KatyaNova

If you're planning (or contemplating) having Sky Lanterns at your wedding, this post is for YOU http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/85017/beautiful-chinese-lanterns-what-you-need-to-know LOVE, Katya.

Thanks so much Jill! My wedding gown was Amy Michelson couture and came from a little boutique in Vegas... I had it altered so that the slit in the front was 5 inches higher The 'crazy show' at Jellyfish is the best! Since our own wedding, we've photographed about 20 other weddings at Jellyfish and it's always an amazing time. xoxo

Sweet brides! For our oun wedding, I really wanted Chinese lanterns and then I did some research. Wanted to share with you so that you can think for yourself too! I know you're a life-loving creature, so it's important to bring this very important issue to light. Not many resorts in Dominican Republic allow Chinese lanterns, but we're still seeing some people release them - and if you're planning to make Chinese lanterns a part of YOUR wedding, would you please consider one of these two things: 1. Chinese lanterns are very damaging to the environment. They cause fires, spread debris across the countryside, hurt or even kill wild and farm animals. Even 'eco' lanterns are still hazardous to farm animals, birds and marine life. "Cattle can eat the wire in the lantern which finds its way into the silage they are fed. The lanterns land in fields, are chopped up into small pieces when grass is gathered and made into silage. If swallowed, the wire can puncture the stomach lining, causing extreme pain and in some cases can be fatal." Please take a peek at this great short article: http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/wedding-dreams-of-eco-chinese-sky-lanterns-up-in-smoke 2. If despite knowing this, you STILL feel that the 5 minutes of beautiful lights in the sky in your honour are worth it, please at least choose Eco Chinese Sky Lanterns. Links from companies who carry these are listed in the awesome article below - they claim their products are completely wire-free. (But what goes up must come down, ladies! There is farmland near some resorts and these may still cause fires and cause harm to animals). Find out where you can purchase eco-friendly paper lanterns for your wedding: http://ethicalweddings.com/blog/eco-chinese-sky-lanterns-myth-or-magical Are you having Chinese lanterns at your wedding? Or are you deliberately deciding against them on environmental grounds like some of our awesome brides? Please share your comments! LOVE, Katya.

Sweet brides! Do you know about us yet? If you've done a google search for wedding photographers in Punta Cana, you've likely come across some of our blog posts. My amazing husband Rob & I have been living & documenting love in Punta Cana for 1.5 years and we're so passionate about telling our brides' stories! We also got married here ourselves last spring... it was so good to be a bride and it feels even better to be married! We've now been to & have worked with pretty well every resort/venue in Punta Cana, so let us know how we can help - we're already here! For now, here are our own 'confessions' from our wedding ... hope you find this helpful. http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review Lastly, some advice... If you're looking for something more special, unique and outstanding than the resort photographers for your Wedding, look into bringing an outside photographer, someone whose work you LOVE, someone with a personality & style you click with. Most resorts have a very reasonable 'outside photographer' fee from $300 - $500, well worth it. Some resorts change their policies on a whim; some resorts - we have a special relationship with. Also, don't be put off by high fees in some resorts or 'no outside vendor' policies - there are always exceptions in individual cases, so always ask... Lastly, some of our couples book us a night or two at the resort; this way, we are considered guests and the vendor fee doesn't apply.This may be especially convenient if we're doing a sunrise Rock the Dress session the next day. BUT this doesn't apply to all resorts. Bottom line - do your homework so that you can feel solid about having the best team for your Dream Wedding! Oh, and ... if you have an extra minute to get to know us, http://vimeo.com/52490568 Hugs from the Caribbean, Katya.

We live in Punta Cana and photograph a ton of weddings here. We also had our own wedding here last April (http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/) BUT Rob & I just came back from Costa Rica and are absolutely enamoured with the whole country. The biodiversity, the way they care about the environment, the people... the list goes on and on!! My conclusion thus far - Punta Cana weddings are easy and cost-effective, but are mostly very cookie-cutter. Punta Cana is like a wedding factory! Making choices is easy here, but if you want something out of the box, you really have to work hard to manifest your vision. Having a wedding in Costa Rica is more conducive to a creative vision I think... but is a little bit harder to plan from afar unless there's a wedding coordinator you trust or if you go there yourself! We really LOVE Costa Rica and want to move there soon... to document love there! Hugs from the Caribbean, Katya.

Pura Vida Shanel! My beloved & I just came back to our Punta Cana home from Costa Rica... and we're in LOVE with the whole country... Santa Teresa is an absolute dream!! We are wedding photographers in Punta Cana but really want to start spending more time documenting love in Costa Rica (and eventually move there, hehe!) Could you please share, did you seek out a wedding planner to help you choose venues / details? How did you choose a photographer? Hugs, Katya.

Hi Dreams brides! We just left another awesome Dreams wedding - it still remains to be our absolute favourite resort in the Punta Cana area. My husband Rob & I were just reminiscing about our wedding in April 2012 and I thought I would repost this blog post, it was truly such a labour of love! Hope it helps you in your wedding planning, Love & light, Katya. http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/