Some time ago, Elīna Krafte-Priede, a wife-to-be at the time, shared her observations, thoughts and experiences while preparing for a wedding in the Dominican Republic for the LĪGAVĀM portal ( read the article here ). Last December, Elīna and Juris got married in the sunny destination in the presence of their closest friends and relatives, and now they are ready to share their wedding story and experience with the readers of LĪGAVĀM .
Recommendation – don't leave everything to the last moment
Elīna and Juris chose Dreams Palm Beach in Punta Cana Dominican Republic as the wedding venue.
Elīna admits that the adventure started already on the plane, because the couple went to the sunny destination together with their closest friends and family.
Upon arriving at the wedding venue, Elina and Juri had various meetings waiting for them - both with their wedding coordinator and all the involved service providers, including DJ, photographer, and a dress rehearsal of the wedding ceremony was also organized.
"Everyone involved in organizing our wedding were professionals, however, when we arrived in the Dominican Republic, we realized how much we still have to do before the wedding itself.
I experienced a really high level of stress before the wedding, so I can only advise other brides not to leave everything to the last moment," admits Elīna.
Always think of plan “B”
Thinking about a gift for their guests, Elīna and Juris decided that the most beautiful and valuable gift that can be presented to the other is experience, especially because they spent several weeks with their guests in the Dominican Republic. That is why the two pleased their guests with a one-day outing on a private yacht. "It was a wonderful trip that all the guests were excited about.
We had already booked the yacht in time, researching the specific company and making sure that it is reliable. But, of course, we also signed the contract to be sure that everything will happen as we planned.
Two days before the wedding, we received a message from the company that the yacht had broken down, so we had to find a plan "B" within a few days.
We did it with the help of our hotel - although it is relatively more expensive, it still gives a greater guarantee. In the end, we found a backup option, and it turned out to be one of the best days of the whole trip," says Elīna enthusiastically.
Be able to adapt to conditions
Elīna and Juris indicate that a wedding in a distant destination also requires some flexibility and adaptation to the conditions. Although Elīna had previously booked a make-up artist for her wedding day, when doing a make-up trial a few days before the wedding, the bride realized that it would be better if she did it herself on the wedding day.
"The makeup artist was very nice, but unfortunately we had a language barrier - she spoke English very poorly, so I couldn't properly convey my wishes.
When she painted me, I realized that it was not what I wanted at all, and in order to save unnecessary stress on the wedding day itself, I decided that I would apply the makeup myself," Elīna explains her decision, admitting that she made what she thought was the best decision.
The wedding ceremony itself also experienced changes. Although Elina and Jur's wedding ceremony was originally planned for the middle of the day, however, after staying in the Dominican Republic for several days, both the young couple and the guests realized that the heat was almost unbearable. That is why the wedding ceremony was moved to the afternoon, thus also shortening the ceremony itself.
For those couples who have decided to get married in the Dominican Republic or some other exotic destination, Elīna and Juris recommend finding a couple or an organizer who has done it before and could facilitate the preparation process.
"I can say from my experience that when getting married in such a distant destination, you should always think of enough "B" plans. In our case, this would have avoided unnecessary stress related to the yacht rental and my wedding day make-up. But in general, I can say - you have to learn to take it easy. You have to understand that many things may not go as planned, and in our case there was no lack of such things, however, we would not change this unique opportunity for anything - to get married so beautifully instead of the world in the presence of your most beloved people," so Elīna.
Elina and Jura's tips for a wedding in the Dominican Republic:
- If the wedding is held in one of the big hotels, then Elīna and Juris recommend taking a larger hotel suite on the wedding day - it will be especially useful for the bride if she and her friends are planning to party in her room in the morning.
- When organizing weddings in tropical destinations, it should be taken into account that it can also rain heavily, so plan "B" will be useful in this matter as well.
- The most important thing in a destination wedding is the place and the people around, so even if something doesn't go as planned, you don't have to worry about it. "I would advise brides to photograph all the good emotions with their eyes. I tried to do it every moment. I remember the looks of my parents, the tears, how they love me, how my husband hugs me, every word that our guests said. These are the details that I always want to keep in my mind," says Elīna.
PHOTO: LOVE AND SEA PHOTOGRAPHY
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