Hello! We love to share our opinion every now and then and today’s post is about those little spots where we love to take pictures. There are several places that we had to leave off of this list because it wouldn’t be a top 5 if we didn’t.
First of all, don’t feel bummed if your resort or venue is not on this list. This isn’t about the 5 prettiest spots. It’s about 5 places where the light is always great, the decor helps a lot, and/or we have a few palm trees that make the lighting so-much-better and our life easier while photographing the bride and groom.
First Place on this list goes to…
Playa Harmonica at Hard Rock Hotel
This little gem is our top pick for photography. It’s just perfect. There are no tourists walking around, nobody is in the background for us to photoshop out later on, and the palm trees on the left side just makes this spot perfect for bride & groom photos with soft lighting.
The Pros about Harmonica Beach:
– It’s intimate and secluded.
– No people walking around
– Both full sun and shaded areas in the same spot.
– Perfect place for the bride to walk down the aisle without tourists in the background.
– Wooden platform that looks great in photos
Con’s about Harmonica Beach:
– It can feel unbearably warm during the day, especially if the ceremony starts a little later than expected.
– The areas that we love to photograph can look a little “messy” to most people. They look great in photos.
Jellyfish Restaurant
I’m sure we’ve expressed a million times how much we love this venue. Everything from the staff, the planner, Janelkis, (who is THE MOST helpful and easygoing person to work with) to the little details is perfect. It feels less rushed than most other venues which makes our job easier and better overall. The lighting is fantastic, the backgrounds are great for photos, and the venue itself is beautiful to be included in many of our backgrounds.
The Pros about getting married at Jellyfish:
– The food.
– It’s intimate. Especially if you choose a weekday to get married.
– It’s beautiful. The decor, the venue, the palm trees scattered around the beach areas.
– It’s simple. Getting married at a resort will simplify many aspects of your wedding day, but getting married at a venue like Jellyfish will make all those details so-much-better.
– The service.
– The officiant. Jehison is our top pick in Punta Cana, without hesitation.
– Did I mention the food? It’s great!
Con’s about getting married at Jellyfish Restaurant:
– The access to the venue is really bad (As of January 2019, while the area is still under construction).
– There is construction in the area that doesn’t affect our photos, but can be seen in person, especially when driving towards the venue. This will all be solved in the short future when the construction process finishes.
Garden Gazebo at Hilton La Romana (Formerly known as Dreams La Romana)
I don’t think words can describe this place. It’s simply perfect. The views are the best, the lighting is just beautiful, and the location of the gazebo is simply fantastic.
Being in La Romana instead of Punta Cana, you’d get the sunset right over the ocean, which means sunset photos right after the ceremony. How does that sound?
Pro’s about this location at Hilton, in La Romana:
– Well, pretty much everything. The light, especially the light.
– There are shaded areas around the gazebo in which your guests can wait until the ceremony starts.
– You can plan your cocktail hour and reception in the same spot, so you and your guests don’t have to walk around the resort.
Con’s about the Garden Gazebo:
– The light from the sun reflecting the ocean can be blinding at your ceremony time for your guests. Since the sun sets over the ocean, an hour or two before sunset the reflection from the water is very bright at times.
– If the resort planned more than one wedding for the day, the next wedding might take place at the “Beach Gazebo” which is quite close to this one. You can ask Hilton’s staff about other weddings on your same date to solve this issue.
Kukua Restaurant
There’s a reason why many of our brides chose this spot over any others while planning their wedding in Punta Cana. The decor is simply stunning, the planning is well taken care of by Mayte and her staff, and the place simply runs like a clock. Service is excellent, times and schedules are followed to the tiniest bit, and the venue is gorgeous.
Pros about Kukua Beach Club:
– The staff. The service. The planning. It just works.
– Weddings take place right in front of the ocean (Read more below..)
– It feels intimate as the restaurant is exclusive to you and your guests.
– You won’t run into any other guests, brides, or whoever you might run into in an All Inclusive resort. It’s private.
– Do you care about service? Top-notch.
Con’s about Kukua’s weddings:
– Weddings take place right in front of the ocean. This is fantastic and probably the main reason you’re getting married in Punta Cana. The downside of this is that if you’re that kind of person that worries about everything, you will see people walking at the beach. This isn’t a problem for photos so it shouldn’t be a problem for you.
– The sun sets behind the venue, so it’s a little trickier to get sunset photos, but when the weather helps, the photos are gorgeous towards the left side of the ocean.
Huracan Cafe
There are a few reasons Huracan Cafe couldn’t be left off this list, the main one being the staff. They take care of everything so neatly that the planning process should be a breeze. Nati and her team do wonders and they deserve to be here because of that.
The venue is located right in front of the ocean, with its pros and cons, and it’s simply beautiful. The layout, the palm trees, the decor. It’s all great.
Pros about saying your I Do’s at Huracan Cafe:
– The bridal suite has plenty of natural light, which makes for awesome portraits during the getting ready and right before the ceremony.
– The place feels rustic but with a touch of modern and the decor plays a big role in this.
– This stretch of beach is wide enough to walk around and take pictures with a few different backgrounds.
Con’s about Huracan as a Wedding Venue:
– Being right in front of the ocean, its biggest downside is the people walking around the area. It’s not a problem for photos, but they tend to stop and stare at the beautiful decor & events.
– There are a few excursions that take place near the venue and now and then we get big boats and people around. This happens in most outside venues, and honestly, it’s not a deal breaker (it shouldn’t be).
This top 5 list is concluded with a few special mentions. We cannot include every single place we love because the list would be endless and we noticed that most couples don’t want to read endless posts (we work hard on those wedding planning guides).
Places that deserve attention and are not on the list:
– Catalonia Royal Bavaro has a little place in our photographic hearts. The open areas are just stunning.
– We absolutely LOVE the beach at Pearl Beach Club. It’s unique and perfect in its own way.
– Sanctuary by Playa has its unique beauty. You have to see it to understand.
– Secrets CapCana would be one of the places we’d definitely love to spend more time at.
– Nati, a local planner, has been working hard on a beautiful venue called Chateau CapCana. You should keep an eye on it too.
– Flor de Cabrera, quite far from Punta Cana, also deserves a mention as one of the best places we had the chance to work at. We’re thrilled to be shooting 2 more weddings there in the upcoming months.
