Finally, we get to share Tyneka’s wedding with you. You may recognize this amazing and beautiful wedding. The gorgeous photography really does the wedding justice.
For those of you wanting to put together a beach inspired look, this wedding is simple chic and beach inspired for sure.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: How did you and the groom meet?
We both met while attending college at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. We both worked in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs one year and just happened to study abroad to the same location (Bahamas). We got to know each other and became good friends on the trip. The friendship grew as we worked on our assigned research projects together when we returned.
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
ParaTiNovia: How long did you date before getting engaged?
Tyneka: Exactly 4 years! We started dating on February 29, 2004 (leap year) and got engaged 4 years later.
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
ParaTiNovia: How did he propose?
Tyneka: The details are private, but it did involve an unexpected trip to Jared after a nice big lunch.
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
What were the main colors & theme of your wedding?
Tyneka: Pool and tan (sand-like) for a beach-themed wedding!
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Lifework Images
ParaTiNovia: Is there any significance to your colors?
Pool is a very beach-like color that reminds us of the Caribbean ocean. The tan linen clothing was like the sand on the beaches.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
How did you choose your wedding venue?
ParaTiNovia: We knew we wanted to get married in the Caribbean since our relationship started to blossom while we were both on a study abroad trip in the Bahamas. We also wanted to get married at a beautiful, yet affordable venue. Maria, our travel agent at the time (STA Travel) suggested that we look at the Dominican Republic. After comparing all possible hotels in the Punta Cana area, we finally settled on Dreams Punta Cana because it was affordable, family-friendly and the beautiful. It also helped that the website was up to date and resourceful and the wedding coordinator was very responsive.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: Did you integrate any DIY (do-it-yourself) elements?
Tyneka: We wanted to do as many DIY projects as possible so the invitations were handmade, complete with starfish, as well as the fans/programs for guests. Instead of wearing shoes, the bridesmaids and some of the guests made foot jewelry fit for walking in sand. With the extra materials, we made matching jewelry for the men to wear on their wrists. Jennifer Lara, one of the bridesmaids made small soaps cast in seashell molds which were waiting on the guest beds with a note from the us as they arrived in their rooms.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: Did you incorporate anything unique into your wedding?
There was nothing especially unique about our actual wedding. We did ask all of our guests to join us for a day trip to Saona Island the day after the wedding. EVERYONE enjoyed themselves on that trip.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: Incorporating Cultural Traditions and Latina Background?
There were no specific cultural traditions incorporated in the wedding ceremony itself, but the nature of having the wedding in the Dominican Republic lent itself to having traditional foods and music indigenous to Latin culture.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: How did you pick your team?
The groomsmen and bridesmaids both consisted of long-time friends and close family members. Of course, they also had to be committed to travelling with us to Punta Cana. If by team you mean vendors for our various needs, most of the work was done for us. The beauty of having a destination wedding is that the wedding coordinator at the venue usually takes care of things like the flowers, cake, food, music, space and officiant as a park of the wedding package. Our actually won the services of our photographers, Cory & LaRae Lobdell of LifeWork Images, by participating in a Destination Wedding Photography Giveaway that we found out about by attending a Bridal Expo in Chicago. We are SO blessed to have won their services and we continue to be humbled by their great talents. Our travel Agency, STA Travel, is a vendor we have used since we were in college. They have great service and they are very helpful when it come to coordinating payments guests and making sure proper insurance is in place.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: What part did your coordinator play in helping you make those decisions?
The wedding coordinator at Dreams laid out the options that we had for the package that we purchased and we verified these choices on arrival. It was very simple. She was very helpful when it came to meeting our needs related to the beach set-up for our wedding.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: Was budget a factor? If so in what way?
Budget was a factor in our choice to have a destination wedding. We didn’t want to be in debt for years to come so we set a budget that we thought was reasonable and would allow us to pay off the debt (including what we spent on our credit cards) within 6 months of our marriage. This was important because we also had to take into account expenses for the post-wedding brunch in Chicago that we had planned for 8 months after our wedding.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
ParaTiNovia: What would you do different?
We both would have called our best friend who was flying in the day of the wedding to make sure she would not miss her flight. She made it to the reception, but it would have been great to have her there with us.
Image Courtesy of Life Work Images
Wedding Vendors (include links to any specific pages):
BEACH CEREMONY & RECEPTION – Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa, Dominican Republic
COORDINATOR, OFFICIANT, FLOWERS, CAKE & CATERING – Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa, Dominican Republic
DESTINATION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS – LaRae & Cory Lobdell of Lifework Images, Seattle & Chicago
INVITATIONS – Handmade by bride & groom with materials from Paper Source, Chicago, IL
BAREFOOT SANDALS – Handmade by bride with supplies from Michaels, Chicago, IL
WEDDING & BRIDESMAIDE DRESSES – David’s Bridal, Lombard, IL
LINEN SUIT – JCPenney
WEDDING RINGS – Kay Jewelers (JB Robinson), Chicago, IL
ALL INCLUSIVE HOTEL – Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa, Dominican Republic
TRAVEL AGENCY – STA Travel, Chicago & Evanston Branches (Chicago branch now closed)
WEDDING WEBSITE – Wedshare.com (guest management tools were awesome)
