joshfrommontreal

Yes it will be cheaper for you to be married in Punta Cana if you get married at city hall beforehand. You will save on translating official documents into spanish and then retranslating etc. Also, most resort wedding packages are cheaper for non-official ceremonies I would think mostly because they then do not have to get a judge to do the ceremony. The resort will definitely ask you to provide a copy of your Canadian marriage certificate. That you got at City Hall.

Quote: Originally Posted by Christinamaria22 So JOsh the beach location is better after party spot? THe wedding coordinator told me the closest bar from a private locations was the parrotts bar.... ugh! I am so confused.... I cant afford the open bar and i dont want to make my guests walk faarrrr If my memory serves me correctly the reception location with the closest bar should be the beach reception. This question comes up so much though, so on Friday I am going to find out for sure. I'll count my steps from each or something like that.

I'll try and answer a few questions: "Is 1pm too early for the ceremony? I am not sure what the weather is like to determine" There isn't really a 'too early' for the ceremony. Your one consideration is that it is going to be hot and the sun will be very strong at 1pm. If you are having it on the beach then the wind will make it better. The gazebo will be very hot, but its the tropics and everyone should understand that. Also, don't worry about making your guests wait around after the ceremony or anything like that. It gives people time to cool off, take a shower or a dip in the pool/ocean before the reception. "My Fiance and I really want to have a beach party after dinner, however the prices posted to host an open bar seem unreasonable. Is there a public bar close to the beach that people can use?" The bar is actually pretty close to the beach party site. It is the bar that is at the steakhouse/sea food restaurant. Its about a 2 minute walk from the beach location. Not as convenient as one right there at the site but not as bad as walking from say the Swim-Up or Parrot Bar to another bar. Also, encourage your guests to bring mugs if you choose this so they don't have to run back and forth as much. "How kid/teen friendly is the resort? We have quite a few kids from ages 9-14 that will be attending and we want to make sure they have things to do at this resort." The resort is very teen/kid friendly. There is lots to do, many games etc. Although letting them bring along movies/portable video games etc is definitely a good idea. Night time can be a bit boring for kids especially if they aren't into the show. Most likely the cheapest time of year will be November. If anyone has any other questions be sure to let me know. I will be at the Majestic on Friday to shoot 2 weddings next week. I'll try and get an update on the 2010 pricing.

I have compiled a lot of information into one booklet. I will update it with the 2010 prices as soon as I get them. I am going to ask in person next week when they will be out. You can download the booklet at: Majestic Colonial Booklet or if you would like it emailed to you post here, or send me an email at [email protected]

If anyone is interested in an info booklet, you can download one that I made at Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

If anyone is interested in an info booklet, you can download one that I made at Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

Great contest!

the bar is definitely close enough to the steakhouse, no need to get the open bar if you are having your dinner there.

Hey Stephanie, The steak house is great for the meal part of the reception. Not completely private but you are well separated from the others. A good option for after would be to book the Parrot Bar for the cake cutting and some private dancing. Go there for a couple hours, and then anyone that wants to dance further head off to the disco. Also, if you're looking for something a bit different, check out the Jellyfish Restaurant. Its off resort, great food, decent prices and unique.

The Jellyfish is a great restaurant, I was there with a wedding group in May '08. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was perfect for a reception. They didn't have any music, but its a small place so an ipod/dock would work perfectly.

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yes there are beach receptions, but they do cost extra. Like mentioned above it is about $50 per person plus it costs extra if you would like an open bar.

It's a beautiful resort, I shot there in May, and will be back there for a few weddings next week.

There are a bunch of reviews on the facebook group, you might have to go through a few pages to find them. It is an amazing resort for weddings.

Great post. The Colonial is an amazing resort. I'll be going to the Elegance for the first time next week to shoot a few weddings. If there is any info I can add to help the Elegance brides I'll definitely do so. If you have any specific questions that you would like me to ask in person post them here and I'll get your the answers while I am there.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to look over their photos. I know Caroline said that a few photos are included in their wedding package. There were actually a few resort photographers at the ceremony so she might have a couple that she could send you. It is too bad I am already in Mexico on the 15th of April, I would have done it at cost. I seriously love the Grand Palladium. Also, I thought I would add for everyone that I stayed on the Jamaica side and not the Lady Hamilton side. My room was amazing, everything was fantastic on that side as well. So if you have guests that want to save a little this is a great option. You share everything with the LH, the rooms/buildings are the only difference.

I was the photographer for this amazing wedding. It was absolutely beautiful as Caroline has discussed. Nat, I will answer a couple of your questions. In three months it will still be pretty hot at 5 but it shouldn't be unbearable. For us it was warm around that time but definitely cooler then earlier in the day. But this was because sundown for us was at about 5:15-5:45. I would say your groomsmen should be fine in linen suits at that time. The ipod with speakers was loud enough for the first couple dances. You could hear it fine. But ipod docks are all made differently so what Caroline used may be louder then others. I know that Caroline's ran on batteries as I don't believe there is an outlet close at the Blue Lagoon. I actually looked because I wanted to plug in a laptop during lunch one day and couldn't find any. Upstairs is more of a lounge with some dancing, depending on what the band is playing. One night there were tons of people dancing and the next there were only a few. There is lots of room upstairs for people to dance as well as lots of room for people that wish to sit and talk and have drinks. To be honest, the Disco the nights that I was at the resort and looked in, was dead. If you have a big party then it would be yours to take over. The resort is huge. So if you need to call and take a trolly somewhere be sure to give them a lot of time to come. If you want to go out for dinner with a large group be sure to call ahead. Don't let the rain get you down if it happens. There were times when it cleared up after 15 minutes.

As a Canadian I just want to say thank you to all Americans that made this happen.

thankfully just rain here. But A LOT of it.

I will have some pictures of the Grand Palladium in December. I will be sure to post them for everyone to see.

I can't wait to see what it is going to be like! I'm in Lucea shooting the second week of December and might take a day trip to the RMB and take some photos to get a feel for it.

May is soon but I'm sure you can still find somewhere great and might get some great last minute deals.

The Majestic is a fantastic resort. The staff is beyond friendly. The resort has everything you could ask for. The prices aren't too bad either. Last time I was there was $1415 per person. I am there shooting a lot of weddings in '09 and prices range from $1450 to $1800.

There's nothing like an amazing concert. Glad to hear you had fun.

Welcome. There are so many amazing locations, you will find one that is perfect for you.