Oryx

Hi Marla, Sorry for sucking lately! It's tough to come back after the wedding to this ugly, grey weather. Luckily spring is coming and I hope my motivation keeps getting stronger with it!

We didn't recommend any vaccines, but the Hep A and Hep B ones might be a good idea. I wouldn't take the malaria meds though... they are really hardcore and your chances of getting malaria while staying in a Punta Cana resort are pretty slim.

Thanks jamie! I got the bridesmaid dresses from J. Crew online.

Hola! So I finally got around to writing my review -- it was such an amazing week and I enjoyed remembering all the little details. Please see my full review with pictures here: http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/products/majestic-colonial-punta-cana-all-inclusive/reviews/4299 I wanted to post in the proper place, but I know brides also search here for information. Also, in addition to my hotel review, I wanted to include some comments about my other vendors below. Please let me know if you have any questions! Travel Agency: Weddings by Oceans We booked our group with Sunquest for January 29 – February 5, 2011. Overall, we were quite happy with our travel arrangements. We only had to pay 2 deposits to hold up to 30 seats for 90 days. This was a great help in organizing people to book, rather than having to pay several deposits up front. We also took advantage of Sunquest’s price drop protection and received a couple of perks for the group, such as priority check-in and access to the VIP lounge in Toronto. With that said, I don’t know if I would recommend this travel agency to other brides. I was originally dealing with Ashley and she was great! But then she went on maternity leave and everything fell apart. It was a HUGE stress to deal with my new rep (Chantalle, who no longer works there….) because I had to chase her down for every little thing. She didn’t respond to e-mails, she made mistakes on quotes for my guests, she sent me the wrong information for our honeymoon…. everything worked out in the end, but it took a lot of work from me and my husband to pull it together. Hotel: Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana Having our wedding at the Majestic Colonial was one of the best decisions we could have made! The staff really went out of their way to make us feel special throughout the entire week. Rooms: We arrived on January 29th, 2011 at around 1:00 PM. Our rooms were not ready yet, but we expected that. Our group made ourselves comfortable at the lobby bar for a couple of hours and explored the beautiful grounds. At 3:30, we went back to the front desk and they gave us our keys. They upgraded my hubby and I to an AMAZING suite with two balconies and an outdoor Jacuzzi! It was great. The room was large and clean and we were really happy. The standard rooms were also quite big and everyone was pleased. Service: Overall, I would say that the staff went way above and beyond my expectations. For example, we had our welcome dinner the first night in the buffet dining area. Someone in our party mentioned that we were getting married, so our server Alfredo called the band over and everyone danced and sang for us at the table… it was so nice! Throughout the week, we found little surprises in our room, like chilled champagne or white chocolate covered grapes… (yum). Everyone just seemed to go out of their way to make us feel special. Our guests also commented on how great and friendly the staff were. Food: Excellent! Everyone in my group really enjoyed the food at the Majestic Colonial. The buffet was huge with plenty of selection. The beachfront restaurant turns into two restaurants at night -- the Steakhouse (specializing in steak) and Tres Carabelas (specializing in seafood). We ate there like three times! Tres Carabelas had this grilled lobster that everyone kept going back for. And then we had our rehearsal dinner there and the staff let us order from either menu, so it was perfect. I didn't get a chance to try all of the a la carte restaurants because we had the wedding also and our romantic dinner, but we did try the Mexican one and I thoroughly enjoyed the nachos and burrito. Some friends tried the Japanese and said it was really good. Of lesser fame (but great popularity!) was La Bodeguita -- this is the fast food joint located by the disco that served up french fries, onion rings and chicken wings late at night. We ended up there a few nights after dancing it up at the disco. What a blast! Nothing beats some fast food and cerveza at 2:00 AM. Out of 29 guests, there were 3 people who got sick during the course of the week. This usually lasted for a day or two -- Pepto Bismol saved the day. After our wedding week, my hubby and I moved to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro