Real Wedding: Sarah & Alejandro at Majestic Mirage Punta Cana

​Wedding Date: September 29, 2023 ~ Resort: Majestic Mirage Punta Cana ~ Photographer: Jamie Dimitry  ~ Bridal Salon: Bridal Gallery ~ Tux Salon:  Men's Wearhouse

What led you to choose a destination wedding?

I knew I didn’t want a big wedding. I wanted an intimate wedding but wanted to still experience all the stuff a big wedding would have. I wanted not only myself and my husband to enjoy our day but for our guests to use this time as a vacation for themselves as well. I wanted something fun, intimate, and if I’m being honest, budget friendly. 
 
What were some of your biggest fears about having a destination wedding?

My biggest fears were not knowing how I would be able to plan a destination wedding  without  knowing exactly what the venue looked like in person, how the decorations would tie in all together, how I would get my dress and other things to Punta Cana, and how I would be able to coordinate all of my guests and booking the resort, however Romance Travel Group was an amazing help!

Did you invite guests in a unique way, like a themed save the date or announcement party?

We created passport-like invitations for our guests and it was a huge hit! It tied it all together. 

Describe what it was like working with the wedding coordinator at the resort? What went well? Any challenges?

At first this part was a little challenging because I booked the resort a year in advance but didn’t start coordinating and working with the resort wedding coordinator until a month before the wedding. Communication was slow at first but once the wedding date drew closer, the emails and communication were faster. Every communication happened through email and I kept everything noted just to be safe. However when we arrived at the resort the wedding coordinator had everything down to the details. It seems like they don’t because they are working with many weddings every day but they sure keep every detail you ask for and finalize. 

Tell us about your wedding dress – How did you find it? Who went shopping with you? How do you feel wearing your dress?

I went with my mother, sister, and mother-in-law. We visited two bridal stores before finding the dress at the third store. Third time's the charm! It’s funny because I always dreamt of a wedding dress with long sleeves but when I tried them on it didn’t feel like me. The dress I fell in love with was something more tropical, a little more open, and it fit like a glove. As soon as they gave me the bouquet of flowers, I began tearing up and then saw my mom and sister crying. I felt so beautiful, I envisioned myself walking the aisle and seeing my husband at the end of it, and I knew that was the one!

Describe the booking process for your guests. Did they find that to be easy to navigate?

I found this process super easy to navigate all thanks to the romance travel group! I gave the information I needed to my guest and then Shannon and Abigail were able to handle the rest regarding my guest and booking the rooms. 
 
Describe the meeting you had with the onsite wedding team when you arrived at the resort.

This meeting was great! We met with the wedding day coordinator the day after we arrived. The wedding coordinator showed up with a lot of energy and all of the information we discussed through email. We sat for about an hour and discussed every detail that the wedding day would consist of and we also set a time for a wedding rehearsal to take place the day before the wedding. We went over colors, how I wanted the decorations to be set up. They made me feel excited and confident that the wedding was going to be amazing and it sure was! After the meeting with the wedding coordinator we met with the DJ to finalize any details. 
 
How easy/difficult was it to travel with your wedding dress? Did you carry-it on, where did you store it? Did you get a lot of comments at the airport?

I was a little worried about flying with my dress but it worked out well! I carried it on to the plane as a carry on and stored it in the bin. People at the airport were congratulating me and my husband and also it was a lot of fun because there were about 30 of our guests also flying out with my husband and I. It was so much fun because it felt like the party had already begun!

Tell us about your wedding – did you have a traditional wedding with a cocktail hour, dinner reception and dance? What was different about a destination wedding compared to a wedding at home?

Our wedding was AMAZING!!! It was 10000 times better than I could have ever imagined. We kept some of the traditions of a traditional wedding with all of the special  dances, bridal party, speeches, ceremony, and reception. We didn’t have a traditional cocktail hour but since it’s an all inclusive resort we told the guest during the break between the ceremony and reception to take the time to freshen up or go to the nearest bar and take a shot for the newly married couple! For me personally I think having a destination wedding is much more fun compared to a wedding at home. I felt relaxed the whole day (despite it being SUPER hot), and the best part is that after the wedding day we continued to hangout and drink for the next couple of days with our friends and family. The best part is that we basically celebrated our wedding for a week with all of our guests instead of just celebrating for one day. 
 
What was the best part of having a destination wedding?

The best part of a destination wedding is celebrating with our friends and family for a whole week!

---

What is your most favorite memory of your wedding experience?

My favorite part of the wedding experience was dancing in the rain towards the end of the reception and at the end of the reception most of the guests jumped into the resort pool and it was so much fun!! A memory that will forever be engraved in my heart and mind. Yes, I jumped in with my wedding dress and it was the best! No regrets!

In what ways did Romance Travel Group make the planning less stressful for you?

Romance Travel Group helped not to have to worry about booking the rooms and most especially when we had to change to the sister resort when the resort we originally booked was closing down for renovations during my month of the wedding. Romance Travel Group took care of making sure everything transferred over and we had no issues when we arrived at the resort. Everything was seamless. 

What would you do differently? What advice would you give to couples just starting the planning process?

Don’t sweat the small stuff! Be patient with yourself, you’re going to experience an emotional rollercoaster but take it slow. Not everything is going to be perfect because you’re planning a wedding not knowing exactly what the venue looks like in person, but use all the resources that you can, look at pictures, and my best advice is join Facebook groups that are specific to weddings in the resort you chose. I joined a wedding group for the resort I booked at and it was the most helpful thing ever because you can ask questions and get feedback/information from those who have already had their wedding at that resort and give you a better idea when it comes to planning! Lastly, have fun in the process and remember this wedding is about you and your future husband and no one else! As long as you two love it, that’s all that matters!

Would you recommend Romance Travel Group to other couples who are considering a destination wedding?

I would 1000% recommend Romance Travel Group. They make the process easy! They deal with the hard part of working with the resort and the booking process, and the guests can work with the Romance Travel Group directly if they run into any issues when it comes to the room/payments.  RTG truly does their best to make this process as easy and enjoyable as possible for the couple. Abigail and Shannon were patient and amazing to work with!