Kukua Beach Club & Restaurant Reviews
Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 rating
136 Reviews
99% recommend it
Awards
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![Kaylee]()
Kaylee M. Sent on 02/24/2024The best wedding venue ever!!!!!!!
We had our wedding 2.10.24 with 82 of our friends and family travelling from all over the country and it was incredible!
Wedding colors/theme: Boho Glam! Cream/ivory, light blush, eucalyptus colored greenery, natural tones
DJ: Kukua DJ. He was great! We kind of took control and made playlists for everything, because I was just too much of a control freak. But he followed all our requests for music, cut it when it needed to be cut (our reception entrance got explicit at 32 seconds so we wanted it cut at 31 exactly lol), and kept the party going!
MC: Kukua MC. He was so sweet and did a fantastic job! Communicated with us well when we had questions and we loved him! We kept laughing as he kept calling my dad “Meeester (like Mr but drawn out) Jefff” and now it’s a nickname that’ll never leave the family. We loved him!
Wedding planners and Coordinators:
simply amazing and the best! Rachel made the process so easy leading up to the wedding. She isn’t just a wedding planner, she also is a friend you make for life! She is so kind with the biggest heart and we adore her! She was always there to answer every question and she went above and beyond for us! We had a small hiccup with chandeliers prior to the wedding (vendor issue, not Kukua) and Rachel and Mayte worked tirelessly to come up with a solution and it was BETTER than I could’ve ever imagined and way better than what it was originally suppose to be. I am so grateful to the two of them for this!!!! It honestly made my dream come to life with this hiccup, so in hindsight I’m so happy it happened LOL Mayte is exactly who Rachel makes her out to be- she is so sweet, wonderful, and incredibly talented. And she is on it!!! She ran through everything with us during our tasting, and eased all my anxiety! And how she brings it all to life- oh my gosh. I mean I knew Kukua was good, but I didn’t know they would be this good! My guests cannot stop talking about how incredible and beautiful it was- many told us it was the most beautiful wedding they’ve ever been to! I am a complete control freak and with Mayte, I was actually able to sit back and let it all unfold. I still can’t get over the floral arrangements and how they hand make them all in house. Mayte put all our bouquets together and they were incredible.
When you see the venue blank, it’s hard to envision your dream wedding come to life. But let me tell you… trust MAYTE, the staff, and the process. It will be far beyond what you could’ve ever dreamed!!!! And the moment you sit down with Mayte and start to go over it all and you taste the food, you are reassured right in that moment! We are soooooo happy we trusted Kukua, Mayte, Rachel, David, and all the staff to help our dream day come to life!
The Venue and Staff:
-Every touch, every thing, every one- from top to bottom, were AMAZING. They were so on top of it all and they were incredible. Every detail was perfect and if it wasn’t, I sure as heck did not notice at all! I can go on and on, but I think the pictures will do the talking. It was incredible and they carry out your dream! I am forever grateful to Kukua and all of its wonderful staff!
Bridal Suite:
-just the freaking best! Air conditioned and more than enough room for the 10 plus of us in there! Kukua’s steamer was perfect to do all of our dresses day of and the service was amazing with drinks and food for getting ready!
Tasting:
-Simply incredible. The food and drinks were top notch, as was Mayte! It was so fun to try everything and for everything to come together. Our signature drinks were the passion fruit mojito and the pina colada. My mom hates mojitos and even she was obsessed! The something blue was our other favorite! For apps we chose: 1. salmon roll, 2. chicken and pineapple skewers, 3. Fresh tomato, basilisco, and parmesan cheese Bruschetta, 4. Mediterranean style vegetables mini panni with goat cheese, and 5. Seabass and shrimp ceviche with spicy passion fruit dressing and plantain chips. Guest favorites were the ceviche, and the goat cheese and bruschetta- last two being my favorite for sure!!! For dinner we did the pineapple chicken salad (INCREDIBLE!), avocado carbonara, filet and seabass. I will be dreaming of the seabass forever- it was soooo good!
For the cake, omg. I’m still dreaming about it and wish I could get some shipped to my house. They get their cakes through Cake Studio by Ana and we did two flavors, and I never even tried the red velvet. The winner that all my guests cannot stop talking about is vanilla flavor, dulce de leche filling, American butter cream frosting. It’s seriously so good. I ate cake with my hands for like 3 days after the wedding in our room. And I would do it again if I had some at home. The best wedding cake I have ever had!!!! Our friends keep asking if we’re going back for our one year anniversary and if they can come so they can get a slice of cake! LOL
Mini Desserts: Churros, key lime pie, crème brule. We were obsessed at our tasting.
Late night: tacos and nachos- cant speak on these as we didn’t try our late night as we were on the dance floor all night long!
Add on’s we did that we considered our favorite/must do’s:
-Shot seating chart with tequila and lime, our guests loved it
-LOVE sign. I didn’t choose it at first cause it felt cliché but our guests loved it, especially with the little fireworks going off during our first dance! Get the fireworks they are worth it!
-Chandeliers, just do it. It was stunning
-Sweetheart table couch: felt like I was in game of thrones. It was awesome.
-Cascading lights and bistro lights: my groom wanted all the lighting and he was so right. It was pretty windy so we had to keep the shades down and the cascading lighting made it so romantic and intimate! Get all the lighting, its worth it!
We had our dream day, it was perfect. And we will be dreaming of it for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much Kukua, especially Rachel and Mayte, for making the wedding of our dreams come true.
Other vendors review’s:
Hair: Natalia (Instagram: browbar_dmn), I’m obsessed with her. She was so sweet to work with, brought a second to do hair since we had so many, and all of our hair styles looked amazing. I had done absolutely no trial and just showed her pictures from pinterest and told her what I did and didn’t like, and she knocked it out of the freaking park! Can’t recommend her enough!