for our honeymoon. This is the #1 hotel in Punta Cana on Tripadvisor, and let me tell you, the food there was fantastic! But it was at this second resort that I got sick and was out for a day… so definitely bring your OTC medications just in case. You never know what might not agree with your belly when you travel. Beach: The beach was absolutely beautiful! White sands and beautiful palm trees with a nice breeze… we couldn’t get enough. And even though the hotel was at full capacity, it didn’t seem crowded and we did not have trouble finding chairs. The water was warm and beautiful. A couple of friends did some snorkelling and enjoyed it, but I didn’t see too many fish myself when I was swimming. Pool: The pool is huge and stretches across the entire length of the resort! I didn’t spend too much time in the pool just because I was usually at the beach, but I did make a point to take a dip before we left. Overall atmosphere: Amazing! This is something many people may not think about, but it’s really tough to choose the right type of hotel for your group…. such as small vs. large resort, relaxing vs. party resort, young vs. older crowd, etc. We found the Majestic Colonial to have the right balance for us – it was large enough that people could sneak off and do their own thing if they wanted to, but not too big that you couldn’t find anyone. We could always go to the lobby bar and find people from our group after dinner or after the show. The hotel also had a nice mix of couples, singles, older, and younger crowds. There were kids around, but not too many and they were most often confined to the kiddie pool during the day it seemed. People were happy to find quiet relaxing spots on the beach, as well as music and activities by the pool. The disco was pretty busy at night, and there was always something happening at the lobby or pool bar. It was a nice party crowd, but not a stupid-drunk rowdy crowd, if you know what I mean. Just a nice atmosphere overall, which we missed when we left for our honeymoon! Wedding Ceremony: Majestic Gazebo We chose to have our symbolic ceremony at 3:00 PM in the gazebo. Luckily the weather cooperated! Wedding Coordinator (Stephany): When you see Stephany, she just looks so cute and young, but she definitely knows what she’s doing. She told us not to worry about anything and sure enough, everything was perfect! I had originally been dealing with Sandra by e-mail (I think she handles most of the correspondence). When we arrived, we were told that our meeting would be with Stephany, so we met with her 3 days before the wedding. She was very organized and had all of the information I had sent to Sandra. One thing that I would like to mention is that I was a little unsure about whether to get the decoration package or not – I wanted the tulle for the gazebo decoration and the aisle runner, but I had brought my chair sashes with me. Stephany talked me out of any decoration packages and just charged me for the little extras that I wanted, which was awesome and much appreciated. It worked out to be less expensive that way. One other thing to mention – you can request a complimentary lunch to be delivered to your room on the day of the wedding (sandwiches and stuff). Just ask Stephany and she will have it arranged. My dress and flowers were also delivered the morning of the wedding – everything was very organized and made the day nearly stress-free. Decorations: Beautiful! Stephany did a great job and everything just looked beautiful. The chair sashes were set up in the gazebo, and then moved to the reception later. The aisle was decorated with the aisle runner, rose petals, and vases filled with orchids along the sides. Everything just looked very classy and I’m glad we chose the gazebo rather than the beach. Flowers: I brought a picture with me for an idea of how I wanted the bouquets to look. I basically just wanted some coral and peach roses and gerbers… and to my surprise, they matched the picture almost exactly! The colours were perfect and the flowers were beautiful. Salon: Maria in the salon did my hair, as well as my mom and two bridesmaids. She was super fast and did an amazing job for all of us. I brought a few pictures with me, but ended up choosing a picture from the binder there and I was really happy with my hair in the end. Maria spoke very little English though, so definitely bring a picture with you or a translator (if you have one in your group). Music Trio: We wanted something a little different, so we hired the Caribbean Trio to play as I walked down the aisle. They were fantastic and definitely added a nice touch to the ceremony. Also, to my great surprise and pleasure, they wore coral shirts to match my wedding colours! They were so cute. After the ceremony, they played during the champagne