It’s time for another beautiful destination wedding in Punta Cana. This time we feature Shanelle and Jonathan’s unique wedding celebration at Kukua Beach Club. I’ll tell you a little later why their wedding was completely unique, but let’s get started with a few details about Kukua and their wedding planning team.
If you haven’t heard before, Kukua is one of my favorite wedding venues in the Dominican Republic. It has everything you’re looking for: A beautiful restaurant with amazing food, a gorgeous white sand beach, and a stellar wedding planning team. What more could you ask for?
Let’s dive right in and talk about this all-star crew.
Wedding Decor & Planning
All the rumors are true. Kukua is a dream wedding venue, and their wedding planning and decor team are incredible. I’ve written about them a time or two before, but I just can’t get enough of their work. They always do an amazing job!
Mayte and Rachel are the two wedding planners who will guide you through every step of the way to ensure your wedding is absolutely beautiful. Whether it’s deciding on a menu to serve your guests or confirming all the little details like transportation and wedding cake flavors, they’ll take care of it all so you don’t have to stress.
Of course, you have to make some hard decisions and decide what it is you want for your wedding day (which isn’t always easy), but Mayte and Rachel will help make the process as smooth as possible.
They’ll share their insight, give you recommendations, and bring you back down to earth when you experience those little pre-wedding freak-outs. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.
Now, enough about the planning, let’s talk wedding decor:
Mayte’s work will blow you away! Whether you’re dreaming of large, lavish centerpieces and hundreds of soft white roses, or you prefer the tropical look and want greenery and monstera plants all around, Mayte will make it happen. She can bring any wedding vision to life. You can trust her to make your wedding a dream come true.
Mayte and Rachel are rockstars. They’re wedding pros. With years of experience planning weddings in Punta Cana, you’ll want these two by your side.
Now let’s talk about how you can make your wedding unique to you and your groom.
Extra Elements to Include in Your Wedding Celebration at Kukua
Who doesn’t want their wedding to be unique? Of course, you do! You want to wow your guests with elements that make them say “That is so cool!” or “I loved that!” Kukua has so many options to take your wedding to the next level.
Aside from the decor I mentioned above, you may want to include some statement wedding signs around the venue. The light-up LOVE sign creates the perfect backdrop for the dance floor. If you set off cold sparklers during your first dance as well, all of your guests will be dropping their jaws.
Want to get the party started right away? A mojito bar during your cocktail hour will do the trick. Kukua has some of the best mojitos in Punta Cana, after all. And the Dominican Republic is famous for its rum! So once that rum starts flowing, your guests will be ready to partyyyyy!
Another option:
The beloved beer barrow. Fill it with ice and those Presidentes will be cold and ready whenever your guests want to grab one. Or six 😉
Did you know: In the DR, when a beer is really cold, they say it’s “vestida de novia.” The literal translation is “dressed as a bride” meaning the beer is so cold, there’s white ice forming on the outside of the bottle. Trust me: it’s the best way to drink a beer in Punta Cana! And very fitting for your wedding day.
One more option to get your guests riled up: Tequila shot escort cards. “Take a shot and take a seat.” Well, don’t mind if I do.
Now despite what it seems, it’s not only about the alcohol. Consider a crazy hour or a fire show. Cigar rollers are always fun too! You’ll have tons of options to make your wedding unforgettable.
Shanelle & Jonathan’s Wedding Celebration at Kukua
The best part about this wedding was that it wasn’t really a wedding at all. Okay, that sounds confusing… What I mean is Shanelle and Jonathan didn’t actually have a wedding ceremony in Punta Cana. They had a Hindu wedding back home in New York and then came to Punta Cana for an extra celebration. How fun is that?
Their day looked very similar to any traditional wedding, however. They started with the getting ready, glamming up like they would be walking down the aisle soon. Shanelle had a first look with her bridesmaids, then with her dad, and finally, with her new husband.
After the first look, when couples traditionally split to prepare for the ceremony, Shanelle and Jonathan did a grand entrance into their cocktail hour instead. Their guests celebrated their arrival, cheering and dancing along. They were all ready to get the party started!
After dinner and some hilarious speeches, the beautiful couple made their way to the dance floor for their first dance. Remember above when I mentioned cold sparklers? They went off right at the perfect moment! It was beautiful!
Just take a look at their wedding photos below to see some of the special moments from their day.
Wedding Venue: Kukua Punta Cana
Wedding Planning & Decor Team: Weddings by Mayte & Rachel at Kukua
Hair and Makeup: Olga Montilla
Photography & Videography: Punta Cana Photographer
Gorgeous, am I right? You will head over heels for Kukua Beach Club.
If you’ve already booked a venue, and now you’re looking for a photographer and videographer for your wedding day, reach out to us to learn more about our packages. We’d love to capture your special day!