MUA: Blushed Hair and Makeup from Detroit, MI- Lauren is incredibly talented and had actually done both my siblings weddings, so it was a no brainer to bring her along to help complete the trifecta! If you are in the Detroit area, highly recommend Lauren for your wedding prep and all things skin related- she is one of the most amazing estheticians (super successful business-#1 detroit metro area) and the kindest human being ever. And she made me feel like a Victoria Secret Angel on my wedding day!
Photographer: Shauna Wear Photography, also located in Detroit and we’ve done so many shoots with her, so we just had to bring her along. She is incredible so highly recommend if you want to bring her along to Kukua or if you’re in the Detroit area needing an engagement shoot, she’s your girl!
Videography: Wedding Films Punta Cana. Though we have not seen any video content just yet, they were incredible to work with and it definitely seemed like they were getting all the good shots and all the good angles! Joel and his assistant were so sweet! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Save the dates and Invitations: Truly Engaging- can’t recommend enough. Affordable and worth the extra $ to have envelopes addressed for you.
Travel Agents: Kristen Bullock and Patty Jordan from Unique Romance and Adventure Travel. Cannot recommend these two enough! They coordinated travel for all of our guests and ourselves, answered every question along the way, and were on top of it 24/7. They were so friendly and so wonderful to work with! I would highly recommend them for your wedding room block, and personal travel in general!
Private Boat Tour- Renny Travel. We did a boat for about 30 of us (parents, grandparents, groomsmen and plus ones, bridesmaids and plus ones, siblings and their kids) and it cost about $1500 and it was soooo worth it! We were questioning if we had it in the budget, but I’m so glad we found a way to make it work! It was so nice to sneak away with just the bridal party and we had a blast on the boat. We did it as part of their gifts and everyone was so appreciative, with everyone saying it was one of their favorite days. The onlyyyyyyy thing I would say is ask them to skip the dolphin island- its basically dolphins in the middle of the ocean locked in areas. It’s sad and we hated it, and had I known we would’ve skipped. But otherwise they did a great job. They also brought a photographer and we got roped into buying all the photos but they were so good and we loveeeee photos, so we budged and bought over 500 photos for $250.
Bridesmaid dresses: Azazie Eucalyptus Stretch Satin. I’ve been in chiffon and pink for every wedding I’ve ever been in so I knew I wanted to do something different. These popped sooooo good against the sand and everyone was obsessed! My bridesmaids were really nervous about the stretch satin, a few of them concerned being a little bit more curvy. But they all looked AMAZING in them and all of them unanimously agreed the material was the best for the climate and these were dresses they would actually wear again! We let them pick out whatever they felt best in and I highly recommend. Cant recommend these dresses enough.
Men’s suits: men’s wearhouse light grey linen suit. Only the groom and dad’s wore full suit and remainder wore just pants with brown (belt, shoes) and it looked amazingggg. I’m just not a fan of khaki so im so glad we went with this decision and it’s something he will definitely wear again! It ended up costing groomsmen about $150 for nice pants, shirt, belt, and shoes that they’ll all wear again they said!
Dress: Lillian West, bought at The Bridal Collection in Centennial, CO
Resort: RIU PALACE PUNTA CANA. Ok, so mixed feelings about the RIU. We loved how close it was to Kukua and that they shared a property line with Kukua so it was just a few steps and you were there. We loved how cost affordable it was for our guests. Would we have liked to stay somewhere a little nicer? Maybe. But it did it’s job of being cost affordable, having decent food, great pools, and a beautiful beach! It was easy to find everyone within the resort. The pools were seriously so great! Food could’ve been better- but is all inclusive food ever really incredible? Steakhouse was okay- get the chicken. Japanese restaurant was bomb. Italian had good food but terrible service- went like 3 times and each time wondered why we went back lol. Bartenders and servers poolside were AMAZING. They also had daily entertainment and activities! We did a room block with our travel agent and because of it, got some freebies so highly recommend doing that! We paid to privatize the steakhouse for a “toasts and roasts dinner” the night before the wedding, and also had a welcome cocktail party. A few guests ended up with some upset stomachs, but a lot of us were there for a week, so I feel like it’s bound to happen at some point anywhere you go! -
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![Olivia]()
Olivia W. Sent on 11/17/2023Booking my wedding here was the best decision I ever made!!!!!
So I see so many past brides writing reviews about their day and I just got sneak peaks from our photographer so I am going to write my version of a review LOL
First off, you're all in the right place to have the wedding of your freaking dreams. I am still coping with the fact that it's all over. It was the greatest wedding experience I could have asked for. Rachel is a fairy godmother and I will be bugging her for the rest of my life because I can't imagine never talking to her again
Photo: Laura Morales
Video: Amantes
Hair & Makeup: Anna Nuet
If they align with your style, BOOK ALL OF THEM!!!!! They are all incredibly sweet and truly there for YOU, just like Rachel and Mayte. I seriously could not have been any happier with all of them. I will sing their praises for a lifetime!!!
Our tasting was incredible. We had it two days before our wedding - it was so fun because my husband was obviously excited but the tasting made him so pumped since he got to meet Mayte, see the venue, etc. As expected, Mayte was incredible. It truly was just a 1000000/10 experience finishing off small details with her while eating amazing food with your hubby... GO TO YOUR TASTING HUNGRY. We didn't eat breakfast that day and we still could not stomach everything LOL. So. Much. Food. It's all so freaking good though so you do somehow manage to eat a lot of it.
The only things we added that were considered "extra" in my opinion were the LOVE sign, the fireworks at the end of our first dance, the champagne wall, and charger plates. I recommend them all, especially the love sign & fireworks. Beautiful touches to the evening.
I provided the DJ with a playlist and he did a fantastic job. We were a PARTY group so I had initial anxiety about this when I first started planning with Rachel, but he did a great job with what I provided and kept the party going from the second first dances ended until the last song of the night. He took any song requests and three of us did kareoke throughout the night and he was all for it.
Getting ready the day of was amazing, something I did to help was ordering lunch for us ladies. They have a menu in the bridal suite so it was easy for everyone to order what they wanted.
