A Real Wedding at Serenade Punta Cana: Loraine & Roberto's Beach Ceremony and Rooftop Reception
Some weddings are quiet and intimate. Loraine and Roberto's was neither, and it did not need to be. On April 11, 2026, they said "I do" barefoot on the sand at Serenade Punta Cana, surrounded by a wedding party and guest list large enough to fill the entire beach, then danced the night away on a rooftop terrace strung with lights above the ocean. This is a real Punta Cana wedding built on champagne toasts, personalized gifts, a full dance floor, and two families who clearly know how to celebrate.
Why Serenade Punta Cana
Serenade brings together a classic white sand beach ceremony space with a rooftop event terrace that looks straight out over the water, which is exactly the combination Loraine and Roberto used to their advantage. The beach gave them an open, airy ceremony backdrop. The rooftop gave their reception a completely different feel after dark, string lights overhead, an unobstructed sunset view, and enough space for a wedding party this size to dance all night without ever feeling crowded.
Getting ready: two rooms, two kinds of energy
Roberto got ready surrounded by his groomsmen in a room with a bold palm leaf mural, working through the details together: cufflinks, bow ties, boutonnieres pinned by hand. He wore a soft sage green suit with a matching bow tie, while his groomsmen wore cream linen suits with sage bow ties of their own, a look that carried straight through into the reception color story.
Down the hall, Loraine's morning was all soft light and champagne. Her bridesmaids toasted in matching sage satin robes before changing into personalized tote bags, each one labeled with a name (Rosie, Gigi, Merg, Angg, Katie, Marilyn) alongside their own glasses of champagne. Loraine got ready in a delicate white robe, her bouquet of white roses, lisianthus, and baby's breath waiting nearby, and finished the morning in a fitted lace gown with a low back cutout and delicate spaghetti straps, pearl-detailed heels, and an updo finished with a crystal hairpiece.
The ceremony
The ceremony took place right on the beach, guests seated in white chairs facing a gold hoop arch dressed in white and green florals, ocean stretching out behind it. Roberto's mother walked him down the aisle in a beaded lavender gown, and the reactions from both families as Loraine approached, veil catching the breeze, told the whole story before a single vow was spoken. Vows were exchanged in front of family and friends of every generation, and their first kiss under the arch, captured with the gold hoop framing them and the ocean behind, is the kind of image that anchors an entire wedding gallery.
Portraits on the sand
After the ceremony, Loraine and Roberto took a quiet walk along the beach for just the two of them, hand in hand with the arch and rows of empty chairs behind them. A dipped kiss beside the hoop arch, foreheads together in close-up portraits, and ring detail shots with Loraine's engagement ring caught the light beautifully against the grey-blue evening sky, a nice contrast to the warmth of the earlier ceremony light.
Reception: sage, gold, and a rooftop under the stars
The reception transformed the palette completely. Gold beaded chargers, olive green napkins, white and gold floral centerpieces, and place settings marked "Mr" and "Mrs" set the tone for a rooftop dinner with sweeping ocean views. A wooden welcome sign reading "Roberto & Loraine, April 11th, 2026" greeted guests near the entrance, flanked by lanterns.
The wedding party made their entrance dancing, groomsmen in cream linen suits first, followed by bridesmaids in flowing sage gowns, before Loraine and Roberto themselves burst in to applause, bouquet raised high. Their first dance took place in front of oversized marquee letters spelling "R&L," followed by a mother-son dance between Roberto and his mother. Later, Roberto gave a heartfelt speech from his phone with Loraine seated beside him at their sweetheart table, ending in a kiss.
The night closed with an open dance floor under the string lights, guests in every color of the rainbow (teal, orange, lavender, sage) moving together, a bouquet toss caught mid-air, and a late-night buffet where even the bride and groom served themselves, sushi plate in hand, still in full wedding attire. A two-tier white cake finished with gold fern accents and a laser-cut "R+L" topper rounded out the dessert table.
Planning ideas inspired by Loraine & Roberto's wedding
Coordinate your reception palette separately from your ceremony palette. Loraine and Roberto used white and green for their beach ceremony, then shifted into sage and gold for the rooftop reception, giving the day two distinct, intentional looks instead of one repeated color scheme.
Personalize your bridesmaid gifts with names, not just matching robes. Individually labeled tote bags gave each bridesmaid a keepsake specific to her, a small touch that photographs beautifully during getting-ready coverage.
Consider a rooftop or elevated reception space for a beach wedding. Pairing a beach ceremony with a rooftop reception gives guests two completely different settings and views across a single day, without needing to change venues.
Let guests wear their own colors instead of a single dress code. The mix of teal, orange, lavender, and sage across the guest list gave Loraine and Roberto's reception photos a warm, celebratory energy that a strict single-color dress code would not have created.
Build in a self-serve or buffet moment even at a formal wedding. The candid shots of Loraine and Roberto serving their own plates at the late-night buffet, still in full wedding attire, are some of the most genuine, unposed images from the entire day.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Its beach ceremony space and rooftop reception terrace both comfortably accommodate a large guest list, as seen in Loraine and Roberto's full wedding party photos.
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Yes, this is one of the most popular combinations at the resort, giving couples an open beach ceremony followed by an elevated, sunset-view reception space.
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Building your ceremony time around sunset makes a noticeable difference in your portraits. Our Punta Cana wedding timeline guide walks through exactly how to plan that backward from your date's sunset time: https://wbastudio.com/blog/punta-cana-wedding-timeline-guide
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Yes. April sits in the dry season with warm temperatures and minimal rain, making it a popular month for beach ceremonies. See the best time of year to get married in Punta Cana for a full month-by-month breakdown: https://wbastudio.com/blog/best-time-of-year-to-get-married-punta-cana
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Absolutely. Many couples use a simpler palette for their ceremony and a bolder one for their reception decor, especially when the two take place in different spaces on property.
Start planning your own Serenade wedding
Dreaming up a beach ceremony and a rooftop celebration of your own? Explore real weddings at Serenade Punta Cana: https://wbastudio.com/wedding-photographers/serenade-punta-cana
Or get started with our guide on how to plan a destination wedding in Punta Cana: https://wbastudio.com/blog/how-to-plan-destination-wedding-punta-cana
With 15+ years capturing days like Loraine and Roberto's, WBA Studio knows how to make sure every part of your day, from the beach to the rooftop, comes through in your photos. Browse our full Real Weddings collection for more inspiration: https://wbastudio.com/real-weddings