KatyaNova

Now Larimar does have a resort photography team, but they can be hit & miss. If you really care about your wedding photos, hire someone whose work you LOVE, so that there are no disappointments. I would offer you our services, but we're out of the country till March 2014... Check out 'photographers' in the 'vendor' section here on BDW and compare portfolios!! Hugs from sunny Punta Cana and best of luck on your amazing Big Day, Katya.

Hey Meg! First things first - you should email Mayte and send her a list of approximate dates so that she can get back to you with availability of the restaurant. Many dates are indeed booked well into 2015, but there are some that are still open. Another amazing venue nearby that just started doing weddings is Huracan restaurant, more on that here: http://www.katyanovablog.com/huracan-cafe-punta-cana-wedding-alexandra-tyler/ HUGS, K

Hey Kimberly! Congrats on locking in the date - that's the hardest part, hehe!! I'm so happy to tell you we're still available for your Big Day on May 8th and would be honoured to document your love! I'll send you a PM with details in a minute. As for 'saving money' DO'S & DON'TS off the top of my head... - don't bother paying extra for making the restaurant 'private'. if customers do come to have dinner, they are all directed upstairs. you won't see or hear them. as for the lower level, as long as you don't get married on a sunday, there won't be enough people on the beach to make you uncomfortable. if any onlookers do trickle in, Rob & I (or hopefully one of your guests) is really good at asking them to leave or back away, especially during the ceremony. i think this is a really big money-saver. - the basic dinner option is really awesome. once you get to the restaurant for your tasting, ask Mayte for ways to save and still have abundance of awesomeness, she's really good with that. - don't bother with fresh flowers if you want to save, they are really expensive in DR because everything is imported. Mayte is amazing at creating stunning centrepieces without fresh flowers. Honestly, when Rob & I got married at Jellyfish a little over a year ago, we were surprised how reasonable everything was. We didn't cut corners anywhere really and the wedding was the same cost than it would've been at the resort... except SO much better! Have you seen this? http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/ (hope it will be helpful!) Hugs from sunny Punta Cana! K+R.

Hey My Belle! We stayed at Dreams Palm Beach for our wedding week and LOVED it there. Awesome food, great service, no bracelets, the resort is nice and small... and is just a 20 minute shuttle drive from Jellyfish. Check out this photo review: http://www.katyanovablog.com/punta-cana-bride-jellyfish-dreams-review/ HUGS, Katya.

Hi ladies! Here's everything you need to start planning your Jellyfish wedding. Please note, this is a price list for 2013 - and although Mayte & Jellyfish are booking dates for 2014 & 2015, there might be slight variations as time goes by! Life is unpredictable and we can only plan so much If you visit our blog, www.katyanovablog.com, you'll be able to browse dozens of weddings we've had the pleasure to document at Jellyfish, it should give you a great idea of what everything looks like, what the food is like, etc. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away, as Mayte is uber busy and doesn't reply to emails as promptly as I may LOTS of love from sunny Punta Cana! xoxo Katya. JELLYFISH WEDDING SERVICES FOR 2013.docx JELLYFISH MENU CHOICES.xls APPETIZERS LIST.docx OPEN BAR.xlsx

Hey love! We still have July 22nd open... we do both photo & video - feel free to reach out and we'll chat about details! [email protected] www.katyanovablog.com

Hola Jackie!! Regarding Iberostar... Here are pictures from the two weddings we shot there last year (the first is Iberostar and the second Iberostar / Jellyfish) http://www.katyanovablog.com/iberostar-punta-cana-wedding-photographer-jocelyon-jason/ http://www.katyanovablog.com/maya-valentin-jellyfish-wedding-punta-cana/ As you can see, the resort is gorgeous. They have a strict $500 outside vendor fee (per company)... alternatively, you could book a room for your photographers so that they are considered guests. We've done that many times before at other places! Hope this helps! xoxo

Hey Missy / Brides! The staff at Jellyfish is AMAZING and absolutely deserve tips. You should tip what you would at home - 10-15%... You can either add this to the total and Mayte will distribute it OR better yet, divide it into envelopes for kitchen / bar / waiters... We also tipped the entertainers for the crazy show & fire show because they are incredible, but you don't have to. Last but not least, Mayte - she works so hard and will blow your mind with her creativity, attention to detail, and love. I'd say $100 or more for her on top of everything would be great. Totally up to you. * Taxes are killer in DR... bring cash for your balance payment if you can! HUGS from here, Katya.