toast and we had a little dance between pictures. It was very nice. Pastor Rick York: We requested Pastor York to perform our symbolic ceremony. Definitely an amazing choice because he is FANTASTIC! If you are thinking of using him, do not have any doubts because he made us laugh, brought several people to tears, and just made the ceremony so much more meaningful for us. If you ask him ahead of time, he can also bring a certificate for you and your witnesses to sign to make it more formal or official looking. I’ve heard that he donates the money he receives to his church and missionary activities in the DR – you can’t go wrong with this man and we were so fortunate and happy to have him. Videographer ~ Diego (Bright Light Productions): At first, we were not sure if we would even have a videographer, but I’m so happy we did. Diego did a fantastic job! We asked for the “Moon Package†which basically included some shots getting ready, as well as the ceremony. Diego was pleasant and professional and had our DVD edited and delivered to us the day after the wedding. We are very happy with our video – it is a beautiful keepsake and it also allows us to share our special day with those who couldn't make the trip. One thing to note – Diego only takes cash. Although he is booked through the hotel, his services did not show up on the bill we received from the Majestic. We didn’t realize this until the day after the wedding. Something to keep in mind! Wedding Reception: Presidential Suite After the ceremony, we were busy taking pictures until about 6:30 PM. Following that, we made our way to the Presidential Suite. It was so nice that the staff placed candles and little flowers by the appropriate elevator to show the way. The buffet dinner was already set up when we got there and the terrace looked amazing! The tables were set up according to the seating plan I had given Stephany, and she set up everything perfectly (along with the chair sashes). The view was stunning and the whole scene was just breathtaking. I’m so glad we went with the private reception – the Presidential Suite was completely worth it! It did get a little breezy at some points, but it felt amazing when we were dancing! Dinner was fantastic and included more food than I could possibly eat... beef, chicken, lobster... yum. Although it was another extra cost, we requested the National bar. The waiters did not let my drink reach below half full before they were refilling my glass again. Other guests also commented that they could barely finish a drink before a waiter brought them a new one. The staff was just amazing and everything went very smoothly. Cake: We requested the chocolate banana cake and it was delicious! We brought our own cake topper and just paid $25 for a few flowers to decorate the cake. It was beautiful and tasted even better. DJ Mannia: Amazing! These guys really know how to throw a party and they kept everyone dancing the whole night. We had also brought some Persian music for them to play (my new hubby is Persian) and they incorporated that without a problem. It also helped to have someone MC, introduce the bridal party, announce the speeches, etc. I’d highly recommend them! Photographer ~ Phil Steingard: Absolutely amazing! Phil deserves his own review, but for now, I’ll just say that we were BLOWN AWAY by his work. In addition to being an amazing photographer, he knows everyone at the resort and he expertly guided us through the entire wedding day. Phil started at around 11:00 AM with the guys getting ready, and then seemed to be unstoppable for the next 12 hours! Let me just recommend to bring some comfortable shoes with you, because Phil will have you trekking all over both the Colonial and the Elegance resorts. He was also a pro on the dance floor and got right in there – jumping up and still taking pictures! Just amazing. The following day, we met Phil again at 4:30 PM for our trash the dress session. We were able to get about an hour of shots in before it suddenly started to pour! We took cover in the palm tree jungle for a bit, but the rain didn’t let up…. we had a blast but unfortunately didn’t get the beach shots that we were hoping for. Amazingly, Phil offered to meet us again at 7:30 AM the following morning to get the beach shots! I was really shocked and impressed at how dedicated this man is to his work. So we got up early the next day and took even more pictures. I was totally exhausted by the end, but it was worth it! Phil was such a pleasure to work with and he really went above and beyond our expectations. I mean, he didn’t have to wake up early the next day to get those shots, but he did. We should be getting our professional photos in a couple of weeks now and I’m so excited. Thanks Phil! It all goes by so fast… enjoy every moment!

