cristinimartini

Yup, you totally win!!!! Gorgeous, GORGEOUS!!!! Melissa (the person who started this thread) was my wedding photographer in Punta Cana...I STILL get compliments about her work... <3 her...

I was a Monday bride (5/24/10) and it was AWESOME!!! Perfect for those who, like you said, just want to take a long weekend. Most family arrived on Thursday and left on Tuesday, some came Saturday...it really made it better for budgets! We could get a group rate though since not everyone was coming/going at the same time. I didn't care though. We were staying 9 days so we got the complimentary package for free and that was all I needed! We didn't send out STDs since we got engaged in January and our wedding was May. Our close family knew about it, but I made sure to send out our invites by the first week of March. I knew pretty much who was coming, only 2 surprises, which were welcome We ended up with 19 people, including us, so it couldn't have worked out more perfectly! Don't be sad about a Monday! It's a great day!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!

Hi Ska Ska! Â The amount of time you need to be in the DR before you get married depends on if it's going to be a legal ceremony or a symbolic one. If it's legal, I believe a 3 business day requirement is mandated by the country, but if it's symbolic, then it's really up to you. Even though we did a symbolic ceremony, our WC (Sharron, who is no longer with DPC) suggested 3 business days (so we arrived on a Wednesday), just to make sure we had eveything squared away prior to the date, which was a Monday, and therefore the weekend was basically a wash for all things "business-related". But I got a couple extra days in paradise, so there was NO complaining from me! :-) Â C

The photos are really beautiful, Jackie!! And you both looked like you had SOOO much fun!! Â It's going to be a hard job to pick your favorites for printing!

I <3 bling, too!! I fell in LOVE with a Swarovski necklace that was some MAJOR bling, but I think I pulled it off. I justified the major pricetag with wearing it for my BD shoot as well as my wedding jewelry hehehehe  I needed a matching bracelet, so I ended up making my own and loving it so much that I made one for each member of my bridal party. People were asking where I bought them (even while we were still at the resort!) and so I decided to make them for other people too! http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/thread/61582/amazing-swarovski-bracelets-cuffs  Here's a pic of me in mine: Â

Cin, fabulous job!!!! Everything looks sensational and I'm soooo excited for you and H to have your long-awaited day/week finally be here!!! You put a lot of hard work and time into this, and now it's your turn to enjoy it all! Â Congratulations and see you in the box!!! Â P.S. I wore the same necklace for my wedding!! TOTAL GORGEOUS BLING!! Between the necklace and the bracelet I made, my family, friends and even strangers at the resort could NOT stop asking about them! Be prepared to say "Swarovski" a whole lot!! It's hard when you've been drinking hehehehe... Â She really is a piece of art!! We ended up naming her "Victoria" LOL... Â Can't wait to hear alllllll about it!!!! <3 Â P.S. SOA!!!!! Let me know if I can help catch you up!

Jenise!! Â You KNOW I LOVE those pics!!!! Looking at them makes me smile again and again:-) I'm so glad you two had a fabulous time, but also more importantly that you're back!!! LOL... Â By the way, I have a bottle of B*tch...you want it? Â hehehehehe

I know this thread hasn't been active in a while, but I wanted to post something about what just happened to us regarding HOB. Â My younger sister is getting married in Orlando in October. My older sister and I ordered our dresses separately because I couldn't afford to place my order at the time she did. I knew I'd have to rush mine, and was content with that. My older sister ordered from HOB the beginning of July, got her order confirmation, payment was taken, etc. I placed my order with Dress for Less Bridal, put the rush shipment on it, and it was STILL less money than my sister spent at HOB. The kicker is is: She got an email YESTERDAY from HOB saying "sorry! the dress isn't going to make your event date. Here are some options that will ship quickly though". Seriously?! Â So I called up the gentleman that I dealt with (Tony at Dress for Less Bridal www.dressforlessbridal.com) and he made some magical phone calls and was able to super rush my sister's BM dress to have it ready and delivered to her on time!!! I was soooo thankful for his help and caring in our situation. He actually felt genuinely bad for us because he said that he's heard of this happening before from them. Â So ladies, just please be careful of dress order timing, and where you order from. Nothing is guaranteed unless it's in your hands! Thank goodness for Tony and his ability to help us out in this situation!!! I told him I wished I had more sisters so I could order more dresses from him in the future! Too bad my DW is over...I guess there's always the Vow Renewal!! YAY!!! Â Ok, vent over... :-)

