A Rustic Beach Destination Wedding at Huracan Cafe in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The tropical destination wedding of Courtney Brown (35 and a journalist) and Johnny Franco (34 and an auto damage adjuster) brought guests all the way to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for a secret ceremony location. “We both love the beach and knew we wanted his family who lived in the Dominican Republic to attend,” says the bride. “The day of the wedding, we shuttled everyone on a ride through the city and were greeted at Huracan Cafe with berry mojitos and escorted to the beautiful, rustic beachfront restaurant.” The bride says her wedding planners, Mayte and Nati, helped pull off her vision of a rustic beach romance with an ivory, gold and purple palette with wooden accents. “It exceeded anything I dreamed of!” says Courtney. At the end of the night, a giant, illuminated “I DO” sign on the beach made for the perfect photo opportunity with the full moon in the background. “Our favorite element was the actual venue,” says the bride. “The rustic feel with the sand spilling into the restaurant and opening up to the ocean made me cry upon first sight. We loved zoning out that day and focusing on each other.”