CherryBomb

Hi everyone! It has been over 3 months since I returned from my destination wedding at the Palladium and I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get on here to write about my experience! Oh, how time flies! For all of you brides who have chosen the Palladium Punta Cana for your special day, you have made absolutely the perfect choice! There are not enough words to describe how wonderful everything was and how amazing Carolina was as our wedding coordinator onsite. My husband and I were married on Friday, July 16th, 2010 and we had a beautiful, sunny day. Our second morning after arriving at the resort, we met with Carolina to discuss all the fine details...ceremony location, reception location, flowers, cake, chair saches and any special requests. We chose the new gazebo for our reception which turned out to be our dream come true. There was a beautiful breeze coming off of the ocean and not too many onlookers to disturb our photos. Carolina arranged to have a large golf cart pick my bridesmaids, mothers and I up at our room just before the 3:00pm start time. (I will say that 3:00pm was perfect, and gave us enough time for photos aftewards in order to have a 6:00pm reception start). The gazebo location offers a fairly long walkway down to the where all of your guests can watch you walk in your beautiful dress so they can snap some great pictures. I would not have chosen another location, although the beach weddings were beautiful, I prefered having my feet on solid ground! Also it gives your guests a little shade from the hot sun. We chose aqua coloured sashes that were provided by Carolina and they were perfect. We hired the 3 string quartet, who greeted the guests as they arrived and played a Spanish Wedding song as I walked down the isle. The musicians were also the entertainment during the evenings in the Palladium Punta Cana lobby. They were great and my single girlfriends got a kick out of them! We also had a sand ceremony that Carolina was able to provide us with the vases and sand as we hadn't prepared that in advance. (We didn't take them home though, it was just for effect.) If you want to take the sand and everything home, I think she would just charge you extra for that. I had purchased an orchid for my hair, however when the girls tried to help pin it into my hair it ripped right away...luckily I had packed some plastic flowers from Claire's Jewelry that turned out to be a godsend! (It even lasted through our Trash the Dress session - including jumping into the pool!) We had our dinner reception in the back open area of El Arrecife which was beachfront and beautiful. We had Carolina provide us with 3 tables, 1 for our wedding party and the two of us, and then the rest of guests were 10 per table. We had brought centre pieces including silver star fish (this was our theme) and tall and short candle holders that were teal. Carolina unfortunately forgot to set up the name cards and put out the centre pieces, so when we arrived for dinner we had to quickly scramble to get those things set up. This was THE ONLY thing that slipped through the cracks with Carolina, and I don't blame her since she had another 5 or 6 weddings going on that day! Our dinner reception lasted 3 hours including speeches and the cutting of the cake. They provided us with a private server during dinner in our area of the restaurant who served drinks/wine to all the guests. The only thing I would have wished for would have been a microphone for the speeches portion. As the dinner was held at the back of the a la carte restaurant, there was music playing through the speakers which although wasn't loud, it did cause the people doing speeches to have to raise their voices a little. I'm not sure if they would be able to turn down that particular speaker or unplug it during the wedding but you may want to ask if it's something you feel will interfere. It really wasn't too big of a deal...just when my dad was speaking his voice was quivering (awe, so sappy) and it was hard for him to speak up over the music. For our party afterwards, we only had the beach option, as Carolina had informed us that you needed more than 35 guests to have it in an actual restaurant. WE ARE SO GLAD we ended up on the beach because it was the highlight of the whole day. We payed for a private bartender and a DJ which worked out great. Make sure you make CD's for the DJ as we found out that night that he didn't have an ipod doc or usb hook up! Luckily because I'm a bit neurotic (haha) I had made CD's of all the music, just in case. Thank god for that! At a minimum make sure you have your first dance songs on a CD. The DJ had a lot of great music outside of what I brought so you'd be fine regardless. We had a variety of age groups within our guests which is why I made the CD's to accomodate everyone - some new stuff, some oldies but goodies! The DJ also had a wireless microphone so at some points during the party, I had my Maid of Honour announce the father/daughter dance, the mother/son dance and of course our first dance as a married couple. We even did a mother in law/son in law dance since my mom didn't want to be left out! haha I think that pretty much sums everything up, but don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions! I know that before I got there I was a bag of nerves with so many questions. Oh!!! And how could I forget our amazing photographer! We hired HDC Photos which couldn't have been a better choice! They provided us with photographer and videographer and it was better than my wildest dreams! They were with us from about 2pm to 8:30pm that day, and then also we did Trash the Dress two mornings later. The TTD was the best decision in the world. We loved every minute of it!!! It was so much fun and everyone thinks those pictures are actually the best of the bunch! The photographer made my husband and I feel and look like professional models. My husband is normally quite shy and hates the camera but they managed to bring out the fun side in him and we ended up with romantic, fantastic photos. We also received a photobook from them which everyone loves. You won't even need to make a photo album since this actually looks more professional and is a great coffee table book. I still drag it around with me for everyone to see! HDC is absolutely the icing on the cake when it comes to your wedding day, so if in doubt choose them, you will not regret it. I will post a few pics for everyone to see how our day looked and to see what a great job HDC did. Like I said, ask me if you have any questions! Good luck all you Palladium brides, your day will be more amazing then you could ever dream!

