Lisa and Paul celebrated their wedding at the beautiful Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort in Punta Cana. They made a great choice. Lopesan is a top of the line resort in the area, definitely worth staying at if you’re looking to experience the most luxurious experience you can get. Their wedding was calm, elegant, and full of heartwarming moments. We really enjoyed following their journey through their wedding photoshoot and we hope that you do too!

Why Choose a Destination Wedding in Punta Cana?

A destination wedding is a multiple day experience. Not only will you have your ceremony in a different country but you will also spend time with your guests outside the ceremony. It’s like a mini vacation dedicated to your wedding. Though you can also spend your honeymoon at the resort right after.

Punta Cana is an excellent destination for weddings, you’ll be able to book flights directly from North America and Europe. There are over 40 options for all inclusive resorts with huge properties, pools, restaurants, and beach access. You won’t need to worry about meals, transportation or entertainment, since all of that will be easily provided by the resort.

You may think that a tropical destination wedding at a luxury resort will be super expensive. But you’ll be surprised to find that most Punta Cana wedding packages are actually more cost effective than having a wedding back home. The average wedding in the United States costs about $33,000 – 35,000 dollars. Here you can expect to pay from $10,000 – 20,000 (including flights!). In comparison it’s quite the bargain to get married by a beautiful tropical sunset.

Ceremony Locations at Lopesan Costa Bávaro

Lopesan Costa Bavaro Resort, Spa & Casino is a fantastic resort for an unforgettable destination wedding in Punta Cana. Its zen inspired design and modern infrastructure, brings a calming atmosphere. It has truly luxurious dining and spa experiences and the resort’s massive property allows for seeing something different every day. We highly recommend getting married at this resort. Here are the wedding ceremony locations that you can choose from:

Beach Ceremony: The most popular choice is by the beach. You’ll be able to walk down an isle lined with palm trees, with a minimal and elegant altar contrasting the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Check out Lisa and Paul’s ceremony. Their guests sat facing the sea and the couple said their vows while the soft breeze kept the scene cool and relaxing.

Garden Terrace: The next option is the lush garden. It’s a little more sheltered and quiet. You can choose to have your ceremony here or take some first look photos like Lisa did. There are green pathways and plenty of shade. We love to photograph couples in this area because it makes for some soft yet dramatic shots. The garden covered terrace follows the same vibe for wedding receptions. Lisa & Paul featured elegant wooden details, string lights, and long tables decorated with lush centerpieces.

Indoor and Rooftop: Some couples like to have a rooftop space with stunning views of the whole resort, or fully indoor air-conditioned spaces. These are amazing for more formal weddings, they also allow for a lot of flexibility for decorations. You can also use the indoor halls as a backup option in case it rains.

Lopesan is a huge resort, you’ll more than likely be able to use multiple locations during your day for different vibes on your photoshoot.

Cost of a Wedding in Punta Cana

Budgets for a Punta Cana wedding can vary quite a bit depending on the resort or if you’re using an off-resort venue. For a wedding with 30-60 guests you can expect to spend from $7,000 to $20,000 USD. Resort Packages usually include:

Ceremony setup with florals, seats for guests and décor
A cocktail hour with drinks and light bites
A private reception with dinner, open bar, and wedding cake
Coordination from the on-site wedding team

For smaller private elopements package costs can be much lower, with some resorts even including it in your stay if you meet a minimum number of nights.

Lopesan’s packages are priced based on the number of guests. Starting from the “Secretly I Do” package for $999, which offers a simple elopement only for the couple at a relatively inexpensive price. This package covers the ceremony setup, floral arrangements, a cake and a private dinner. From here the packages scale up to 100 guests at a private venue, offering amenities like an open bar, a live DJ, more extravagant and customizable decor, and longer durations at the private locations. Their most prestigious “Unique Glam” package can be booked for upwards of $12,000 USD. If you’d like to look at their full list of packages we recommend having a look at their website.

Vendor Fees in Punta Cana

If you’re planning a resort wedding, then it’s super important that you take into consideration the outside vendor fees sooner than later. Most all-inclusive resorts have their preferred wedding planners, coordinators, and photographers. So if you want to bring an external photographer like Huellas del Caribe, it’s important that you are aware of these fees during the planning phase.

The fees vary depending on the resort, for the most part you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for each external service you decide to bring. Sometimes the fee comes in the form of a day pass for the vendor to stay inside the resort during their service, other times it’s a penalty for not using the resort’s services, or they might include the day pass into the fee. Beware that some resorts don’t allow outside services whatsoever so be on the lookout for these vendor rules before picking your resort.

Lopesan’s wedding packages offer decoration, music, and even a DJ depending on your package. We recommend using your resort’s wedding planning services and booking some external services such as photography packages, and makeup artists that are more personalized towards what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for photographers with over a decade of experience in the area, have a look at our wedding portfolio. We’d love to get in touch.

Lisa and Paul’s Wedding

To finish off, we’d like to show you how Lisa and Paul’s wedding played out, so you can get an idea of how yours could be if you choose to stay at Lopesan.

It’s a quiet peaceful afternoon, Lisa sits in her own room accompanied by all the bridesmaids. They each hold their own bouquet of flowers and the bride stands out with masterfully prepared white anemone assortment.

In another room, Paul, the groom, is ready for the big day. He adjusts his tie, checks his watch and looks out into the window with elation over what’s to come.

At the ceremony beach venue, the guests are seated awaiting the big event. A custom sign with the couple’s name adds a touch of uniqueness to the decor. We particularly loved the altar design, it made such a stunning silhouette over the beach backdrop. The groom arrives before the bride, and awaits at the altar. Emotions fill the air as the bride also enters the scene. They exchange vows, place their rings, and the crowd cheers as they kiss.

Before going to the reception party, the group heads over to the beach for a sunset photoshoot. The lighting was perfect during this time, we were able to capture some very heartwarming and dramatic photos. The reception party began with a classy cocktail hour, the live sax player really set the mood for the party to come. A large LOVE sign was such a cool feature that we had to get a photo showcasing it. The tables followed the lush greenery theme of the garden terrace, with the white flowers bringing it all together.

The night was full of dancing, heartfelt speeches, and intimate moments. The spark machine really added a nice touch to the couple’s slow dance towards the end.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed Lisa and Paul’s Lopesan Costa Bavaro wedding photos as much as we enjoyed taking them. If you’re ready to start planning your own photoshoot in Punta Cana, send us a message! We’d love to capture those priceless memories with you.

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Guillermo Estrada

Guillermo Estrada is a destination wedding writer at HDC Photo, where he covers the practical side of getting married in Punta Cana: venues, timelines, paperwork and the questions couples ask before they book. He has worked alongside founder Arnaud Brichet and the team for the past two years. He works in English and Spanish, which lets him check details directly with local venues and vendors.

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