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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
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| 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.
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, STATUTORY DECLARATION OF SINGLE STATUS (Please do not just fill in but retype the whole document)
CANADA ) IN THE MATTER OF: 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]. 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 )
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| Dominican Republic Services - Toronto 2727 Steeles Ave. W., Ste. 301 Toronto, Ontario M3J 3G9 Phone: (416) 739-1237 Toll-Free: 1-866-535-7776 Fax: (416) 663-1973 E-mail: info@dominicanrepublicservices.com Web: www.dominicanrepublicservices.com |
Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Canada 130 Albert Street, Suite 418 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4 Phone: 613-569-9893 Fax:: 613-569-8673 E-mail: info@drembassy.org Web: www.drembassy.org |
| Dominican Republic General Consulate - Montreal 1470 Peel St. Suite 263 Montreal, P.Q. H3A 1T1 Phone: (514) 284 - 5455/6600 Fax: (514) 284 - 5511 |
Dominican Republic General Consulate - Toronto 347 Bay St. Suite 904 Toronto, Ontario M5H 2R7 Phone: (416) 369 - 0403/1602 Fax: (416) 369 - 1685 |
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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 Resorts Dreams Resorts NH Real Arena (as of November 2008) Traditional Wedding Package - $995.00 U.S Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 10 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (10 guests). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc. Deluxe Wedding Package - $1,449.00 U.S. Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 15 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (15 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 15 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom. Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc. Romantic Wedding Package - $1,995.00 U.S. Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 20 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (20 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 15 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 24 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room. Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc. Elite Wedding Package - $2,495.00 U.S. Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, civil judge service fees, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 25 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (25 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 20 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 36 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, special beauty package for bride and groom at salon (manicure and pedicure), hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room, room upgrade to Paradise suite for bride and groom (subject to availability). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc. Catholic Wedding Package - $2,295.00 U.S. Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; ceremony to take place in our conference center (not available at any other location on the resort), welcome fruit platter in room for bride and groom upon arrival, Priest’s service ceremony fee, simultaneous translation of ceremony, marriage certificate delivered by UPS, one floral centerpiece for ceremonial table, wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 15 guests (registered as guests of resort), one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (15 guests), one hour hors d’ouvres for toasts, 25 minute massage for bride and groom, certificate for a 4 day/3 night stay on the couple’s first anniversary (transportation extra), VIP status for bride and groom, early checkin and late checkout for bride and groom (subject to availability), 36 professional quality photos of the ceremony, bride’s hair salon session, hospitality room for the groom on wedding day (subject to availability), romantic dinner for bride and groom in the privacy of their room, room upgrade to Paradise Suite for bride and groom (subject to availability). Other services available at extra charge: photographer, live music, etc. Renewal of Vows Package - $649.00 U.S. Includes: Wedding coordinator on resort to assist with preparations; multiple locations available for your wedding ceremony including the beach, center courtyard, tropical garden or indoors; wedding music selection during ceremony (CD), deluxe chairs for bride and groom, chairs elegantly covered for all guests attending, bouquet for bride and boutonniere for groom (tropical flowers), wedding cake for 10 guests, one glass of sparkling wine for each member of the wedding party (10 guests), Hors D’ouvres for 10 guests during toast to the couple. (Marriage license and minister fees not applicable or included.) Other services available at extra charge – photographer, live music, etc. Contact the hotel for further information: Phone: 809–221–4646 Ext. 7680 – Lillian de la Cruz E-mail: l.delacruz@nh-hotels.com
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 Resorts Wedding Package 2008/2009 (Updated November 2008) Description: The Majestic Resorts 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, Champagne after the ceremony for the group, 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 in your room during your stay, Bottle of champagne in the room, twice during your stay, Room service included for the couple Contact hotel directly for further information and required documentation. Cost: $1,750.00 U.S. Optional $$: Photos, Videos, Music, Gala dinners, private reception with music, cocktails, etc., flowers, beach party Phone: (809) 221-9898 Fax: (809) 552-9995 Contact: Weddings@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
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| Dreams Punta Cana | Julie ~ Ontario, Canada |
We stayed at Sunscape the Beach in Punta Cana (Dreams Punta Cana) in April 2007
I’m not even sure where to begin, so I apologize ahead of time if this is a little erratic. First, the wedding. To say it in the simplest terms possible, it was easygoing, relaxing, and beautiful. The wedding coordinators spoke fluent English, were so unbelievably helpful, they took care of everything. They searched me out to set a time and date for my wedding, and then we set up a meeting when it was good for me to discuss all the details. I couldn’t have imagined a more relaxing wedding, they did everything for me. I would recommend this resort to anyone thinking of getting married in the Dominican. And the photographer was phenomenal. I have gotten so many compliments on the variety and quality of my wedding pictures. The resort had 5 or 6 different photographers, and they were easily as good or better than any I could have gotten back home.
Considering I was in a bigger group (34), there were many of us to please. Both sets of my grandparents were there, aged 70s-80s, my parents and my husbands parents, both in their 50s, cousins, brothers, friends, niece and nephew, ranging in age from 2-35. Everyone had a blast, and no one had one thing bad to say about the entire trip. The staff were great, getting all of us, or those of us who wanted to join in, involved in daily activities in the pool, or dancing at the bar. They were phenomenal. Mind you the songs got a little repetitive by the end of the trip, but that is expected regardless of where you stay.
julietosh@cogeco.ca
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| Catalonia (Royal) Bavaro Resort | Andrea |
For those of you looking for a fun, romantic and beautiful destination wedding - this resort is it. My husband and I had worked with the resort for months prior to our visit during the week of May 17 - 24th/08. The staff and the wedding co-ordinator went above and beyond to make our day a dream come true.
The co-ordinator, the staff and the entire day was the best day of my life. I was looking for something relaxed and intimate. I got the wedding I always wanted by the water. . and I have the Catalonia to thank for this. The bouquet was simply stunning and the centre pieces and beach set up was something out of a movie. Every picture was magazine quality. We did not hire a photographer, and there really was no need too. Anyone who can aim a camera properly will have superb shots. The cake was delicious, and the cozy table and special meal of fillet mignon and lobster tails was beyond expectation. Our room was decorated and special invites and congrats letters were presented in the room upon our arrival after the ceremony. The co-ordinator (Katiusca) and the hotel as a whole really went all out. Thank you.
Overall, this was a magical vacation. We would return in a heartbeat - and maybe we will on our anniversary.
Thank you Catalonia!
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| Gran Ventana | Mike and Marilyn |
We got married on Feb 5, 2008.
Wedding coordinator was great.
My mom and I met with her the day before the wedding and decided on flowers, etc.
Groom went on an excursion that day before and the morning of the wedding.
Price was exactly what we were told.
Pictures were perfect. We got 24 5"x7" and a disc with all of our pictures for $400.
We had dinner at the Italien restaurant. we had the terrance which is covered. All 52 of us got to pick off the menu what we wanted to eat. Which was perfect. They even made a special dinner for my nephew who has allergies.
They made a sponge cake for the wedding that was big enough for everyone to have a piece. no extra charge.