Hi gorgeous! * Dreams - I would wholeheartedly recommend either of the resorts (our wedding week was at the Palm Beach one), but Punta Cana is also fantastic (and larger, so you wouldn't have to worry about it filling up as quickly as Palm Beach might). I'd say, they are generally the best value for $. * Paradisus - Palma Real is walking distance to Jellyfish, quite pricey. Paradisus Punta Cana is about 25 minutes away, is a good option. That was our other wedding choice and I blogged about it HERE {getting freaky with their outside vendor fee; $1000 but there are ways to reduce it} * Now Larimar is a good one (and also very close to Jellyfish). It's nice and small, like Dreams Palm Beach. * Barcelo Palace Deluxe is another good option (huge property; can be hit & miss with food & service), inflexible with any changes. * Palladium is another good one. Very close to Jellyfish. * Bahia Principe - 4 resorts in one, so enormous; about 25 minute drive from Jellyfish. * We loooove Hard Rock, but a bit too big, about 25 minute drive to Jellyfish). * Majestic is our least favourite (we hear most overall complaints from brides about this one, but some have had a great experience there). * Melia - right next to Jellyfish, great value for $. The resort is huge, but really nice. The grounds are gorgeous! Very much recommend - we've done a few Melia/Jellyfish weddings and it's always super seamless! The guests can actually walk right over. Hope this helps! Let me know if there are any specific questions about any of these, we've been there many times Hugs from Punta Cana, Katya.

Hi gorgeous!! The new requirement to hold the date is $500. As soon as everything is confirmed, Mayte will send out bank info for a transfer. Until then, you can trust her to have you penciled in! For the remainder of the payment, it's best to bring cash, as you'll save a considerable amount in tax. HUGS FROM PUNTA CANA, Katya.

That's such a wonderful idea! Every little choice counts... Much love & respect, Katya.

You're welcome to come get ready at Jellyfish, but the conditions are not ideal. The room is the Jellyfish office. One wall is filled entirely with liquor bottles. There's a desk & computer in the corner and sometimes one of the owners may sit there and work as you get ready, occasionally yelling in Spanish on the phone Mayte also uses it as storage space for some of her decorations. There are two beautiful full length mirrors and on occasion (at brides' request), she has transformed it into more of a 'getting ready' space by simply bringing in a table with some chairs for your girls and 'stations' for your make-up / hair artist to work. As a photographer, I'm always trying to find creative ways to shoot there so that you don't see that it's an office... Here are a few examples from my blog: Let Mayte know ahead of time that you want to get ready at the office and she will accommodate you! It just may not be as beautiful as a suite in your resort... But if your photographer is good, they will make it look fabulous anyway! HUGS from sunny Punta Cana, Katya.

So happy to help, Jackie! Both resorts are absolutely child-friendly Your reception venue choices shouldn't be affected by the fact that there are kids... since obviously adults are going to be expected to take care of them. Whatever you choose, you'll have a whole area designated for your wedding, so it won't affect other dining guests. I remember seeing kids everywhere at both resorts - you'll have lots of dining options to accommodate everyone!