Also, I was super worried with how hot I was that my hair and makeup looked horrible in photos. I was thinking to myself that there is no way I am going to like my pictures lol, BUT every photo I've seen so far im thrilled with. I cannot believe it held up the way it did!
If there's anything else you have questions about just let me know - tipping, dress change, etc. I could go on and on and ON! I was ITCHING for my wedding day for a year and now I'd do anything to have it back lol. Enjoy the ride, it ends so fast :(
Lastly,
My advice to all the brides - you will love your day no matter what. I had a lot of stress leading up to the trip, however once we got to PC, I did not have a care in the world besides being with my friends and family. PUT YOUR FAITH IN RACHEL, MAYTE, AND THE STAFF. Even if something isn't exactly how you wanted or doesn’t go as planned, it does not matter and will still be amazing. At the end of the day you're marrying your person!!!! It literally can't be a bad day! -
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![Angela]()
Angela M. Sent on 10/13/2023Best Day Ever!
My wedding day was 08/12/2023. Let me start by thanking Rachel, Mayte & David. This wedding wouldn’t have been possible without you guys. They are angels on Earth. Rachel, you already know how special you are to Hamlet, we didn’t just have a wedding planner; you became our friend for life. Mayte is the sweetest person you would ever meet. She executed my wedding vision straight from my Pinterest board, just as I imagined. I cannot thank these two enough.
Kukua is a beautiful place, the FOOD, DRINKS, DJ & ALEJANDRO & the STAFF were amazing, and the food was delicious so freaking good. The dessert table omg I didn’t get to eat on the day of the wedding, but all the guests said “It was the best dessert they ever had”. CRAZY HOUR if you have the money DO IT! Everyone loved it and it was so special for Hamlet and me to have something that represented our Dominican culture, they were so fun and everyone was dancing and having a good time.
My beloved Rachel, I love her so much, she is my friend for life. Since the first time I sent an email her personality has been so welcoming, loving & friendly. Mayte my fairy godmother brought my Pinterest wedding to life, The decor was so beautiful, from the flowers to every little detail. David was so sweet & accommodating, making sure I was good and well taken care of. The STAFF was AMAZING, FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, and ATTENTIVE with all my guests. To any future brides trying to secure a venue KUKUA is the place I highly recommend 100%. -
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Camilla D. Sent on 08/07/2023
Best Wedding Venue!
We had our beautiful wedding at Kukua on 5/23/23. We always wanted a destination wedding and after looking into multiple hotel venue weddings we stumbled upon the Kukua website and fell in love with all the pictures. Planning a wedding at Kukua was the easiest, most stress free experience. After emailing them, I received a reply from Rachel no more than 2 days later. Rachel is the best and so helpful throughout the whole process. She was always available every time I messaged her. I told her my vision and she helped me plan the whole wedding while still staying within my budget. I got to meet Mayte when I went to DR for a site visit and tasting, and she is the sweetest and most caring person I have ever met. There were no weddings the day I went for the visit, so from seeing Kukua decoration-free to seeing the amazing decorations Mayte did on my wedding day was completely mind blowing.
Mayte made my dream wedding come to life! The decor was beyond what I could’ve imagined or asked for. The food, appetizers, desserts, and drinks were AMAZING! Everyone keeps telling me, until this day, how beautiful my wedding was. I 10/10 would recommend Kukua for a destination wedding. Rachel and Mayte were the best wedding planners I could’ve asked for. -
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Christina C. Sent on 05/08/2023
Dream wedding!!
We had our dream wedding at Kukua April 14th 2023 & it truly was more than either of us could have imagined. Being a resident in NY & planning a destination wedding seemed daunting until I found beautiful Kukua. Rachel (pur wedding planner assigned to us by kukua) was an absolute gem!! She took our budget & made magic happen. Mayte who handled things in Punta Cana is a visionary!!!! The two if them exceeded any expectation I had. The food, dj, crazy hour, dessert bar, decor etc etc was AMAZING. not only was our wedding amazing for a destination wedding-- it was amazing for ANY type of wedding. No regrets I would do it all over again a million times. Thank you Rachel, Mayte, & the whole kukua team!!!! -
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![Terri]()
Terri L. Sent on 05/26/2023My dream come true wedding!!
I tied the knot at Kukua Beach Club on April 5, 2023, and let me tell you, it was beyond amazing! From the moment I contacted Rachel until the last dance with Mayte, the Kukua team was simply fantastic. They're not only super organized and professional but also know how to have a great time.
Planning a wedding can be stressful, but Kukua made it a breeze. They took care of everything, bringing my Pinterest wedding dreams to life. I didn't have to worry about a thing, and I could enjoy every moment without any hassle. They paid attention to every little detail, and the result was pure magic.
The venue itself was absolutely stunning! Kukua Beach Club was beautifully decorated, setting the perfect romantic ambiance. Every corner was carefully designed, creating an enchanting atmosphere that left everyone in awe. The moment I stepped into the venue, I knew I had made the right choice.
The staff at Kukua Beach Club were true professionals. From the servers to the MC, everyone knew how to throw an incredible wedding party. They were friendly, and attentive, and made sure all the guests had an unforgettable time. I received countless compliments on their exceptional service and warm hospitality.
But it doesn't stop there! Kukua went above and beyond to capture the beauty of my wedding day. The photographs are absolutely stunning, and I'll treasure them forever. And let's not forget about the talented hair and makeup artists who made me feel like the most beautiful bride ever.
If you're planning a wedding in Punta Cana, I can't recommend Kukua Beach Club enough. It's way better than getting married at a resort because they let your personality and vision shine through. They offer a level of customization that ensures your wedding reflects your unique style and preferences.
To sum it up, choosing Kukua Beach Club was the best decision I made. They exceeded all my expectations and made my wedding day truly unforgettable. I'm still on cloud nine and can't stop thinking about it. If you're a bride-to-be, don't think twice—Kukua Beach Club is the place to make your dreams come true!
