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      - Resort Wedding Stories       - Hotel Wedding Packages

Getting Married in the DR - Legal Requirements While legal requirements regarding marriage in the Dominican Republic are the same for travellers from all countries wishing to get married in the DR, the information below refers specifically to Canadians.

Dominican Wedding Links La Barcaza Weddings Boat A wonderful and different option for your wedding reception. We specialize in private groups. Located in Bavaro/Punta Cana area. Wedding Ceremonies in English American Pastor available for your Dominican wedding in English! For a memorable day, make sure you understand what’s being said!

The information published below has been provided by Dominican Republic Services in Toronto, Canada. (Please check with whomever you have chosen to process your documents to clarify what they require - costs, number of copies of documents required, and preparation of the Statutory Declaration of Single Status may vary, particularly if you will be attending a Dominican Consulate in person to have the forms processed.) Please also confirm with the hotel you have chosen for your wedding if they require your birth certificates to be legalized or if just translating is enough, and that your wedding date and details are confirmed. Your Wedding in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is the ideal place to celebrate your wedding. Surrounded by palm trees, tropical flowers, live music, you will find the perfect balance between privacy and a friendly atmosphere. You will need two witnesses holding valid passports who can be travelling with you or you can ask local hotel staff to witness your wedding. The following documents are required to get married in the Dominican Republic. Note that legal transcripts of birth certificates, single status affidavits and divorce certificates need to be prepared in the country where the documents were issued. Original birth certificates. Send two photocopies. Valid and signed passports. Send two photocopies of the main page. Notarized Statutory Declarations of Single Status done according to the sample. Bring or send one original and one photocopy. Please see attached sample of a Statutory Declaration of Single Status. Divorce certificate or death certificate (if applicable). Send original or notarized photocopy and two simple photocopies. In both cases, a minimum waiting period of ten months applies before a woman can remarry. The 3rd and 4th documents are translated and legalized by the Dominican Republic Consulate. The birth certificates have to be translated into Spanish as well. If you are near Toronto and wish to drop off your documents at our office, you may do so by booking an appointment with us in advance. When it is not possible, please courier to us all above-mentioned documents and their copies. DO NOT SEND original birth certificates or passports to us, only their photocopies. Please include a prepaid courier envelope to return documents to you with your daytime phone number and mailing address. Legalization of documents takes 5 working days. Please note that your first, middle and last name must be the SAME in your passport and statutory declaration. If name is different on your birth certificate, please indicate that in point 1 of your declaration. Fees: $100 US each legalization, $40 US each translation Note: Some hotels in the Dominican Republic may charge legal fees for the authentication of documents legalized by Dominican Consulates abroad by the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs. Please note that some Canadian institutions require the Dominican Marriage Certificate to be translated and legalized by the Dominican Republic Consulate in Canada. Please contact Dominican Republic Services for further details. A sample copy of the Statutory Declaration of Single Status is below, as provided by the Dominican Republic Services in Toronto. STATUTORY DECLARATION OF SINGLE STATUS (Please do not just fill in but retype the whole document) CANADA                                                   )            IN THE MATTER OF: Province of __________                           )            the marriage between                                                                   )            [full name of both parties as in passport]                                                                   ) I, [Full Name as in passport] of the City of __________, in the Province of ________ DO SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE THAT: 1. I am [full name as in passport], born as [name as it appears on Birth Certificate] on [date of birth] in [place of birth]. 2. I am a Canadian citizen with passport No. _______ who resides at [full address]. 3. I intend to marry [full name as in passport] in the [Hotel Name] in [City], Dominican Republic during the week of [week of marriage]. 4. I am single and have never been married before. [If divorced, please put: I am divorced as per divorce certificate No. ________ as of {date of divorce}. During my previous marriage I was known as [name as it appears on divorce certificate]]. To the best of my knowledge and belief there is no legal impediment or other lawful cause to prevent me from getting married. 5. I am currently employed as a [occupation]. 6. The names of my parents are _______________, Mother and ________________, Father. AND, I make this Solemn Declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act. DECLARED before me at                                ) [City], Province of ________,                           )     _____________________ Canada, this __ of _______, 200_                   )     [full name as in passport] _______________________ As a Notary Public

