Working Weekend Away in Punta Cana!

WOW! What an absolute dream this past weekend was. I can finally say I have captured weddings and people around the world. I’ve traveled stateside plenty, but out of the country…I’ve dreamt of this moment. A weekend away in the Dominican Republic to capture a stunning wedding day with the most beautiful couple! And while the main purpose of travel was work, we of course, had to throw in a little play too.

Mishaps From the Get Go

Getting there was an absolute SHIT SHOW. I’m talking everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. On Thursday, we got to the airport about an hour and 20 minutes prior to departure. We have TSA pre-check so we’ve never had any issues arriving within this window of time. WRONG. We missed our original flight out. Tip learned- arrive minimum 2.5 hours before for international travel. By the time we got our passports checked and tried checking in ourselves and luggage, we had hit the “hour until departure” mark. To the minute. At 9:43, a gate agent tried to check our bag and get us our boarding passes only to find that our tickets were locked out for our 10:43 flight. Bags have to arrive for checking an hour before for international flights. Anything beyond that they will not allow and will lock out your tickets.

We tried everything. Begged, pleaded, attempted to ditch our suitcase and just bring a carry on, and nothing worked. (With no fault to the agents, they were amazing! They were trying everything for us. It was our own mistake.) The next best thing was putting us on the same flight the next morning, arriving into the D.R. at 5pm.

The hotel was not going to refund the night we would miss and we’d lose the entire day on Friday by waiting. So I found us a flight from Chicago to Montreal and Montreal down to the D.R. for that same day. We’d arrive by midnight. So we would at least gain our day on Friday back. We booked the tickets. Took credit back on our missed flight and headed back to the airport. Things went smoother the first flight. We made it to Montreal and had to speed walk to the next gate. By the time we got there, we were the last two needing to board. For the 984276437504904 time that day, our entry form had timed out online before I could save anything. We stood there filling it out, with minimal WiFi, continuously getting kicked out and having to start again. I was SHAKING. The pilot was calling the gate agent asking for us. My anxiety was at an all time high. Thankfully, we made it on that plane and all was well. We had a seat open between us, the flight was nearly empty, I ate a microwaved mac and cheese, and it was smooth sailing.

We landed and while waiting for our luggage, one by one we watched everyone leave. Us and one other couple were the last ones standing. We waited nearly 10-15 minutes, very anxiously, very impatiently for our bag. I was convinced our luggage was lost after how many hiccups we had already gone through. But by a miracle, it came flying down the belt. We had transportation set up, they took us to the hotel, and all was great. So I thought.

We sat down to check in and the receptionist told us they had no reservation for us on file. I pulled up my confirmation and he still couldn’t find anything. Now it’s 1:30am and tears are about to be flooding. My patience was drained. My hope was gone. I was exhausted: mentally, physically, and emotionally 😂. Thankfully, they found that since we technically were arriving the “next day,” their system was not showing the reservation. Due to that, the room we booked was not immediately available. However, they were able to put us in a room for the night and change us over in the morning.

At this point, I was a wave of anxiety. I’m crying. I’m convinced we shouldn’t be there. Something worse is going to happen. But I can’t leave. I’m there for work. So the only logical thing was to order a room service burger at 2:30am, cry, and call it a night.

Post-Travel Experience

Waking up Friday morning, I felt much calmer. We spoke to the kids, they were doing just fine. The sun was shining. I slept well. So things felt much better and they were! We spent the day on the beach and indulged in the all inclusive food and drinks. We grabbed dinner on the resort that evening, watched a show, and stayed out dancing for a bit.

Saturday was wedding day for me. We went for breakfast together before I needed to get ready for the 10-hour work day ahead. Phil was planning for quite a bit of R&R, to work off the unlimited drinks he was taking in the previous night. The wedding day was beautiful. The water set behind them during their ceremony. A small intimate group. A dinner lined with a view of the ocean. An afterparty that was unmatched. It was so much fun to capture!

I ended the night truly iconically. I do not think I will ever wrap and unwind from a wedding day as best as I did out there. I ordered room service back to the room. Buffalo wings with blue cheese, a cheeseburger, and a Greek Salad, accompanied by a margarita on the rocks, all to be eaten in our balcony’s jacuzzi. If I could unwind from every wedding night this way, your girl would be fired up and ready for those double header weekends no problem 😆.

Sunday morning, we packed up and got ready to return to the 30 degree weather in Chicago. It’s always so hard leaving the sun, the ocean, and the warmth for me. I’m still so unsure why I was planted in the mid-west, but here we still are. We woke up, enjoyed an early breakfast so we could make the most of our final few hours there. We enjoyed a few hours laying out on the beach again before making our way to the airport to come home. Getting back home was an absolute breeze in comparison.

All The Details

We spent the weekend at Majestic Mirage which was absolutely breathtaking. The service was beyond amazing- a very attentive staff, everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful, and the resort itself was a dream. We loved it. A few hours in we were already talking about when we could go back (and maybe even bring the kids!). The resort had two separate buildings- one for a family friendly option and one just for adults. They had separate pools, etc. to accommodate for that as well. Highly, highly, highly recommend staying here. They have so many different things to do on the resort: restaurants, nightclub, casino, spa, etc. The beach was clean and beautiful. The resort was well maintained, clean, safe, and the staff, again, was so incredibly attentive. If you are looking for an all-inclusive option in Punta Cana, this is definitely a must!

Check out More!

If you’re wanting to see a bit more from our travel, check it out on YouTube HERE! All the hiccups documented, the travel without children, the amount of drinks consumed…and so much more!