Destination wedding at Royalton Bavaro – an Honest Review from Matt and Brittany

The Couple

Matt and Brittany met in college. He needed a date to a fraternity formal and asked Brittany, who he had just met. Brittany is a trial lawyer, whose schedule is often unpredictable. Matt had planned a very detail-oriented proposal, months in advance for a specific weekend, and on Friday before everything was scheduled Brittany let him know that she would now be working through the weekend preparing for a trial.

He quickly changed everything around, calling all family and friends who would be attending the celebrations. He convinced Brittany to come out to lunch with him that Friday. After a walk through the historic town square, he stopped and proposed to her at an iconic fountain. He took her to lunch after, where all her family and friends were waiting to celebrate!

The Planning

The couple had visited Punta Cana several times on vacation and had loved the country. After staying a week at Royalton Bavaro, and visiting several other options, they chose the Royalton itself for their destination wedding. Working with their Destify agent Melissa was a terrific experience. It was great to have someone who knew all the destination details and who coordinated all of the group’s travel arrangements. Brittany said, “Melissa was an absolute lifesaver!”

Planning for the wedding was definitely nerve-wracking for the couple, as it’s hard to make payments on decor and inclusions which you won’t be able to see until you’re there in person. But in the end, the wedding planning staff at Royalton exceeded every single expectation the couple had.

The Wedding

The couple planned for 3 days of wedding events, Thursday through Saturday. Before the official kickoff, many of their guests arrived a day early, and they scheduled a snorkeling booze cruise at the beginning of the week. The true wedding festivities began on Thursday, at the welcome party. On Friday the couple hosted both a ceremony rehearsal for the wedding party and a dinner rehearsal.

The couple held their ceremony on Saturday at 5pm at the Diamond Club’s beach gazebo. The sun was just beginning to set, which created the perfect setting. The resort handled every detail exactly how they had wanted, from chairs to the flowers, and every little detail in between. The cocktail hour immediately followed next to the ceremony space on the beach. The couple got sunset pictures while their guests enjoyed signature drinks and listened to a live saxophonist.

The private ceremony started at 7 pm on the sky terrace, a rooftop event space. It was beautiful at night, and there was a breeze during the party. Their wedding coordinator even reallocated some unused funds to surprise the couple with balloons on the dance floor, a huge light-up sign spelling out ‘Love’ for people to take pictures with, and cigars as well.

Looking Back

The couple both agreed that the sooner you start planning, the sooner you can get all of the pre-wedding stress out of the way. Do your due diligence in finding your resort and wedding planner, and then trust them! They’re professionals, and you’ll have the time of your life!