Katya Nova Photography

mandy & tom. trash the dress {ojos indigenas, punta cana}

Katya Nova — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:38:41 +0000

Mandy & Tom’s St. Paul Alberta wedding was one of our favourites. These guys were up for anything – getting into waist-deep mosquito-infested fields, climbing into barns through spiderwebs… When they announced a romantic honeymoon to Punta Cana was in order and the wedding gown was coming along, we knew we had the chance to do something very special.

Punta Cana’s Ojos Indigenas (Indigenous Eyes) Ecological Reserve is a hidden treasure of crystal clear natural lagoons, home to turtles and plump tilapia, which you could marvel at and swim beside. We just couldn’t believe this beauty!

Mandy brought her wedding gown for a ‘trash the dress’ or as we prefer to call these, ‘rock the dress’ session. She was also our first bride mermaid… Our favourite location EVER!

Can you see the turtle?!

And another!

Another lagoon, our mermaid bride in all her glory!

One of my favourites. Feels like the beginning of a fairytale!

How brave are these guys?!

Having just missed the sunset on the beach…

Last but no least…

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Protected: caribbean collections.

Katya Nova — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:23:28 +0000

best of punta cana. {private romantic yacht tour + elopements}.

Katya Nova — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:31:34 +0000

We’re so excited to share our new partnership with our friends Irina & Nicholas (Yacht Carter)! Finally, we can offer our couples something magical and out of the ordinary.

1. Private romantic Punta Cana yacht tour (2-6 people) – amazing views, champagne, lobsters, swim in natural pool, visit breathtaking lagoons (keep scrolling for pictures).

2. Elopement / Vow Renewal – on an exclusive beach in Cap Cana’s Marina, Punta Cana.

Most couples coming to Punta Cana to get married from Canada & US do so on resort property and bring their guests along with them. But what if you wish to elope or renew your vows in a more private paradise setting, without resort onlookers? We’ve partnered with a boutique European wedding planning team and can now provide our couples with just that.

For some reason, elopements are very common and popular for many couples coming from Eastern Europe – yet North American couples haven’t had access to these services due to, mostly, a language barrier. So, here we come. ZING! Me – with my Russian, Rob – with his French.

Why do we want to hook you up? Because we couldn’t wish for a more perfect setting to document your love. That’s right, we can’t wait to bring our wedding photography, Beloved sessions and Intimate Portraits to a whole other level. The possibilities are endless!

This adorable cozy yacht is perfect for a romantic getaway like no other – because it’s just. for. you. We were really surprised to learn that no such tours are available, because yachts like these are either privately owned or are too big to get into these shallow waters.

Check out this paradise through our eyes, as we saw it on our very first time out!

This is the beach for elopements, symbolic ceremonies and vow renewals. A paradise that could be exclusively yours.

Surrounding beauty, not a soul in sight (usually).

Steps away, more stunning scenery for portraits!

Getting ready to sail, Cap Cana Marina. This could be you!

The adventure begins.

Arriving at a natural pool at Playa Blanca in Punta Cana.

Okay, seriously? I was in heaven. Heaven!

Watch kite surfers on Playa Blanca – apparently, for cute girls in bathing suits, they fly by a tad closer and do cool tricks!

And as if that’s not enough to fill your soul with love for life and overwhelm your senses, here’s a stop over at Punta Cana’s Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve, home to turtles native to the island and plump tilapia, which you can swim next to in crystal clear lagoons.

Finally, the chance to catch your breath downstairs…

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melanie & florian. juanillo beach, cap cana {beloved intimate portraits}

Katya Nova — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:33:21 +0000

All the way from Aarau, Switzerland, we bring you Melanie & Florian. We met them during the only touristic excursion we’ve ever done here on the island, a day trip to Saona Island… and it didn’t take long for them to get excited about an Intimate Portraits session in paradise with us. We brought them to Juanillo Beach in Cap Cana, one of our favourite places to hang out and shoot.

As always, we wanted to capture the essence of our couple in the most natural and unique way. Of course that’s easier to say than do, so here are a few ‘vehicles’ we find useful:

- music, rum, finger food, polaroids

Melanie & Florian, can’t wait to catch up with you in Europe!

Chinola is passion fruit juice… So good!

The beach is always a fabulous backdrop, but I love finding unique textures and light.

