Last week I was in Punta Cana second shooting a destination wedding for my friend Anne Ruthmann.  The wedding was simply put, amazing.  The details that the bride and groom put into the wedding were astounding!  Not only did they make sure that their guests (just under 70 people made the trip, coming as far as from Korea!) were taken care of, they also made sure to plan a wedding that would be unforgettable.  I can’t wait to show you the images from the wedding, I still smile thinking of the day.  THEY DANCED UP (AND DOWN) THE AISLE!  FIREWORKS!  RECEPTION ON THE BEACH!  Ahh!  I’m still in a bit of wedding awesome overload from the wedding.  Since I can’t show the images from the wedding day until Anne posts them (look for mine after hers though, probably this summer!) I figured I’d share a bit of the paradise that the couple chose for their wedding, the Paradisus Palma Real resort in Punta Cana.

I love the tiny waves in Punta Cana, they seem alien to me since I’m used to the big waves in the Outer Banks.  The water is such a beautiful aqua here! The sand here is also so wonderful, very silky!! Usually I love sand for about 5 minutes and then when the grit doesn’t go away I hate it. Here the sand was more fine and sugary and didn’t bother me as much.

 

Just another day in paradise!  I could get used to this view…

 

Sunset was on the other side of the island (Haiti’s side) but the clouds still turned some beautiful vibrant colors at sunset!

 

At night the resort had some really creative and beautiful ways to light everything.  My favorite were these candles around the buffet dining area.  There’s something cozy and calming about candlelight, especially on a beach.

 

This is the main courtyard of the hotel, isn’t it beautiful??

 

The  pool here has to be one of the top pools I’ve ever been in.  While it’s hard to top the Hyatt in Maui’s pools, this comes close with the awesome lounge chairs in the water.  Underneath the hut, there is a lounge chair (complete with tables for your drinks!) that’s just a smidge under water to keep you cool.  They were around all of the edges of the pool, some in the sun, some under huts.  I LOVED these.  I’m happy to report that I did get to relax on one during my stay.  It’s harder to stay on these suckers than you think though.

 

View from the area above but looking towards the ocean and dining area.  The huts on the beach were for the exclusive area and they had mattresses underneath them.  Our first day we took a nap on them (not knowing we were in the exclusive area of the resort, oops) and I have to say that they were really comfortable and relaxing!

 

I love palm trees.  This is the view towards the south from the wedding ceremony area.  Nothing but a sea of palm trees!!!

 

Ah, bliss!