Congrats, Teira!! I'm having a hard time getting re-motivated too. But spring is coming and tomorrow is another day!

Hi there, My hubby and I stayed at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro for our honeymoon a few weeks ago. While it is a beautiful resort, I don't think it would be a great place to have a wedding. Most of the guests were older (many over 50+) and the overwhelming majority were couples. We were totally into ourselves and just enjoyed relaxing and being pampered... but it was NOT a happening party place. The disco was dead and the resort was pretty quiet overall. If you have a young crowd, you may want to choose another resort. Also, something a little bigger would be better for a group, otherwise you will be running into eachother everywhere. The bonus about the Iberostar Grand is that you have access to the other 3 resorts as well. We checked out a couple of shows at the Bavaro and went to the casino one night as well. While the other Iberostars seemed to be more "happening", there were also a lot of kids around. Anyways, if you are looking for a quiet getaway to be with your hubby, then the Grand was very nice. Otherwise, I'd look into the other resorts. Good luck!

Thanks! I just sent my picture in for the week (sorry it's a little late, Marla). I'm back to where I started this season, but oh well. Back to yoga tomorrow!

Thanks Jamie! I know, it is tough... my hubby didn't want to order online and he didn't want linen. We waited until the summer here in Toronto and got all of the suits as they were being marked down. Paul (my hubby) got his suit from Tip Top Tailors at 50% off in mid-July. If you're will to wait until the summer, you might be able to find some light grey suits also. My dad got his suit in light grey from Stars, also in the summer. Best of luck!

Thanks Jessie Sorry, I can't answer about the colour/material for 3 different dresses since I only ordered these two. I would e-mail the website and ask. Best of luck!

My hubby wore a cream coloured CK suit with a white shirt and coral tie, brown belt and brown sandals. The boys wore slightly darker suits from Tommy Hilfiger -- no tie but same sandals.

Hi ladies, I did end up ordering a dress from inweddingdress.com. Here is the style I ordered: http://www.inweddingdress.com/style-bc007.html I was thinking that I didn't really want to trash my maggie dress and this would be my back-up. In the end, I did decide to trash the real dress, so I just wore this knock-off for a few hours to the disco. I don't have many pictures yet, but here is one of the knock-off (sorry, you can't see the back in this picture): I ordered a custom size and overall, I was pretty happy with it for the money I paid. I obviously did not love it as much as my real wedding dress, but I think if you are strapped for cash or just want something more casual or beachy, this is a nice alternative. It arrived quickly and the size was perfect to the measurements I had submitted. My mom also ordered her dress from this site because she couldn't find anything that fit her properly in the stores and she couldn't find the colour she wanted. Here is a picture of my mom's dress (aren't my parents cute??): This was the style on the website: http://www.inweddingdress.com/style-mo067.html Anyways, hope this helps! I thought the quality was very good for the money paid. It was also great for my mom because she is short (5 feet nothing) and she was able to get the custom fitting. Also, the robin's egg blue perfectly complimented my dad's outfit. Overall, a good experience. Good luck! Quote: Originally Posted by prgoddess i'm also thinking about ordering from inweddingdress.com. hoping for some comments!!!

Looks like a beautiful time... I love Cuba and I really enjoyed the Blau resort in Holguin. Looks like an excellent choice! Congrats

Beautiful dresses, ladies! I'm still waiting for my professional pictures, but here is my Alexandria

The rehearsal dinner was at the steakhouse restaurant, but we did in fact have our welcome dinner at the buffet. Not all of our guests arrived on the first night, but we really wanted to unload some of our loot bags and see everyone and exchange room numbers, etc. The buffet seemed like a good option because people were tired and just getting their bearings and it was easy to find. There were 17 of us and it was not a problem to get seating for us. Everyone was excited and mingling and the buffet provided a nice, casual atmosphere for us to chat and for people to get to know eachother. Our server at the buffet was Alfredo and he was awesome! Someone mentioned that we were getting married and he pulled the band over to play for us and dance and sing... it was great! There was this short little waiter guy shakin' what his mama gave him... it was a riot.