Hi IslandBride!! Can your baker "practice" using some royal icing and sugar sprinkled on top for some added dimension? That's what it looks like to me. You could even practice at home and try it. Maybe save a few bucks by providing the decoration hehehe... I think the coral would be too delicate to have mailed. You could also try another bakery who may have an artist able to re-create that piece of your cake? Lots of luck!! It IS a GORGEOUS cake!!!!!!

OMG JENISE!!!!!!!!!! I can't stop smiling!!! I know how nervous you were, but like I said Jen freaking ROCKS!! What truly amazing pictures...I'm so happy to hear how thrilled you were. These pictures ROCK!!!! Trust me ladies, the Jen and Oksana team is out of this world good! LOVE LOVE LOVE the fridge pic!!! Were you wearing a frilly little apron?! Hahaha... Oh, and nice bling on the shoes and the wrist ;-) I need stories!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi RunningBride!! The dress looks really similar to the original!! They did a great job! In my opinion, the reason the beading part doesn't "wow" you is because they applied it to the fabric. On the original, it looks as though the beading is directly on the skin (or at least on a very thin piece of fabric). To be 100% honest, I think you can find brighter and shinier appliqués (the beading part) at trim stores, or online. I think it would take someone maybe an hour or two to apply new appliqués if the straps were thinner, or removed altogether. I'll try and do some searching to see if I can find anything that will work. But the beads they used on the KO are more white and iridescent, whereas the beads on the original are silver and crystal. The dress also sits up higher on the mannequin compared to the model in the original, so that may be why it looks a little different too! Really nice job!! I would be very pleased if that were my dress...minor modifications and it will really "WOW" you!!