I will try to get to Hemmingways at 8pm on the 15th =) Can't wait to meet you all! I won't be able to party hard that night as I'm getting married the next day, but I will certainly come for a drink or two! Omg, My FI is driving me nuts, he asks if I need help with anything and then chooses to go work out instead...shoot me now! haha Oh well, I've handled everything up until now, what's a couple more hundred last minute things? I hope the weather holds up for everyone over the next few days and I'll be thinking of you all getting married in the next few days. See you soon!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by shankd Is that the same bootcamp with Natalie?? A few guys I work with are doing that same thing, and want to try it!!! They've lost so much weight......I read somewhere there's a free bootcamp this friday, just 20 bucks for breast cancer reshearch...I'm thinking bout going. Is the workout really that good My trainer is actually Ashley but I think I've heard of Natalie as well. They have training in Oshawa on Mondays and Wednesdays and then Whitby on Tuesdays and Thursdays so you can pick which days work for you. They book up fast and are already booked up for April and May. The great thing about summer classes is that they train us outside so it's nice to enjoy the fresh air...while you're getting screamed at! haha The workout is definitely intense but it's the only thing I've ever stuck to, and you truly do see results. The great thing is that the exersises change every class so you don't get bored. Anyway, just google booty camp and you'll find all the info =)

Congrats Shankd! That's awesome! I soooo envy anyone that can run...I'm carrying some big boobs around haha so hate to run! I did booty camp in Whitby for 8 weeks and have been working with the trainer on the side now for a few weeks. I've lost 12 inches all over - mostly in my waist and hips but still feel like I'll look like a beached whale! I'm a size 12 so compared to most of you who were saying you're sizes 2 and 4 - wow - I'm so envious! I think the last time I was a 4 was when I WAS 4 years old! haha Anyway, at least I feel fantastic in my wedding dress and am really excited for Andrew to see me in it. I hope he cries...haha isn't that every woman's dream? hehe Has anyone written their own vows? We decided we wanted to do that but now with 2 weeks to go and neither of us having started I'm starting to stress. Are there coles notes for that kind of thing? haha

ooooh, also thought of another question...does anyone know where I can get a silk orchid hair clip for my hair? I decided not to go with a veil as I don't want to worry about wind and it pulling my hair etc..but I think I'd like to go with a realistic looking flower pinned up on one side. So far in the stores I've only seen black and black and white...I guess because it's not quite summer yet. I'm going shopping again this weekend to keep looking but if you have seen any around let me know =) Thanks! Carrie