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Jessica M. Sent on 05/03/2023
Wedding of our dreams
I honestly don’t know where to start with how fantastic Kukua was as a wedding venue!
My husband and I are from the Uk and had researched weddings abroad for a little while before settling on kukua. From our first interaction with Rachel, she was so lovely, friendly, provided us with so much information and answered my (many many) questions and filled me with confidence that this was the right place for us to tie the knot.
Rachel’s support over the wedding planning period was amazing, she’s super organised and the best wedding planner you could ever ask for!!
We had our wedding on 4th April 2023, and the weather was beautiful. Our guests stayed in Secrets Royal Beach, around 30 mins away and it was perfect.
Naturally we were a little nervous about seeing Kukua for the first time at our tasting, but even without all the wedding decor, it lived up to every expectation, and is truly beautiful.
Mayte and the team were wonderful, they walked us through every step of the day so we felt totally at ease in advance. And the food - WOW! We opted for the Bavaro menu, which was truly stunning. We see ourselves as foodies and we’ve been to weddings with average food, but the standard at Kukua is fantastic. The appetisers and cocktails were all delicious, so choosing the right ones was a challenge, but we opted for the passion fruit mojito and pina colada and the prawns, ceviche and chicken and pineapple skewers.
The wedding day itself was sensational, and Mayte and the team worked so hard to bring our decor vision to life and it was even more special and beautiful than we could have imagined. The bridal suite is gorgeous, and made for such a lovely morning with the girls, we ordered a few bottles of fizz and some snacks, and the wonderful Anna Nuet did the most fantastic job with our hair and make up. She is a genius, and I can’t rate her highly enough. The fabulous Milan at PhotoCine Art was our photographer and he was so organised, knew the amazing places to capture great shots and was so friendly, would highly recommend.
The ceremony was on the beach, a gorgeous setting and whilst we did have a few passers by, they weren’t close enough to us and it really wasn’t an issue at all.
The reception room is a perfect size, we had 30 guests but it could have easily fit a lot more, but Mayte and the team used the space well so it didn’t feel too empty despite being a small-ish wedding!
The DJ, ceremony officiant and MC were brilliant, we opted for the cold fireworks on our first dance. They were expensive but so so magical!
I loved every second of the day, and Rachel and Mayte helped take any stress out of the wedding and planning. Would 1000000% recommend to anyone ❤️ -
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Rachel P. Sent on 05/03/2023
Wedding of your beach dreams!
If you are looking for a beach wedding venue and team of your dreams, look no further! I always wanted a destination wedding and when I found Kukua and Rachel I was ecstatic. They turn your vision into a reality. We had 64 guests and every single one of them were blown away with the venue and what they created for us. It was absolute perfection. Not once was I worried or overwhelmed during the planning process and the day of. I couldn’t recommend Kukua, Rachel and Mayte enough. They truly make you feel part of a family and everything was just amazing. I 1000/10 would recommend it again and do it all over just for fun if I could! If you’re questioning where to get married for a beach wedding of your dreams, this is your sign! -
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Dei G. Sent on 09/05/2023
Best Day Ever!
Took me forever to write this review but this place deserves me taking the time. Our wedding took place on March 7, 2023. Planning a wedding after the pandemic was not easy. I had been researching for months for the perfect destination and wedding venue. We initially spoke to Rachel on October 2021 and it was the most reassuring conversation that I have ever had in my life. Rachel has a gift for making couples feel certain and stress free. We worked on the wedding details for months in advance and she always made herself available, which was very helpful given that we were planning a wedding from afar. We were one of the lucky couples that got to meet Rachel in person. Her personality is so much more vibrant and beautiful in person. We were so happy that she was able to attend our wedding. It gave it so much more meaning. Imagine having the person that helped you plan the most beautiful day of your life be part of it as well. She reminded me to smile when I was feeling nervous and made me laugh as I was getting ready with the girls. Rachel if you’re reading this, sending you lots of love, hugs and just wanted you to know you are amazing! On the day of the wedding, I was just blown away. Despite the reassuring conversations that I had with Rachel; I was not understanding how Mayte was going to bring my wedding vision to life. Ladies trust the process and trust in Mayte. I thought that I was very keen to details but let me tell you Mayte had surpassed my vision, everything was beautiful and breathtaking. She honestly went above and beyond to include things that I had shared with her such as a pink velvet couch. She has such a beautiful talent, and she will also ensure that you feel like a princess if not a queen on your very special day. Mayte you also are amazing. I love my Kukua family, and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else in the world, literally writing this makes me tear. -
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![Morgan]()
Morgan Sent on 04/03/202310/10 Wedding at Kukua
🚨REVIEW🚨
Our wedding took place on February 22nd, and to say Kukua surpassed our expectations is an understatement. Brides please understand that whatever you think your wedding will be like, please multiply that by a million.
Pre-wedding Rachel (wedding planner)
My husband was set on having our wedding in Punta Cana although I was already sold to have it in Mexico. I told him the only way I would do it in Punta Cana is if he could magically find a perfect sweet wedding planner that I would click with and then it’s a done deal. That’s when he introduced me to the amazing Rachel. We immediately clicked and she planned my wedding perfectly to the T. Ladies listen up, the photos Rachel show you of past weddings don’t even do the venue justest. Rachel was easy to contact and she made me feel so confident about my wedding. What impressed me the most is that even though she has so many of you girls to worry about, she never missed a single detail for my wedding. She thought of everything and you can tell she really cares about you. You know those wedding planners you see in movies… how awesome and cool they are? Well Rachel is even better than that. We really felt like we were well taken care of. We love you Rachel.
Venue // Mayte:
The tasting meeting was one of my highlights. Going in… a few days before our wedding is essential. You get to see the beautiful venue (even better in person) and taste their amazing food. Mayte was such an angel. Such a professional women and really knows how to run the place. I recommend Kukua and the team if you’re looking for a stress free option. I really notice how wonderful Mayte and Rachel are as a team.