Instead of champagne we had a local drink made up to serve a the gazebo where the wedding took place. At the gazebo the hotel had the ceremony, first dance to two guitar players, small speech by groom and dads, cake cutting by wedding party. So afterwards the video guy left but everything was recorded.
While we got pictures the guests went to the quiet bar/pool area where the restaurant was and had a drink.
After dinner as there is no disco we watched the entertainment, a little on the corny side and then danced to the music they played afterwards. It wasn't a late night as the bar closes with the music at about 12am.
overall everything was perfect. Just no real dance if that is important. Wasn't to us as we having a dance in our hometown. We purchased travel mugs for everyone which was a big hit. Since not everyone knew each other before arriving it allowed everyone to know who was with the wedding group. They were drinking out of the same mugs.
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| Majestic Colonial | Susan ~ Fort Lauderdale, FL |
My son Jay and my daughter-in-law Megan were married at Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana, on March 27, 2009. We had almost 50 guests in all so it was a large gathering. We were spread out through the entire hotel even though we had requested for the family rooms to be in the same general area.
We arrived on Mon, 3/23. The weather that was very overcast and windy. We stayed at the pool and the water was very chilly considering the lack of sun. The next day it was more of the same weather, very windy on the beach but we still went. Each day the weather improved a little so by Friday, the day of the wedding, it was quite pleasant, warm and sunny with a bit of wind.
Jay and Megan were married at 5:30 p.m. at the gazebo. It was very beautifully set up with a small table and a flower centerpiece, candles and chairs for everyone. Everything went off flawlessly including my grandson, Dylan, meandering down the very long aisle with his little ring bearer pillow in hand. After photos were taken, we proceeded to the upstairs bar for our cocktail hour. Megan and Jay joined us after a few more photos. We took a group photo on the huge staircase which joins the top and bottom floor of the lobby. I can't wait to see that one!
The reception was at the Presidential Suite in the building to the right of the lobby, oceanfront, on a rooftop. It was also set up very beautifully with a buffet dinner of lobster, beef, chicken and fish (that everyone raved about.) Two soups were served, pumpkin and vegetable, along with salads, fresh veggies, bread/rolls. The food was excellent. Megan had brought silver chargers (the large decorative plate placed under the dinner plate) along with navy blue cloth napkins and navy blue chair wraps with bows. She also placed a pair of flip-flops (hot pink for the ladies and navy for the men) on each chair. Although she also brought votive candles, it was too windy for the candles to burn. The men also got a Dominican cigar at their place setting.
The bar was well-appointed and we brought additional name-brands of liquor. The bartenders were very quick and were trying to please. They gave everyone whatever they wanted, shots, etc. They received lots of tips from everyone and went home very happy. The dancing was non-stop with Megan being the center of attention. Her dad called the wedding "Megan's Ultimate Dance Party." I would have to agree. She did not sit down once and there were no slow songs. She planned out the music perfectly.
When it approached 11:00, the bartenders indicated that they had no problem extending the time. However, at 11:15 someone literally pulled the plug on the lights and very abruptly threw everyone out, quite rudely in my opinion. They said they were getting complaints about the music. Not to worry, everyone moved on to the new disco which was built when the Majestic Elegance was added. The party continued on there until ?????
Overall, we had a wonderful time at Majestic Colonial and the wedding was a huge success. Planning a destination wedding can be trying but I give Megan all the credit for being organized and having faith that everything would turn out all right. I would be happy to answer any questions, just email me.
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| Majestic Colonial | Tammy ~ Canada |
There was a bottle of champagne, cheese tray and fruit tray in our room when we arrived and a little cake arrived mid way through the week. There was even a banner on our door that said Honeymooners. My sister was celebrating their 1 year anniversary and they had a banner for that too.
When I checked in I was told to come back to the lobby the next day (Sunday) to arrange my meeting with Sandra, when I did I was told it was her day off, no problems though as I wasn't getting married until Tuesday. My Mom and I met with her on Monday morning and she had a sheet of paper with all the things we had discussed via email on it. To note if you have agreed to prices or were told you qualified for the free wedding bring the emails with you in case they tell you otherwise then. I had brought my emails but didn't need them, the only thing that was going to be an up charge was my bouquet The meeting took less than 20 minutes, during which time we discussed the, choice of salad for our meal, and music. honestly, it was SO easy!!!!
I gave her the CD with my music on it and she suggested we do the first dance in the gazebo after the ceremony which was perfect as I didn't now when or where I was going to do it. The songs were all labeled on one CD. She then confirmed the time the flowers and photographer would show up at my room and the reception dinner. Sandra is very sweet and easy to work with. By the afternoon before the wedding the charges were on my room and paid for, no surprises.
The wedding day.......although it started out raining was absolutely perfect. By 2pm everything was dry and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Nobody should have any worries about getting married here. I had originally wanted white lilies and purple orchids as my bouquet but at 1pm the day of the wedding Sandra called to say the florist didn't want to use them as they weren't very nice looking, so they changed it up some. I thought it was very nice that they called first. What I got was absolutely gorgeous, because of the heat by the end of the night they were starting to wilt but lasted till then.. Our wedding was at the gazebo at 2pm. They decorate it beautifully, which rose petals all down the isle and beautiful flowers and music playing. It was very intimate so everyone could see and hear perfectly As the gazebo is off the beaten path there were no sunbathers in our photos, a few people stopped to watch when they passed but we didn't really notice them. I had supplied fans/bubbles and jelly beans for my guests. Even the staff that was playing the music got into it. After the ceremony we had our champagne toast, they even had a fruity drink for the kids in champagne glasses. Then the first dances, it was the perfect location to have them.
We had gone with the resort photographer, KIKO, highly recommend him, he had a few spots and poses already picked out but was open to any photos that we wanted taken, as it was very sunny he was very good at capturing me without my eyes closed. The photos were ready to be viewed the next morning at 11am, I purchased the silver package which came with 100 photos and could have purchased the rest on CD but didn't as many of my group had cameras as well. I wasn't pressured into buying more just given the option which I though was really nice. They were ready Thursday (wedding was Tuesday) at 11am, I got 2 sets of 100 photos (6*8), 10 photos (10*12I think), one CD of the negatives and a DVD of the photos to music. The package didn't say the photographer would be at the reception but he was and took the cake shots and a photo of each of couples with us, very nice to have.
We had our supper at the Steak House and the food was great. I had gone with the Chateaubriand based on reviews from facebook and was not disappointed. We had one long table in the corner that was perfect, I didn't even notice anyone else dining, speeches were okay as well. The cake was awesome!!! We got the chocolate cake with the banana filling as the bottom layer and white cake with the strawberry filling as the top layer. They make THE best chocolate cake!!!
All in all, the day was one I'll never forget. It was prefect and I wouldn't change a thing. We had a small group, but everyone had a wonderful time and enjoyed the resort.
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| Majestic Colonial | Julie ~ USA |
Our Perfect Wedding/Vacation at Majestic Colonial Punta Cana
GETTING TO THE RESORT
We flew US Airways on April 27th from Boston to Punta Cana. There were no closets even though we were in first class. We had to lay my dress folded in half in an overhead bin....it actually made it with no issues. I gave my extra suit cases to friends and family to bring for me.