Hotel Wedding Packages

The following information has been obtained from the hotels directly. While we try to keep this information current, note that information, prices, and contact info may change. Please help us keep these listings current. If your hotel is not listed, please send us your Wedding information and we will post it. Catalonia Bavaro Resort (updated 1/23/07) Description: Weddings at Catalonia can be arranged directly with the hotel and include: services of personal wedding coordinator, ceremony performed with a justice of the peace or priest, preparation of marriage certificate, decoration of the wedding area, special decoration of the room the night of the wedding, witness provided (if required), flower bouquet for the bride/boutonniere for the groom, special gift for the bride and groom, manicure and pedicure for the bride and groom, one hour massage, champagne for the nuptial toast, your choice of elegant wedding cake., romantic dinner in one of our gourmet restaurants, honeymoon breakfast in bed, golf reservations for the couple in the 9 hole field incl. green fee, golf cart and golf clubs. Cost: $650.00 U.S. for civil wedding/$950.00 U.S. for catholic wedding Optional $$: Photos and/or video available for extra charge. Phone: (809) 412-0000 Ext 7016 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wedding Coordinator: Ruth Delania Casado (Kathy) E-mail: bavaro.bodas@hoteles-catalonia.es Coral Costa Caribe Juan Dolio (prices as of September, 2007) Description: Complete guidance from a Wedding Coordinator, bride’s bouquet, groom’s buttonhole, 1 single tier wedding cake, decorated champagne glasses and cake knife, decoration of archway, house champagne toast. Cost: $700.00 U.S. (package for bride & groom and up to 8 people) PLUS Judge’s fees of $500.00 U.S. Optional Extras: Hors d’oeuvres, private bar, private buffet, video, photos, extra flowers, hairdresser, music. Contact: Ana Maria Silverio Phone: (809) 526-2244 Ext. 3659 Fax: (809) 526-1135 E-mail: banquet.costacaribe@coralhotels.com Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa See: Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa Fun Royale - Fun Tropicale Description: Wedding Package includes Judge and the wedding certificate, 1 pound wedding cake, champagne for the ceremony, sparkling wine and a plate of fruit in the room the day after the wedding, bride’s bouquet and 3 buttonholes, flowers for the judge’s table, reservation in one of the specialty restaurants for the wedding day (only for guests with all-inclusive), area decorated for the ceremony waiter during ther ceremony, translation Spanish – English, live local music, horse & carriage, room upgrade (subject to availability, breakfast in bed (morning after), hairdresser for the bride. Also Available: Description: - Golden Renewal of Vows - Bottle of champagne for ceremony, Wedding cake, Flowers for the table, Bouquet of flowers for the bride, Button hole for the groom, Special decoration at our gazebo, Waiter service during ceremony, Reservation in specialty restaurant on wedding day (all-inclusive guests only) Contact hotel for further information and prices. Phone: (809) 320-4054 or (809) 320-4811 Fax: (809) 320-6120 or (809) 320-5304 E-mail: Weddings@FunRoyale-Tropicale.com LTI-Beach Resort Punta Cana Golf & Spa (as of Oct./07) Royal Wedding Package 2007/2008 “Wedding of your dreams” - $1,400 U.S. Includes: Organization of the ceremony, celebration of the wedding ceremony with a civil judge, Dominican wedding certificate and translation of the ceremony into English (also in other languages if requested), witnesses (if needed on request), room upgrade (sea view) and king size bed (subject to availability), fruit basket & sparkling wine in the room upon arrival, farewell souvenir, Caribbean music trio, flower bouquet for the bride, buttonhole for the groom, two bottles of sparkling wine for the ceremony, decorated wedding cake, photographer service with 20 prints, wedding gala dinner in specialty restaurant “La Estrella del Mar” for up to six people, “Morning-after” romantic breakfast in the room with sparkling wine and decoration, late checkout for the couple (based on availability), bridal beauty package (pedicure, manicure, hair set & makeup), aromatherapy couples massage, 55 min. Optional services are available, enquire for details. For further information contact: Wedding Coordinator – Sylvie Phone: 809–221-6640 ext. 6268 Fax: 809-221-4658 or 4649 E-mail: guestserv@ltipuntacana.com.do Majestic Colonial Punta Cana (Updated September 9/07) Description: The Majestic Colonial Wedding Package includes: Specialized assistance of our wedding planner, Location of your choice - White sand beach, tropical gardens, our magnificent gazebo or your own site, Room Upgrade for the couple (subject to availability), Early Checkin and late Checkout (subject to availability), Services of a Civil Judge, Beautiful decorated wedding cake, Bouquet for the table, Ironing of grooms tuxedo and bride's gown, Simultaneous translation of the ceremony if needed, Marriage certificate in Spanish, delivered by DHL, Cocktail drinks after the ceremony, Candlelight romantic dinner for the couple, with champagne, Romantic breakfast in your suite, 10% discount at the Spa, 15% discount on horseback riding, Basket of fruit and bottle of champagne in your room twice during your stay, Room service included for the couple Contact hotel directly for further information and required documentation. Cost: $1,500.00 U.S. ($1,650.00 with saxophone player for 30 minutes) Book 15 or more rooms for 7 nights and get the wedding for free – offer applies for bookings made before October 25, 2007. Optional $$: Photos, Videos, Music, Gala dinners, private reception with music, cocktails, etc., flowers, beach party Phone: (809) 221-9898 Fax: (809) 552-9995 Contact: Mr. Aurelio Sanchez at: Weddings@majestic-resorts.com or Ms. Larissa Brache at: Weddings2@majestic-resorts.com Melia Caribe Tropical Contact hotel for current prices and information: Wedding Coordinator: Sol Landy Arce Phone: 809-221-1290 Ext. 6263 Fax: 809-688-6589 E-mail: grupos.eventos.melia.caribe@solmelia.com Ocean Hotels - Ocean Sand/Ocean Blue (updated September 19, 2007) Free Weddings, includes: Wedding planner to guide and assist you to archive your fairly-tale dream wedding, Ceremony at the location of your choice: our amazing white sand beach, the magnificent hotel gardens or by our romantic lake, translater, 2 chilled bottles of champagne for a toast on this great and special occasion, dinner reservation for the couple and guests at La Brasa Restaurant on the beach or section of the main buffet (parties of 10 or more, maximum 30), beautifully decorated wedding cake for ten people, Romantic candle light dinner by the beach for the couple, Late check-out for the couple, Preferential location of the room according to category reserved, 10% discount on all our Spa services, Turn down service at night. If the client requires the services of a Civil Judge, the legal fee is $586.00 U.S. This service is not provided by Ocean Hotels, it is a public service given by the Dominican Government, which reserves the right to change the amount requested for services of a Civil Judge, without previous notification. Legalization of the certificate of marriage: $70.00 U.S. Moreover, to pay the legal fee for Civil Judge services, Ocean staff has to travel 60 minutes to the nearest Government office that handles these affairs, therefore clients will have to pay $30.00 U.S. to cover the hotel expenses. Additional services are available at extra cost. E-mail: bodas.hobs@oceanhotels.com.do Contact: Julissa Figueroa, Wedding Coordinator Palladium Hotels & Resorts/Fiesta Hotel Group (updated November 10, 2007) Description: Wedding Package The wedding takes place in a decorated gazebo in the garden and near the beach: a) The judge and all administration arrangements to legalize the wedding, b) The wedding cake, c) Bouquet of flowers for the bride and a buttonhole for the groom. d) 1 bottle of sparkling wine, e) A gala dinner for the bride and the groom and guests included (must be guests of the hotel otherwise charges apply). Cost: $1,100.00 U.S. (Note that Consular registration of $60.00 U.S. is paid separately) Extras not included in the package: a) Horse and carriage - $45.00 U.S. b) Musical trio - $75.00 U.S. c) Video (American/European system) edited - $200.00 U.S. d) Video (American/European system) not edited - $140.00 U.S. e) Photos Phone: (809) 221-8149 ext. 2772 or 2702 Fax: (809) 221-8150 E-mail: acliente.bavaro@fiestahotelgroup.com Paradisus Palma Real (as of Oct./07) Wedding & Renewal of Vows Complimentary Package (complimentary with Royal Service oceanview room for 7 nights) ”The Wish” Includes: symbolic ceremony with our minister, expertise of our Romance Specialist, to help in planning all details to perfection, welcome letter, romantic turn-down service during your stay, alternative locations for ceremony, bouquet for the bride, matching boutonniere for the groom, recorded background music during the ceremony, bottles of house champagne for the wedding toast, Paradisus wedding cake (your choice of vanilla or chocolate), basic ceremony setup, reservation in your choice of resort restaurant in the evening, personalized menu cards, in-room bottle of domestic red or white wine or champagne on the night of the ceremony for the couple, 10% discount on spa services for the couple (not including products). For further information contact: Romance Manager – Kelly Hunt Phone: 809–285-3508 E-mail: Romance@paradisuspalmareal.com Princess Hotels (prices valid from Nov./07 to Oct./08) Princess Package - $1,450.00 U.S. Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 15 photos (ceremony only) (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS. Magical Package - $1,800.00 U.S. Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, live Caribbean Trio (one hour), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 25 photos (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS. Royalty Package - $2,099.00 U.S. Includes: Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony with judge, marriage licences, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request, ie. fresh flowers) at additional cost, live Caribbean Trio (one hour), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for up to 20 people (champagne and water), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at the Licey Restaurant (Bavaro Princess clients only), wedding dinner for bride and groom only at La Cava or El Pescador Restaurant (Caribe Club, Tropical and Punta Cana Princess clients only), photographer with 36 photos (CD available on request with extra charge), nuptial breakfast in room the day after the ceremony, preparation and ironing of the wedding dress and groom’s tuxedo, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake, witnesses if required, 20 minute Swedish massage for bride and groom, delivery of wedding certificate by UPS. Infinity Renewal of Vows Package - $550.00 U.S. Honeymoon Package “Romance”, private checkin for wedding couple only at guest services desk, welcome fruit basket for bride and groom, organization of the ceremony with personal in-house wedding specialist, wedding ceremony performance by an English-speaking staff member, bouquet with tropical flowers for the bride, boutonniere with tropical flowers for the groom, wedding gazebo with standard decoration (other decorations available on request for additional charge, ie. fresh flowers), special wedding cake for up to 20 people, toast time for guests up to 20 people (champagne and water), reserved area in one of our all-inclusive restaurants, use of bathrobes during entire stay, bride and groom keepsake. Complimentary “Romance” Honeymoon Package includes: Room with king-size bed, fresh fruit basket, 1 bottle of rum, nightly turn-down service, late check out, free of charge (upon availability), special floral decoration in the room, special cocktail for honeymooners, Complimentary photo souvenir during cocktail. Optional services are available, enquire for details. For further information contact: Wedding Coordinator - Francelia Perez Suriel Phone: 809–221–2311 Ext. 4107 Fax: 809–552–1628 E-mail: weddings@princess-hotels.com Sirenis Hotels & Resorts (As of September, 2007) Description: Sirenis Hotel Weddings include basket of fruit on arrival, bottle of sparkling wine on arrival, bottle of champagne in room on wedding day, judge, wedding certificate, ceremony venue, bride’s bouquet, buttonhole for groom, 10 photos of the ceremony, sparkling wine and appetizers for 8 people, wedding cake, a romantic dinner in one of the restaurants (book in advance), wedding breakfast served in room, surprise gift, room upgrade on wedding night, subject to availability. Cost: $650.00 U.S. (legal fees) Additionals: (extra charge) – On stage DJ music, live band music For further information, contact: info.cocotal@sirenishotels.com Sunscape Casa del Mar See: Sunscape Casa del Mar