One of my favourites – soft late afternoon light & a little reflector bounce on the side.

Perfect gust of wind in Melanie’s gorgeous locks and Rob with a little Sunbounce reflector action!

More Rob behind the scenes!

Love.

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hard rock punta cana review.

Katya Nova — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:06:44 +0000

From the moment we walked into the lobby, we felt like we had stepped into Vegas (I mean that in the best way possible!) Hard Rock Punta Cana is a playground for the senses. Perhaps we were especially excited and impressed because we had spent a few months on the island and craved all this a little more than the average visitor… This perfectly air-conditioned and impeccably decorated hotel has the fastest internet I’ve ever seen… This may not mean much, but we breezed through 6 weeks worth of uploading in two leisurely days! Housing 12 pools, 9 restaurants and 16 residential buildings, somehow no 2 opposing areas are more than a 10-12 minute walk apart – everything is right at your fingertips!

Considering Hard Rock Punta Cana for your wedding or honeymoon? They will blow your socks off. The only way I would enjoy this resort any more if it were a small independently owned hotel which recommended us to their clients and had a stronger recycling program… haha!

The image below on the right is a kids’ room. How cool is that?

Our amazing hotel room… At check-in, we asked if there are any upgrades available. The guy smiled and told us ‘don’t worry, you’ll be really happy with your room.’ At first we thought he’d been clever and upgraded us, but it indeed was a standard room. Wow! A jacuzzi tub in the middle of the split-level room, with a view? Hello! A spacious triangular veranda, chilled champagne & gourmet snack bites greeting us, a shower big enough you could play tag in it!

One of Hard Rock’s unique infinity pools. Damn good pina coladas!

Love the details – wherever you go, there are fresh towels waiting for you. No need to look for a towel stand or use towel cards. Hard Rock really goes the extra mile!

One of Hard Rock’s wedding gazebos … and more stunning scenery.

The Eden adult pool was our favourite one! It’s quiet and trendy, with great drinks and lounge music … and the perfect place to lose some tan lines! You can also get fantastic sushi brought right to your lawn chair or hammock.

Switching gears to a night walk, here’s a beach reception we saw. If you’re considering having one – I would suggest compromising to a reception outdoors, but further away from the beach, because it was w-i-n-d-y! It gets dark fast here in Dominican Republic, so by the time dinner is served, you may not even see the beach. When it cools down, your loved ones better be partying on the dancefloor!

Lingering in bed with Netflix isn’t something Rob & I can usually afford, since I teach a daily 7 am yoga class here in Bavaro. This was already a treat, but we kicked it up a notch with room service breakfast. And champagne mimosas. Soooooooo good!

Another Hard Rock Punta Cana wedding gazebo.

If I were a Hard Rock Punta Cana bride, I would hold the wedding reception here!

And at night…

Picturesque walk from the beach to the main lobby.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, the food. Here’s a glimpse of the lunch buffet! Always so creative and delicious.

How about a papaya shooter? Or refreshing almond lime jelly square?

Our favourite dinner, Toro restaurant. The freshly made caesar salad with real parmesan cheese, portobello mushroom melts, crab cakes, juicy salmon – and Rob goes all out with a steak. Also, unlike many other resorts, wine and dessert you can actually enjoy!

Another beautiful wedding reception spot overlooking the ocean!

Hope you found this helpful or a little entertaining! We’re minutes away from Hard Rock and would love to document your love there!

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published. {bowties & buttercream}

Katya Nova — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:23:58 +0000

Meghan & Cam’s Edmonton Royal Mayfair Golf Club wedding is one of our all-time favourites. Ever. BowTies & Buttercream seem to agree! We are so happy to relive the memories with this publication.

Also, here’s their amazing wedding film by Hello Tomorrow, they are awesome!

P.S. We really haven’t had time to miss Edmonton, as we are too busy LOVING New Orleans at the moment! Warm hugs from here!!

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Protected: maria & abdul. {cap cana marina, dr}

Katya Nova — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:42:51 +0000

amy & ali. paradisus punta cana wedding.