I feel like I've missed so much, it made me smile when I logged in and saw the May 2010 Brides thread on top :-D Happy belated birthday to you, Amy!!! We share the date!! I turned the big 3-0, and it was WONDERFUL!!! My husband (lol! it still makes me smile to say that) planned a huge surprise party for me. The premise was we were going to my aunt and uncle's house to "help them fix their pool", which was totally legit bc the last time we were there, we were talking about how to fix it and do it before the end of the summer. The whole morning Will was asking me "do you want to spend the night" --Not really, I'd like to sleep in my own bed..."do you want to bring the video camera?"--NO! What are we going to tape? My ass sweating off from all the manual labor in 100 degree heat? No thanks... We show up at their house and Will goes out to help my uncle start "fixing the pool" while my aunt asks for my help in the basement with going through my cousin's college dorm stuff to pack and send off again. This was a massive undertaking! Everything was so disorganized. She goes to get me a Diet Coke and about 20 minutes later I realized she hadn't returned. I went upstairs to see what was up...no one was in the house. So I went to go outside to see what was going on and I smell the BBQ going. I turn the corner of the house and about 50 family members are there singing Happy Birthday to me. I was shocked...stunned...embarrassed...you name it! Thank God it was 100 degrees out because I was sweating I was so embarrassed. My sunglasses hid my tears really well, too! Hahaha... SOOOO while I was in the basement, they were all orchestrating this production, complete with a massive white tent, food all over the place, balloons, streamers, music, etc. That was awesome!!!! Came pretty close to my surprise wedding!! Guess my family is big on the surprises for me. Like you Amy, the 4th of July usually takes precedence over any bday plans, but this year was awesome!!!!!!! Will tricked me...and then I got a little mad that all I had was the bathing suit I was wearing and nothing else. No bed, no change of clothes, no toothbrush, NO CAMERA! About 40 people ended up staying the night, and we resumed BBQ-ing the next day, too! Good times... We currently have Will's 8-year-old daughter with us for the summer. She lives in a small town in Indiana and doesn't get to experience what I like to call "life". I had been telling Will for over a year that we need to take her home with us to see that there's more to life than what she's seen. We've totally blown her mind while she was here and I think she'll never be the same. The one thing having her here has taught me is that kids are cute, but A LOT of work. Even at a functional age of 8, she's still a lot to take care of. I keep telling myself it's because I never got to ease into the role of "mom", but I'm not really keen on it right now. I've had the cravings for a baby, but with her being here, they've definitely taken a back seat. My family adores her and they're actually scheduling time with her for crabbing, boating, amusement parks, lakes...and I enjoy the free couple of hours that I get when they do. I didn't think I'd be that way, but boy is it tough. I've always been in the mind set that I want at least 3 kids, so there was never a "side". I am the middle child of 3 girls, all close in age, and I love it! I always said I either wanted no kids, or lots of kids...I think once she leaves though, my family is going to be on me to have them. They already ask if I'm cooking anything yet (weird, I know), but it makes me feel like I have the total support that I need...now I just have to actually start the process. I'm super scared now though. I never was until we took Sasha. It's definitely a conversation that will take place multiple times and then we'll just let the chips fall. I'm on the pill (which I HATE) so I feel like getting off of it will make me feel so much more like me, and actually be happier. So we'll see... My parents were young when they had me, and I remember as a little girl saying "I don't want to be an OLD mom...I want to have ALL the kids I'm gong to have by 30!". Hahaha...hmmm...things certainly change But I'm glad I have an 8 year old, so that means I am a "young" mom in a way too! I'm glad all you out in California are okay after that quake!!! I felt the one that happened in Canada a couple weeks ago! My first!! Is it bad that I actually thought it felt cool? It was like I was on the subway and my chair was rocking. We were obviously far from the center, but I can see how that gets super scary!!! Especially if things were falling off of the walls and alarms were going off!! I need to do a lot of catching up on these threads....

Annnnd the slideshow has been posted!!! Slideshow Posted From Punta Cana - Destination Wedding Photographer |

Thank you, Eliana!!! (I hope everything worked out well with the wedding on Saturday!! WE MISSED YOU!!!!!) I <3 Melissa and Summer...they really were the icing on my cake and completed my dream wedding. I am soooo proud of them and their phenominal work!!!!!

I had a great time, ladies!!!!!!!! You were all just and gorgeous, friendly and helpful in person and you were online! That was the first time I ever met someone who I only knew from an online encounter! From all the help I've been given on this forum, I felt like we were all old friends, LOL... Sign me up for the next one!!!

Thank you everyone (especially Melissa and Summer!!!, LOL) for everything! I've been MIA lately just trying to catch up with everything and get my life back in order, post-wedding. I didn't realize how much I was consumed in it the last couple of weeks. Now that it's over, I've been looking forward to my pictures to continuously re-live the whole time we spent there. Melissa put together a slideshow of some of our pictures and it was almost 7 minutes of laughing through tears! I need to find a new word for their work because Amazing has gotten repetitive and doesn't even begin to describe just how much of an incredible artist they both are. Slideshow Posted From Punta Cana - Destination Wedding Photographer | Melissa and Summer: THANK YOU...I am humbled

Thank YOU all!!! There's sooo much good advice on this forum, so any time someone says I helped, that means a LOT. You've all been so supportive in my short time on this board, anything I can do to give back pales in comparison! Melissa posted some TTD teasers on her blog yesterday! Punta Cana Trash The Dress - Destination Wedding Photographer | Slideshow should be next! AHhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Thanks again for all your kind words :-) Our Trash the Dress teasers are up on her blog now too!!! Punta Cana Trash The Dress - Destination Wedding Photographer |

Teeehehehe...thanks for KEEPING it spelled wrong! LOL...I was too excited to actually read what I wrote :-)

Michele aka Jerseykitten Tracy aka tracy0716 Chritine aka Cristinimartini WOOOHOOO!!! :-D

Hey thanks, everyone!! I wish I could have worn a video camera and taped the whole thing :-D I'm getting hungry for some nachos as I think about Jose Tejas' hehehe...