Resort Wedding Stories Bahia Principe San Juan — 1 Caribe Club Princess — b Coral Marien — 1 Gran Ventana — 1 Grand Palladium Bavaro — 1 Grand Palladium Palace Resort — 2 Iberostar Bavaro — 2 Iberostar's Costa Dorada — 1 Iberostar Punta Cana — 1 Majestic Colonial — 2 Melia Tropical Caribe — 4 Puerto Plata Village — 1 Sirenis Tropical Suites — 1 Sun Village Resort and Spa — 2 SuperClubs Breezes Puerto Plata — 3

More Wedding Stories on New Page Here Bahia Principe Punta Cana Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort Barcelo Punta Cana Resort Bavaro Princess Coral Hamaca Grand Paradise Bavaro Ocean Sand/Blue Paradisus Paradisus Palma Real Punta Cana Princess Riu Bachata Riu Bambu Riu Mambo Riu Merengue Riu Palace Macao Sunscape Casa Del Mar Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada

Larissa is the Wedding Coordinator and she did a tremendous job planning our wedding and I highly recommend getting married at the Majestic. When you arrive, you’ll spend about one hour with her confirming all of the details. As I mentioned, we had a Colonial Suite as part of our wedding package. Each night, we received various appetizers – wine with fruit plate, chocolate rum balls, sushi, etc. Be careful if you get a group rate from your travel agent for the wedding as that might negate a “free” wedding. We did not get a group rate, all of our guests booked individually for a very reasonable price (cheaper than most comparable resorts in the area, e.g. Bahia). There are some things you’ll pay for if you want extra – renting the disco, flowers, etc. My wife brought her own flowers down with us. We had our wedding on the beach at 5pm. With the heat, I strongly recommend later in the day if it’s available (judge determines the time). The gazebo is nice but it would be hot as there is not much of a breeze where it is. Our wedding was on time, but be prepared to wait if the judge is running late (remember, you’re down there for a more relaxing wedding, so don’t get stressed). We had our dinner at the Rodeo restaurant and it was great – get the Chateau Briend. We showed Larissa a photo of the wedding cake we wanted and it turned out exactly as we had hoped. Our photographer was Kiko and he did an excellent job. We purchased the silver package – this included photos the day before, pre-wedding, wedding and dinner. You get to choose 20 photos the day before and 100 day of. Of course, they take many more than that. We ended up getting an additional 75 photos on CD. (I didn’t negotiate as well as I should have, but I also didn’t want to spend my time inside on my final day). So, we ended up getting 195 photos – 100 printed in 4x6 (two sets), 10 printed in 10x12 and all of them on a CD and DVD for $1,400 USD which apparently is fairly good value.

My wife and I wanted a religious ceremony so there were a few more things to worry about. We did our research and found out that if we wanted it to be legal we needed a judge as well. The only thing the wedding coordinator did wrong was tell us before we got there that we didn’t need the judge and he cancelled the civic part. Funny how this wedding became a lesson in Dominican civics. Even the locals have two ceremonies. They get married in the church and then have a civil signing at the judge’s office, or so we were told. Ask a lot of questions before you get there...

We arrived on Saturday and met with Roberto, the wedding coordinator, on Sunday to finalize the plans. It was then that we heard the bad news about not having the judge for our ceremony on Tuesday. After we picked the flowers and the restaurant, we thought we would have had a choice but one was imposed on us. Then we became desperate because we only wanted one day to be our wedding day so he said he would try to contact the judge to see if she could make it on Tuesday. Luckily Roberto told us on Monday that she would be able to make it.