The Punta Cana airport was a little chaotic, but I expected that due to past reviews. We gathered our luggage and headed to the booth that had our Tour Group "TNT vacations" posted on the overhead sign. The ride to the resort with TNT/Coco Tours was very unorganized. The driver was confused and didn't know where to drop people or how to get to some resorts. It took almost 2 hrs to get to the resort from the airport. We traveled separately with 37 other guests many of them were booked though "Travel Impressions"/VIP and they were all very happy with the tour company and transportation to the resort. Our guests ranged in age from 3yrs-87yrs old.
CHECK IN
Once at the resort we checked in at the front desk and were greeted with a wet towel, I think they offered us a drink too but I was too busy talking to the front desk clerk.
The resort was overbooked so we did not get upgraded like we had hoped. We got what we booked "Colonial Suite", when you pay for the wedding package you are suppose to get upgraded if available. A porter carried our luggage to our room. The room 2406 was great. It was pool view across from the towel hut. All of our guests got what they paid for. Two rooms were requested with double beds and they didn't get them so we had to ask for cots but they never complained. Everyone seemed happy and I had them meet us at night at the upper lobby bar to give them their welcome bags. The welcome bags were zippered beach bags with a bubba mug, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, personalized playing cards, personalized matches, room spray, first aid kit, rice krispy treats, Swedish fish, sour patch kids, face cloths, and a welcome letter. The kids got more of course.
MEETING WITH WEDDING COORDINATOR
Right after settling in we got a note under our door to meet the wedding coordinator Larissa at 5pm the next day, Monday. It was a relief to get this note so quickly.
We meet with the wedding coordinator and went over everything in a matter of 30 min....I had to meet her again the next day because I didn't bring my "stuff" the first meeting like I was suppose too. I brought center pieces, program fans, sand ceremony, seashell chocolates for the cake, pictures of how I wanted the cake and pictures of how I wanted the center pieces, seashell photo albums for favors, seashell photo frame for guests seating cards, wedding guest book, cake topper, and seating chart.
THE RESORT
The Majestic Colonial resort is perfect. The pool is clear blue and runs the length of the resort. The grounds are immaculate. Everyone in our group was able to find something to eat. We ate at the Steakhouse two nights and had the chateaubriand (can't spell) and everyone loved it. The main buffet was great and the steak house lunch buffet was very limited in choices. The only food people complained about was the hamburgers...they were never cooked enough to feel safe to eat. All lot of my guests raved about the Japanese. A few people did have some stomach problems but when you drink all day, take in the sun, and eat like a sumo wrestler your body might react.
THE WEDDING
Our wedding was booked for May 1st at 4pm. The day before the wedding I got a phone call from Larissa the wedding coordinator saying there was a problem with the Judge and we can have the wedding at 3pm or 5pm. We chose 3pm and lucked out because we got to shoot way more pictures with our photographer. The day of the wedding we only booked 4 spots to get our hair done in the spa. I brought pictures of how I wanted my hair and the ladies in the salon did and excellent job. After getting my hair done two more of my wedding party wanted to get their hair done. We started at 11am and were done by 130pm and that was 6 girls hair. We went back to my room to get ready.
I ordered room service for lunch, it was good but no one really had time to eat. I recommend you designate someone else to order the food for you at a particular time.
My sister did my make up (I got new make up from Macy's with a consultation and she just did what the Macy's lady did). The flowers arrived about 2pm and were beautiful. I ordered a calla Lillie bouquet for me and single calla lilies that we hand tied ourselves with white ribbon that I brought with me, 3 calla lilies per girl and flower petals for the flower girls. I had my friend tie my memory frame of my brother to my bouquet, didn't want to get teary eyed so soon.
All the guests and the boys meet at the steakhouse bar at 245pm to wait for Larissa to escort them to the beach. Around 315pm Larissa called me and we met her at the base of our elevator to walk down to the beach.
The beach wedding was set up just as we asked and we had the Trio playing music. The judge did his thing then my sister read our sand ceremony and "I DO". The ceremony was very quick. Right after the ceremony we had a champagne toast and then a group picture. We did a few family pictures and wedding party pictures then we went off with our photographer till 630pm shooting all around the resort.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
We hired our own photographer Rebecca Garone and her assistant Michael Garone from Sandown New Hampshire, USA. We couldn’t have asked for more. They were both great and full of ideas and so organized, we were able to do so many shots in so little time. We were so happy we brought our own photographer. We had so much fun shooting all around the resort. We also did a trash the dress shoot the next day at 6pm.
THE RECEPTION
The reception was great and everyone danced the night away. We had our private dinner reception at the Parrot Bar from 7pm to 11pm. This was an added cost of $55+26% per person, we did not do open bar because it would have been a waste of money...the private dinner included beer,wine,soda and water which everyone was happy with. I had my friend introduce us and we went right into our first dances, father daughter, mother son and then speeches then we ate dinner and listened to the dinner music. I rented the sound system for $250 and had my ipod hooked up to it with the play lists clearly labeled and ready to go. My friend Jon hit play at all the right times and did all the announcements...IPOD weddings are great. Some of my guests really liked the dinner music and danced a few slow songs while eating. After eating we snuck off with our photographer for a few night time photos. When we got back we cut the cake. We had a 3 tier white frosted cake decorated with pink and pink/white chocolate seashells and topped with our Swarovski crystal cake topper "D". The cake was chocolate/banana, everyone loved the cake. After cake we danced the night away. I guess I made a great play list because everyone danced and had fun all night. I played 8 dance songs mixing it up oldies, 80's and newbies and then two slow songs and had enough music on my play list to last 5 hours just for dancing.
AFTER THE RECEPTION
Do you really want to know? We got changed up and headed to the lobby bar for a few drinks and had some french fries and realized we were way too tired to party. I guess all the dancing wore us out. We got back to the room and the maid had made a bubble bath with rose petals for us (but she forgot to plug the drain and all we saw were suds and rose petals. Hehe) My husband really got a kick out of the letter they left us which read MR and Mrs. Lamb (Lamb was my last name) Hehe
TOURS
We only went on one tour Bavaro Runners Safari Adventure and it was great. They take you through the real country side to a ranch and you go horse back riding, then to a real house where they make coffee and chocolate, to a school house, then they feed you (the food was good but there was fly problem that really grossed out some people and they didn't eat). After lunch we went to a beach and chilled with some rum. The tour was worth every penny.
THE END
We did meet a great tour rep Jama from VIP and she helped us get a helicopter to fly us to the airport....what a grand exit and worth the money.
The vacation and wedding were awesome. The Majestic Colonial was worth every penny. I can't wait to go back.
1 week was not enough....Two weeks would have been great.
You may view some of our wedding/trash the dress pictures at www.bridalportraits.com and The password is 7542.
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| Majestic Colonial | Gerilyn and Mike |
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.
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
danischm@nflcanada.com
| Grand Palladium Palace Resort and Spa | Renee |
| Grand Palladium Palace Resort and Spa | Lynne and Martin |
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.
