EricaG

Most of the stuff that we are taking down there we won't have to bring back, like the OOT bags and the wedding favors. I will be bringing back my wedding dress, but I probably leave my TTD dress, as my Mom is making it to be a light-flowy dress that slightly resembles my wedding dress. As for the table decorations, we might take runners and then just have tealights and shells or something. If my Mom makes chair ties, we will probably bring them back to. Oh yeah, and the cake topper that we ordered and got yesterday!!! It is laser engraved with our names, wedding date, and a tropical scene and then lights up from the bottom. I love it!!!!

I don't think my FI or the GM will walk down the aisle, but we can figure that out later. Our BM will make their way down the aisle, followed by MOH. Instead of having the FG & RB (our children aged 3 1/2 & 16 months at the time of the wedding) walk down by themselves, my Mom is going to walk down with them. Then it will be me and my Dad.

We will be having an AHR and have always known we would, as most of my FI family doesn't have a lot of $, and we knew there would be a good chance that very few if any could come to our DW. We don't want to leave his family out, but we also don't want to have change our wedding plans to fit everyone else. As for the planning, I am trying to get everything done for the DW while also getting this arranged and done for the AHR. Then when we get back from the DW, there is very little left to do. I actually made a gel candle for the AHR lastnight as a sample, to see how it works with my idea...and it looks good. On another note, I don't think that it is rude not to have one. Each couple just needs to decide what is important for them and their wedding celebration(s), and what is not.

I love Dollarama. I got all the vases there for our AHR. I am making gel candles with sand, sea shells and a star fish on the bottom, and I added a blue tinge to the gel. We are also getting the hand sanitizer, aloe lotion, playing cards and sand toys for the kids that will be down there.

As our family was working on putting together our geneology, we found that my Great Grandmother didn't have a middle name, so when she immigrated from Norway, she decided to give herself one. Legally it wasn't part of her name, but in her everyday life it was. As for dropping my maiden name, I am having a hard time deciding if I want to do that. I have had this name for so long, and it is a part of me. So I was thinking of hyphenating it or adding it as a middle name and both our kids have my last name as a middle name. I don't know if it is the same in the states as it is here in AB, Canada, but my friend works in a registry agency, and when I suggested that I make my name another middle name, she told me that I can't unless I do a legal name change. Turns out when you get married, you assume his last name. It is still legal, but paperwork is different, I think the cost and waiting time is different, and if you end up getting divorced (let's not worry about this happening!) than it is easy to drop his name and take your own back, rather than having to do another legal name change. Just something to think about and look into in your area. If I hyphenate my name, when signing legal documents, I would have to write it all out, but in everyday life you can use just one!

That is such a great idea. I am having starfish and sand dollars incorporated into my wedding. I love them both and they both have symbolism.

I think it depends on how big the resort is. I have been to smaller resorts that would only have one wedding a day. But with the bigger resorts, they would probably have them space out so they aren't running into each other. The resort that I am getting married at has 3 resorts in 1, and the WC you work with depends on what section you are staying in. Therefore, someone could probably get married in the Bavaro section while I was getting married on the beach from the Palace section. There are also multiple a la carte's to have the receptions in, so you wouldn't have to share a resturant. The best thing to do is to contact the wedding coordinator from the resort(s) that you are looking at going to.

I can only imagine what you and your family are going through. I think the fact that she had a couple friends and his family there show that she knew your family would not be supportive of the marriage. When you said that she got married after having a fight with her Mom, that sounds like it was acting out against your family and like she thinks it was a way to show she could do what she wants. That is too bad that she took such a life altering step to prove something to others, especially when that just shows that she doesn't always think things through completely or think of the consequences. I am sorry to hear about this, and I hope at some point and somehow, things get better.

My Mom is making the BM dresses since they are going to be fairly simple & light dresses.

We got our friends a sand ceremony for their wedding in Cuba, and to keep the sand in place, they melted wax from the candles over the top of it. The sand shifted a little bit, but it was also tipped over on the plane in her carry-on. It still looks good though. The vase that I want for our sand ceremony is heart shaped and has a cork thing on top. After we get it I will have a look at it and maybe play with it to find the best way to keep it all in place.

Things that I have done: -sent out STD -made & sent out invites -wedding website -booked trip -confirmed wedding date -decided on wedding dress, MOH dress, one BM dress & FG dress -have fabric to make MOH & BM dresses -FI shirt, GM shirts & RB outfit -favor boxes -favors -photo guestbook made -signing mat -GM gifts -BM gifts (waiting for some items to arrive, but they are ordered) -cake topper -something old - Grandma's wedding ring -something new - will be my dress -something borrowed - Nanny's pearls -something blue - larimar bracelet -registered at The Bay & Linen 'n Things -decided on OOT bag items -made bath balms for OOT bags -tea lights for OOT bags -supplies to make gel candles for AHR -supplies for Thank you cards Things I still have to do: -order my dress & flower girl dress (end of April) -pants for FI & GM -decide on last BM dress -make ring bearer seashell -make flower girl basket -make garters -get hair accessories -get shoes for after beach ceremony & pics -order wedding bands -order bags and remaining items for OOT bags -order fans -passports for our kids -sand ceremony -decide on music -also waiting for people to book!!! We are waiting to order the OOT bag items until we know how many are coming for sure. We are also thinking about booking an excursion to Altos de Chavon for everyone, but we are looking into the cost of hiring vans for the day. As for the STD and the invites, we sent out the STD after getting engaged to give everyone about a years notice. Then I started making the invites so that when we booked and had a wedding date, we could send out the actual invites. I sent out the invites with all the wedding info, booking info & prices about a week after booking our trip.

