KatyaNova

Hey Barash!! Thanks for the warm words! Don't change the vision of your perfect wedding - barefoot on the sand is AMAZING. Just ask the wedding coordinator to do the very best to keep bystanders off the beach!! In the midst of it all, you won't see anyone but your Beloved and your favourite people!! Lastly, make sure the photographer is good and will be both assertive & creative so that you don't have 'beach bums' in your pictures )) Hope your wedding is everything you've dreamed of and MORE! I'm here if there's anything else you need xx

Hey Mynda, when is your wedding? We're in Punta Cana, just a 6-hour drive away... Here's a recent wedding we did there: http://www.katyanovablog.com/bahia-principe-cayo-levantado-wedding-christie-graig/ Cheers!

Hi ladies!! My husband & I just came back from photographing a beautiful Cayo Levantado wedding late November... The majority of our weddings are in Punta Cana, so we were thrilled to explore Samana area and see this place. I'm happy to share feedback from the perspective of both a photographer AND a recent bride... Take a look at the link to the blog post below, you'll get a good feel for how the day unfolded! - feels intimate despite its size, really lush green & well-planned out resort. all the rooms are gorgeous. - as a bride, you'll likely get to stay in the main building, make sure you ask for one of the ocean-view suites as high up as possible, the view is stunning (see pictures on blog below). We did the 'first look' there and it was out of this world! - the food is fantastic, especially the a la carte restaurants. book as soon as you arrive, they fill up very fast. - the planner is lovely, but she is NOT a decorator, do not expect anything remotely creative. I would strongly suggest bringing some details and decorations with you, hit up Etsy for ideas! Generally, they have pretty old school / Dominican taste (even more so than in Punta Cana), so if details are important to you, make sure you coordinate colours, etc yourself. - photographer vendor fee can be avoided by simply booking your photographer a room for at least the night before & of your wedding. We had to take a short ferry to the island after the 6-hour drive from Punta Cana, piece of cake - CEREMONY LOCATIONS: the beach & beach gazebo are lovely, but it's oh-so-crowded! It's hard to believe they haven't yet come up with a solution to make it a little more private, because there are so many cool secluded places on the property… In my opinion, the terrace off-the main building is the best option for your ceremony. We did a Rock the Dress (trash the dress) session there the next day, that was SO much fun!!! Let me know what you think of the photos - and if you have any other questions - I'm here for you! We just booked another wedding there mid-April 2013 and are really stoked to make the trip back there. http://www.katyanovablog.com/bahia-principe-cayo-levantado-wedding-christie-graig/ Hugs from here, Katya.

Hi ladies!! My husband & I just came back from photographing a beautiful Cayo Levantado wedding late November... The majority of our weddings are in Punta Cana, so we were thrilled to explore Samana area and see this place. I'm happy to share feedback from the perspective of both a photographer AND a recent bride... Take a look at the link to the blog post below, you'll get a good feel for how the day unfolded! - feels intimate despite its size, really lush green & well-planned out resort. all the rooms are gorgeous. - as a bride, you'll likely get to stay in the main building, make sure you ask for one of the ocean-view suites as high up as possible, the view is stunning (see pictures on blog below). We did the 'first look' there and it was out of this world! - the food is fantastic, especially the a la carte restaurants. book as soon as you arrive, they fill up very fast. - the planner is lovely, but she is NOT a decorator, do not expect anything remotely creative. I would strongly suggest bringing some details and decorations with you, hit up Etsy for ideas! Generally, they have pretty old school / Dominican taste (even more so than in Punta Cana), so if details are important to you, make sure you coordinate colours, etc yourself. - photographer vendor fee can be avoided by simply booking your photographer a room for at least the night before & of your wedding. We had to take a short ferry to the island after the 6-hour drive from Punta Cana, piece of cake - CEREMONY LOCATIONS: the beach & beach gazebo are lovely, but it's oh-so-crowded! It's hard to believe they haven't yet come up with a solution to make it a little more private, because there are so many cool secluded places on the property… In my opinion, the terrace off-the main building is the best option for your ceremony. We did a Rock the Dress (trash the dress) session there the next day, that was SO much fun!!! Let me know what you think of the photos - and if you have any other questions - I'm here for you! We just booked another wedding there mid-April 2013 and are really stoked to make the trip back there. http://www.katyanovablog.com/bahia-principe-cayo-levantado-wedding-christie-graig/ Hugs from here, Katya.

Would love to see your pictures! My husband & I will be in Koh Samui to photograph a wedding in February 2014... Any tips on gems around?

Hi ladies!! We live & document weddings here on the island and are so disappointed with the recent changes that have come with the new ownership. Daniel seems like a nice guy, but he has very limited knowledge of the wedding industry or an understanding of what brides' wants & needs are. Here are a few things to watch out for and a few insights, from my perspective of both a photographer AND a recent bride: - miscommunication regarding travel time: our couple was told that it would take 30 minutes to get from Dreams Punta Cana to the pick-up location … in reality, it took over an hour. As a result, by the time we got on the boat, it was getting dark fast. There was very little time for pictures and the guests had to swim in the dark. - the main entertainer there, Jorge, is an absolute gem and gets the party started. Make sure he's there for your wedding! - cups for beverages are beaten up old hard plastic - they should really invest into something more appropriate for a wedding, it's the little things that make a big difference - the decor is very poor, if there at all. Bring your own decorations or better yet, hire a decorator. - personally, I was mortified by the plastic furniture. Ask for the wooden tables & chair, they are much more classy. - food: the seafood dinner pales in comparison to the one served under Flori's management. The portions are smaller and quality is worse, it's obvious they are trying to cut corners to cut down on costs. - most disturbing: the 'host' overseeing everything on the boat was Daniel's father, a man who speaks very little English and is extremely confrontational and rude. He knows nothing about customer service and shouldn't be dealing with clients. At all. Aside from being a terrible bartender, he embarrassed us in front of guests when we inquired about potentially changing our order; was confrontational and dismissive with our awesome couple when it came to a question of overtime (because the whole reception was shifted because of their mistake in the first place). Our couple was SO amazing, generous & laid-back - we all made the most of it! But … I would recommend Jellyfish over La Barcaza any day. It is, however, a good idea for a thank-you dinner for your guests before your wedding day. I really hope they get it together and improve - because there is such tremendous potential there… Hugs from Punta Cana, Katya. P.S. Here are a couple of our favourite weddings there: http://www.katyanovablog.com/la-barcaza-punta-cana-wedding-boat-sh/ http://www.katyanovablog.com/la-barcaza-wedding-boat-punta-cana-ka/