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| Iberostar Costa Dorada | Erik and Leah |
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!
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| Coral Marien | Trina |
Only thing I was a little disappointed in was the ceremony itself. We did have a wedding coordinator (Ines) who took care of most things but nothing was rehearsed, so on the wedding day there was confusion as to where people should be standing in and around the gazebo area. My fiancé was not told where he and his best man should stand and all of our guests (we had 18 guests) had no idea if there were to sit inside or stand out around the gazebo. There were 4 chairs behind a table in the gazebo , one for the bride and groom and one for the best man and maid of honour but all 4 chairs were laid up on their end as to imply they were not in use . Upon my arrival to the gazebo I didn’t know if I was to sit there or not…Again, my disappointment was in the fact that we were not made aware of these tiny but important details. The sequence of events were not explained to us and that led to some frustration. I think if a half an hour was taken the day prior to the wedding to do a quick rehearsal it would of helped out a lot and this way we would have been prepared. We spoke with other couples who were there the same week as us to get married, and they said the same thing, they felt the ceremony itself was not organized.
Grounds, pool, rooms are kept very clean at this resort and the beach was terrific. I spent a lot of time swimming in the ocean and relaxing around the beach area and loved it. There was no seaweed to be seen anywhere on this beach !!
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 !
| Sirenis Tropical Suites | Melanie |
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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| Sun Village Resort and Spa | Todd & Sandy ~ Ontario, Canada |
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 resort was beautiful and well-maintained. Our group had a few minor problems with room requests at the beginning of the week and a/c not working right, but the staff was very accomodating and sorted everything out quickly. A few of our group (the parents, mostly) were approached by the Maxim staff, but they said ‘no thanks’ and that was the end of it. You can read other reviews about the resort itself (the 7 girls from April 2008 is bang on), I will stick with the wedding.
The wedding planner, Rocio, was wonderful. She and I had organized a lot of the details before via email so when we met with her on the Tuesday, we picked out flowers and confirmed the location (beach, gazebo or garden) and that was that. The gazebo was by far the nicest location and it meant we didn’t have to rent a flowered arch or anything, which would have been extra.
We chose the basic package with a few upgrades. We had a ‘magical moments’ dinner on the beach the night before. It’s a steak and lobster dinner and the food was incredible. It was very stormy that night so instead of being on the beach, it was moved to the wedding gazebo which turned out to be very special. We both love storms so it was really cool to have the dinner in the gazebo with thunder and lightening all around us. Another upgrade we chose was getting the guitar trio. This really made the ceremony unique. Later in the week we saw another wedding take place and they brought music and had the first dance there and it seemed out of place in the tropical setting, so we were really happy we went with the trio. The basic package includes a room upgrade to superior. You definitely want this as the superior rooms are much nicer than the standard.
I highly recommend starting the day with a massage. Book with Kay if possible – she is a wonderful masseuse. We hung out by the Spa pool for some of the morning and had lunch there as well. None of us (there were four of us that got a massage that morning) were terribly impressed with the spa food, but it’s free and you can always choose something else or go to the buffet if you don’t like what you ordered.
The ceremony was set to start at 4pm. They recommend later in the afternoon so it’s not so hot. Ours didn’t start on time because the judge was late. For myself, my MoH and my dad, it was a little annoying because we were stuck in my room, but for everyone else it was fine because the waiter kept bringing them drinks! 45 minutes and 3 rounds later, the judge finally showed up.
The ceremony was short and sweet. It’s in Spanish with Rocio translating. There’s no preamble (‘we are gathered here today, etc’), the judge jumps right to it. He asks ‘do you take…’, you each say ‘I do’, then he declares that you’re married. You exchange rings, kiss, and sign the registry. Then there’s champagne and pictures and it’s off to the bar and then the reception dinner. It’s all very laid back (and quick!).
The photographer is amazing! We bought the photo package that gave us all 250 photos on a CD and it was great (we got 14 printed photos with the basic package as well). We’re so glad we didn’t have to choose because they all turned out great. We were a little anxious about this because we don’t enjoy getting our photos taken (we tend to blink or make funny faces, lol!) but we were happy with all of the photos. You get the photos a day or two after the wedding.
The reception dinner was at the Citrus – this is by far my favourite restaurant. I LOVED it there. The décor is amazing, the waitstaff is the best I’ve ever seen anywhere (Alex is so professional – he’s very good at his job) and they made it really special for us.
If you’re getting your hair and makeup done at the spa, definitely have a trial run to make sure you’re happy. My mum didn’t do a trial run and wasn’t very happy with the results.
If you care about the ceremony’s structure, get a walk-thru before. We didn’t and we didn’t know which way we were supposed to stand or in what order to exchange rings or sign the registry. It’s totally laid back so it’s no big deal but it could have been a bit smoother. Everyone laughed about it anyways – one more thing to remember fondly (we ended up ‘kissing the bride’ a couple of times – eager, I guess, lol!)
One thing that’s a little weird – only in some rooms, when the power goes out (and this happens a couple of times a day in the DR), the TVs come on when the power comes back on. So after a day by the pool, you return to your room to discover the TV on and think ‘oh my god, who’s been in my room??’ It’s a little disconcerting the first time it happens.
I have to emphasize how great this resort is. I’ve been to the south coast and the east coast and this resort is by far the best I’ve been to. The levels, which you’re warned about because of the stairs, are actually its strongest selling point. There are so many different locations to hang out during the week that you don’t get bored of the same spot at all. And the staff is FANTASTIC. It’s true the sand is not as white or the water as blue as the east coast, but we’re not beach people anyways (salt water, yuck). The water was more turbulent, meaning more waves, but this is great for people that only like to watch the ocean.
My email is sandygreene@rogers.com. Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I don’t regret a second of it. We will definitely be planning a return visit.
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| Sun Village Resort and Spa | Carmelina & Tomas |
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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| Grand Palladium Bavaro Resort and Spa | Mandy and Ralph |
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
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| SuperClubs Breezes Puerto Plata | Michelle and Mark |
| SuperClubs Breezes Puerto Plata | Sarah & Gilles ~ Halifax, NS, Canada |
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.
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| SuperClubs Breezes Puerto Plata | S & J - Canada |
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.
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| Iberostar Bavaro | Hasina and Karl |
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.
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| Iberostar Bavaro | Krista |
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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| Caribe Club Princess | G L Rogers |
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.