Makeup: Olga Montilla
10/10… Wow, Olga Montilla and her team did a fantastic job on my makeup and hair for my wedding day. I came across the most recommended MUA from Kukua's past brides which was Olga. Without any hesitation I chose Olga and her team. She was super easy to contact, responded to me within the hour and made me feel super comfortable even from across the globe. Meeting her on my wedding day confirmed all my instincts. She was super professional, talented and gorgeous! All my bridal party was ecstatic with their makeup and hair. I told her that I loved pink shadow and to do "whatever" with my hair and she pulled through! She made me look like a model and i'm so happy! Olga also is a great content creator. She took great shots of my hair and makeup and sent them over the next day! Although she does see brides everyday, she made me feel like I was the bride of the year and I truly felt special! Anyways, thank you Olga and your amazing team! 🙂
Photogrpahy: Junior Cruz
I have to say.. do not look further!! I am sure there are other great photographers but let me speak about my experience..
Junior Cruz killed it! He knew how to put us in situations to get the best photos out of us. He knows the Venue by heart and know when the sun is hitting to hard or not. We took the 1400$ package and got 1600 photos and a slife show. The amount and quality of photos that you will get from Junior Cruz is insane! Highly recommend Junior Cruz!
We had brought down our videographers so we can have them for the entire week including the wedding. best decision ever! We have a 25 minute video of the entire week including the wedding day with all our guests. You might want to consider this option!!
Bottom line, wow what a fantastic experience. To anyone who ever questioned about having their wedding down south, please know it’s the most smooth option available with Kukua. One of my girlfriends is getting married in our hometown in Montreal Canada… and to see all the stress she is going through to plan her wedding makes my husband and I so grateful for Kukua.
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![Leitha]()
Leitha Sent on 06/16/2022The perfect venue
My Fiancé and I are having our wedding here December 1st 2022. Rachel has been absolutely amazing to work with. I wish I could give six stars for Responsiveness and Professionalism. She helped us go through the quote line by line and gave us advice and ideas on how to make the day perfect and fit in the budget. She is always available for even the smallest question, I can’t express how happy I am I found this venue. The details and options are much better than the resorts we looked at and similar in price! We are so excited!Kukua Beach Club & Restaurant's reply:
Leitha,
We are soooo happy you found us as well! You are loved here at Kukua and are so excited for the magical moments yet to be had. We are glad that you feel supported and that we are able to bring you peace of mind because we know that planning from afar can be so daunting. It is personal for us and we strive to always make sure that you are not just knowledgeable and able to make informed decisions for your best interest, but also that you feel valued because we genuinely care. We are getting ready to start counting down the days until we give you that last squeeze before you walk down that aisle.
Love your very excited newfound extended family,
The Kukua Wedding Team -
![Krystle]()
Krystle Sent on 03/06/2023Best Wedding Venue - Magical!
If you want your Pinterest wedding dream to come true, get married at Kukua.
From the start of the wedding planning with Rachel to the execution of the wedding with Mayte and the Kukua staff, my dream wedding came true.
Rachel is very responsive throughout the entire wedding process. She goes over everything from your quote to the wedding day timeline in extreme detail. She is not only the sweetest person ever but she listens to you and helps guide you especially in working within your budget. She is the one that takes all of your thoughts and dreams and passes them on to Mayte and team who makes them come true.
Rachel was my saving Grace, talked me off the ledge a few times, helped guide me thru it all from start to finish.. no other wedding planner in another country will do this for you! I appreciate her patience and knowledge and couldn’t have asked to have a better person to have by my side.
We met Mayte at our tasting which was so much fun! She is a quiet and gentle soul and extremely talented and detail oriented! She went over every detail of our wedding day while we got to taste a bunch of different apps, drinks, desserts along with our meal to finalize the menu for our special day. Everything was super tasty and for the things we didn’t love, we were able to slightly change them to something we preferred (like grilling vs baked fish) nothing too crazy. And then we ended the tasting with a full tour of the property which was simple and beautiful!
On the day of our wedding we were greeted with smiles and champagne from the Kukua staff. The staff and Mayte worked as a team to put our vision into full force. The staff were kind and their smiles last all day and night long.. we had a great night celebrating with them and my guests couldn’t stop complimenting how sweet they were!
Coming down from the bridal suite and entering our reception area, I cried seeing the flower arrangements and decor. They were more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. The flowers were so extravagant and my wedding arch was exactly what I wanted! My vision came true.
Alejandro was a great MC and made us feel just like family.. he did a great job shuffling people around along with the announcements!
I did not officially meet the DJs but they played music from my playlist and knew which songs to play to keep people on the dance floor! Kudos to them for their mixing skills. My guests danced alllllll night long! The only hiccup was my own fault by accidentally throwing a Christmas song on the playlist during dinner, hahaha whoops!
Many of my guests have said this was one of the best and most beautiful weddings they have ever been to.. and I couldn’t agree more.
My day was the most beautiful, memorable and fun day I’ve ever had.. every person at Kukua made that possible. I can’t thank them enough! In the end Rachel, Mayte, David and staff truly became part of my family and I am blessed to have had the pleasure of working with them! Saying yes to my fiancé was the best decision of my life, but saying yes to Kukua was the 2nd best decision ever! -
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Tatiana S. Sent on 08/15/2022Dream wedding!
My husband and I got married here on June 2022 and it was absolutely amazing! We had to change our dates 3 times due to all the lockdowns and restrictions in Canada, and everyone including all the vendors were so understanding and accommodated us every single time. Rachel and Mayte are so sweet and made wedding planning so easy! I wasn’t super particular and left a few details up to Mayte’s creativity and she did not disappoint, everything was stunning!
There’s not one thing I regret, I’d recommend Kukua over and over again!
All my guests are still raving about our special day!
