Erika and Julius had a very special wedding at a private villa in Punta Cana Resort & Club. It was a peaceful elopement full of emotional moments and a strong sense of community. The wedding planners went all out turning this luxury villa into a personalized, elegantly decorated wedding venue. We are very glad to have been able to be there alongside them to capture the whole day through their photoshoot. Stick around and we’ll go over everything that took place as well as some of the perks of renting out a private villa in Punta Cana Resort & Club for your wedding.

Punta Cana Resort & Club

Punta Cana Resort & Club is one of the most exclusive communities in the Dominican Republic. It’s a gated, private area located right next to the Punta Cana International Airport. The property spans thousands of acres and includes luxury villas, private beaches, championship golf courses, nature reserves, and a small selection of high-end resorts.

Unlike the traditional all inclusive resort experience, Punta Cana offers a more private community. Villas are spread out and have direct access to the multiple golf courses named Corales and La Cana. The roads are quiet and have direct access to the beach, although everything is more spread out than in an all inclusive.

There are plenty of things to do all inside the property, like visiting the Oyos Indigenas, a network of crystal-clear freshwater lagoons surrounded by tropical forest, kite surfing in Playa Blanca beach, and the Punta Cana Equestrian Center, the resort’s private equestrian center, offering guided horseback rides through tropical trails and along the beach in a calm, well-maintained setting.

You also have access to the Nacional Supermarket, Blue Mall Shopping Center, and all the major banks in the country only minutes away.

The Wedding

Early in the afternoon all the decorations and guest amenities were already in place. A sign in soft cursive typeface welcomed all the guests. They had a lush green and white flower theme. The arrangement mainly consisted of white roses, white hydrangeas for volume, and eucalyptus leaves woven in between. A long table was already set on the property’s garden, creating anticipation for the celebrations to come. It was decorated following the same white flower theme with tasteful centerpieces laid across.

Inside the villa we photographed the small details that made the wedding unique to Julius and Erika. Guests signed their personalized wedding keepsake on tiny wooden hearts. A detailed flat lay showcased Erika’s bouquet paired with her white wedding sneakers, a ravishing touch symbolizing the modern nature of their wedding. Their vows were printed in custom made booklets with gold-embossed lettering over burgundy for his and light pink for hers.

In a separate room Erika worked on the final touches to her outfit, adjusting her hair and veil, while Julius eagerly awaited to see her for the first time.

Everyone knows the saying that “seeing the bride before the ceremony brings bad luck.” So why did Erika and Julius want to bring bad luck to their wedding? The truth is more and more couples nowadays are breaking away from this tradition because it’s based on an old fashioned superstition. Hundreds of years ago weddings were arranged and the couples would not ever see each other until the actual day of the wedding. The father of the bride would fear that the groom would call off the wedding if he didn’t like the way the bride looked. Things are different now obviously, so why keep following this tradition?

Having that first look also comes with a few added benefits:

It feels more intimate and relaxed.
You can take photos earlier in the day and in different locations.
It allows you to feel more confident walking up to the altar.

Before the ceremony Erika had a beautiful moment with her father, where she handed him a custom made handkerchief. Inside was an engraved note sharing a heartfelt message from his daughter.

Now that all the guests were seated it was time for the ceremony to begin. The bridesmaids and groomsmen awaited patiently for the couple to make their entrance.

First was Julius, making his entrance with calm confidence, owning the moment as he walked in relaxed and self-assured while all eyes turned his way. Erika followed, escorted by her father, love and joy painted on their faces.

With everything in place, they both gave their heartfelt vows beneath the floral arch, and were pronounced married.

With the ceremony complete, the energy shifted to celebrations and party vibes. The couple walked together down the petal filled the isle as the crowd cheered. Promptly after, the couple was surrounded by family and friends for a group photo.

We wanted to make sure we didn’t miss their masterfully decorated cake in the photoshoot as well as this awesome newspaper design!

Here we got some shots of the newlywed couple as well as some more group photos. The front of the villa made for a stunning backdrop. Around the tortuga bay and Hacienda area of Punta Cana Resort & Club you can find many AirBnB listings just like this one. Just make sure that they allow events and large elopements of people. You can also book villa rentals through the Punta Cana website.

Now that night time kicked in, some guests changed into more colorful outfits. This is one of the biggest pros of having a private villa, you can have that flexibility of having all your belongings in the same place that your wedding is taking place.

The outdoor dinner service was a professionally prepared full course meal. The long connected table gave a sense of community to the experience making everyone feel more connected.

The evening ended with a few more shared portraits of Erika and Julius under the floral arch. A beautiful elopement that we are very grateful to have been a part of.

Final Thoughts

Having your wedding at a private villa is one the best ways of customizing your experience as much as possible. Rather than having to choose from a couple pre-determined venues at a resort, here you can pick any villa you want and find your own wedding planner, service providers, and photographer. You can relax without feeling the pressure of venue schedules and just enjoy the experience. We love being part of this type of wedding because we can document real moments, couples feel more at ease and it shows through the lens. If you’re considering a private villa wedding, an all-inclusive wedding or any wedding in Punta Cana we would love to accompany you on your journey. Get in touch with us now and we’ll get started.

Author
Recent Posts

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.

Latest posts by Guillermo Estrada (see all)