We enjoyed ourselves tremendously. The wedding was a double wedding, with my husband and me, and his brother and wife. Meeting with the wedding coordinator was easy and simple. Both the coordinator and the assistant were helpful and friendly. Things were done quickly. On the day of our wedding, we played in volleyball in the pool and finally got some boogie boards and enjoyed the beach. It was 90 minutes before the wedding and my husband and I had to be reminded to get dressed for the wedding. We were just enjoying our day ! Having such a day like that, so relaxed, easy going, and doing things that were so much fun - it was great. Both brides and maids/ matrons were picked up and whisked away on a golf cart. And delivered to the wedding site. And as per expected the judge showed up a bit late, but hey, we’re in the Caribbean and that’s how you just enjoy life ! We had our ceremony at the Brazilian Restaurant. The bar was closed off just for us, as was the restaurant. The wooden deck was our entranceway /walkway down to the grooms, ending with us standing on the beach with the judge. The beach was in the background, along with several interested guests of the Caribe Club Resort. We knew that people along the pool and beach would be keen on watching, so that was fine for us. They all just stayed to the side, and most of them cleared out of the end where we stood. There was a table filled with champagne glasses in a decorative pyramid, which our guests enjoyed while we had our pictures taken. Our pictures were all taken down by the beach. There was a wooden boat where all 8 of us had a group shot taken. It is one of my favourite pics. As we had our pics taken, we had organized for a small band to play. They followed us down to the beach and kept us and everyone else entertained. Another person commented on how lively the meal was at the Brazilian Restaurant. And it was ! The food was excellent and to have such a different experience was a highlight for all our guests (50). But it was the staff who were so delightful. Thru out the night, conga lines started up, the small kids were entertained by staff and guests alike. We too stayed late at the restaurant. Although, we had to request a cd player for ‘our traditional wedding dance’. That took some time to get there, and then it was quickly returned. But that was ok, for one wedding party went to the front lobby for the live entertainment, and the other wedding party went to the beach grill. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Many still talk about going again for a 10 year anniversary celebration. I write this review after attending a friend’s wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It too was enjoyable, perhaps not as well organized. There were some additional costs for things, and there was no ‘organized’ wedding dinner for the wedding guests. All in all, it is DR that remains top of my list. It is the quality of the resort, the many, many activities for all ages, the staff, and the unbelievable sand in Punta Cana that put it at the top.
| Caribe Club Princess | Christine & Dan |
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 the head table. Dan's best man was the M.C.
We arranged with Gabriel ahead of time to have our music played at the restaurant. They had a cd player there, so I just brought down some burnt cds and it worked very well!
Dinner was unique - the meat was served off of swords!
The champagne flowed and the laughter was contagious. We had a wonderful reception, with wonderful guests, at a wonderful resort.
We stayed at the restaurant until 11:30 or so, and then headed to the lobby. Had some fun there and then headed to the Arieto Disco. Dan and I even made it up on the stage!!! Good times and great pictures!
We met with Pedro the next day to look at our proofs - it was hard to pick the 25 included in our package, so we ended up choosing another 35 on top of that. It was well worth it.
Overall, the day was magical. The resort came through on every detail and everyone was impressed. We both fully enjoyed ourselves on the wedding day and looking back on it now, we wouldn't have done it any other way.
For pictures: http://www.i-do.name/photos.html
For questions: christinepiercy@hotmail.com
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| Melia Tropical Caribe | dboogie82 |
We arrived at the Melia on Wednesday January 14th upon our arrival with a few of our guests our checkin went for the most part, smooth. My guests who arrived with us that day did not get the private checkin as promised but my husband and I did for some reason. However, when the bulk of my group arrived on Thursday (53 people) they did get a private check in and it went extremely well. There were about 5 or 6 workers assiting my guests which was great. My husband and I were automatically upgraded to royal service, one bedroom master suite (room 5137 if your curious) on the day we arrived. The room was beautiful and perfect for when I had my mother and bridesmaids help me to get ready on my wedding day, very very spacious and very very very clean. I can not begin to tell you about the impeccable service we recieved at the Melia...I can go on forever...I have never spent time at a resort as beautiful, as big and as well kept. I was amazed. Our "butlers" in RS were Benjamin and Pablo, they were amazing, so helpful, anything we wanted, we got. They felt like family by the time we left. On our wedding night they came and set up the jacuzzi for us, which was also beautiful. We tipped them a dolllar here and there but before we left we gave them $20 each. My only quam, for lack of better words, about the resort is that it is so so big. When you reside in RS and all of your guests are on the other sides of the resort, by the main pool and the beach, its becomes a bit of a pain to get to them. Although the room was beautiful next time we go down we will most likely stay on the Caribe side (believe it or not we already have 20 or so people coming back with us next January to celebrate our anniversary, every single one of my guests were absolutley in love with the Melia). We also made sure to tip the maid for her service $10 before we left.
I had no planned itineraries, I wanted my guets to treat it as their own vacation and just come to my wedding on Saturday and thats what everyone did. We met up with people for dinner on some nights or at the lobby bars, everything was extremly relaxed and casual. Our favorite bar we want to was the Avenue Bar they had a DJ, fire throwers and dancers one night, that were awesome. For the most part though we hung at the Caribe Lobby which had nightly entertainment.
The food is so tasty and well prepared. Just a heads up if you want to eat anywhere but the buffets you NEED to make reservations at least two days in advance if you want to eat at a decent time (between 7pm and 9pm). USually if you want to eat after 9pm the reservations are easier to get. I highly recommend the Japanese and Seafood restaurnats. The buffets were fine for breakfast and lunch or for something quick to eat. I DO NOT recommend the Steakhouse, we had reservations, and still waited to be seated 40 minutes and then didnt get served for an hour and a half. They said their grill wasnt working properly (which we believed, until some of our guests later that night told us that the night before they encountered the same issues and was given the same excuse). The drinks: the Melia is by no means "cheap" with their alcohol. Most all inclusive resorts water down their drinks, the Melia does not! Their drinks are made very strong (I am not complaining)! We usually tipped our servers $2 a meal/$1 a drink at the bar.
We left, along with the last of our guests on Tuesday the 20th for another resort, the Excellence, what a mistake!!! It was horrible, filthy (there was rats, mosquitos (about 8 in our bed every morning) and huge horse flies everywhere, literally breading on the unclean tables) and the service stunk! We tried to make the best of it, but we wound up leaving early, complaining, got our money back for our unused stay, came home and made other arrangements for the rest of our honeymoon. I do not recomend this place, especially if you have previously stayed at the Melia.