Ahhhhh, thank you Jenise and everyone!!!!!! I JUST noticed this hahaha....That was very sweet of you!!! Jenise: August will be here before you know it!!!!!! Can't wait to see you girls this weekend!!

Hi ladies!! I just posted my review http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...6/#post1319445 I hope that link works... I know I've spoken with many of you individually with your questions, so I might not have hit all those answers in my review, but please feel free to ask anything!! I don't have pictures in the review because I don't know how to post them, but I hope we'll have the professional ones to share with you sometime soon! The teaser link is in there, but I've already posted that in the forum ;-) Happy Planning everyone!!!

Dreams Punta Cana: May 19-27, 2010 Wedding Date: May 24, 2010 Group size: 19 adults (2 photographers and B&G included in that; age range 8-79) Ceremony: Symbolic @ Gazebo, 5:00pm Reception/Dinner: Sea Side Grill, 6:30pm Things we took down for the wedding reception: favors, centerpieces, bubbles, fans Travel/Flight I made a slight mistake in thinking Destinationweddings.com would be helpful. I was wrong. It was a waste of my time and I’m sorry I ever signed up with them. I did more of the legwork as far as pricing and packages go, and in the end, she couldn’t match what I had found, so I told her thank, but no thanks. We booked through Sam’s Club (Expedia) and got 9 days in a Honeymoon Suite, plus airfare and transfers, for $2500. I was thrilled!! We booked a later morning flight in the hopes of being at the hotel closer to check-in, but about two weeks after we booked, Continental sent us an email saying they cancelled that flight and put us on an earlier morning one. No biggie, just more time in the DR :-). On our departure day, we parked at the Marriott near Newark airport (Thank you again and again, Eliana!!) and took the shuttle to the airport. It was from that moment on, I felt like a bride! Everyone who saw me carrying the big white garment bag wished us well and Congratulated us. I couldn’t stop smiling! People were soooo very nice! We checked in two bags (49 and 47 pounds) and carried on my dress and purse, and an additional carryon bag which housed all our electronics (laptop, camera, camcorder, portable speakers, etc.). We had no problems getting through security or anything breaking. We had a direct flight from EWR to PUJ and it was only about 3 hrs and 35 minutes long! Once we landed, we were herded into the picture line. You disembark onto the tarmac, so the humidity and heat hit you right away…perfect for your first picture in the DR, LOL…The line was quick moving, but I was a little annoyed that THAT was what we were ALL waiting for. There was no option to skip it, but oh well…we were on our way to getting married!! After buying our $10 tourist card, we went to pick up our bags. Our luggage came out of 1 of 4 lines and then we just basically walked out to get into our bus…I was like “That’s it?!â€â€¦No one asked to see anything or check our bags. I felt like a criminal or something because I thought I somehow bypassed a line. Everyone talks about packing receipts and documents, but maybe it was lunch time and no one was working because the next person who talked to us asked who we booked with and took us to the bus! Crazy, but quick!! Our bus was empty. It was me, my husband and our bags…so no stops! The ride was bumpy (when they say “Speed Bumpâ€, they mean it!!) but full of fun things to see! We took lots of pictures. About 50 minutes later, we arrived at DPC. Dreams Punta Cana Check-In Once we arrived at the resort, we were told our room wasn’t ready yet, as check-in wasn’t until 3pm and it was around 12:30. We didn’t get any champagne or towels, but I didn’t really care at that point. I was hot and hungry and could only have one of those two things remedied, so we took off to the World Café. We casually ate there for about an hour and then went back to check on our room. Still not ready, so we got access to our luggage and my husband took out his swim trunks. I wasn’t in the mood to dig through everything to find a bathing suit so I stayed in what I had on: Jeans and a tank top and sulked down to the beach. We spent another hour and half out there (me sweating) but enjoying the view and listening to