this style of photos! Ialso made a wedding photo shoot in Dominican Rep. my photos are so miraculous thnks to Dominican’s nature and photograper’s professionalism. BTW if you want similar photos, click on this link http://www.wedgo.net/country/dominican-republic.html
Gorgeous wedding photos! I really love the soft look this wedding photographer created in the images.
