pineapple princess

bump! how did i miss this thread in my previous searches?!?!?! good information here for catholic brides.

omg! jerseykitten keep us posted. just reading these posts is stressing me out. just try to remember that at the end of the day - you will be his wife - and really that is the end goal. i have heard the day flies so fast anyway. and like i said before - if we are going to be spending money and all worried about our guests, i would prefer it be for the people that would come no matter what. to everyone else "up your butt and around the corner!" now - please feel free to resend me this when i am all in the depths of despair about my guests not coming. keep that chin up!!!

i asked my nanny (my grandmother ) and she had never heard of such a rule! Vikki - definitely let us know what your grandfather tells you!!! personally, i think that is has to do with what jamiaca0619 said. i bet it has nothing to do with "sand" per se (also - from the pictures, the gazebo is in the grass - HELLO) but with consecrated ground. just like a priest won't perform the ceremony on non-consecrated ground, after you receive communion, i bet you have to stay on the gazebo, because it must be the only thing that is consecrated or something. oh yea - someone gave me another suggestion - a catholic wheelbarrow! we could paint it and everything! he he. but where would we wheel everyone?? and wouldn't that be a sight to see on the baggage claim carousel??

Hi guys - i got another suggestion from one of my friends from college....STILTS! HA!

oh no! that totally sucks. i would be so hurt about that.

scarletina - NO CLUE!!! i have been trying to google - "doctrine, sand, catholic" - NOTHING! maybe that is why you cannot have a catholic ceremony on the beach. random! the mandy - from what i can gather - you cannot touch the sand until after the ceremony is over. strange i tell you - just strange! but you make a good point. Oddly enough the more expesive resort Paradisus Palma Real - DOES have a gazebo that would hold everyone. lol regardless - the mental picture i have is everyone paired up running about looking like ostriches! if you are on someone's back and they are running, you can't keep your head from lurching to and fro! Now there is a sexy pose! hahahahaahahahahahaahahah! can you imagine the video?!?!?!

GOOD TO KNOW GIRLS!!! i don't know what i would do without you all!!

hi miss blade. actually, destinationweddings.com is one that i was thinking of switching to! i have had two separate peope recommend susan and sally. the general reviews i have been seeing say it completely depends on your consultant and to switch if you are not getting the attention you need. mine is a smaller firm that my MOH send me right after i got engaged. keep me posted though!!!! i will be doing some major research and etc before i choose another one.

i would be so frustrated if this just was not down right funny!! and i want to start by saying that i do not mean to offend anyone with this post. i am just trying to make light of a stressful situation. so i have been running around for the last month and a half trying to find a country and venue where i can have a catholic ceremony near the beach that is legal. i am so excited bc i can do this in the domincan republic - YAY!!! so i am on the phone with the lady from Paradisus a few minutes ago. They have this gorgeous gazebo at the Paridisus Punta Can - you can see the ocean in the background - CHECK! so i am on the phone with teresa (super sweet) and she tells me how much of a hassle it is to go through with the ceremony etc and that maybe i should consider symbolic. she then proceeds to tell me that one of the rules is that after the guests take communion - they are NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE SAND!!!! LMAO!!! what?? so i guess after communion - we will all be vicariously hanging off the gazebo for dear life. hahahahahaahahah. i did say i wanted my wedding to be memorable. he he. my mom asked if maybe all the non-cathlolics could then carry the catholics across. OMG! i can see the pictures now....... GOTTA LOVE THE CHALLENGES!!!!

Bless your heart Jerseykitten!!! what you need here is a paradigm switch. don't think about all the people that will miss your wedding, think about ALL the money you will save with less people!!!! at the end of the day, we all want everyone to be there - but if they are not so what! you and your FI will be there and that is really all you need (well -plus the witnesses of course). you can see everyone else when you get home. like a bunch of people have already said - they will be soooo sorry they missed it.

PC Bride - do you have a pic of the gazebo at iberostar punta cana?

YoursTruly did you end up using another company?

i am completing the same research. i have some information back from the paradisus if you want me to pm it to you. you can get married at their gazebo. thanks again sperger and ali for that listing of resorts.

thanks girls!!!! yes, she is in the states, but travels often to make sure she is up to date on all the resorts, etc. she actually just got back from mexico! the 50$ is not refundable, but she did do some leg work so i would not begrudge her that. at the end of the day - we can spend 50$ just going out to dinner. ha! also - just like i do with my clients, if there is something that is taking time - i tell them. i don't just leave them hanging. even a quick "hey - still waiting to hear back from such and such" would have worked. maybe i should just tell her to do that going forward. i guess what writing this and reading your replies has brought out is that i just don't trust her (yet). totally not her fault or anything! i know that wanting a destination catholic legal ceremony is not easy. she was just all ready to book those places in mexico so now i am just a little gun shy. i am just not sure when she would have realized that it was not legal. plus -i do not think she is an actual wc. from how she is talking - i would have to probably hire one of those (if i wanted) depending on the venue i chose. i guess i will see how it goes. i feel bad about contacting other WC's but you are all right. Just because she is the first WC i looked at does mean that we are the best fit. I feel so much better!!! Thank you all so much!!!!