The resort is separated in 3 hotels. On the Fiesta side is the “nicer” gazebo in a garden, more private and intimate. The other is located at the Palace main pool. On Monday we were walking by the pool gazebo and I casually said that it would be nice to get married here in front of everyone too. Well someone must have heard me because later that night, I saw my brother in law and he said that they were tearing apart the garden gazebo. So I practically ran there to have look. This was at 11pm. They had completely taken off all the shingles of the roof and they were littered all over the floor and grass. So I ran back to the lobby and wanted to speak to a manager. He said there was nothing he could do and that Roberto would see me in the morning. What I can’t understand is that they knew we were coming for 6 months and they decide to do it that night!. Well there was no need to get my panties in a twist as they say because th! e most important thing is that we were getting married, there are worse things that could have happened. So we had it at the pool gazebo instead.

Lynne went off to get her hair done that morning and she brought a magazine picture to the hotel hairdresser, ladies I would suggest that you do the same, they don’t speak English very well, but they are very good at doing hair. She looked great. I think the cost was $55US. Her bouquet was not like the one we saw in the brochure though, it was so much nicer!

The staff had decorated the gazebo with flowers and palm tree and it looked great. We hired the trio band to sing, $75US for about 30 minutes. Nice touch.

It turned out to be little cloudy that day which was good because it was soooo hot. The clouds dropped the temperature to about 27 Celsius. It was nice to see everyone gather around the gazebo in anticipation of the wedding. They saw me standing around in my tux and I would guess 50-60 people waited about an hour, camera in hand for the judge to show up, she was 45 minutes late of course and then finally my beautiful bride. That is one thing we were afraid of when choosing the hotel that it wouldn’t be near the pool or too close to the beach and then have all sorts of people in the thongs and topless looking at our wedding but we didn’t even really notice the people. The civil part was done in about 10 seconds, we signed the register and bang, the judge was gone. Then came the Anglican part of the ceremony. It was a nice ceremony, as well the priest was great. We had met him the day before to discuss what we wanted, reading! s etc. All told it cost us more to do it this way $700US for the wedding package and $300US for the priest. We also paid to have some “champagne” after the ceremony I believe it was $25Us a bottle (Freixenet).

The best part of the wedding was of course saying I do to my wife and her not running away but also the wedding pictures. The photographer was amazing. Mauricio. Before we arrived on ground we were expecting to buy prints but all he does is digital pictures now. We ended up buying all the pictures for $400US all 283 pictures. He put them all on a CD. He even printed over 100 pictures that only had us in them, all the others included family etc. He even printed an 18”x24” poster for us. There are so many excellent pictures we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out and the professionalism Mauricio displayed. We met with him the day before to discuss prices and what we wanted and he showed us some examples. Unfortunately a close friend of his died the night before our wedding and he still did great work and we are very grateful for the work he did. I can’t say enough about his pictures.

After the pictures we gathered in the lobby and then headed out to the Spanish restaurant El Quijote for our wedding feast. I don’t know what the problem is with the restaurants, they were really get upset if you try and push some tables together to sit a larger group. We almost had to argue to get them to put three tables together. Anyways the food was great and they had a pretty big yummy cake for us. It was too much for the 13 of us so we gave the rest to another group where a couple was celebrating 25 years.

I’m not one to seek a lot of attention but everything really worked out well and it was nice to have people cheer and clap for us wherever we went that night. The hotel staff really made it memorable and I would definitely recommend the Palace for a wedding.

Just keep track and print your emails with the hotel and bring them along. Make sure you meet all the requirements to get married there and bring copies of all your paperwork.
Wedding Index - Top of Page

Erik was left to wait and sweat a bit, because the officiant was late (it's the Dominican), the flowers went to the wrong room (we had changed rooms the day before), one of my bridesmaid's had to feed her baby, and another forgot her passport in her room. But in the end I think the wait was good for him ;). My bridesmaids, my dad, our cameraman and I drove to the ceremony in a golf cart (lots of fun) and then after some photos, the procession started. The formal ceremony was short and sweet; however to make it personal Erik and I said our own personal vows to one another at the end. After the ceremony, and during the cake and champagne there was a music trio that played - it was a really nice touch. We had our first dance, which was magical (corny, I know). We then did lots and lots and lots of photos all over the resort and on the beach. After a little rest (time to get the rice out of my dress - see below), it was dinner time. The reception was relaxed and informal - just what we wanted. In the end, our wedding day was wonderful - it was like a dream - there was nothing missing.

The only things I would change is to request that the wedding coordinator does not give the guests rice to throw at us when we head back up the aisle. It went everywhere, especially down my dress! I had provided bubbles to my guests, which they used for a bit, but once the rice was handed to them, there was no going back. The other thing to take note of is the hair salon. Three days before the wedding my fiance and I went to the salon to make an appointment for my hair. We saw them write the appointment down in a book - in pencil. Two hours before my wedding, my three bridesmaids and I went to get my hair done. We were told there was no appointment for me and they were all booked up. We were a bit upset to say the least! However between us and a family friend who was on his way to the gym, the receptionist was forced to make some accommodation - she cancelled an appointment (an hour before our wedding) and gave my my maid of honor permission to start on my hair in the salon. In the end, my maid of honor practically did all of my hair, but put the veil in - and it looked awesome!
Wedding Index - Top of Page

We will definitely return to the Marien Coral (maybe for our first year anniversary next year !!) because it is a great resort and I would recommend it to anyone !

First of all, let me start by saying that the resort is wonderful. The people that write the reviews complaining about the food and the bumpy roads and the lack of service were obviously looking for any excuse to be negative. The food at the main buffet was great with a lot of variety. We ate at the French, Italian and Mexican restaurants and they were all wonderful. I think it is important to keep in mind that you are in a different country and even though all of the dishes may not be EXACTLY as you would get at home, they are all enjoyable. For me personally, if I wanted everything to be as it is at home, I would stay at home.

The resort, although by name is divided as the Sirenis Tropical Suites and the Sirenis Cocotal, it is all one resort. There is a main walkway that runs from the lobby to the pool/beach and on the left side are the Tropical Suite buildings and on the right are the Cocotal buildings. The only difference is that the Tropical Suite rooms are actually suites and the Cocotal rooms are regular rooms. All of the amenities are shared between both.

The pool and beach are fabulous--lots of cabanas to use to stay in the shade and lots of chairs to enjoy the sunshine. I suppose it would depend what time of year you are there, but we never had any trouble getting a spot--even without getting up at 6am to reserve (although there are lots of people that do this). There are many drinks to choose from--I would recommend the strawberry daquiri's and the sirenis special. There are also plenty of activities during the day if you wish to participate.

Now, the wedding. I had some email correspondence with the wedding coordinator (Soriviany) prior to leaving but I didn't feel like I was getting a clear picture of what was going to happen when we got there. I tried to go with the attitude that whatever happens, happens but this is difficult to do, especially if you are as particular and as organized as I try to be.

