Dreams Coming True :: Dominican Republic Trip

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
Walt Disney
We sometimes focus so intently on where we are going that we forget to stop and realize where we have been and how far we have come. Just like you other couples out there, we have sat down and talked about where we wanted to go, things we wanted to accomplish, and made a list of dreams that we would like to come true. When we started our little wedding photography business, we always dreamed to be shooting weddings on the hills of Ireland and pristine beaches of some tropical destination, but we weren't really sure that would happen. In short, we thought it was just a dream.

We wanted to make sure that we tried to enjoy where we were and did things the way they needed to be done. We love a quote by a fellow photographer, Justin Marantz, that says "Slow growth equals strong roots." We have found that to be so true, yet we have also found out that by doing things the way they need to be done, following the Golden Rule, and saying your prayers, things tend to happen a little quicker than you may expect.

Little did we know that we were so close to turning our dream into a reality. Keep in mind that we turned a cattle ranching business into a wedding photography business, we both come from two of the smallest towns in the world, and we just recently joined the cool kids club by eating sushi!

We thought that by the end of our career, we would be able to say we got to shoot that international destination wedding. The good news is, we just got back from the Dominican Republic and shot a wedding there. It was wonderful! On the plane ride there, we were both shocked and giddy with what was about to happen! As the plane took off from Miami, there was nothing but ocean in front of us. I (Cat) have never flown over the ocean before. It was exhilarating!

I think back to we first got our bride's inquiry, we squealed! She said "if you will just go to the trouble of coming to Punta Cana, we would love for you guys to come with us!" Little did she know, it was no trouble for us! After we talked on the phone, we anxiously waited for her to talk to her fiance and get back with us. That same day, she called back and we were booked for her wedding! You can bet we screamed, danced, and maybe even shed a tear or two.

And soon, the trip to Punta Cana was before us. We didn't carry our big cameras around with us except for on the wedding day, but luckily, we had a great camera with us everywhere we went - our iPhones!

When we arrived to the airport at Punta Cana, we were shocked to see it was open air! This should have been our first indicator that air conditioning is really a luxury (meaning it is rare) in the Dominican Republic. As we walked thru the airport with our carry ons, we were greeted by local musicians who were playing drums and singing. We were so excited at this point!

I'm probably the only person who traveled to Punta Cana that didn't bring a sunhat or sunscreen. Oh, I also didn't bring flip flops. What a bad traveler! I had to buy all 3 at the resort gift shop. I'm wearing my Punta Cana flip flops today, by the way!

This was the view from our room. The ocean is in front of us behind all those palm trees.

The beach was my absolute favorite beach I've ever been to! The sand was white and powdery, and the chairs were spread in a perfect mix of sun and shade. For the shade seekers like me, I loved being under these huts. The ocean water was bright blue and clear - you could see your feet when you were in the ocean.

The day of the wedding rolled around and we were all greeted by a stormy day. Bummer! Most of the day the question was "Will the beach wedding happen or not?" A passerby gave us this umbrella, which was instrumental in keeping our gear dry. The housekeeping crew also gave us some huge garbage bags that we had to cover our gear with if the rain got too rough.

Cloudy skies or not, the scenery (and the photo locations) were breathtaking.

After the wedding, we spent the next day lounging around the resort's spa. It was amazing! My favorite part was after our facials and massage, they uncovered our eyes and the sweet ladies were standing over us saying "Hola!"

On the plane ride home, we were sitting on the side of the plane where we were able to see all of the Bahama's and whatever other islands are out there. I still can't get over how bright the water is!

Here's us with Ashlena and Weston on the beach a few days before their wedding! It was quite humid there, so excuse my bad hair! I texted a picture to my best friend saying "Look what the humidity has done to my hair!" She wrote back and only said 3 words: side rat tail. Tragic!

At the end of our trip, we stood in the hotel lobby with our bags waiting on the shuttle to take us back to the airport. I looked around the huge lobby, stared up at the palm leaf ceiling, and listened to the sound of the local music one last time. Tears formed in my eyes and I couldn't believe that we had been so lucky to have this experience. Thank you, Ashlena and Weston and your entire family for making us feel like part of the crew for our 5 day trip!

So with all of that, go out and wholeheartedly chase your dreams. You never know how close they may be.