What a great question! I haven't been to the La Romana Dreams, but have lots to say about Dreams Palm Beach & Dreams Punta Cana - our own wedding was at PB and we've since photographed many weddings at both. Here I go! BEACH: PB: white sand beach lined with palm trees. beautiful! downside - sometimes there's a lot of seaweed. due to the slight current, there can be more seaweed than at other beaches in punta cana. also, i wouldn't recommend having your reception on the beach because it gets really windy! dreams palm beach, afternoon... dreams palm beach, sunset... dreams palm beach, sunrise... dreams palm beach ceremony... PC: golden sand beach. although it's not pure white, it's still absolutely stunning and no less impressive. it feels less busy and more expansive. personally, i really love it! the sunsets there are absolutely incredible. FOOD & SERVICE: PB: the food here is a bit better than at PC. Rob & I had our wedding week here last year and everything was amazing. The a la carte restaurants are great and you don't to make reservations, first come first serve. the french & italian restaurants are our fave! PC: great food, but slightly less options. the buffet is a bit weaker than PB, but still great! * wedding food at both resorts is satisfactory. if you've followed our blog, you know we're big fans of Jellyfish... so if I were to compare, I'd say the food is very average. it's usually a regular buffet and especially if the wedding is outdoors, you can tell it was prepared hours ago. Stick with simple dishes and don't expect anything extraordinary so that you won't be disappointed! * the service is fantastic at both resorts, above average compared to most other resorts in Punta Cana! PREFERRED CLUB: * as bride & groom, you will likely be upgraded automatically at no charge. free internet in your room + a la carte lunch are most definitely worth it! each resort has a lunch restaurant by the beach where the food is much better than the buffet. with your room number, you'll be able to invite a few friends at a time to eat with you. you'll have a separate check-in and slightly better treatment ROOMS: PB: fabulous rooms. all of them. i'm especially in love with a channel on tv that plays the 'Ashes & Snow' exhibition on repeat. it's so beautiful! if there's availability, you might get upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. it's always great to ask! PC: I like the rooms here even better. so much light, fun colours, and many more suites have jacuzzis on the balconies. you can't go wrong! GAZEBOS: PB: it's nice (again, I'm biting my tongue because of Jellyfish). what bugs me most are the chairs they use. I know these are standard wedding chairs, but they are just so tacky in my opinion... also, it gets incredibly hot. there's no breeze like there is on the beach - just something to consider! Oh! And Dreams Palm Beach has what we call a 'secret gazebo'... It's on the other side of the World Buffet building and is our favourite place to do the First Look. PC: I personally like this gazebo much more than the one at PB. It's big enough that the bride & groom can stand inside; nicer for pictures as well as shade. The garden setting is stunning. You be the judge! Both are really lovely. RECEPTION OPTIONS: PB: if you have your reception dinner early enough in the night, it's nice to have it on the beach. remember that the sun sets earlier than in Canada / US. once the sun is down, it can get unpleasant on the beach... chilly and windy. A poolside reception is nice, that's what we've photographed most - but it's really not as private as I would've liked. Still, it's absolutely beautiful and more shielded from wind. PC: the wedding reception options here are, in my opinion, better than at PB. the venues are private and gorgeous. the only problem - in case of rain, you're moved to a conference room... And later at night... Restaurant Terrace... So classy, private, shielded from the wind - perfect! LOCATION: Dreams Palm Beach is in an area called Cabeza de Toro, about 20 minutes from the airport and about 20 minutes from Jellyfish Restaurant, for those of you who are considering having your actual wedding there. Dreams Punta Cana is about an hour away from the airport and about 45 minutes from Jellyfish, in an area called Uvero Alto. Make sure your guests know there difference so that they don't book the wrong one! The two resorts are about 45 minutes apart LAYOUT: Both resorts are laid out extremely well and feel both spacious and intimate at the same time. You can walk anywhere within 10 minutes or so. Dreams Punta Cana has one long uniquely shaped pool separating the two sides of the resort with wooden bridges in between. Dreams Palm Beach has main pools and a preferred club pool. PC: This resort has peacocks and flamingoes walking around freely and PB doesn't. The lobby at PC is so visually stunning, especially towards midday. dreams punta cana peacocks... dreams punta cana lobby... Dreams change their 'outside vendor' policy all the time At the moment, I believe it's $150 per vendor (which is very reasonable!!) Sometimes our couples simply book us a room instead (which is sometimes a little cheaper), which is easier especially if you want one of our famous Sunrise Rock the Dress sessions the next day! Let's see, a couple more things worth mentioning about the resort... - you don't need bracelets, which is awesome! - you don't need to make reservations for a la carte restaurants - $25 room service per bottle of champagne (we had a really big bill for this, hehe) but all other room service is free - you don't need towel cards, also great... PHEW!! Gosh, this post is taking me way longer to put together, but I really hope it will be useful to you ladies!! If you have any questions, I'm here for you!! THIS is a link to the confessions from our own Dreams Palm Beach / Jellyfish wedding, hope you enjoy it! Feel free to share this info and the link in other places on the forum!! I'm here for you )) Hugs from sunny Punta Cana, Katya. P.S. All the photos above came from many different weddings which you can find by browsing our blog here: katyanovablog.com