We arrived late Saturday night and we met with Soriviany Sunday morning (she is part of guest services and can be located at the main reception desk). We set up a time for Monday to pick out the flowers and the cake and to confirm the time for the ceremony. The flowers are chosen from a book of pictures and although the selection is limited, we had no problems finding something we liked. The cake choices are chocolate, vanilla and carrot. We ended up having to pay an extra $100usd for a larger cake and more champagne because we traveled with 47 people. They were more than happy to accommodate us. We ended up arranging a reception dinner after the wedding at the Italian restaurant, which I set up ahead of time due to the large number of people we had with us. Due to the fact that there is only 1 judge on that section of the island, we had to book a late ceremony time--8:30pm. We opted to have pictures done before the wedding to make sure we got some daylight photos.

We were able to pay for the wedding by credit card, but I will caution you that the flowers had to be paid by cash. This was an unexpected expense for us. I believe the bridesmaid bouquets we approximately $25usd each and the boutonnieres were $10usd each.

The day of the wedding we relaxed by the pool until early afternoon, then I had a massage and got my hair done at the salon. The cost for an up do was $60usd so we opted to only pay for my hair and the bridesmaids did their own hair and makeup. The salon staff provided me with a few magazines with hairstyles and I was easily able to choose a style from their selection. I would recommend that if you have a particular style already in mind that you bring your own pictures.

After my visit to the salon I proceeded back to the room to get my makeup done and finish getting ready. Once we were all dressed, the photographer and the wedding coordinator picked us up at the room and we paraded through the resort to the beach. We had chosen to have the wedding in the gazebo down on the beach so we met my fiance, the groomsmen and the rest of our family there. This was a nice way to do it because it gave me a chance to walk up the aisle and see my future husband for the first time in a nice, romantic way prior to the actual ceremony. We did as many pictures as we could in the gazebo and on the beach before we lost daylight. After we were done, we separated girls and guys for an hour and went to the lobby for drinks while we waited.

At 8:15 we walked back to the beach and waited for the judge to arrive (this is typical). We were married shortly before 9pm in a simple, romantic, torch lit ceremony. The gazebo was nicely decorated with lights and flowers. After the wedding (which only took about 10 minutes and was translated by the wedding coordinator) we had champagne and hor'doerves while receiving our congratulations. We then proceeded to dinner where we had a lovely meal and a few speeches. There would have been an opportunity to do a few dances but we opted not to. We used our own music for the ceremony but they did have a selection of music if needed.

After dinner we headed to the lobby where we had a few drinks and played guitar by candlelight (the power had gone out for a few hours). My husband and I were given a suite for the night overlooking the ocean. It was lovely.

All in all it was a perfect way to get married. No stress, no fuss. We were given a spreadsheet of pictures after the wedding from which to pick 10 photos for them to print for us for free (as part of the package). We liked the pictures so much that we ended up buying them all. They were given to us on a DVD at a cost of $250usd. This also must be paid in cash.

I would highly recommend this resort either for a wedding or just for a relaxing vacation. You just have to go with the attitude that you are on vacation and try not to worry about the little things.

If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to email me at melanie@gualtieri.ca.
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We have just returned from our wedding at Sun Village Resort and it was wonderful. Everything went smoothly and there was very little stress. There were 17 of us for the first week and then my husband (!) and I stayed for a second week. We were married on the Thursday of the first week.

The remaining of our stay we stayed in the Spa room. Which is highly recommended. It is amazing!!!!!! It was not much more extra then the regular room and a big upgrade.

The hotel is truly amazing. Nothing I have ever seen before. Every where you look there was a pool. The food was good and the people were amazing.

After researching for a place to have my wedding I was a little nervouse since many said the entertainment wasn't that good. In my opinion it was great. The first night it was just me and my fiance and we had a blast!!

Then when our guest came it was even more fun. Through out the weekend we all did different activities like hourse back riding, ATV's, banana boat (which is so much fun as a group), clubbing, and dipping in the pool at 3 in the morning after the club. There is restaurant open 24 hours so most of us would go eat something after the club. Most nights the majority of our guest was going to sleep at 4 in the morning.

My dream wedding has always been to get married on the beach. The resort was an excellent place to have my wedding. We even selected the Mexican restaurant as our rehearsal dinner. Which was great. The workers at the restaurant made us feel like if we were celebrities by attending to us in such an amazing matter.

One thing i would like to advise those who are planning to visit this hotel is there is alot of stairs. You will get a work out, but believe me when I say its sooooooo worth it. The staff is amazing, the food was good, and the grounds are the most beautiful you will ever see.

Wedding
Once we arrived the coordinator was out of town. It was ok since she told me in advance. We met with Carla instead just to go over a few things and make sure that everything that was planned with Rocio was set. Carla was amazing and very nice. I enjoyed working with her. I met Rocio the day of the wedding. She was nice too. I picked calalilies for the bridesmaids (i had 5). the cake was very beautiful along with the setting. We had our reception at the Italian Restuarant with was breath taking. The service there was amazing as well. As far as the ceremony and the reception everything was beyond amazing and the staff did an amazing job. The only thing i didn't like was the service of the photos and video. The package i bought was $350. Honestly they look like they were developed in a pharmacy and then they did not even put the pictures in the album they gave me. The album was not one that I have ever seen before making it difficult to put the pictures in it without scotch tape. After watching the video a few times it now skips throught out the video. The only reason why i bought the silver package for the photos was because the photos came out beautiful and in order to be eligible to buy the negatives you must buy a silver package or higher. But no matter where you go there will be little problems like that. Nothing serious at all.

The salon did a great job with the make up and hair for all of us. Just make sure you go very early, especially if you have a large bridal party.

My husband can't wait to go back!! If you are planning on getting married on an island I would highly recommend this place. It was inexpensive and the BEST decision I made. I got everything as a traditional wedding (bridesmaid flowers, private reception, DJ, rehearsal dinner) and I did not spend much. The decorations at the ceremony location was beautiful as well.

For brides-to-be if you have any questions or would like to see pictures please feel free to email me @ chula8106@hotmail.com
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We had already booked for our annual vacation at the end of June for the GPPC, we later got engaged in August. At that point we started to think that perhaps it may be a good idea to get married in January seeing 20 of our closet family and friends were already booked.

We tried to get in touch with the wedding coordinator at the GPPC at the end of August and had no luck. We tried emails and faxes and had no responses. I eventually called Punta Cana and spoke with Lourdes Soto of guest services and she promptly sent me the wedding info. We then had her confirm that we could get married during the week we would be there, she confirmed it, and we then booked an additional 11 guests, for a total of 31.