My hair turned out great, thank god! The colour is perfect and the cut is shorter by about 4 inches but I always think it looks shorter on me anyway. I bought a leave in conditioner from the salon that is supposed to hold the colour and also has UV protection so hopefully the rich colour lasts the next few weeks. I started my new job today and everything went really well! I think it's actually a good thing that I started before the wedding...it actually stopped my from obsessing over the last minute details all day haha I can't wait to meet all of you, and the 15th sounds perfect...how about an afternoon cerveza that day? ...OR 2? =) I'm jeleous that you all get into DR in the morning...our flight doesn't land until almost 9pm! Hopefully I can bring my group to the disco that night to meet those of you getting married on the 13th! That would be so fun! I'm still a little confused about the DJ situation...if we hire the DJ for our private reception, does he have an ipod connection or do I have to bring CD's for him to play? We're also hiring the string quartet for the actual ceremony so at least I don't have to worry about music for that part of the day. Does anyone have any good game ideas to give away the centre pieces? Let me know =) Only a few weeks now for some of us...holy crap! haha

Hey Tracy! Tell me about it! A new job right before the wedding is a lot to take in, but I didn't really want to push it and ask them if I could start after the wedding. I'm sure it'll just be 2 weeks of training which won't be too grueling hopefully. We will definitely try to hit the disco the night we arrive...will all you be there in your wedding gowns? If so at least I can introduce myself and know who you guys are! haha Will be a blast! I will miss your meeting on the 11th but maybe we can all meet for a bevy on the 14th or 15th? Ohhh! And my wedding theme is starfish and I found amazing silver starfish at Bouclair that I'm going to put on the dinner tables, so if anyone wants to use them after the 16th just let me know. I'll take a picture and post it here. I've also added starfish wine bottle toppers and starfish silver bookmarks to the OOT bags so I'm excited to have found the ones from Bouclair. They are lightweight also which is great. Sooo wish me luck ladies, I'm going to get my hair coloured and cut today so hopefully nothing goes terribly wrong! I figured I'd do it now so that I'll have a few weeks to get used to the cut and can go back for a mini trim right before I leave if I need to. I was toying with the idea of getting some blond highlights (my hair is very dark brown) but I think I'll just stick to my normal colour just in case the blond goes green or something crazy! I might just go blond when I get back though!

Hey Military MTB, I feel your pain with the AHR. It was stressing me out so much that my FI and I decided to postpone it for now, and when we come back we'll decide if we're going to have one at all. We moved into a new house in January and I lost my job 2 weeks later so money is tight right now. I start an amazing new job on Monday so we'll be back on our feet in no time, but all our money has gone to the house and Punta Cana trip and Honeymoon so we don't have extra cash for an after party. My mom seems to think we'll make the money back from the guests but I don't want to count on that. We have a beautiful home and would have the party here and we got a local caterer who can feed the party for about $1000 but still, it's a lot of stress! It seems that between the Engagement Party, Wedding Shower, Stagette and Wedding the planning has been endless! Even though my friends and family planned most of the events (minus the wedding) of course because I'm a control freak I was still very involved in all the details. I swear, my mother has been driving me crazy but god love her, she's so excited about the trip she's calling me 5 times a day to chat about it. I just don't have the time! haha Military, I think you've got the right idea about the table decor, I don't think I'll bother. I may at most buy some tea ligh holders and tea lights but that's all I think. I'm handing out the OOT bags at the airport since most of the guests are flying together on the Tuesday - that way I don't have to pack them. OMG - 18 more days! Holy crap! haha

Hi everyone! I arrive on April 13th around 9pm, so quite a late arrival. We plan on checking in, setting our bags down in our room and then heading down to the nearest pub and celebrating our first night in D.R.! Can't wait to meet you all! You guys seem so much more organized than me...I'm stressing out about the music/DJ, the table decorations etc. Not sure if candles will be provided by the hotel? When I email Carolina she responds but forgets to answer most of my questions haha She also has not been able to confirm where our private reception will be held because she said there are 2 other receptions that night and where we end up will depend on the number of guests. Very frustrating because in normal life I'm quite a control freak and it's hard to just have so many loose ends. She did confirm that we will have a 3pm ceremony so at least I know that much =) Good news though, the OOT bags are almost done, I've decided to make a Punta Cana commemorative CD (is that how you spell it? haha) and have asked all my guest to provide me with some of their favorite songs so I will soon be working on piecing that all together. Agh,sorry to rant on and on! Thanks for listening tho, I needed this! haha