Thank you again to all the staff, we will definitely be visiting the restaurant when we vacation in Punta Cana. -
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Yuliya C. Sent on 11/07/2022
Dream wedding
all I have to say is that if you are stressing for the perfect wedding venue stress no more! Kukua beach club is the perfect place to have your dream wedding you have always wanted!! Our wedding was everything we wanted and more! Everything was even more beautiful in person (and yes the pictures are just like you see on IG/Pinterest even better in person). Rachel, mayte and staff were amazing. They are there for you every step of the way and make you feel like family! I never felt stressed through any of the wedding planning. Rachel made is really fun and simple through the whole process. The day of the wedding mayte was there the whole day making sure everything was perfect and checked in on you and the men to make sure everyone was happy. The day was perfect and the ceremony was sooo beautiful even though it did rain at night we were still able to party and dance the night away. A huge thank you again to all the staff, Rachel and mayte for working so hard and making our day a dream come true 🙏🏼😍😍😍😍😍😍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 -
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Helen W. Sent on 09/12/2020Our Dream Wedding Thanks to Kukua
I am finally getting around to writing our review for our wedding at Kukua at the end of Jan (I have been avoiding my laptop after work since working from home due to Covid so it is beyond overdue!)
Now where to even begin this review as I’m not sure my words can really do it justice!
From the very first email you could tell that Kukua and its amazing coordination team of Mayte, Rachel and Bego were operating at a completely different level to other wedding venues (and I reached out to a lot of venues around the world before choosing Kukua!)
Kukua usually hosts 100s of weddings every year yet despite this they managed to make us (and I’m sure every couple that chooses them) feel like our wedding (and making it everything we ever dreamt of) was their top priority. Their customer service, attentiveness, responsiveness, flexibility, organisation and warmth was second to none and just makes you feel really special and excited about your wedding. I felt so comfortable and confident about our wedding because of the Kukua team - which was amazing given I was planning a destination wedding from Australia and had never been to Kukua before!
Whilst planning the details of our wedding Rachel was on hand literally all hours of the day offering advice and support on any matters (even beyond our wedding) that came to mind. She felt like an old friend from our first conversation and still does now.
Arriving at our tasting a few days before our wedding was like a dream. The venue is even more stunning than the photos let on and Mayte again just made my husband, our wedding and I feel so special, important and that everything was in hand. Nothing was too big an ask and Mayte stepped us through all the details so they would be just how we imagined.
The food and drinks during the tasting were incredible (I’d return to the DR and Kukua just for that!) and they were replicated to the same super high standard on our wedding night (and we went with the cheapest menu option!)
On our wedding day it was just amazing to see everything we had been thinking and dreaming about be come to life! The hard work, detail, organisation and care that Mayte and the Kukua team put into the décor and just making sure we had the best experience was unbelievable. Seriously the décor and floristry is just jaw dropping! I can’t imagine what our wedding would have cost if we tried to achieve the same result in Australia!
Everything ran so smoothly throughout our wedding, the service us and our guests received was just another level and every little detail just blew us away. I honestly wouldn’t choose any other venue if we were to plan our wedding all over again!
My advice to future brides would be do not hesitate to book Kukua for your dream wedding as they will make everything beyond amazing!
Be specific with the DJ about the music/ songs that suit your wedding party (I wasn’t specific enough).
Tell your guests to bring towels if they are going to jump in the pool at the end of the night.
Confirm with Kukua if they can organise a towel for the bride and groom to get the sand off your feet after beach photos if you’re wanting to put shoes back on.
Did I mention book Kukua if you’re serious about realising your dream wedding!?
Thank you so much Rachel, Mayte, Bego and the whole Kukua team – you are all so special and truly amazing. We will cherish our wedding experience with you forever!
Kukua Beach Club & Restaurant's reply:
Helen,
You were so easy to love from the moment we connected and having you share one of the most significant moments in your life with us, was our blessing! It means more than words can express to know that you felt loved and supported throughout your journey (and beyond), as choosing us all the way from Australia speaks volumes. Watching all the love that was shared on your wedding day and seeing you in your dress as your floated down the aisle, are memories that we will forever cherish! We can never express how grateful we are to have been able to make your dream wedding be everything you ever wanted. Our hearts and arms will forever be open awaiting the day we can shower you both with love again.
Love forever and a day,
Mayte & The Kukua Wedding Team -
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Anika E. Sent on 08/11/2022Fairy tale wedding
Hello everyone!!! Finally, I am very excited to share with all of you some photographs of the fairytale wedding that I had always dreamed of. Our big day was May 25th, it was a dream come true and the most beautiful day of my life. I am still over the moon about my big day and our guests are still talking about how wonderful it was!
- Resort: We stayed at Riu Palace Punta Cana along with all our guests and everyone loved it.
- The bridal suite is a fairy tale in real life, it's just a really beautiful and magical place to get ready with your bridesmaids. We had lunch together at Kukua and the food is just as delicious as the wedding menu.
- The Kukua family is just amazing, words are not enough to explain how perfect the service and hospitality was. The entire staff are so sweet and attentive the whole day with you and the rest of the wedding guests as well! JUST BOOK YOUR WEDDING WITH THEM.
- Mayte is unique and I love her sooo much. She is a handpicked gem, extremely organized, and committed on bringing your wedding vision to life. The flower arrangements were just as beautiful as I planned and my guests of course wanted to take them back to the resort. LOL
- Rachel, she is sent from heaven. She is with you all the time during the planning process and even after the wedding. You just end up being her family forever! . She will make the whole process smooth and incredibly stress free. Rachel makes your wedding dream come true without breaking your bank account. I planned my wedding during school time and I didn’t really feel like it because she did everything for me. Everyone should have Rachel as a wedding planner once in their life. I just couldn't do it without her. I love her so much. ***I was one of the lucky ones to have her on my wedding day. YAYYY***
- Thank you to the Kukua family and the entire team, for a truly unforgettable moment of our lives. It will live in our minds forever and always.