We basically planned the wedding in 3 months. I won’t review the hotel, just the wedding.

The wedding package includes: Ceremony, decorated gazebo, bouquet for the bride and flower for the groom, and one bottle of champagne. This was $750 US. We also hired the Trio band ($75), and ordered 3 additional bottles of champagne ($90).

We used WeDo for our documentation, we sent them FedEx and they were returned in 4 business days. I think it was about $280 US. We then faxed them to the resort to verify that everything was OK.

We conversed with the resort via email the whole time leading up to our departure. We dealt with Carolina Beck and Lourdes Soto; both work at guest services at the GPB and provided excellent service always replying to our email with in a day usually with in hours. I can’t say enough about these two ladies. They are awesome. We pre-made reservations at the international restaurant before we left for all 31 guests.

We met with Lourdes on the second day after we arrive at the guest services desk. Within 20 minutes we picked the Photo Package, Flowers, decided on table arrangements for the dinner, picked the wedding cake, and settled other details.

We didn’t find out our wedding time, which ended up being 2:00 p.m. until the day before the wedding. Not a big deal except all our guests needed to know when to show up at the Gazebo.

Everything about this wedding exceeded our expectations. The Gazebo was beautifully decorated, and they had red carpet laid over the brick path leading up to it. They had white chairs for all our guests and a waiter there serving water and wine (before and after the wedding). He would also go for trays of beer. When the ceremony was over he poured everyone a glass of champagne.

The groom and groomsmen were picked up at our room in a large golf cart around two and then when the judge arrived about 2:20, the golf cart picked up the bride and bridesmaids. The ceremony took about 10-15 minutes and Lourdes translated it all for us. It was very nice.

We then took all kinds of photos around the garden before going to the beach for more. We used the resort photographer named Duiexnor, and his work was phenomenal. The pictures are unbelievable and once again exceeded our expectation. I’ve included a link to our photos. The photo package we chose was a CD with all our 268 pictures, DVD of the day and an unbelievable photo book. This was $800 and worth every penny.

While the photos were being taken and for hours after all of our guest stayed at the Gazebo and partied, until it was time to go for dinner which was just across the pathway. The waiter stayed at the Gazebo the entire time. Dinner was at 6:30 and they set up a traditional head table and 4 round tables in front of it. They served appetizers, and then we all ordered off the menu. The meal was very good and the service was top-notch. There was another Trio band here and they sang at each table. We had the entire restaurant to ourselves.

We did say about 4 or 5 speeches at dinner, and had our wedding cake for desert which was excellent, and very nice. After dinner we went to the GPB lobby where there is a live band each night. When we arrived they announced it and we had our first dance. After that the entire wedding party had a dance, followed by the throwing of the bouquet and garter.

We then went to the disco where we had a blast dancing, before retiring to our loft suite. All in all we would highly recommend a tropical wedding and the GPB.

Link to photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/557002012YvLvEx?vhost=community
Wedding Index - Top of Page

1.The Resort/Grounds: The resort was beautiful, the gardens were manicured, workers were seeding and weeding and tending to the flowers all day long. The beach, yes not long but soooo clean, no garbage no seaweed, the waves were incredible, if you wanted calm waters, go to the pool. The waves were so much fun, you always came out of the water with laughter on your face, and the ocean was warmer then the pool.

2.The Restaurants: The food was fabulous, for one of the well seasoned caribbean travellers, she and her husband said it was the best tasting food they had in a resort. The buffet was different every lunch,and every night as it was themed, the a la carte restaurants, Japanese, Mexican, French, Italian, to die for, especially their desserts. Good size portions, and the flavor, yum. Best advice, book your restaurants as soon as you get there at the resort (you do that in the front entrance of Jimmys Buffet)

3. Staff: I don't know if it was because of our large group, but we always had great service, I know the resort says no tipping, but I am sure between all of us, they made a lot. Bring small trinkets to leave for the maids every morning and you get very clean rooms, and lots of towels and they are willing to make your room as comfortable as you would like. On our arrival, our patio door, which we had a ground floor corner room over looking the ocean and the pool as well, was not closing and locking properly. My fiance asked a maintanence worker if he could fix it, gave him 3 cigarettes (Canadian brand) and by lunch, our door was fixed. My reception was held at the Mexican restaurant which during every other hour except between 6-9pm is the Beach Bar. The staff was awesome to say the least. They went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect even after 10pm we were still having a "reception" the staff closed the bar and the "24hr" bbqe grill to the rest of the resort guests, stating it was a private party. They did not have to do that, they had no obligation to do that and they were definitely not getting paid to do that. They saw our wedding reception as a private event and they kept it that way. I must say the staff at the beach bar made our trip even better, not just that night but for the whole week. And to my surprise, being maritimers we did drink the bar dry of beer the first night. After that night they made sure they had an extra keg just for us.

4. The Rooms: Some of the rooms had deficianies, but unless your an uptight snob, a little crack in the tiles, or paint chipping off the wall, there is nothing wrong with the rooms, actually it gives it character. If you don't have hot water, wait an 1/2hr, because most likely the rest of the resort is probably showering at the same time you are and they just don't have enough hot water pumps. If you keep your doors open, yes you will get a cockroach or a geiko in your room, plus all the hot humidity. Bring a fabric softner sheet and put it over the airconditioner, your room will smell less musty. But hey unless you have crappy weather, your not spending much time in your room anyway and if you are maybe you should of stayed home it would of cost you a lot less money. But if you are really unhappy, don't wait to get something fixed ask for another room, one couple in our group did (their toilet wouldn't flush) and without any argument they were moved to another room.

5. Illnesses: If you have a weak stomach, bring immodium and antacids. My aunt got really sick the second night and ended up on IV therapy. The doctor was there 1hr after my uncle went to the front desk. He made in a period of 24 hrs, 6 visits to see her. Treatment wise, out of 50 of us, half are paramedics, 3 doctors, 4 nurses. The doctors who are ER docs, went and checked her medications the island dr was treating her with and said, "this Dr knows what he is doing" 24hrs from the initial symptoms, my aunt was at my wedding and the reception, up dancing and enjoying the rest of her vacation. He also ran out of some medication and he drove from Caberate to Confresi looking for the correct medication. and on top of all that he was able to direct bill my aunts insurance company, they did not have to fork out any money for her medical treatment. Now that is service.

