Four years after Lauren Del Valle, senior sales director at Who What Wear and Marie Claire, and Stephen Bury hit it off at The Happiest Hour in the West Village, Stephen proposed on the water in Islamorada. “A pre-dinner walk to watch the fish at sunset turned into a surprise proposal and one of the most idyllic moments of our relationship,” Lauren recalls. “The weekend kept getting better; white dresses along with hair and makeup awaited me at home, and I got ready for the most special surprise engagement party orchestrated by Stephen and my mom. Friends and family from all over the U.S. flew in to surprise us; it was beyond anything I could have imagined.”
The bride always envisioned a multi-day wedding celebration with ample time to reminisce with every guest. “The idea of planning a wedding weekend, having multiple opportunities to celebrate and party with our most special friends and family, was my main goal,” she says. As such, she quickly concluded that a destination wedding would be the way to go.
Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is a special vacation destination for the couple, and in turn, stood out as an ideal wedding venue. “Sari Sosa of Sari Sosa Events was our wedding planner! Sari is a close family friend who I knew would help bring my vision to life,” Lauren explains. “It was so important to have a wedding team with great energy, attitude, and creativity. At the end of the experience, Sari and our wedding vendors felt like family.”
The bride knew she wanted to feel like herself while also highlighting each event with its own unexpected style. “Having wedding events throughout the weekend gave me the opportunity to play with different looks; from a bold red lip, slicked back updo and embellished Rachel Gilbert dress at the welcome party, to a timeless bridal moment for the big day,” she says.
Lauren immediately fell in love with Oscar de la Renta’s embroidered Bow Ball Gown from the Spring 2022 collection. “The magnified bow motif paired with the classic silhouette gave a traditional bridal feel with a flare of the unexpected. It was one dress, when I put it on, that I felt so beautiful in,” she shares. “I didn’t feel as if the dress was wearing me, or I was overwhelmed with fabric or in a costume—I felt like myself. It left me buzzing with excitement to marry Stephen.” Lutz Karpf added to the elegance of it all, applying a glowing beauty look on the day-of.
For the reception, Lauren chose a floral embroidered mini-dress by the same designer. She describes the look as a “distant, playful, fun cousin,” to her ceremony dress. Renee Caovilla heels and a removable cape completed the look.
It was also significant to wear Oscar de la Renta in a place where he spent an ample amount of time. “Being Dominican himself, Oscar de La Renta frequented Casa de Campo and his original villa on property was only a few homes down from our reception site—that connection provided such a special magic behind all the fashion.”
The celebrations began with an oceanfront welcome party at Casa de Campo’s Minitas Beach Club. The sunlight glittered as guests savored Aperol Spritzes courtesy of a bright serving cart. “Our welcome party was the perfect time to have intimate conversations with our guests before we said, ‘I do,’” Lauren notes. “This also gave us some flexibility on our wedding night, where we forewent greeting our guests at every table—more time on the dance floor!” Fireworks capped the evening, the energy levitated in anticipation of the wedding festivities to come.
On February 11, 2023, everyone met at Altos de Chavón before sweeping views of the Chavón River. Mercaflor wildflowers lined the aisle, as Lauren walked arm-in-arm with her father toward Stephen. The groom’s uncle officiated the spiritual ceremony, and once the two kissed, Lauren and Stephen exited as newlyweds and a string quartet strummed “Dreams” by The Cranberries. “It felt like in a blink we were having our first kiss as husband and wife, but every second was so full of love,” Lauren recalls. “It’s such a wild experience!”
Afterward, a private waterfront villa set the scene for the reception. “A huge inspiration for how our reception came to life was the beautiful wedding suite that Happy Menocal brought to life for us,” the bride explains. “She so beautifully captured a renewed take on tropical; our florists played off the vibrant hues of her watercolors and rich textures of the suite.”
Guests gathered for authentic local fare by Ambrosía Boutique Caterers—a nod to the bride’s Latin background. Sentimental toasts brought most everyone to tears before the newlyweds danced to Coldplay’s “Sky Full of Stars.” “We truly wanted our reception to be the best party our guests had been to,” Lauren explains. “Our DJs helped to make this happen beyond what we could have ever imagined. Juan Diego and Alejo of Sarapura, who came to the Dominican Republic from Buenos Aires, Argentina, brought the Latin flavor and fun we were looking for.”
Cuban-style dancers graced the space during Hora Loca and Buena Vista Social Club and Celia Cruz played in the background as guests learned salsa or bachata. Late-night Cuban sandwiches accompanied by “Miami Margaritas” made their way through the crowd before the last guests standing hopped in for a swim in Casa de Campo’s moonlit pool. The bride concludes, “It was truly a night I would want to relive over and over and over again if I had the chance.”
