Kathy and James’s Wedding at Iberostar Selection Bavaro

The Couple

Kathy and James met through their mutual friend Eneily Oliveras. Eneily and Kathy both worked at Bank of America for some period, and Eneily would continue her career with the company while Kathy stopped in from time to time to reorder checks. During one such visit, Eneily happened to be out of town on vacation and instructed Kathy to utilize her co-worker James instead. Eneily had actually been trying to set the two up on a blind date, and as James went through the process of ordering new checks for Kathy he struck up small talk between the two, while always having a genuine smile throughout the interaction she couldn’t help but notice.

Later that day he continued their chat by text and he even installed WhatsApp on his phone so they could continue their conversations while Kathy visited Venezuela. They’ve been inseparable ever since. In July 2017, during a visit to Punta Cana, James proposed to her on the clear blue ocean waters. Kathy says, “He truly knows my love for the beach, ocean, wildlife, dolphins, and sceneries”.

The Planning

They knew they wanted an intimate wedding and something that reflected the fundamental values they had as a couple. A destination wedding sounded like the right fit because of the price and the ability to give everyone more time together. This led them to consider Punta Cana with their Destify agent Maddy. Kathy said, “We wanted something different, we got engaged here, let’s come back and get married here”.

They chose Iberostar because it fit the multiple budgets and needs of their guests, and there was the Iberostar Grand next door offering luxury for those who wanted it. The couple loved the wedding department, they made everything so effortless and smooth. They built trust by offering responsive feedback through emails and phone calls, and they really paid attention to the small details.

The Wedding

Once at the resort the couple agreed everything was addressed quickly, and the wedding department constantly checked up on them. Their guest list of over 60 mostly arrived on Thursday, and they held their ceremony on Sunday. The time before the wedding allowed everyone to get to know each other, and by Sunday everyone had become family. Everyone spent their time eating together, frequenting happy hours and partying at the on-site nightclub.

On Sunday at 5pm the couple held their ceremony on the beautiful beach at sunset. Unlike a traditional stateside wedding, they instead went directly into a champagne toast where each guest got their own glass. The guests were able to socialize and congratulate the newlyweds while everyone took family pictures. From there, Kathy and James split off to take couple pictures, while the guests enjoyed a cocktail hour in the garden. At the reception, they were even able to embrace Kathy’s heritage by doing the “Hora Loca” which translates to “crazy hour”, a traditional dance party at latin weddings featuring dancers and festive masks.

Looking Back

Although it wasn’t planned purposefully, Kathy loved that the days together before the ceremony proved to bring everyone together, and she recommends having that time for any future couples. She also says to trust the process, your destination wedding will be beautiful no matter what, because of your location.