6. My wedding. Unbelievable. Took less the 45 mins to plan. Everything my fiance and I asked for we received.The menu for the reception had a little bit of everything, and the food was again unbelievable. Ladies if your planning on getting married, the spa will do your hair for a good price and do your makeup complimentary.Flowers, you look in an photo album, select the arrangement you want and they will get you the flowers that you desire plus the colours you want. Pictures, came back the next morning in a beautiful album, no complaints. Video took 2 days because we had music added and they edited for us and everytime I watch it it makes me cry all over.

7. Excursions: Go out and do them, some of the group (the men)went deep sea fishing, they had a blast, the girls went horseback riding in the mountains, sore but the views were breathtaking. Banana Boat Catarmaran, totally a hoot. The buggies, if you don't get one that breaks down, you'll won't have any worries, though our group there were a few mechanical problems, but they knew how to fix things, looks scary (they used a coat hanger and a shoe lace for added tension on the brake pedal, but it worked)

Overall as you can probably tell all, of us had a great time, we had no outstanding complaints about anything, and if one of us did, the staff did everything possible to correct it. I would highly recommend this resort, and if I had the vacation time I would definitely go back in a second, maybe next year since I as the bride get 50% off on our anniversary week.

(Just a side note: for all those uptight snobs who think the rooms are what makes a vacation, they are renovating the rooms, slowly but surely, room by room and remember it is the caribbean and what might be considered a 4 star resort in the US or the UK and Canada, it is not the same standards, if you want that then spend the extra cash and stay at a 5 star resort and you'll get the 4 star equilivant in your country)

So if you already booked your vacation there, and you read all those bad reviews like I did and began to panic, take a deep breathe relax and just enjoy yourself, you make your own happiness out of your vacation, others don't and it's not their responsibility to do so.
Wedding Index - Top of Page

We stayed at the Superclubs Breezes Resort Spa Casino in Puerto Plata July 15- July 22 2006. The hotel was very nice I was pleased. We did have some of my family who waited a long time to check in so that was disappointing but I know how it is sometimes lol I had 22 family and friends come so it was a lot of people for a wedding away.

The wedding day was beautiful and perfect! It was hot and sunny! I had the wedding at the earliest day that I could so I could get it out of the way so we could all just relax after Everyone thought it was a great idea. I arrived on Sat and had the wedding on Mon. It was short, sweet and the wedding coordinator was great! I wasn't sure what to expect but it ended up being a great day and we were both extremely happy! We had a lot of fun on our wedding day I'm very organized so it was hard not knowing exactly how things get done. I met another couple and the bride was just as nervous not knowing anything but she got some tips from me. I hope there wedding was as great as mine!

FLOWERS- I had a picture of my flowers and they did them exactly the same They did a great job, since I was worried about that. I was so shocked how beautiful they came out!

CAKE- It's just a white cake so if you want to decorate it bring stuff. I put some flowers from my center piece and the cake looked gorgeous!

DINNER- Our dinner was at the Italian restaurant and the food was great! But when you are choosing your dinner ask what exactly the meals are. We picked a balsamic/vinaigrette salad. We thought it was going to be a green salad and it ended up being tomatoes with cheese inside and 2 lettuce leaves lol The presentation was great but we wanted a green salad They served bruschetta before, then the salad, we had a tomatoe basil soup it was good our guests enjoyed it too. Main course was chicken parmesan with pasta and desert our wedding cake. We had the vanilla it was yummy fresh whipped icing. I'm a chocolate lover but there chocolate is different so i went with Vanilla instead.
The table was set up beautifully I was very impressed and the staff were so sweet I tipped them of course!! They were really great to my whole family.

PICTURES- The photographer was good, my pictures came out very nice I was surprised. But he doesn't really tell you how to position yourself to ensure you get good photos sometimes. I had a few photos with eyes closed which I think he should of took a second one and sometimes people needed to be positioned closer etc. I think my family was driving the photographer crazy as they were busy taking there own photos and he was always waiting for them to take there shots lol I made some jokes with him to lighten the mood. But I had my paparazzi family with me lol I have tons of pictures. I did a lot of fun pics on the beach after the photographer was done and those are gorgeous!! It helped that my sister had a professional camera Oh ya he comes to your room to take a few photos before you leave to the ceremony, I didn't know that was going to happen I was only expecting Amelia with the flowers.

I received my fruit plate and two bottles of Presidente the first day we arrived those went down easy lol We also received another fruit plate and Champagne bottle in our room on the wedding day!! Breakfast in bed the next day was very nice too

I loved the music trio, my Dad laughed the whole way walking me from my room to the Gazebo lol
We even had a first dance for about 2 min in the Gazebo, we danced to a Bachata :)
You can have them play at your reception for additional cost.

As for the wedding it was great and I would recommend it to anyone at this resort! Amelia the wedding coordinator was very nice she did everything I asked for! It went smooth and we were able to enjoy ourselves!!!

Oh and I received my marriage certificate 1 1/2 weeks later I was so shocked I thought it would take longer, I was pleased!! I did leave Amelia a gift as well as a thank you but that's just how I am, I like to do things like that she was really happy and thankful!!

I have some pictures posted but they are from my sisters camera some poses the photographer did and had a clear shot but all the beach ones were done by my family:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bachatafreak/

If you have any questions you can send me a PM to Bachatafreak on Debbie's site as I am a member.
Wedding Index - Top of Page

Leading up to my arrival after emailing my wedding coordinator Raiza and chatting with her I had very little concern that there would be much involvement on my end. All I needed to do (I thought) was finalize the welcome reception for our guests.

Arrival. Upon our arrival to the hotel with 10 of our 30 guest we checked in and were provided with a room next to an empty lot on the edge of the resort. Though our travel agent (my father in law) and I requested an ocean view room , at least since we were bringing 30 people to their resort at the end of October slow time.

A new coordinator KATTY demanded that I met with her immediately where she inundated me with items that I thought were already resolved. After a long day of travel desperately wanting to spend time with me friends and family that had tra so far I was stuck in a well air conditioned tiny little office with the coordinator and one of the people from my wedding party. We left her office at approximately 8PM.

The next morning when I located the coordinator to provide my final decisions. She admonished me for not returning to her the previous evening with my conclusions. She chastised me, the bride. I was too tired and alone and felt that I had done something wrong. UNTIL the wedding party member that meet with us the evening prior pointed out that the wedding coordinator advised us that she was leaving for the day after we met and that we had agreed to meet the following morning.

When I complained about the room the coordinator realized we had been given the wrong room. We were given another guests room. A guest with the ( Go figure!) same last name as my husband. How could this happen well big surprise to the hotel when there is a wedding at times family members that attend have the SAME LAST NAME. Which is how the assigned the rooms. It was an easy mix -up forgiven until the front desk accused us of purposefully switching the rooms. This was the first instance of many where the resort failed to take ownership of let alone remedy there errors.