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Jenny W. Sent on 03/22/2023Wedding dream came true!
We had our wedding at Kukua on May 6, 2022 and it was the best day of our lives!! Our original wedding supposed to be in Dec 2020 but the pandemic pushed it back and they were super accommodating with the date change. There are so many things to rave about so let me break it down into categories.
VENUE
The view at Kukua is amazing!!! A few months before our wedding we had a site visit and my husband wouldn't stop talking about how beautiful the water looked while having his lunch. Of course, on the day of our wedding, the view was just as beautiful. Since the beach is public, there might be some people on the beach during the ceremony. However, since the ceremony is around 5pm, most people would typically return to their resort for dinner. During my ceremony, I saw maybe like 3-5 people (but they were far away and were told not to approach).
DECORATIONS
This is where your Pinterest wedding board becomes a reality. As long as you have a clear vision, they will help you realize it. I filled out a really thorough outline and Rachel went over every single detail in the outline to make sure my wedding day was exactly the way I wanted. Mayte executed the outline perfectly and my wedding day was soooo magical.
FOOD & DRINKS
My guests wouldn't stop talking about how much they loved the food and drinks at Kukua! They all said it was the best food they had in Punta Cana. I'm still thinking about the passionfruit mojito to this day!!! At the tasting a few days before our wedding, we tried literally like everything and almost couldn't choose because everything was so good! Make sure to go to the tasting on an empty stomach because there will be a lot of food.
RACHEL & MAYTE & STAFF
Rachel made the entire planning process so simple and stress-free. Mayte was super nice at the tasting and did a fantastic job coordinating everything on the wedding day. All the staff members at Kukua were all so nice and accommodating as well!
Overall, I would definitely recommend Kukua to anyone who wants a magical destination wedding without all that wedding planning stress! -
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Gina A. Sent on 05/07/2022The Wedding of My Pinterest Dreams
Our wedding was on April 28, and I’ve finally had time to digest everything and I’m ready to share with you all my destination wedding experience! Sorry this may be a long one!
Our wedding was on a Thursday and we arrived on the Monday prior, and departed on Sunday. If I could change anything about this, I would have arrived closer to the wedding and stayed longer after the wedding. (EDIT: We arrived multiple days in advance because 48 hours prior to our wedding, we had a meeting at Kukua with Mayte to go over final details including menu and drinks. Additionally, you get to taste test all the appetizers, all the drinks, and they bring out a full course presentation similar to what you’ll get on your actual wedding night - aka come hungry because the food is delicious!) We were so excited and anxious for our big day, but didn’t want to do anything too adventurous in case of medical accidents, getting ill, or getting sunburned etc. would have loved to do some excursions (hiking, catamaran, or day trip to saona island or Santo Domingo) but we just stayed local near the resort.
The weather during our week there was insanely gorgeous, never too hot, not too cold, it only rained the last two days we were there which wasn’t a huge deal to us. I brought hand fans for my guests thinking they’d boil during the ceremony but actually the ocean breeze kept everyone cool under the setting sun and it was quite comfortable. Even Carlos who was standing facing the sun at the alter didn’t break a sweat, and my dad who sweats just by stepping foot outside, didn’t sweat at all!
Day of the wedding, my bridal group (mom, grandma, sister, & mom in law) got picked up at 945 from our resort. At Kukua, we met Mayte, and Olga Montilla (make up artist) showed up right at 10. Olga organized who would go first based on the services and styles we wanted - she was incredibly thorough, gentle, and kind. She made all of us look absolutely incredible and our makeup and hairstyles held up throughout the entire night. My sister has Down syndrome and Olga was so careful and patient with her, it was such a sweet moment for my sister and Olga had no problem making her feel at ease. During our getting ready we had options for lunch and drinks. The bridal suite is air conditioned which was great and felt just right. I love how cute the bridal suite is and fit our little group just right. But plenty of seating for larger groups too! And of course the big mirror!
Around 2pm Mika from Punta Cana Photography showed up and she is such a gem of a human, I was so impressed by her professionalism behind the camera and telling us how to pose and different angles. I’m no supermodel but the sneak peeks I’ve gotten have blown me away. She did a great job at telling us where to go and what poses to do. You can tell that she knows what she’s doing without being rude or obnoxious, she was in fact just the opposite very calm and meticulous and the photos so far turned out amazing! I cannot wait to see the rest! I did do a first look with Carlos and it was great to see him before the ceremony because I was less nervous walking down the aisle and I was just so excited to see him and get alone time with him. Highly recommend if this is something you’re on the fence about!
Ceremony time! After the first look I went back upstairs for last minute touch ups with Olga, and then I went downstairs to greet my dad who would be walking down the aisle. I had a huge emotional breakdown at that point because everything hit me all at once, all the feelings of being overwhelmed, the excitement that this day had finally come, and that my dad was here to be with me and share this moment. I did shed a few tears but my makeup did not budge!!!! Olga’s application and expertise really showed because my emotional state didn’t ruin the makeup at all! I forgot to mention that Alejandro (Kukua’s officiant) came to meet me upstairs before the ceremony to go over the script as we had planned to do a hand fasting piece. I wish I had been more focused and asked specifically about the hand fasting because I was under the assumption that Alejandro was going to perform it for us. But at the alter, he was holding the microphone and the iPad and so had no free hands to “tie our knot” so carlos and I awkwardly held our ropes and in the moment was too flustered to do it ourselves. Otherwise the speech he gave was beautiful and really touching for our guests. I would have rather practiced the hand fasting portion and communicated better about that but it did not distract from the overall moment.
After that we took a few photos with friends and family, and then we had dinner. Let me tell y’all!!!! Dinner was freaking amazing, by far the best food I had while in Punta Cana. For cocktail hour we served yucca balls, cheese balls with guava, and paella. We decided our specialty drinks were the coconut mojito and the passion fruit mojito. Our welcome drink was the blue lagoon (or blue Hawaiian) since it matched perfectly with my accent colors! For dinner We had the salad with strawberry dressing (came in a pineapple), penne pasta with vodka sauce, white fish and chicken with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes, and our cake was vanilla with guava filling. Guys, the food was so so good! But I got full really quick, I wish I could’ve eaten more of the food but I was so stuffed and also just excited about the day!
