A First Birthday in Punta Cana: A Uruguayan Family, Mate and Macao Beach
5 days ago
4 min read
Our conversation began over mate in the car.
We picked up Dahiana and her family at Iberostar Waves Punta Cana and headed to Macao Beach together. They were visiting the Dominican Republic with their one-year-old daughter and wanted to celebrate her first birthday with a family beach photoshoot.
Magda is originally from Uruguay. Before long, familiar expressions and memories of home were filling the car, along with the pleasure of meeting people from her country so far away.
By the time we reached Macao, we had already shared plenty of laughs. We were getting to know one another before the first photograph.
From Iberostar Waves Punta Cana to Macao, with Memories of Uruguay
On the drive, we talked about drinking mate—the traditional yerba mate infusion—along Montevideo’s waterfront promenade, the rambla. We remembered the sounds of candombe, plena and murga, Sunday family barbecues, and rainy afternoons that call for tortas fritas: fried dough enjoyed with a warm mate. Even the distinctive smell of beef fat drifting from neighborhood kitchens as people prepare them came into the conversation. We talked about summers in Punta del Este, applauding the sun as it disappears at sunset, and the similarities and differences with neighboring Argentina that always leave room for a friendly joke. And, of course, someone mentioned that familiar point of Uruguayan pride: we’re a small country, only around three million people… with more cattle than people!
For Magda, those shared memories felt like a little visit home. For Dahiana and her family, meeting a Uruguayan photographer in Punta Cana gave them something in common from the start.
Their hotel was our meeting point; the photographs were taken at Macao Beach. But the warmth of that conversation stayed with us throughout the outing.
Her First Birthday—and Their First Year Together
A baby’s first birthday marks a milestone for her parents, too. It celebrates twelve months of getting to know one another, learning together and building a new daily life.
That is why this session included all three of them: portraits of their little girl, moments with her mother, photographs of the whole family and a few pictures of her parents as a couple.
The way they hold her, lean toward her and smile at her tells the story of their family at this age. Those details deserve a place in the album alongside her birthday portrait.
Combining a first birthday photoshoot in Punta Cana with family photographs brings both stories into one session: a little girl growing up and her parents sharing that first year with her.
Rocks, Palm Trees and the Sea: Different Settings for One Family Story
At Macao, we moved between several settings: the rocks beside the water, the fishing boats bearing the beach’s name, the palm trees and the greenery just beyond the sand.
Wider portraits show the family in the landscape of their vacation. Closer photographs bring attention to their daughter’s expressions and the affection between them.
Their gallery includes mother-and-daughter portraits, photographs of all three together and moments along the shoreline. Each setting adds a different view of the same family outing.
For families visiting Punta Cana, Macao Beach offers the opportunity to step outside their resort and include another part of the Dominican Republic in their vacation memories.
Traveling with a Baby and Feeling Comfortable with Your Photographer
When you book a photographer in another country, you want to know who will be meeting you and how the experience will work. Traveling with a baby makes that sense of trust especially valuable.
Our conversation during the drive gave us time to get acquainted. On the beach, Magda guided the family through their photographs, helping them feel comfortable together in front of the camera.
Afterward, Dahiana highlighted that feeling in her review:
“Above all, we want to highlight how comfortable they made us feel throughout the session. They are incredibly kind, warm and trustworthy people, which was essential for us while traveling with our baby.”
Those words meant a great deal to us. Alongside the photographs, we want families to remember feeling welcomed and well cared for.
A Little Time for Mom and Dad—and Smiles for Pascal
Between the family photographs, we also made time for portraits of the parents walking along the shore and enjoying a moment together as a couple.
While Magda photographed them, Pascal held their daughter nearby. With a one-year-old, that little break takes some attention: keeping her company, entertaining her and helping her stay comfortable for the next family pictures.
She made it easy. She was happy to spend a little time in Pascal’s arms, a short distance from her parents, without crying. She even gave him a few smiles.
Could it have been the Uruguayan connection that began in the car? Pascal likes to think so—even though he’s French.
Mom and Dad could enjoy their photographs while their daughter had company close by. Their gallery preserves that part of their story, too: alongside being parents, they are a couple who deserve pictures together from their vacation.
What Dahiana Said After Receiving Her Photographs
The experience continued when their gallery arrived. Dahiana told us how much they loved the photographs and how pleasantly surprised they were to receive them within a few days.
Her five-star review began:
“A wonderful experience with Magda and Pascal. We did a family photoshoot with them during our trip to Punta Cana, and we couldn’t have been happier with the results ❤️”
She also wrote about the love and dedication she felt went into our work, before ending with this recommendation:
“If you’re looking for a photographer in Punta Cana, you can choose them with complete confidence. We would definitely work with them again.”
Thank you, Dahiana, for trusting us with this first birthday celebration and for sharing those memories of Uruguay on the way to Macao.
We came away with photographs, laughter and a conversation that began over mate.
(Review excerpts translated from the original Spanish.)
Planning a Punta Cana Vacation with Your Baby?
If you would like to celebrate your baby’s first birthday during your vacation, we can help you plan a beach session with baby portraits, family photographs and a few moments for you as a couple.
Tell us your travel dates, your baby’s age and where you will be staying. Together, we can choose the location, coordinate the timing and discuss pickup options from your accommodation.