We paid an extra 2K for a full bar premium private reception. We received mediocre liquor that I had to tell other guests was not for their consumption. The Bartender knowing full well this was a private event was happy to serve anybody and everybody. I let husband handle that he and his friends are very proprietary when it comes to liquor and beer.

The wedding day itself my original coordinator Raiza appeared. With her winning smile I rested assured that the rude behavior of Katty that now even my guests were complaining about would come to an end. WRONG. IN my gown I decided I had to take the arm band (for the inclusive meals) off. It just did not coordinate with my wedding gown. Just be for I disembark from my private golf cart to walk down the aisle. I see KATTY and tell her I had to remove my arm band would she be able to get another please. She chastised me for removing the arm band. Literally at the end of the aisle for me to walk to meet my husband.

The aisle was not wide enough for me to get down let alone with my mother. I am a size 8. They did not envision that somebody would walk down the aisle. I purchased extra bottles of champagne I clearly explained to KATTY this champagne was to be served at dinner with the the lobster that we were required to provided for with additional payment. As I am signing the documents I see the champagne bottles being popped and handed out to guests.

All and all I made it a point to tip Raiza who was so helpful and friendly leading up to the event and when available upon our arrival. Katty got and deserved nothing. She made problems that were unnecessary and she was exceptionally rude.

The staff overall at the hotel was nice. By Staff I mean the Bartenders and the chefs. The Pool people that double as talent for the evening were very talented and very RUDE. The front desk staff I would terminate with 1 weeks notice if I was their manager and run the front desk myself.

My husband and I feel in love with the resort two years prior to our marriage. We would've returned yearly to celebrate. We will now go to another resort. I encourage an bride to explore another resort and visit it before you confirm your wedding. Much changed in two years and not for the better.

Other problems:
salon appoitnments never materialized
the karaoke machine ahd been broken for weeks though I was assured it was available repeatedly
coordinator did bare miminium
everybody got sick except for me
food tasted bad- it is more European now, though the country is in the carribean
2 months to get marriage license in Spanish

Good side:
I got the man of my dreams!
The cake was really good
The ocean is always good
the hair dresser Raiza was really good and does all types of hair
The sun was warm
The food was better refrigerated
Marriage license is really pretty- colourful with lotsa stickers.
Wedding Index - Top of Page

I just wanted to fill you in on our wedding at the Iberostar Bavaro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We got married on October 25, 2006, when we arrived we met with the wedding planner to pick out my flowers and the location, we chose the beach! That is all we had to do until the day of the wedding. I was picked at my room in the golf cart and they brought me right to the beach where my husband was waiting. We chose the guitar trio and they were great! The ceremony was performed by a Judge which was in Spanish but they also had a translator. The ceremony only took about 10 minutes, perfect!!! Then we got our pictures taken by Ricky who I would highly recommend. He was very friendly and made me laugh so I wouldn't have a cheesy smile. Once the pictures were over we ate dinner at the Steak house, the food was good, it was just extremely HOT in there, no AC. I would definitely recommend having a destination wedding. Everything was perfect. I want to do it again!! With the same guy of course. I would give it a 10 out of 10!
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It’s been 4 years since I got married at the Caribe Club Princess in Punta Cana, and people who went with us still talk about the place and the wedding site.

Upon arrival, Gabriel had an information package waiting for us. It included the details of when we would meet and an itinerary of the wedding day.

We met with Gabriel on Monday for about half an hour. We picked flowers, went through the details of the wedding, and reviewed the ceremony location and restaurant selection.

On the day of the wedding, both Dan and I relaxed! We swam, tanned, and Dan was out banana boating a few hours before his nuptials! We split around 11:30 where he went to his best man's room and I headed to the spa to have my hair done. Gabriel had pre-booked the spa for our group which was nice. I had my nails done the day before and they did a great job (and it was cheap). Once at the spa, I showed Dolce (the hairdresser) a few pictures I had brought down and she got to work. It turned out really nice and she was really quick! A lot of my friends came by and took pictures plus some of the family got their hair done too! Very nice staff!

We got back to our honeymoon suite and started to get ready. The flowers arrived around 2:30 and they were perfect! I had asked for a bag of loose flower petals to be used for petal baskets, so my 'flower women' got to work filling those right away. The girls helped me into my dress and then my family showed up. We got all the flowers together just in time for Pedro, the resort's photographer, to take some nice pics.

Our guests met at the beach bar and they walked down to the site. The Caribe doesn't actually have a beach wedding site, but the Punta Cana Princess does and they are both within the same resort chain, so it worked just fine! It was about a 5 minute walk down the beach.

Dan got ready in his best man's room. He and his family were picked up in a golfcart around 3:45 and were brought to the site. The golfcart came back and got my flower women and then came again and picked up myself, my sister (my maid of honour) and my parents. We arrived at the site just a little after 4.

The site was beautiful! The gazebo is about 25 metres from the ocean. All of the chairs have white covers and deep magenta bows on them and we had a Caribbean trio play during the ceremony (part of the wedding package). We had Dan's nephews make us a sign that said 'no shoes please', so all of our guests were barefoot!

We had Dan's sister act as an usher who handed out homemade programs (I brought them down) and individual petal baskets filled with loose petals for our guest to throw at us as we walked out the aisle.

Dan walked his parents down the aisle first. Then, I had 7 of my best friends act as flower women for the wedding. They walked down the aisle carrying handmade velum flower baskets. As they walked, they threw loose flower petals on the sand and created a beautiful aisle for me to walk down. My sister and Dan's best man went next and then both my parents walked me down the aisle. There are some great shots that captured the emotions of the moment.

Yes, a lot of people gathered around. But, the resort staff will do their best to move people out of the way for the sake of your pictures and privacy. The crowd actually added to the excitement as they clapped and snapped pictures!

The ceremony was VERY quick! 10 minutes and a little Spanish later, we were married! We did say our own vows, but kept them short.

After the ceremony, there was an international bar available for our guests that was set up next to the gazebo. This gave people time to mingle and take pictures and the trio continued to play music.

About an hour later, Pedro started to take the formal pictures. We got a great group shot, and so many others! Pictures took about an hour, but it was fun! After that, we headed back to the Caribe and waited for our dinner reservation.

We had the Rodizzio booked for our group. Our seating time was for 8:30, but they were ready ahead of time. The resort set up the restaurant exactly how we asked it to be. Our wedding party set up a beautiful guest book table and added some fun details to th