Rocio and Orestes’ Sunrise Ceremony and Sunset Reception By Asia Pimentel Photography

Today I have a real treat for you as I am whisking you off to the most amazing destination wedding with this beautiful beach wedding in the Dominican Republic. Rocio and Orestes chose a destination wedding as they wanted their wedding celebrations to last a whole week. The day itself started at sunrise with the most spectacular beach ceremony, with a break in the middle of the day, with the celebrations starting off again with the reception as the sun set. A beautiful way to incorporate the amazing landscape and make the most of the beautiful light. With the most exquisite details and decorations, this wedding not only looked amazing during the ceremony but the reception area is like something out of a picture book. I absolutely love this wedding and I’m sure you will too. Big thanks to Asia and Nico from Asia Pimental Photography for the beautiful images.

‘Our Amazing Destination Wedding’

Rocio and Orestes’ were married on 5th May 2015 at The Jellyfish Restaurant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. ‘Our ceremony was so emotional. Having the closest, most beloved people in our lives beside us in paradise was beautiful. Looking around I could not find a dry eye. During our ceremony we did the fishermen’s knot ceremony. The more strain and tension placed on the knot, the stronger the knot becomes, symbolizing our new marriage. The sunrise began to shine through the clouds at the precise moments we made our vows. Having a morning ceremony allowed us to enjoy ourselves for the rest of the day. Our reception was at sunset.’

My husband proposed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a cruise ship. It was beautiful, romantic, and fitting after a six year relationship.
It was destiny that when I began planning our wedding I automatically knew that I would be a destination bride. ‘I wanted to celebrate our romance for an entire week, instead of just one day. After a great deal of deliberation, I came across the Jellyfish Restaurant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in various blogs. I guess you could say it was love at first sight. The Jellyfish is such a unique venue which allowed us to enjoy the sea breeze, the shade of the gorgeous palm trees, the turquoise ocean backdrop, and the beautiful architecture that it boasts. Another thing I knew was that I wanted a small wedding, contained to our most intimate family members and friends. I began planning my wedding with Val’s Weddings and I can say that all of my wildest wishes came true.

The day after the wedding my husband and I trashed my dress (or two). First we went to the Ojos Indigenas Ecological reserve where we took underwater photographs. This session was followed by a sunset session at Macao Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever laid eyes on. Our photographers Asia Pimentel and Nikolay Chernichenko were the absolute best. I think it’s so important to establish rapport with the people capturing the most important day of your life before the wedding. I was in constant communication with Asia and Nikolay leading up to my wedding day, and I think it made all of the difference in how comfortable my husband and I were in front of the camera. It felt like hanging out with old friends all day

Stepping into my own wedding was absolutely surreal. It was ethereal, laid back, rustic, yet glam at the same time. It was as if all of my ideas came to life in an instant. My theme was a mixture of rustic yet classic, with a hint of glitter and sparkle. I wanted mostly neutrals with bursts of turquoises and touches of blush. Having this unique wedding day schedule allowed my hair and makeup artist Anna Nuet to create two completely different looks for me on my big day. Anna nailed both looks, she is a true talent
My theme was a loose version of a shipwrecked mermaid’s fairytale.

My planner promised me a “mermazing wedding” and she definitely delivered that! Our ceremony was at sunrise. There’s just something about that time in the early morning that is so incredibly special. Time seems to stand still. The weather was perfect, the wind is ever so light, the temperature was warm and comforting, the soft sand felt like powder between my toes, and the lighting was absolute perfection.
For the reception we had a delicious meal at the Jellyfish restaurant and scrumptious cake prepared by Ana from Cake Studio Bavaro

I had a few DIY projects including all of my wedding bouquets. I handcrafted each one individually. My treasure chest ring box was also made by me, a patch that I sewed into my dress and into my grooms tie, and some of the signs that were used as well. A couple of special things that I had made included a sign with the coordinates to the exact spot where we stood for our ceremony, which was proudly displayed on our welcome table, and a caricature family portrait that included our fur babies that weren’t able to make it to our wedding

To anyone considering a sunrise ceremony, I say go for it! At the end, none of my guests complained about waking up before the break of dawn and all felt that the sunrise added to the positive emotions they felt that day. They also got the opportunity to return to our resort, NOW Larimar and enjoy themselves before the reception. Coming down the aisle and watching tears streaming down my grooms cheeks was one of the most emotional moments of my life. Seeing all of my visions coming to life before me is something I will probably never be able to effectively put into words. For future brides, savior each moment because it’s all over in a blink of an eye. My wedding lasted an entire day and I felt like it went by way too fast! Enjoy your partner, but also be thankful for all of the special individuals who spend the day with you both celebrating your love. Can I please plan another wedding

Supplier Shout Outs

• Photographer – www.asiapimentel.com
• Dress Store – www.alfredangelo.com
• Jewelry – Ambrosia Bridal
• Makeup Artist – Anna Nuet Hair & Make-up
• Cake Designer:Cake Studio Bavaro
• Dress Designer – Ella Rosa
• Equipment Rentals – EPC Events
• Professional – Hots Production
• Tuxedo and Mens Attire – J. Ferrar JCPenney
• Restaurant – www.jellyfishrestaurant.com/en/home
• Event Planner- Val’s Wedding

For more information on Asia Pimentel’s work please go to:

www.asiapimentel.com / www.asia-pimentel-photography-blog / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / @AsiaPimentel / I: asiapimentelphotography