Hi ladies! We live & document weddings on the island and are so upset with the new changes that have come with the change in ownership. Our last wedding there was in November and I was completely appalled at their behaviour and how they treat clients. Daniel seems like a good guy, but his father was the 'host' on the boat and was so rude to us, some guests, and the wedding couple. He knows nothing about customer service and his English is poor. The main entertainer there is great, Jorge - he did his best to smooth everything out, but the experience still left a bad taste in our mouth. Here are a few things in particular, so that you can watch out for your own wedding: - the couple was told transportation would take 30 minutes from Dreams Punta Cana, it took an hour instead. by the time we got to the boat, it was almost dark, which was very unfortunate, because the guests couldn't enjoy the beautiful views and sunset. - swimming before dinner was in the dark - and should have been around sunset. - very poor decor, if any, so bring your own / hire a decorator (personally, I was mortified by the plastic chairs, but you can request the wooden ones) - old worn out hard-plastic glasses for the drinks - I really hope they invest in something a little more appropriate for a wedding, but I doubt that will be any time soon. - skimping out on seafood dinner - it pales in comparison to the dinner served under Flori's management... it's obvious they are trying to cut down on costs. - Daniel's father was extremely confrontational with us when we asked about the possibility of changing our order AND with the wedding couple when the evening went into overtime. They were lucky our couple was SO sweet and easy-going! I would recommend Jellyfish over La Barcaza any day. It is, however, a great option for a thank-you rehearsal dinner for your guests! I really hope they step it up a notch in the near future, because the experience CAN be absolutely amazing. xx P.S. Here are pictures from a couple of our favourite weddings there: http://www.katyanovablog.com/la-barcaza-punta-cana-wedding-boat-sh/ http://www.katyanovablog.com/la-barcaza-wedding-boat-punta-cana-ka/

Warm hugs from the Caribbean sweet brides! I'm Katya and I am so excited to be a part of the community here on BDW! My amazing husband Rob & I had our dream wedding in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (Dreams Palm Beach + Jellyfish) just this past April and we've been living in the area since September 2011 (originally from Edmonton, Canada). It's been quite the whirlwind! We have photographed over 50 weddings in Dominican last year and are thrilled to continue documenting love here for many more. I've done so much research for my own wedding and since then have helped a ton of brides (and now friends) to make the most of their Big Day. We've pretty much been to every resort here, so holla if you need expert advice - I have lots to share, both from the perspective of a bride AND a photographer. And here's my very own review/confessions of our wedding - hope you find it interesting & helpful! It was such a labour of love http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/ Please feel free to share it with other brides if you're on any forums! If you have a minute, here's OUR story, so you can get a bit more familiar with our faces! http://vimeo.com/52490568 Our vendor page & reviews: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/katya-nova LOTS OF LOVE & can't wait to chat about your fabulous weddings with you, Katya.

Hola! My fiancee & I have our studio right next to NOW Larimar. The place is gorgeous! They are remodeling and renovating everything right now, bringing in new staff and improving service. It's an awesome place for a wedding! We're planning to go there to hang out on a day pass sometime soon, I'll post a photo review. I have heard from friends that the food is really lacking though... But usually, resorts try harder when it comes to the reception meal! Let me know if there's anything I can find out for you in particular

Hi ladies! Wow, I'm getting married there on April 16th 2012, popular month indeed My fiancee & I live in Punta Cana and have been to the resort a few times, we're planning to go and check everything out for our wedding again next month, let me know if there are any recommendations you need! Here are some pictures from the resort http://www.katyanovablog.com/dreams-palm-beach-jellyfish-wedding-punta-cana-mc/ Hopefully you will find it interesting and helpful! Love, Katya

Hi ladies! We're getting married at Dreams Palm Beach April 2012 and the resort is absolutely amazing. It's much better than Majestic (the food and service, for sure). I love how 'boutique' it feels. Also, it's a ways away from other resorts and you don't get vendors bothering you on the beach. I was just there recently, you can check out some pictures here: http://www.katyanovablog.com/dreams-palm-beach-jellyfish-wedding-punta-cana-mc/ My fiancee & I want to have a sunrise ceremony there, so we'll go there next month to stay for a couple of days and see how everything is! Let me know if there's anything you want me to find out for you Congrats to you all! Katya.

Hi Shannon & brides bringing your own photograhers - don't worry about getting any visas for them. Do let them know that they are allowed 2 camera bodies per person, but I doubt anyone will be bringing more that that. Also, give them an invitation to carry with them just in case. As long as they write on the customs card that they are traveling for 'pleasure' - they won't even be asked. Hope that helps! Oh I can't wait for Dreams!! My fiancee and I will be living in Punta Cana as of this fall (2011) & shooting weddings, it's so exciting to be on the other side of things. Let me know if there is anything I can help with! xx Katya Nova.