Hi sweet Bride Tribe, loving hugs from dreamy Caribbean.
I decided to change the format of story-telling for our Blog Features, because … who reads anymore?!
We scroll and scan impatiently, don’t we? ????
So, here we go:
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Novas’ 3 words for Tina: sister-heart, goddess, smokeshow.
Novas’ 3 words for RJ: handsome, generous, trooper.
From: Centereach, NY
Ideal day together: Slobbing on the couch eating burritos.
Resort: Now Larimar, Punta Cana.
Wedding: Jellyfish Restaurant, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Timeline: First Look 4, Ceremony 5, Reception 5:30-10:30
MUA: Anna Nuet & Krystie-Ann
Special thanks: fabulous Carol of Barefoot Bridal, the incredible Jellyfish staff & Eclat Veils for Tina’s stunning veil!
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What inspired your destination wedding? How did you pick the right venue?
Tina: “Before we even talked about “marriage,” we both agreed that if we were ever going to do it, we’d have a destination wedding. Picking the right venue, all that credit goes to Katya! I literally googled “everything you need to know about getting married in Punta Cana,” and BAM! The most amazingly written, detailed blog popped up! I honestly read it 3 times, and was blown away at the amount of information in it! I referenced it throughout my whole planning process! Needless to say, once I scrolled down to the section about Jellyfish, I was SOLD. I couldn’t wrap my head around the beauty of this venue that is pinned all over Pinterest. I would’ve never imagined that we could have an actual dream wedding! And we did!”
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On LOVE: “We have been friends for about 13 years – and about 6.5 years ago, something just clicked and we realized we’d loved eachother!
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PROPOSAL: “Rj wanted to bring me everything I love: my dog, burritos, and lounging on the couch in my pj’s! So he brought over my dog along with my favorite meal – and handed me a Taco Bell hot sauce that said “Marry Me.” I sarcastically laughed at him, but as I was about to take a bite of my burrito, I look over to see that he’s on one knee with the most beautiful ring i’ve ever seen!”
Communication: any challenges in keeping your friends & family in the loop about your wedding plans?
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Carol and the team at Barefoot Bridal were absolutely incredible and so on top of everything, honestly, no one had questions! Our wedding website was so informative. I also created a group on Facebook for all our guests where they were able to ask any questions which was super helpful!
Any regrets?
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RJ definitely regrets playing basketball two weeks before the wedding causing him to get injured!
We didn’t sit at our sweetheart table ONCE! I am so upset we don’t have a photo there, we were too busy partying! But that was the point, right?! We spent so much time making sure our menu was perfect for our cocktail style reception and I didn’t eat ANYTHING! Thank god we went for a tasting a few days before the wedding.
3 favourite moments from the Wedding?
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1) Our First Look.. I was full of nerves, and they all subsided as soon as I saw him.
2) Our amazing Island Life Session (Katya’s Rock the Dress 2.0)! It was the only time during the wedding week where it was all about Just the two of us, Katya & Rob made it so special.
3) We had a party boat with Renny Travel the day after our wedding. It was like having a wedding all over again! Everyone is still talking about it!
What inspired your colour palette / decorations?
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I wanted to keep everything very timeless and beautiful, which made me go with grays, beautiful white florals, and lots of greenery! Funny that in the beginning of my planning process my vision was completely different! I was going with white, blush, gold & driftwood. And after hours on Pinterest, I saw how common that palette is, and I wanted to do something different. I know that years from now our pictures of our decor will never look outdated.
Most romantic memory: “our trip to Costa Rica at the Arenal Volcano Resort.”
Honeymoon?
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Our honeymoon was at Excellence El Carmen. OMG the beauty of this place! modern, clean, and HUGE! The food was the best I’ve ever had on a vacation. Hands down. We are so happy we decided to stay for a minimoon because after a week of partying, we needed some down time, some time for just us.
Photography?
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“NO. WORDS. Katya & Rob are the absolute most amazing human beings that we’ve ever met. Katya is single handedly to thank for having me take a step back throughout multiple points of the wedding day, to BREATHE. To take it all in. They’re energy is so calming, and fun. They captured every single moment perfectly, seeing our photos literally brings me to tears. We are so thankful to have met such wonderful people!”
How did you stay on budget while still getting the wedding of your dreams?
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We didn’t! We budgeted for 40 people, and next thing we knew was a guest list of 88! Needless to say our budget doubled but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Which images are your favourite and why?
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The images from our Island Life Session are my favourite. Wow I can’t believe how amazing we look! The lighting of the sunrise was absolutely stunning, and something about being in the water in our wedding attire was so special!
What did you find most surprising about wedding planning process? What’s most surprising to you now, looking back?
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Realizing that we could afford an off resort wedding. We thought for sure that on resort was our only option and the price difference was so minute that it was shocking! the next surprising thing was how many guests actually came! We are so grateful that so many people in our lives traveled so far to be with us during our special day!
An advice for future Brides/Grooms?
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No one pays attention to the small things that you might think are a big deal! Take multiple moments throughout the wedding and wedding week to step back, (literally) breathe, and take it all in. Those are the moment that I remember the best and thats all thanks to Katya.
Tina, RJ, we adore you with all our hearts. Thank you for putting your trust in us and giving it your all!!!! xoxo The Nova Arthouse Team.
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@novalovesweddings