I was talking to one of my friends today, and her theory is that it's the water. Maybe those guests who got sick swallowed some in the shower, or while brushing their teeth, or something. Because if it was food poisoning, or an outbreak of salmonella or something, wouldn't more of us have been sick? It's just weird...

I've heard that taking probiotics helps. I took them 1-2 times per day for the days leading up to the wedding, and then also took them sporadically with meals in Punta Cana. Maybe this helped me, but hard to say since I still got sick at the second resort.

Everyone in my group really enjoyed the food at the Majestic Colonial. We ate at the buffet the first night and it was very good with lots of selection. Our server Alfredo was awesome! Someone told him that we were getting married and he brought the band over and the played for us and danced... it was so much fun. Breakfast was also really good with tons of selection, as another bride above mentioned. I didn't realize that the beachfront restaurant turned into two restaurants at night -- the Steakhouse (specializing in steak) and Tres Carabelas (specializing in seafood). We ate there like 3 times I think, lol. Tres Carabelas had this grilled lobster that everyone kept going back for. And then we had our rehearsal dinner there and the staff let us order from either menu, so it was perfect. I didn't get a chance to try all of the a la carte restaurants because we had the wedding also and our romantic dinner, but we did try the Mexican one and I thoroughly enjoyed the nachos and burrito.... mmmm. Some friends tried the Japanese and said it was really good. Of lesser fame (but great popularity!) was La Bodeguita -- this is the fast food joint located by the disco that served up french fries, onion rings and chicken wings late at night. We ended up there a few nights after dancing it up at the disco. What a blast! Nothing beats some fast food and cerveza at 2am, haha. Overall, we had a great time and the food was wonderful. No idea about the Elegance, but I don't think you can eat there.

Hey ladies! Looks like you are all doing well and staying motivated. Great job! I just got back from Punta Cana on Saturday and hope to get back into my yoga and everything this week. I think I gained a couple of pounds over the last two weeks, but nothing too crazy. And in any case it was all worth it! We had such an amazing time.... I wish we were back in paradise.

I just got back from Punta Cana and I couldn't be more happy with how things went at the Majestic Colonial. The service and people were great! They really went out of their way to make us feel special. I'll have to write a review soon, but I wanted to respond about the food issue... Out of 29 guests, there were 3 who got sick during the week. This usually lasted for 1 day and then they were fine. I found the food to be really good at the Majestic and enjoyed it immensely. After our wedding week, my hubby and I moved to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro for our honeymoon. This is the #1 hotel in Punta Cana on Tripadvisor, and let me tell you, the food was FANTASTIC! Lobster, steak, escargot.... their restaurants were super fancy and the food was amazing. But don'tcha know it... I spent all of Wednesday in my room with vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and the whole bit. By Thursday I was back on the beach. I've been to Cuba 3 times and never got sick before. I guess it's just bound to happen eventually when you travel to foreign countries, and it had nothing to do with the Majestic, in my case. Just pack your meds and be prepared!

We did this too. We had originally planned to have a rehearsal dinner with just the wedding party... then add spouses and my parents.... then we just said what the heck, invite everyone! So we showed up that night and they pulled together seating for about 25 people on the spot. And the service was fantastic!

Another bride told me that weight just fell off her the week before the wedding, and now I know what she means. I had NO time to eat all week! Just the stress and the excitement was enough, but with hair/spa appointments and last minute preparations, I just didn't eat that much. Good luck and see you ladies in a couple of weeks!

Wow... beautiful dresses, ladies!

Ouch Marla! I hope you are ok... take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Cassie and Tisha -- congrats! Great job.

Congrats, Natie!

I'm super excited! But also going a little crazy... it's a busy time at work. I still need to look over the ceremony script, work on the seating plan, and put the OOT bags together (or at least pack them). Sometimes I start freaking out, but it will all be good in the end, no matter what. I'm off to pick up my dress today, yay!! Good luck with your planning too... it will come before you know it.