Big wedding celebration at Grand Palladium / Emily & Gustavo

Emily & Gustavo met on January 16th, 2021 at a restaurant half way from each of them. “That was the end of life as we knew it :) we hit it off and got engaged at the same restaurant one year later“ says Emily with her blue eyes and her lovely smile.

GGG: How did you decide to have a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic?

Emily : Well, when talking about our wedding I wanted the big New Jersey wedding with everyone and his mother there as I was used to attending. Gus could not get on board and once he described his vision of a beautiful tropical beach wedding with quality time with our families and friends, I gave in immediately :)

GGG: Was it difficult to plan a big wedding celebration out of the country?

Emily: “Yes! it is challenging to plan a big event somewhere we had never been before. But it was so worth it to be able to celebrate in beautiful Punta Cana, surrounded by loved ones, for an epic and joyful celebration!

Planning a wedding celebration is not an easy task, there are a lot of things to consider before you decide to say yes for a destination wedding out of the country.

If you are thinking of having a personalized wedding celebration, considering this:

– Hire an expert wedding planner. They have tons of updated information about the resort’s policies, actual rates, all the benefits that you can get, etc. It is pretty helpful having a person who works with local vendors and has the best recommendations regarding the locations, timeline, food taste, etc.

Book a site inspection for your wedding venue. If you have enough time, you can book a getaway with your fiancé to check in person which wedding ceremony / reception place within the resort is best for you. It would be extra helpful if you can be there at the same time you will have your wedding celebration, so you can have your own experience and better understanding so you can make your decisions much easier.

– Join several social media groups to read all the reviews about the wedding venue, vendors, and some past experiences from former brides. That’s the best information you can get, because those people were there experiencing it before you.

Emily & Gustavo choose Grand Palladium Punta Cana as their wedding venue. We have shot there countless times before and we had great experiences. The ocean view gazebo was the perfect location for their catholic wedding celebration.  It took almost 45 minutes but it was lovely every minute of it, seeing how both families sealed their union with true love.

The weather wasn’t on our side but it didn’t affect Emily & Gustavo’s mood. They enjoyed even the last minute of their wedding celebration in Punta Cana! Cheers for a long time together Mr & Mrs Saravia!