Here is a pic of my dress: Here is a pic of my daughters flower girl dress, but it will also be in Teal:

I was back and forth as to whether I should get a second dress for TTD or not. I have read that the dresses are usually fine afterwards but my dress is white with Teal on it, and I am not sure how the teal will withstand the salt water and being washed. I am having an AHR as well, and want to wear my dress then, so I don't want it wrecked. Finally my Mom suggested making me a light-weight dress that is flowy for the TTD, so that is what I am doing now, and we are going have some teal on it as well. I am soooo excited!!!

Here is a link to see the pics that I was sent as samples. The bouquets are samples of ones they have done as upgrades and bridesmaid bouquets before, but you are not limited to only these ones. Hope this helps. ethrondson/Sample Pics - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The WC is different for the Bavaro section. The one you have talked to is the WC for the Punta Cana & Palace sections. We did mos of our organizing of what we want while talking to Carolina from the Bavaro, but then we ended up booking in the Palace section, and the only thing I have heard back is conformation on our wedding date. No other questions were answered yet, and I am thinking of contacting Carolina again just to get a few questions answered. Everything is officially decided on the day after you arrive there, you meet with the WC and go through everything with her. I just like to have an idea of what I want beforehand. I do know that everything usually says that the wedding is in the gazebo, but you can have the ceremony on the beach, and Carolina sent me a pic of on beach wedding, as well as some bouquets that they have done.

I am also getting married at this resort but will be staying in the Palace section. We are leaving on Nov 27, 2008 and are getting married on Nov 30. The WC is the same for the Punta Cana and Palace sections. Even though I haven't gotten married there yet, I have been in touch with the WC's there since Sept and have got almost everything organized. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me and I may be able to help you out. The WC for the Bavaro section is very quick and easy to work with, but our WC is not always very quick. I have got a few sample pics from them of bouquet upgrades they have done before as well as a pic of a beach ceremony. If you would like to see them, just PM me.

We are putting together little OOT bags for our guests in Punta Cana. After reading this thread, I told my Mom about it and that some people are doing excursions instead. We got to talking and have decided that we may do the OOT bags as well as an excursion. The only thing was that we would have to find something that everyone wanted to do, that no one that has been there has already done, and something that was affordable for us to foot the bill. Then we decided that we are going to look into renting vans for a day and we are going to go to 'Altos de Chavon'. It is a little village that a man built for his daughters birthday and it resembles a european city. It has become an artist community, but it looks beautiful. We heard about this and were told to go check it out, and so far everyone that we have talked to is interest in going. The only cost for us would then be the vans and it is not going to hurt the bank account doing it. Thanks everyone for the idea of an excursion!!!

I have booked at the Grand Palladium Palace for our wedding this Nov. Once we booked, I wrote the WC and told her what day we wanted the wedding and informed her that we were doing the 'vow renewal' ceremony rather than the wedding ceremony which requires the judge. She got back to us and we have our wedding date scheduled. Maybe if you contact her at the Grand Palladium again, let her know that you want the vow renewal ceremony. This resort is beautiful and I am so excited to go back there for our wedding.

We are getting married at the Grand Palladium. We have been to this resort before and loved it, so we thought it was only fitting to return there to celebrate our marriage.

We have travelled with our daughter several times since she was 6 months old (now she is 3 years old). When we get married, our daughter will be almost 4 years old, but our son will be 16 months and this is what I am packing for him: -swimsuits -shorts -shirts -sweater (for the evenings) -pants (a couple pairs for the evenings) -swimmers (1 pack) -diapers -socks (for the evenings) -shoes -sandels, crocs and a pair of runners -hat -sunglasses -2 sippy cups -teddybear blanket (he always sleeps with this) -disposible washclothes -wipes -some activity or toys to keep him entertained on the plane -snacks for on the plane -meds - tylenol, benadryl, gravol and bandaids -stroller -playpen I think this is everything I have on my packing list, but I don't have it with me right now, so I may have missed something. As for the diapers, you are able to buy them there, but I have found them to be expensive, so I usually take a lot of diapers, and then you have that as extra room to come home with souvenirs. As for the stroller, I have taken a little one, our regular one and no stroller. We regretted not taking one, and the regular one was fine on the plane. We are taking our regular one this time too, as you can take it right up to the plane door, and then you get it on the tarmac down there. We have also request a crib, but will still be taking the playpen, as it can be moved to other rooms easily if the kids will be staying with others to give you a night off. Hope this helps.

Hey there. I am a new member to this site. I am busy planning my destination wedding in Punta Cana this Nov. It is sooooo exciting and I am glad to be part of a site that is dedicated to people that are and have done the same thing. Erica