THE WEDDING CEREMONY (MELIA):
We met with Evelyn on Friday, the day before the wedding and went over every detail. It literally took 15 minutes, she had every piece of correspondance I had sent from over a year ago when I was dealing with other coordinators. She was helpful and did a good job for the most part. She messed up on what I wanted for my bouquet but it was still beautiful and a few of my welcome bags never made it to my guests rooms. I was not impressed by the decorations of the gazebo, the flowers were dingy looking and for the most part dead (it did rain a good 15 minutes before my ceremony so that could have had something to do with it). The Musical Trio was beautiful except that I didnt realize until my bridesmaids told me they didnt have any music to walk in to because the Trio was behind me and you couldnt hear them. So I would recommend having the Trio remain in the gazebo and play from there (they played Cannon in D). I had a Catholic cermony that lasted 30 minutes, the priest was great, spoke perfect english. We hand picked our entire cermony so it was nice. I also did the Horse and Carriage, which was late to pick me up so I hopped on a golf cart (in the rain) to drive me to the Gazebo and when I got there the Horse and Carriage was just dropping my husband off. I finally got on the H&C, grabbed my bouquet and had to sit and wait a good 15 minutes until the rain stopped, by myself, which actually turned out to be a good thing because I got to be by myself for a minute with my thoughts. The only bad thing about not getting picked up at my room was that the photographers got away with not taking the "in room" pictures (that was supposed to be part of my package). After the ceremony and the group pictures was over the post ceremony cocktail hour was at the Avenue Bar, we didnt attend it because we were taking pictures the whole time, but my guests said it was nice. I opted not to do the champagne toast or the cake cutting beacuse we wanted to save the cake for the Jellyfish (which by the way Evelyn said was okay). We just had the chamapagne for our guests at the cocktail hour with some food. The photographer and videographer was okay, nothing to brag about. Our pictures came out beautiful but they are a bunch of scammers. The day after our wedding the rep sat us down and we watched a beautiful photo montage of our ceremony and still pictures that at first I thought was part of our package since he showed it to us but come to find out it was an extra $650 dollars on top of the $440 we paid for 40 pictures in the package we originally chose. Although I would have loved to have it we just thought it was too much money. He gave us two other options of if we wanted all the negatives, etc and that stuff ranged from $550 to $1200 dollars. We just stuck with our package. I wish I would have remembered that they didnt do our "in room, cake cutting or beach pics" at that point because I would have bargained with them but it totally slipped my mind until way after the fact. We picked up our pictures a few hours after we met with the rep. Again, though the pictures we have are beautful and the video they did (which was seperate from the photo package) was nice I would choose an outside photgrapher, if you could. By the way, the cake transportation (which was pretty and tasty) was a huge issue but I'll get to that in a bit. We tipped Evelyn $20, the Musical Trio $60, the Horse & Carriage $10 and the photo and video guys $25 each. Overall, I enjoyed our time at the Melia and everything about my wedding was beautiful regardless of the little things here and there that didnt go as planned. I have to admit though, for planning a wedding so far away it went as perfect as it could. It was a day I dont ever want to forget. I wish I can do it all over again, with my husband of course He looked so handsome!
And by the way all of my bridesmaids, my mother, maid of honor, mother in law and myself got our hair done at the salon at the Melia and it came out very nice, no complaints at all. Just bring pictures. We tipped them $10 each.
The WEDDING RECEPTION (JELLYFISH):
Let me start off by saying the place was AMAZING!!!! It takes your breath away how beautiful it is.
I tried to contact Mayte to confirm our meeting time when I was down there via email, but got no response. So my husband, our DJ and I just showed up. We went their on Friday around 4pm with the hopes the she would be there, but she wasnt. I am disappointed to say that I never got to meet her or speak to her. The last time I spoke with her via email was about 2 weeks before I left to let her know that we wired her the rest of the balance and when I tried to confirm it with her I only got a response from a Gabriel that it was recieved. Anyway, when we arrived we were told that she wouldnt be there until 6pm or so that we could go over all the details with the guy who sets up for the wedding, so thats what we did and he did a wonderful job. The decorations of the place were beautiful, from the tables to the lighting, I couldnt have asked for more. The staff was very helpful and accomodating AND the food was SO SO GOOD! We chose the buffet of appetizers, the $35pp menu and the $10ppph bar. Our DJ was setup up stairs which was perfect. A few things though: about the cake...we never got the chance to arrange the pick up of the cake but didnt think it would have been a big deal because we asked Evelyn to put it in a box and we would get someone to transport it there from our party, she said no problem. I told her we would pick it up at 6:30pm from her at the Caribe lobby where the buses were departing to take our guests to the Jellyfish. The buses came and went....without US! The cake wasnt with Evelyn when we got there so we had to wait...we told the driver of one of the buses to take our guests and come back for us, he never did. My husband and I wound up almost an hour late for our own party since we had to wait for the cake and a new taxi (that we paid for) to take us there. The cake NEVER CAME IN A BOX! It came on a black platter, 3 tiers, that my husband had to carry on his lap on the way to the JF and for those of you who know....the road leading to the JF is no smooth ride, so you can just imagine! We laugh about it now but we werent laughing then because we were imagining this thing flopping all over my husband or worse on the floor (or I dont know what would be worse). The cake was beautiful though! When we finally got to the JF like I said it was breathtaking...everything I wanted except that my husband and I didnt have our sweetheart table we requested. The staff made sure to fix it right away. When our time came to dance our first dance together the speakers downstairs went out so it wasnt what we had in mind. But we sang to eachother and made the best of it. My only other small issue was that the womens bathroom kept flooding. Again I never met Mayte my husband met with Gabriel around 9pm that night and asked that he extend our time another hour for the mix ups but he only budged for a half hour. Our reception was from 6:45pm to 11:30pm with the extension. We did get on the buses back to the Melia We tipped the staff $10 each. Overall the Jellyfish was a great venue for a wedding reception I would recommend it highly to future brides. When we go back next January we will go there for dinner and I hope to meet Mayte then. I sent her an email wanting to formally thank her but never receieved a response back. I hope all is okay with her.
All in all our wedding was so much fun! Every one had such a good time, so good they are still buzzing about it and its been two weeks since they left and they cant wait to go back!
I hope my review was helpful and I wish all of the future brides good luck, your wedding is going to be beautiful and remember; it is what you make of it. You are going to have so many emotions that day so go with it.
If you need any questions anwered I will be gald to help. I am dboogie82 on the Dominican Republic Travel Forum – send me a PM.
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| Melia Tropical Caribe | Mark & Theresa |
I just had to write about what a wonderful wedding we had at the Melia and what a wealth of information Debbie’s was prior to going on our trip. We left from Philadelphia on Monday August 27th on USA3000 Charter thru Apple Vacations. The flight was wonderful and on time, no problems what so ever going or coming back. We arrived at the Melia around 10:30am, about a 20 minute bus ride from the airport. We booked are stay in Royal Service, we also had 18 guests some of which stayed in the regular rooms, all Jr Suites by the way. Our check in was simply minutes, we were greeted with a tropical drink, as were are guests. Our bags arrived promptly are rooms were bright and clean, so within about 30 minutes, we were all meeting at the beach.