Katya Nova — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:01:26 +0000

The last wedding of 2011 at the stunning Paradisus Punta Cana. Amy & Ali were a blast!! We were really excited to document their wedding here because Paradisus Punta Cana had initially been our first choice for our own wedding. What a special place. This would also be the largest destination wedding we’ve seen (around 80 guests) and truly a testament to Amy & Ali’s amazing nature… In their presence, right from the start we felt as if we had known them for ages (just look on and see for yourself, especially from some ‘getting ready’ snapshots)! These two really know how to have fun AND have impeccable taste.

Amy is so gentle and sweet; her smile lights up the whole world. Ali would do anything for good laugh… and they both have a knack for making people feel very special. Now add their love of dancing and Ali’s romantic genius and without a doubt, these two have the magic formula.

What romantic genius? Just listen to this. One night, on the way to ‘dinner,’ Ali said he forgot something at home and they need to make a quick stop. Amy kept him company and came in for a moment… When they walked in, Amy realized that Ali “had turned his apartment into an indoor picnic! He had champagne chilling, lots of candles and white lights. He even had the red checkered picnic blanket and a picnic basket.” (She was so surprised and loved it so much that she cried.)

Without further ado, here are Amy & Ali. Happy New Year and warmest wishes! xoxoxoxo

Our beautiful Amy through the glass door.

And another one of my favourites…

And another! Some groomsmen really do go the extra mile

How about one-handed push-ups? That’s the spirit.

My signature pearls often end up on our couples. Rawr, tiger.

Cocktail hour at the gazebo, moments away from Amy walking down the aisle.

This Paradisus Punta Cana gazebo is still my absolute favourite of all ceremony spots we’ve seen.

Few minutes before guests arrive to the stunning poolside reception.

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un-christmas. parents visit. {cap cana marina, juanillo beach}

Katya Nova — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:16:57 +0000

Our first Christmas living in the Dominican Republic… we never had high hopes for Santa dropping by, so we didn’t bother putting up a tree. Or decorations. Due to our recent avid dedication to minimalism – no presents. BUT what never fails to make Christmas feel so special is family. My parents came to visit us here in Punta Cana for the first time. And I think they liked it! You’ve seen enough beach pictures from our recent weddings, so here’s a little introduction to a side of Punta Cana not many get to see – the multi-million dollar project of Marina in the closed community of Cap Cana, some 20 minutes away from our home. I would imagine Monaco could look something like this?! What’s so interesting about this place is that it’s pretty well a stunningly still ghost town. No cute coffee shops, no one riding bikes or walking their dogs, no one eating ice cream or strolling along the pier, no vendors selling sea shells or tours. Perhaps this will all change in the years to come, but for now, we look forward to sneaking couples in love here for some beautiful sessions!

So Merry Christmas. Warm hugs to you!

My sweet parents!!

My two favourite guys in the whole wide world!

And now, Cap Cana’s gorgeous Juanillo Beach! This must be one of my favourite photos of my parents. Ever.

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crystal & craig. dreams punta cana wedding. {punta cana, dr}

Katya Nova — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:48:06 +0000

Craig & Crystal met at work. Craig says “she made a few excuses but eventually she gave in to the lure of the animal that is Boydy.” Hehe.

Their Dreams Punta Cana wedding was amazing. First, a bit about the resort… Rob & I are getting married at the Palm Beach Dreams and couldn’t wait to see what their sister resort was like – masterfully laid out, picturesque, perfect! It never felt crowded, the service was outstanding and we LOVED the wildlife on the property! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a few bright pink flamingos casually walking across a path between the pool and a hotel building! We also saw peacocks by the spa and beautiful fish in the pond (although that doesn’t quite count as wildlife) The beach is a golden yellow; stunning and open. (Just wait till you see the colors from our sunrise Rock the Dress session!)

Oh how we loved their wedding. Mostly because at any given moment, Crystal, Craig and their loved ones made us feel like an important part of it all… Their outdoor terrace reception was a blast, complete with a fire dancer show, “I’m a Barbie Girl” dance (Ryan, we adore you), a family edition of ‘Greese’ and many many heartfelt words.

Crystal & Craig, we wish you the world. And healthy beautiful babies to bring back to Punta Cana on vacation!

First time I’ve ever seen real flamingos! They are so graceful, elegant and wonderfully bizarre!

Dreams Punta Cana gazebo, such a touching ceremony.

Rushing to the Dreams Punta Cana beach to catch the last tender rays of sunshine…

Dreams Punta Cana outdoor terrace reception.

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