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

With 70 friends and family members in tow, Angelica (26 and a paralegal) and John DiMeglio (28 and an electrician) headed to a tropical paradise for an intimate nuptial celebration at the rustic-chic beach venue Huracan Cafe in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. “My wedding was a fairy tale. It was something I have dreamed of my whole life,” Angelica says. “It's so hard to put into words where my inspiration came from. My goal was for it to be rustic-glam yet simple.” John requested a palette of white and neutrals, and Angelica added gold details. “I found our location simply browsing one day through social media,” she says of the venue. “I fell in love with Huracan Cafe instantly and continued to research it until I locked in our wedding date. As soon as I saw it, I had an overwhelming feeling that this would be it.” The couple brought their beach ceremony to life with rustic-chic decor, like doors at the beginning of the aisle and a wooden arch draped in fabric and florals. For the rustic reception space, they decorated the room with long farm tables draped in white linens, vintage lanterns and acrylic chiavari chairs. John was in charge of food and drink. Appetizers included a delicious spread of small bites like chicken croquettes and bacon-wrapped shrimp, and guests enjoyed surf and turf for dinner. “Since we got married in the Dominican Republic, I thought it would be appropriate to include some Dominican traditions,” Angelica says. “We had something which called ‘crazy hour,’ where dancers dressed in costumes doing the merengue and bachata. All our guests joined it—it definitely got the crowd going. It was so much fun!” —Marissa Hermanson