Chelsea and Jeff – Dreams Dominicus Wedding

This Ocean side destination wedding had all the perks of the already present gorgeous scenery, mighty Ocean as a backdrop for the wedding ceremony and breathtaking sunset as a canvas for the reception. The bride and the groom wanted to compliment beach wedding venue with a lot of seashells, driftwood centerpieces and fresh flowers. Main color scheme was purple, the bride’s favorite color and blue which was a perfect match with tropical surroundings.

The wedding ceremony was at the gazebo at Dominicus beach and was performed beautifully by a friend and ordained minister. Bride and groom wanted to nod their Irish culture with adding a Hand Fasting Ceremony after reading their vows to each other. Hand Fasting Ceremony is an ancient Celtic ritual that represent the binding of two lives as one.

The wedding was personalized in a few ways. There was a handcrafted welcome sign at the entrance alongside a guest favorite, the signature cocktail signs featuring couples’ cat and dog who couldn’t be there to celebrate with them. Since Chelsea love pictures, they decided to add a Polaroid cameras to the welcome table. So, the guests were able to capture fun images of themselves while writing a fun little note.

The cocktail hour was at the oceanfront pier exactly when the sun was setting into the Ocean just in front of it, accompanied perfectly with exquisite cello player! To say that was amazing would be a serious understatement!

The bride had a gorgeous lace and sequin elegant wedding dress that complimented her figure. The dress had an open back design with lots of sparkle coming from the beaded straps. From there the lace drops down into a beautiful and intricate lace detailing making for a beautiful gown all around. The groom is always dressing up for work and knows a lot about style. He decided to go with a custom-made gray suit with a white shirt and he wore a blue and purple bow tie and pocket square gifted that Chelsea give him for Christmas. He wore his late grandfathers cuff links in honor of him as well as dress socks with their dog and cat printed on them.

The couple entered to the reception with the song of their favorite band, Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was the best way to start the reception and fun part of the evening.

Chelsea and Jeff had the most romantic proposal story that we ever heard of! They’ve met through Match.com and dated for three years before Jeff decided to propose. He decided to do it on Valentine’s Day in Paris, at the top of the Eiffel Tower. He insisted that Chelsea look into one of the scopes looking out into the city. As she impatiently waited for him to drop a quarter into the machine, she turned around to find him on one knee!

We asked them about the favorite special moment of their wedding day and to share some advice for the future couples planning a destination wedding in Dominican Republic. Here is what they told us:

“The most anticipated moment for me was seeing my vision all come to life in person after 20 months of planning. What we both anticipated was dancing the night away at our reception with friends and family. The most special moment, was our first touch. I am so glad we fit time in to share such an intimate moment just the two of us. It made me feel even more ready to say I do after sharing that moment with my husband.

Wedding planning advice I would say: it pays to do your research! I spent lots of time researching vendors that fit our style and what we were looking for and we ended up with exactly what we wanted and more! Also, it never hurts to ask! I asked so many questions which I felt was very annoying on my part but when planning a wedding, especially a destination it’s better to be informed than to be left wondering or making assumptions. There were lots of questions I doubted asking but ended up feeling so much better and informed afterwards. Also don’t forget to take breaks and to enjoy the process. Your mental health will thank you for it. As far as marriage advice I would say don’t forget you are a team! Wedding planning was very stressful at times but my husband and I were always supportive and helpful to one another through the process which is definitely an aspect I would like to carry on throughout our marriage for years to come. Don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy your time together.”