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For more of my photos, or to buy my book, please visit www.nickkembel.com

Jen and Dean's Wedding in the Dominican Republic

images by Marissa Puff and Nicholas Kembel
don't forget to see pages 2 and 3 of this blog for more pictures!

So after some complications and a canceled wedding in Mexico thanks to a little swine flu scare, Jen and Dean still managed to find a tropical paradise at the last minute which was willing to host their wedding. The new venue was Punta Cana, a stretch of white sand beaches on the east coast of the Dominican Republic.

Aside from this initial minor obstacle, the week itself was smooth, and no less than perfect. All of those present were able to indulge in 24 hour all you can eat and all you can drink 5 star service compliments of the Majestic Colonial Resort, with it's 9 bars and 6 restaurants. The beach was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the hotel was grand, the rooms were fantastic and the food was delicious. Personally, my favorite restaurant was the Japanese Teppanyaki, where an oversized black chef spoke Japanese and flung pieces of chopped meat over his barbecue and into the mouths of diners.

Jen and Dean were eerily calm and laid back as their wedding day approached. The atmosphere was casual, pleasant, and fueled by champagne and slushy rum beverages. On the wedding day proper, some surprise guests arrived, my cousin Anthony and his fiance Melissa from Montreal. Our next surprise of the day was a giant whale spotting just off the coast, only moments before the ceremony began, surely a good luck omen of sorts.

Next we proceeded to the beach, looking sharp but many of us barefoot. The tint on Dean's old-man glasses darkened as the sun intensified, and most of our shoulders began to redden. Dean waited a little longer than expected at the beach tent, as the girls made final preparations in the hotel room and then approached. I don't think anybody in the audience held back tears as the ceremony ensued; I myself broke out when I saw my beautiful sister walking down the aisle with my mother and father.

The ceremony was short and sweet, vows were said, promises were made, miniature Ethan delivered the ring, and then the knot was tied with a big smooch. This was followed by an afternoon of drinks and pictures in the sun, and then dinner in the hotel's Mexican/native Dominican restaurant. I brought the audience to tears once again with a speech, followed with a short drinking game and the shotgunning of a beer as a grand finale.

The rest of the week was as dreamy, lazy, drunken, and excellent as we could have hoped for, and then it ended as quickly as it had begun, and we all went our separate ways.

GO JEN AND DEAN!!!!!! To many loving years together with lots of babies, kitties, and puppies.

For more of my photos, or to buy my book, please visit www.nickkembel.com

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