I had read some of the reviews about the Melia that were not so good, and frankly I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly complain. The grounds are simply beautiful, the beach pure white, the water baby blue, the restaurants were very good. Our favorite was the American Grill (Steakhouse & The Dominican Restaurant) El-Guarpo. We had no problem with reservations at all and we were a big group. The staff was very pleasant and I had gotten info from Debbie’s site to take plenty of small bills for tips, and I also brought school supplies (pencils, crayons, note paper etc) as I was told it is very expensive in the DR for such items. As a matter of fact, I went a little overboard and had a small suitcase filled with all sorts of stuff to give out to some of the help. They really do work very hard and I can tell you everything I gave away, was much appreciated. A couple dollars and some hair ties or whatever I had daily and our maid loved it. I am not saying anyone has to do what I did, but it did feel very good giving to others in a small way. Our wedding: We got married in the Gazebo on Sept 1st, 2007. I met with our wedding coordinator a few days prior to the wedding to set everything up, and then relaxed and let them do their thing, and they did it quite well. The wedding was beautiful, my wedding coordinators Sol & Evelyn were excellent, and the photographer took beautiful photos. I and all my guests loved everything about the Melia. The stories about the train not coming, bad service etc must be from people who are so uptight that they just simply cannot sit back and enjoy another country. I personally didn’t experience anything but beautiful surroundings, pleasant staff and service. Debbie’s website was a critical tool I used to plan my wedding and get advice and even make some friends. What can I say; we love the DR and will go back again next year as we have been the past 3 years. I would most certainly recommend this hotel to anyone. If you would like to see a slide show of our wedding day, and some shots of the Melia, go to loveday.ws click on our wedding and we are Mark & Theresa (Sept 1st)
| Melia Tropical Caribe | Catherine and Rodger |
I will start off by thanking this wonderful website as it was a huge help in choosing my destination for my wedding. The wedding was incredible. I would not change a thing! This is the place to do it. The gazebo is absolutely stunning, and gave the privacy that i was looking for. There are no sunbathers in the pictures, just beautiful gardens. They pick you up in a horse and carraige and the guitar trio (well worth the extra) plays beautifully as you walk down the aisle under arches of fresh flowers. The whole gazebo is decorated with palm leaves and these gorgeous flowers. It is by far the nicest wedding area i;ve seen for any hotel with exception to the only 2 pictures i've seen rival it (paradisus rio de oro, and grand pineapple beach). I did a lot of research and it paid off. The ceremony was elegant and relaxed. We had cake and champagne and the wedding coordinator Vanessa, was very professional and extremely helpful. The dinner that night was as the dominican restaurant with food from the french. It was so delicious. The room with the dinner is semi private, but you are completely screened off from the rest of the restaurant. As with the rest of the resort, the service was top notch, and never did our wine glasses go empty. We were really lucky with Vanessa, as she made reservations for our whole group for the rest of the week. The details that Vanessa attended to were surprising and appreciated. We had menus for our private dinnerthe night before the wedding (very romantic) and menus for all of our guests the night of the wedding. Our vegetarion even had a menu for her different meal. The decor was elegant and beautiful. We had champagne and fruit and rum delivered to our honeymoon suite several times during our trip. As you can see I am rambling as this wedding exceeded my wildest expectations. If you are looking to get married in Punta Cana Do it! The melia caribe is the place to go, they make you feel like you are special. We were lucky to be the only wedding that day ( at least one almost everyday)but honestly I don't think it would have made a difference. This place has it down pat.
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| Iberostar Punta Cana | Peter and Annie |
Planning and Preparation-
We started planning our trip approximately 5 months before we got married. (I would not suggest planning in a shorter time period). We found a travel agent nearby our home and started planning. We gave a budget range, time of year we wanted to go, and we wanted an all-inclusive/ 5+ Apple Hotel. Our travel agent was great and since we were fairly flexible, we got a great deal and decided to stay 11 days/10 nights. I got in contact with the wedding coordinator, Alexis, and talked a few times via e-mail. Don’t worry if she does not get back with you right away…she is one busy lady! All my documentation preparation went through WeDo (www.wedo.com.do). You have to get your Birth certificates, passports, and single affidavit statements all translated to Spanish and notarized before you leave. Give yourself 2 months to get this done. They are a great organization to go through. Everything went very smoothly.
Arriving in Punta Cana-
I did not check my wedding dress on the plane and was able to carry it on. (Fortunately, the dress got it’s own seat on the plane?) We stepped off the plane to 90 degree beautiful weather (it did not rain once in 11 days). We arrived in Punta Cana, DR on February 8, 2006. My husband and I were treated great upon arriving. Our wonderful wedding coordinator, Alexis, made sure to get us an ocean front suite steps from the beach to our surprise. Once we got settled, we received a knock on our door. It was a personal invitation to have a private dinner just the 2 of us that night. The note also read we were to meet with Alexis the following afternoon. The next day, (1 day before our wedding) my mom, sister, soon to be husband, and I went to meet Alexis. We picked out flowers, location, guitar trio or pianist (choose guitar trio!!!), the dinner after our reception, and picture package. It took about 1 hour and everything was settled!
Wedding Day-
I woke up in the morning and went to breakfast with my soon to be husband, family, and friends. Afterwards, some friends and I had a manicure and pedicure in the salon. My friends surprised me with a one hour full body message (All you brides, you need this!!) At one in the afternoon, I went to my suite to take a shower and get ready. I decided to do my own hair because I wanted it simple, down on my shoulders, and beachy looking? Wine, cheese, and fruits were brought to our room minutes before we were to leave. The judge was on time, but the golf cart that picked us up was running a little late. Upon arriving, my sister walked down the aisle, and then came my mom, dad, and me. The guitar trio played a tropical rendition of the wedding march and many, many people on the beach were very interested in watching. It was a beautiful ceremony in Spanish (my sister who is fluent translated for us). Don’t worry, Alexis translates! We had requested Ricky as the photographer, but unfortunately, he was on vacation that week. We had Maximo and he was great!!!!!!! We bought the Gold Wedding Package: 75, 5x7 pictures/ 4, 8x10 / a CD of these pictures, and an edited DVD (approx. 30minutes) = 799.00 (you get 20% off if you book before you leave). This was well worth the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my pictures 2 days after the wedding.
Overall-
This was a great place to have a weddingmoon. The beach is gorgeous, wedding was wonderful and very romantic! Please feel free to look at our pictures at http://peterandannie.weddings.com (go to “Photo Albums”)
Or you can e-mail me at anniesteele23@yahoo.com
Bien Viaje!
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| Puerto Plata Village | Jamie and Jay |
we booked our holiday/wedding through first choice there were quite allot of people who came with us 31 and they all enjoyed it as well.
the rooms are quite basic the standard rooms were all clean but some were quite dark we in fact wasn't very happy with our room and the staff were very happy to help the porter jimmy moved us 3 times he was lovely we ended up with a brilliant room it was one of the best family room they had so I was happy then
the food was really nice there was something for every one and we did have some fussy eater in our group but they were quite pleased the Mexican was one of the best restraints
we ate their a lot also they have different themed night the best one was the gala evening they set all the tables and all the food outside around the swimming pool and they had bbq and then the entertainment staff did a dancing show in the water which was one of the best night
all the entertainment staff work very hard and are all very friendly one the staff lenny took all the men from our group go carting he got it really cheap and ordered cabs and everything and then spent the day with there.
we did the Ocean World trip which was very good we did the dolphin encounter me and my son (4) also we did the Outback Jungle Safari that was a good day and as we were getting married they dressed the truck up with balloons and gave us a to-shirt and hat this was another good day the best bit was surfing at cabaret the surf capital of the Dominican republic.