Quote: Originally Posted by [email protected] We are thinking the beach, depending on whether it is too windy or not we would then move to the gazebo; although photos I have seen of this, it looks like guests are far back... most likely we will be on the beach... my colors are spa blue (turquoise) and tan. I have a hair apt at noon, maybe Ill see you at the spa on that day- we can toast with a glass of champagne... do you still have alot to plan out? Hi there, I noticed you mentioned you have a spa appointment. Did you make that in advance through Carolina or did you call the hotel directly? Thanks!

Hi Sungoddess, I have a FANTASTIC seamstress in Whitby which might be better for you than going into Toronto. Let me know if you want the info. My alterations cost $282 but she added on a beautiful halter and I had quite a bit of beading that she had to work with and also shorten the dress. I couldn't be happier with what she did for me, so let me know if you still need someone!

Quote: Originally Posted by beachbum Carolina emailed me back, and catholic weddings ARE LEGAL - "Thanks for your email, regarding your questions, no we will not have a judge there, but you will receive your marriage certificate back (after 6 or 8 weeks) legalized, and then your marriage will be legally in the US. Regards from DR" Side note: Is anyone doing a TTD / having arnaud come on Friday, April 16th? I thought cherrybomb was also using HDC, and personally, I don't think we both should have to pay for them to be there if it's the same block of time! I was worried about the wristbands too, glad to hear that's taken care of! I am using HDC on the 16th and have them booked for 6 hours. Carolina tentatively confirmed a 4pm ceremony for me, but I know we booked Arnaud for photos and videos before the ceremony and after. Then Arnaud is coming back 2 days later for the TTD session.

Hi all, my FI and I are officially getting married here first and then having a "Symbolic" ceremony at the resort. We hope to fool our guests into thinking that the ceremony at the resort is official. Is anyone else doing this? I thought I read someone's comment about the fact that Carolina will give you fake papers to sign so that everything looks legit. Can anyone on here confirm if Carolina performs the symbolic ceremony and if so, can we give her our personal vows to read out loud and have us repeat? Also, for those of you doing the sand ceremony thing, how do you plan to bring the vase home unless it has sealed lid on it? I'm not finding very many of the jars online that have lids. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Another OOT bag question...I'm debating on whether we should write on the bag: Carrie & Andrew's Wedding Punta Cana - April 16th, 2010 or "To Have and To Hold" Punta Cana - April 16th, 2010 (kind of symbolic of the wedding and also that it's a bag "to hold") The only reason I'm not sure is that I want people to use the bag afterward and I'm afraid if it's as specific as having our names on it, they might not be as likely to use it. What does everyone think? I asked a few friends and am getting different answers from everyone. Let me know what you all think =)

Hey Shankd That happened to us too, but quite a while ago! We confirmed a group rate with itravel2000 and then after the first 5 rooms were reserved, I received a call saying that Sunwing was out of rooms and now any additional guests would have to be first come first serve and have to pay way more and maybe leave on a different day then us. Turns out that now some of our guests are arriving 2 days before us, and some of our guests are paying more than others. I feel it's such a disappointment because it's like they got us to reserve 5 rooms and pay for them upfront to secure a rate and then a few weeks later that rate was no longer valid..plus now we have no way of making our numbers for the free trip. Totally messed up. I remember crying about it when I got that call so I feel your pain! As the other girls said though, just have your guests book through the regular way and they'll probably end up paying a little more but still will be able to book. Having the guests join you will hopefully overshadow the money situation that I'm sure we're all in right now. I think FI and I will be eating tuna sandwiches for the next 3 months to save money! Hope everything gets sorted out for you =)

Hi everyone! I was wondering if those of you who purchased OOT bags online (the beach bag type or tote type bags) ...if you could post where you purchased them, that would be great! I'm having trouble finding a great deal on the bags and don't want to spend too much on them as I'd rather spend the money on the goodies inside of them! Thanks everyone, and hope you're all having a wonderful holiday =)

OMG Nonnie, I am so excited that the hotel is great! Can't wait to hear all the details! Have a fantastic Honeymoon!