HELP! okay - i think i just may need you all to help me set my expectations here. About a month ago i "hired" a destination wedding organizer. I only had to give 50$ upfront because they make their money on the actual booking itself. Well this was at the VERY beginning (as in - had not found this board yet) and because we want a catholic ceremony i need help finding out WHERE i could even get married. I told her we want a legal, catholic ceremony, on or near a beach or overlooking a beach. So we have been traipsing down the Mexico path. I had found Moon Palace on my own, so the other day, i look at the contract and it states that catholic ceremonies are not considered legal in Mexico!!!!! Well why in the fig newtons would she be recommending all these places in Mexico - when it wont be legal?? When that is one of the first things she asked me!?!?!? And further more....i sent an email and left her a message asking about it. it took her almost a week to respond (okay - maybe i am exaggerating, i think it was 4 days). and the email says that yes - you have to have both a civil and religious ceremony for it to be legal. and sorry it took so long, but i was waiting to hear back from Mexico. Well, don't you think these are things that you should find out UP FRONT?? Am I being unreasonable? Our original plan was to get married in January and i don't even have a COUNTRY narrowed down. (although dom rep is looking mighty strong thanks to this forum!) I feel like i keep sending them suggestions instead of the other way around. I think that they are really good at what they do, but i think that this might be their first catholic destination wedding (that is also legal). There are a few people that have been recommended to me on this board and i was thinking of switching. I feel kind of bad because i think this person has already done a ton of research and maybe i am just not giving them a fair chance. arrgggghhh - i don't know. i just needed to vent! relax, relate, release. smooches!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by DanielleNDerek My resort had great service. Our resort gave dh and me bride and groom all inclusive bracelets to wear. whenever an employee at the resort (and i'm talking almost every employee we saw) would see our bracelets they would ask about our wedding and offer our help in anyway possible. then they would remember us everyday we saw them. One morning i was out taking pics of the various wedding ceremony locations and reception locations so i could post them here for any girls interested in our location and an employee saw me and came up to me and walked me over to a location and told me the exact time i should take the best picture of the beach ceremony gazebo, he told me when the sky would be perfect and the waves would be crashing behind. i thought that was pretty cool of him to stop in his busy day and help me with my pictures. that is UBER COOL!! nice to know since we are seriously considering this resort.

I was all gung ho, no going back, legal ceremony because i am trying to do a catholic ceremony. I waver occasionally because of all the extra work and stress it seems to be causing- but in the end - i think it will be totally worth the hassle. Also - it is really helping with my wedding ADD because it is eliminating countries and resorts left and right! that being said - go with what YOU want! if we all changed our plans based on what could possibly go wrong - NONE of us would even have a wedding!!!! So my vote is to take the chance and oh well! if something goes awry - all the better story you have to tell later. In the end, you will still be his wife!

oooh - another positive!!!

YIKES CJ! you may have just convinced me to rule out mexico - that is scary!! not to mention, my moon palace contract said something about catholic ceremonies not being legally recognized. this whole civil cermony thing is starting to get really complicated. hello! my next project is the cayman islands! ha!

Hi CNC There is also Breezes Runaway Bay (Jamaica). They also have a chapel onsite. I too am trying to keep the dream alive! I have an additional twist because mine has to also be cathollic (sigh). There are several places in Mexico as well. Moon Palace, El Dorado, Excaret (that is an eco park, not a resort, but the resorts are close by i believe - it appears uber expensive though!!!)

thanks uconn - how long do you have to be in PR prior to the wedding for it to be legal?

Hi everyone! i am trying to revive this thread. i was looking at moon palace and the contract said that catholic weddings were not legally binding in mexico. have you all heard anything about this? i wonder if it is because it is on a resort?? they mentioned that i would have to have a civil ceremony first for it to be legal. i have just started looking at outside the resort churches - but if it is not going to be legal i can rule mexico out as a destination. can anyone help

i second that one pkbride! i am only 5'1" and am trying to find cute sparkly flip flops with either a wedge or a heel too!

Quote: Originally Posted by LadyD I'm staying at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach in Montego Bay and getting married at a Catholic Church located 15 min away. We have to seek permission of the priest at home and also complete a precana marriage course. While I was doing research I found the Curacao was one of the few places that perform a Catholic wedding outside the church. thanks Lady D! do you happen to have any pictures of the church? or the name so i can google it Thanks!

Thanks Sperger!