the wedding went very well no hiccups at all its was so layed back the wedding coordinator was very good we decided to get married in the gardens as it was more private than on the beach but we went down the beech for the photos
we got married at 1600 in the afternoon as we thought it would be cooler then the ladies in the hair dresser are very good I took some pictures of how I wanted my hair and she done it exactly how I asked and it stayed (curls) for 3 days. after all the pictures we went back to the bar for h'dovers and drinks before the alcarte meal in one of the restraunts which was a lovely evening we finished of in ambrosias night club which a good laugh every one had a great time. the photograph photo memories which were based at the plaza which was about 5 minute walk away were very good we could go and look at the pictures the next day and choose which one so we wanted they also did take the video which was edited with music of your choice I would recommended taken about 7 song with you so they can put what you want on there the whole day was brilliant the morning after one of the waiters knocked on the door with a selection of different fruit all cut out in to lovely shapes and brought two bottles of rum round too. the holiday was great all in all the only problem was that on the weekend it does get very busy as all the locals come in and take over I never had any problems with them but a few other people did but that wouldn't put me off going back there the entertainment fan evening was quite repeative but they do work hard doing different shows.
people told me to take dollars over their but you are better of taking English money and changing it there as we lost allot of money changing it from dollar to pesos every one who told me said take dollars but they give you the price in pesos if you were to buy anything
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| Puerto Plata Village | Sherry and Shan |
I am writing a wedding review for the Puerta Plata Village resort in Playa Dorada resort. We stayed there from Dec. 29, 2005 until January 5, 2006
We just returned from a one week stay at the Puerta Plata Village where we had our wedding. Overall, I was very happy with the hotel and their wedding package. The day could not have been more perfect.
Before we left we corresponded with the hotel (guest services) and we informed them of the date and time that we wanted our wedding and they booked the judge for us before we arrived. Since our wedding was on a Saturday (Dec. 31) we did have to pay an extra 150 dollars US for the judge, which they informed us of through our initial e-mails.
When we arrived and checked in at the resort, they had a note for us to meet with the coordinator the following day. We met with Kathy the following morning and she helped us organize all of the details of our wedding. The package through the hotel cost $650 US because we were with Signature Vacations it only cost us $600 US (plus the etra cost of the judge, we paid him directly on the wedding day). The package includes a room upgrade, the decorated wedding site, 14 -5x7 pictures, cake, bouquet and flowers for your hair (which I used as my throw away bouquet) and flowers for the groom, 1 bottle of chapagne after the ceremony, Hors d'oeuvres, horse and carriage and reservation at an a la carte resaurant.
We had 43 guests who came down with us for the wedding and we decided to buy extra Hor D'oeuvres and champagne for our guests (I belive it was an extra $200US for the extra). After we discussed the scheduel for the day and arranged for the extras,and picked my flowers ( I decided on the tropical bouquet) we took a tour of the wedding facility. The wedding was in the garden (which was beautiful) and she also showed us the Plan B location inside in case it rained (which it didn't).
The day of the wedding could not have gone smoother. We had our wedding in the morning. The ceremony was to begin at 11:00am. I got ready in my room and I was to wait in my room forthe flowers (which were delivered 1/2 hour before the ceremony, I requested the tropical arrangement...they were abosolutly beautiful. I had so many compliments on them that day) and the photographer from Photo Memories to come and take pictures of me with my parents before the ceremony. The photographer was fantastic! The only thing we had to wait for was the judge....who was a little late. I was warned about this from other people who were married in the D.R. so I was not worried.
Once he arrived, my parents and I took the horse drawn carriage to the garden location (which was beautifully decorated) where our guests were located. They had some pews that accomodated our 43 guests. I was serenaded down the aisle by a local musician. The ceremony was about 10 minutes and in Spanish with Kathy,our wedding coodinator, translating .It was absolutly perfect. After the ceremony, we had our first dance with music provided by the local musician, we drank chanpagne, cut our cake and our photographer took more pictures. We went to the beach and took more pictures (which were absolutly beautiful). After the pictures we went to the buffet for lunch. They reserved a section for us so that everyone could sit together and we could have a few speeches. After lunch, everyone relaxed by the pool and then got ready for New Year's Eve. As part of the package they reserved a table for us at the El Cupey restaurant for New Year's Eve. It was so much fun! The food and service was excellent and the party after midnight was even better. What a great way to end our wedding day!
Our pictures were ready two days later and our wedding documentation was ready and in our hands a full day before we left (and they were able to do this during the holidays!). As a gift the hotel gave us a bottle of rum and some cigars.
I would not hesitate to recomend the Puerta Plata Village as a place to get married. Kathy, our wedding coordinator was excellent. She was very helpful and organized. I did not worry about one thing concerning the wedding. She was great. The photo's we received were outstanding. I truly was not expecting to have a professional photograher and videographer following us around on that day. She came up with so many unique and beautiful poses. We ended up buying 60 pictures (on disk) and the wedding video. We were very impressed with the quality!.
Our wedding was more beautiful than we had ever expected. It is truly a wonderful resort for a wedding and a vacation. All 45 of us had a fantastic time!
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| Bahia Principe San Juan | Lisa |
We were at this hotel between 5th - 19th May 2006. We seen a few weddings before ours and everything seemed to go well. Our Wedding was arranged for 4pm on 15th May as you have to be in the country for 5 working days.
Our wedding co-ordinator was Wendy as she was very helpful. We met with Wendy on the Tuesday before the Wedding to go through all the details. At the meeting she checks all your paperwork and ask you to complete another form. She shows you a video and photos of previous weddings to assist with the choices you need to make. We picked the flowers, photograph package and whether or not you would like you day recorded on DVD. You can buy further bouquets, wrist corsage or button holes too, which are very reasonable. I brought along a cd of our favourite songs which we gave to Wendy. We also reserved the Mediterranean restaurant for our evening meal. We had 15 guests who all enjoyed this restaurant.
On the day of the Wedding we were relaxing by the pool until my hairdresser appointment. The girl in the hairdresser is really good but I would recommend taking a picture of what your are wanting, for her to copy. She done a better job than the hairdresser back home had done!! It costs $35 dollars for a hair up.
I walked back to our room to get ready. Standing under the air-conditioning awaiting the phone call.
Wendy arrived with the photographer and a decorated buggy about 4.10pm. Our room wasn't far from the gazebo. You walk through a building which leads to the gazebo. Where you are meet by your husband to be and your guests. The actual ceremony only lasts about 10 minutes but after your first dance and photographs you are here for about an hour. I was glad we got married later on in the day as it would have been far too hot otherwise.
The gazebo was lovely, as were the extra flower arrangements. The cake was lovely, one of the best we have ever tasted. Our guests were treated to bubbly and canapes whilst our photos were being taken.
After the cermony we made our way to the lobby where we all had a drink before going to the restaurant at 7pm. The staff in the restaurant were great. I would recommend this restaurant as they have a smaller room off the main part.
When we got back to our room that night, we have a lovely fruit basket and other gifts left by the hotel. We received breakfast in bed the day after which was lovely.
The photographer was really good and we loved our photo's they were perfect. We upgraded to the second package the hardest part we deciding which photo's to pick for the album. Our package cost approx $180 for 50 photos in total.
Just remember to pick up your certificate before you leave. We were leaving the Friday morning and on the Thursday afternoon we still didn't have our certificate so we went to see Wendy. There had been a problem with the surname of one of our witnesses, the registers office couldn't make it out. We were asked to go back at 9pm that night to collect our certificate. It arrived and everything was okay.
All in all we had a great time and couldn't have wished to our day to go any better than it did. It was perfect and I would recommend this hotel to anyone.
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