Post dinner was cake cutting, and then the party started. The dance floor and bar server and the DJ were amazing, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We had such a small group that the bar server actually started bringing drinks and shots out to us on the dance floor it was great! We did an open bar for 3 hours and it sufficed perfectly.
Overall, the day goes by way too freaking fast, and I just wish I had a time machine to slow it down and soak it all up. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment and the service and hospitality of Kukua was beyond words. I don’t think my dream wedding would have came to life were it not for Rachel, Mayte, Olga, Mika, and everyone else involved. I realize this was a huge operation and everyone really put 100% effort into making our day so so special. Thank you to everyone involved and everyone who had a handle in our fairytale, it was a dream come true! 💕🥰
Rachel: thank you so much from the bottoms of our hearts for being there from the very beginning when I thought the Pinterest wedding of my dreams was just a fantasy - you made the dream come true with the help of Mayte and I’m forever grateful for your guidance and assistance.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my review I hope it was helpful for future brides and that it solidifies your decision to have beautiful Kukua as your venue for your special day. I found Kukua on Pinterest as I kept searching for Caribbean beach wedding and Kukua kept popping up, and all the pictures were just so gorgeous. I knew after one conversation with Rachel that based on the price point and the customization options, this was where I wanted my fairytale to take place.Kukua Beach Club & Restaurant's reply:
Gina,
Reading your words fills us with such emotion and love, you have no idea! We are thrilled knowing that every aspect of your wedding day was so wonderful and that your wedding dream was not just a dream, but a true reality for you. You both deserved nothing less! Thank you for sharing your wedding journey with us. The memories of seeing your happiness, beauty, and love will forever live with us and we are blessed beyond measure. May your hearts carry the love you felt on your wedding day, always. We look forward to the day we will see you both again!
Forever sending love from afar,
The Kukua Wedding Team -
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Ashley D. Sent on 09/25/2023Fantasy Wedding
Wedding Date: 04/23/22
🌴 Venue: Kukua Punta Cana
🤍 Wedding Planner/Decor: Rachel At Kukua + Mayte
🎤 Officiant/MC: Alejandro Angulo
📸 Photography and Videography: Diego Cores
💖 Hair: Olga Pipich
💅🏼 MakeUp: Anastasia Savicheva
✈️ Travel Agent: Lyall Diceman
👰♀️ Dress: Monica Loretti
💍 Rings: The Diamond Studio - diamondboi
I always knew for 7-8 years that I wanted to get married at Kukua. I was engaged April 24th 2020, and had the venue booked by April 25th the following day. The communication from initial contact had me in, hook line and sinker- as Rachel is such a warm, welcoming soul that makes you feel like family. I gave her my vision and my budget- and she truly made it all happen. She answered every text, every email and always made me feel so special throughout my wedding planning for two years, as we were delayed by covid for one year.
We did our tasting three days prior to our wedding where we met Mayte and the rest of the Kukua team. She welcomed us with a huge hug and took us on a tour of the place. I’ve read in other reviews that Mayte is like a fairy godmother— and now I can attest to that. She takes care of EVERYTHING top to bottom. She took all my visions and additional decor that I brought along and tied it all into my perfect day. It was as though she was reading my mind for the visions that I couldn’t put into words. I lost my mother the week before my wedding, and Mayte set up beautiful memorials for her last minute.
Mayte + Rachel. Words cannot express how amazing and soul-touching they are. If you are worrying about anything — STOP! They do it all! 🥰 The dynamic duo of wedding planning. The Kukua staff themselves are onnnn point 👌 They make you feel like royalty as they serve you and your guests.
During our tasting, the food was AMAZING. The drinks were simply delicious. We made some changes to our outline as we had originally planned in regards to our appetizers because they were all so tasty. Cocktail wise - we went with the “Kukua Fresh” and “Passionfruit Mojito” — 🍹 Yum, yum, yum. They were both a big hit with our crew. We chose the CapCana menu, consisting of ceviche (my goshhhh!!), chicken Caesar salad, seabass, chicken, mash potatoes and vegetables— along with our wedding cake and mini desserts.
Alejandro was our wedding officiant and was simply amazing along with the rest of the Kukua family. I was in contact with him weeks prior to our wedding to review his ceremony outline and I was able to alter as I saw accordingly and add in our own tidbits. He read a passage to honor my mom and made our guests feel the love all day long.
Photography/Videography: We went with CoresFilms as I fell in love with their work. Super professional and affordable packages. We did 2pm-10pm with photo/video. The team was timely and got all the shots I had requested. Manuel, Lisa and Denis were fantastic to work with! 💥 My husband and I are not “posey” kind of people when it comes to pictures- but they made it all so seamless and natural feeling. Half the shots they took I didn’t even realize they were there! Still waiting on our wedding video -- hoping it is in any day now!
Hair/Makeup: I had originally booked with Olga Kislitsina to do my hair and make up. I had assumed she would be there on the day of— since I booked HER. However, a few months prior to my wedding, I learned that she herself does not and has not been attending to brides. Instead she hires on other girls to show up in her place…..
In the end - Olga Pipich and Anastasia Savicheva ended up being AMAZING. For future brides— I recommend booking them directly and leaving Olga Kislitsina out of the picture (weird). I did not do a trial as I did not want to spend any time away from my guests. I am glad I didn't -- these girls just "got it" when I told them what I wanted. Olga and Ana were fantastic to deal with and took their time and put in so much effort to make myself and 6 other women stunningly beautiful.
Sooo all in all to summarize- if you are looking for a place to have a fairytale wedding, Kukua Beach Club is ITTTT 🌟 -
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