Hi all..seems that so many of us are having problems nailing down the FI's friends and family. We have 28 people booked to come away which is amazing, however not one of my FI's friends have booked. His best friend who he'd asked to be his Best Man said he cannot come because he can't get the vacation time. FI then asked his other close friend who said 'yes' but then backed out because he's now planning to get married next summer and can't afford it. My FI is devastated and won't even talk to me about it anymore. It would great if at least one of his buddies finally came through! What's with men and this kind of stuff? It's so frustrating because my FI has so many friends that he does so much for and now it seems like they're all letting him down. The hardest part was when we originally started talking about a DW, EVERYONE was in. Now when push comes to shove all the excuses come out. Like I said, we have 28 guests already booked and we are thrilled with that, but I do feel aweful for my FI because most are from my side. Guess we're all in the same boat, hoping not to stress out about this stuff but I guess no one said it would be easy =)

Hey Dawn, we are planning on having that at home party at our home as well. The only problem is we have to have it indoors because it's a new build and we won't have a lawn yet! Originally we were thinking of bbq'ing but now I think we'll just do open bar and finger foods. I'm thinking of trying to find a caterer in the area that offers these types of platters...maybe even antipasto type platters? I think if we have the party around 7pm on a Saturday and mention on the invites that appetizers and alcohol will be served that people will eat before they come. Between moving in January and the wedding in April we're so tight on cash we just can't offer a full dinner or pay to rent out a venue.

Hi everyone! Did anyone buy a 2nd dress for the TTD session? I'm wondering where to get mine and need to spend as little money as possible. FI are moving into our new home in January and every last penny is going into that so I'm a bit strapped for the dress. I have my actual "wedding dress" thank god, but still need something I can frolic in the waves and roll in the sand in. Let me know if there are any stores you'd recommend in Toronto or GTA. Thanks!

Hi lovely ladies I was wondering if you could post details of what you plan to do if you're having an "At home party" after you return from your wedding? We were planning on having one next summer but now are thinking about having it mid-May after we return from our Honeymoon. What is everyone doing in the way of food, drinks etc? Who do we invite? Do we invite everyone including those that were actually at the wedding? Please let me know so I can get some ideas. Thanks a bunch!

CarribeanLover that totally sucks! Does your photographer have an office that you can just show up at? There's no excuse for her to not return your calls, especially since she's already taken the time to take your photos! If it were me I'd just go to her office in person or call her every day until she calls you back!

Hi Beachbum We are paying $1926 USD for Gold Photo package (5 hours) + Platinum Video Package + Trash the Dress Session. I think we got a 10% discount on that. Our deposit was $385 USD. Sounds like you're paying around the same?

Hi Amanda, I also booked with HCD. They're pics and video are spectacular. I received a quote from them within a few hours. (If you get pics, video and Trash the Dress session Arnaud gives you a discount as well). His packages offer sooo many pictures and even a photo book is mailed to you afterwards.

Hi Ottawa Bride! Congrats on your wedding and I'm so glad everything went extremely well! I'm that much more excited now after seeing how smoothly everything went for you and how much you enjoyed yourself. I'm even thinking now that we should think about booking the sunset cruise for our guests. I was wondering if you have any photos of the night portion of your wedding from the restaurant and beach party? My FI and I can't decide if we want to rent out a seperate venue for the party or do the beach party thing. How was the band? What type of music did they play? Had it not been for the band do you think it still would have been fun to have an ipod stereo playing the music? Thanks so much!