Kimberley & Marcelo Medrano
Planning the perfect destination wedding experience in the Dominican Republic
Choosing the right destination wedding photographer
Scroll down to enjoy some hints of their perfect wedding day as captured by yours truly and keep going all the way to the bottom to read the story of Kimberley and Marcelo’s wedding proposal, is a must read, I promise!
Enjoy this pretty wedding as featured in Ruffled!!
A must read love story
“The moment I saw her, a part of me walked out of my body and wrapped itself around her. And there it still remains.”
― Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
The First Date:
I literally showed up for the drinks, and he had an agenda, which included asking me about my 5-year plan (travel, family, work) and telling me we could be great together (“100 percent” I responded)! On our 8-hour marathon date, we also talked about our families, relationships, friendships, our shared love of traveling, our impulsiveness, if we wanted children, what names we would choose, how we ended up in Annapolis… You name it, we talked about it!
The Proposal:
I knew the evening of our first date that this was the woman I was destined to be with. Not only who I have always wanted but who I have always needed. Over the course of the first 6 months of our relationship, we traveled to Florida, California, New York, Mexico, and were planning a trip to the Dominican Republic with some friends. My family and friends instantly fell in love with Kimberley and the connection with her family was nothing short of natural and amazing. I had already decided that this was the woman I was marrying but knew that my proposal would need certain elements to make it just what I wanted it to be and what she deserved. I set out to find the perfect ring with some design ideas inspired by what I had learned about Kimberley in our time together. After finding the ring I knew that having her parents, grandparents, and best friend Annie present was not negotiable. I unexpectedly stopped in at the Hall residence to ask Kimberley’s father Ian for her hand in marriage and he welcomed me with open arms. I decided that the best place to propose would be at the location where it all started, which was our first date at Paladar.
Our six month anniversary was approaching so I started planning my proposal. In the weeks leading up to the proposal, I had ensured that no one involved spilled the secret and that Kim would not accidentally see or hear any of my communication with her family or friends. I wasn’t nervous about proposing but I was so wrapped up in making sure that my proposal was perfect that I didn’t notice Kim brewing her own surprise. On our way to dinner on our 6 month anniversary, we argued who would have the better gift and I was sure my gift was going to be the better.
We arrived at Paladar and after walking to a private room and being met by family and friends, I dropped down to one knee and proposed. In true Kim Hall fashion, she paused me in order to remove her jacket so that she could get some good pictures and then she said yes. At this point, I knew her gift could not be better than this. After the excitement of what had just occurred subsided a bit, Kim decided to take me into a separate private room with the photographer to finally give me her gift. Little did I know, that her gift and secret was that we were expecting our first child. Kim will tell you that I cried when she broke the news but you can’t see tears in the picture so don’t believe everything you hear. And that folks, is the story of our engagement and baby announcement. Thanks for reading.
Wedding Vendors
Photography: Asia Pimentel Photography
Planning, Design, Coordination: Claire Duran Weddings & Events
Floral Design: Amy Lauren Floral Design
Venue and Catering: Boca Marina Restaurant & Lounge
Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia
Bridal Store: Wren Bridal
Hair: Yudelka Zapata for Jochy Campusano
Makeup: Yamila Lebron for Jochy Campusano
Wedding Cake: Cake Studio by Mily Pimentel
Music: Quartet Music
Rentals: Divano
Runners: Linen Lark
Wedding Invitations: A La Carte Paperie
Film Lab: The Find Lab