Barefoot Bride Meghan’s Review of Punta Cana Venues

Hi Everyone! Meghan and Miguel here to talk about our off-site wedding venue visits. We traveled to Punta Cana from Tuesday June 2, 2024, to Saturday June 6, 2024. We visited Jellyfish Restaurant, Huracan/The View and Kukua Beach Club. We understand that it may not be in everyone’s budget to travel and see the venues in-person so we hope our experiences help you with your decision!

As an initial matter, these visits have caused us to have a DEEP appreciation for the staff and wedding planners. We are so used to seeing photos of the weddings these places host, that we forget that on non-wedding days, they are just normal restaurants/clubs. The reason we say this is because when we conducted the visits, every venue was undecorated, except for one, and it was not easy on the eyes. It is important for us to share this because when you think about the price of flowers, decorations, and setting up the venue to your liking, you need to remember that the staff is COMPLETELY transforming the place, and that not only takes a lot of work, but an incredible amount of talent.

Kukua Beach Club

Our first venue visit was with Kukua, which has a natural beauty to it. Upon our arrival, we were given champagne. We unfortunately did not have the pleasure of meeting Rachel, who everyone raves about, as she was on vacation. Instead, we met with someone else, whose name we did not catch (I know, we suck! Sorry!), but he was very nice and informative. The bridal suite was very spacious and you could comfortably fit at least 10 people. The dinner and reception area are outside next to the pool. We were advised that the pool could be used during the wedding, but that you must bring your own towels. Bathing suits can be stored in the bridal suite or in the Palapa, where the groom gets ready. There is a love sign with a white circular dance floor in front of it that comes with the venue. We personally thought the dance floor was on the smaller side and if you choose this venue, you should inquire about upgrading to a larger size. We liked this venue because everything that is part of the beach club, in terms of lounge chairs and canopy beds is included. So, your guests can have another place to relax and hangout during the reception. The Palapa is a second place that is offered for the ceremony, which is a wooden structure that offers shade. Our only critique was the lack of natural breeze, which was surprising considering this venue is on the beach.

Jellyfish Restaurant

Next, we visited Jellyfish, which was actually smaller than what we thought it would be. We met with Farah, who is the main wedding coordinator. At the time, they were getting ready for a wedding that was happening the next day. We found this as a positive thing because we were able to see, in-person, what a wedding set-up looked like. Much of the online feedback regarding this venue includes the small size of the bridal suite. Unfortunately, that is true, as it was on the smaller side, and can comfortably fit 8 people. However, on a brighter note, Farah advised that they are in the process of building a new and bigger bridal suite, which may not be completed until 2025. If you are one of those people who were concerned about whether or not you should pay the extra fee to rent out the second floor of this venue, our advice is that it is not necessary. You really cannot see customers on the second floor, nor are they distracting. We enjoyed our visit here.

Huracan/The View

Our last visit was Huracan/The View, where we met with Natalia (known as, Nati), who is a sweetheart. She really tries to sell you the venue and it worked on us! Huracan is not the most aesthetically pleasing (Miguel describes Huracan as the place where an industrial & boho wedding venue meets), as it is only wooden tables with chairs. However, do not let this deter you, as Natalia has a great team to transform this venue. The bridal suite was medium in size. We would say the suite is bigger than Jellyfish but smaller than Kukua. We then went upstairs to see The View, and this is probably the most naturally beautiful venue out of all that we visited. Not only because it is also the newest venue, but we loved the vibe and aesthetic. There is a pool located in the middle but we were advised that guests cannot use it during the wedding. The venue can be covered or uncovered, so weather is not an issue here. The one thing that we experienced here, that we did not experience with the other venues, is that Natalia offered us to try some of the meals that they offer for weddings. We ate the filet mignon and the penne with seafood and they were AMAZING!

Wrapping Up

We highly recommend visiting these venues in person if you are able to because although the pictures do help, seeing the size and space itself puts everything into perspective. If we had to rate these venues in order from favorite to least favorite, we would say: The View, Jellyfish, Kukua, and Huracan.