the ocean and just chatting away. After some time, we went back to the lobby to see if the room was ready YET. No. So at this point, I asked if there was a Preferred Honeymoon Suite that we could upgrade to. Wandy (yes, that his name) said YES! And even found us one with an Ocean View, as there aren’t many!! (#6302 ROCKED!!) For $60 more a night, I didn’t see it as a waste of money with all the benefits, so we went for it! He told us that we couldn’t check in at that desk though; we’d have to go to the Preferred Lounge (PL) and check-in. Our porter, who had been patiently waiting with us, showed us to the PL. Once there, (in a FABULOUSLY AIRCONDITIONED BUILDING with great drinks and finger foods!) they told us which room we’d be in, and our porter showed us the way again. We got to our room, and the maid had just gotten there as well, so THIS room wasn’t ready either. The porter talked to the maid and she said it would be about 30 minutes before it was ready. Bummed, I just sat down against the wall in the hallway. At least it was cooler! After about 5 minutes, my husband got waaay too hot so we went back to the PL. They asked why we came back and so we told them this room wasn’t ready either. So we sat on the couch and I read some magazines. At this point, it was around 4pm. About halfway through my magazine, one of the Concierge Desk ladies came over with a piece of paper for us to sign. I let my husband read it and talk to her about it (I was focused on an article in the Reader’s Digest hehehe). I was SHOCKED to find out that the letter was an apology for making us wait and that our upgrade was going to be COMPED!!! Soooo, we got to stay in the Preferred room for FREE!! That was AWESOME!! We ended up checking into our room about 15 minutes later. Room We stayed in 6302. It wasn’t decorated or anything when we got there (probably because we had changed rooms) and it was muggy, but I figured it was from the door being open while the maid was cleaning. I ripped off my clothes and put on a bathing suit and said LET’S GO! We spent the next couple of hours in the ocean and pool and returned back to the room to change and shower for dinner. That’s when we noticed it: NO AIR CONDITIONING! While I showered and started putting stuff away, my husband went to the PL to let them know our AC wasn’t working. They said it was a known problem and should be fixed in 30 minutes. Our room was nice though. It had a separate seating/living room area, a desk with chair, mini bar, closets and safe. TWO tvs (one flat screen and the other regular box, but we never turned them on ONCE! HAHA…that was awesome!). They had the standard complimentary items (sunscreen, shower gel, shampoo and lotion) as well as a toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, sewing kit, shoe shine kit and shower cap. There were lots of towels, and two sinks (not in the bathroom part). Our view was incredible! I loved it!!!!! There was also a hot tub out on our balcony which we used only once. My husband kept checking back with the PL Concierge Desk about the broken AC and we were FINALLY told that it was out across the resort and they were working on it. Two and a half days later, they finally got it fixed. They called our room to ask how they could make it up to us and I asked for a massage at the spa (hehehe). He said “my pleasure†and next thing you knew, there was a paper with two 25-minute massages for free with our names on it! We took advantage of that the night before our wedding (after horseback riding) so it was perfect timing!! Food We can say that we ate at every restaurant on the premise (except Bordeaux because I HATE MUSHROOMS and everything there had them involved in the food in one way or another. I didn’t think most of them could be removed because it was in the sauces…)! Our reception was at Sea Side Grill and it was AWESOME!!! We had a slightly different menu to pick from when making our wedding plans, but boy was it tasty!!! I think that was one of my favorite meals!! Keep in mind everything is saltier there, and while you may not TASTE it, you definitely FEEL it. According to the scale in my room, I gained 17 pounds (not even kidding!!) from the time I got there on Wednesday until Saturday when I had to have an emergency “dress fitting†because I felt like a cow and thought I couldn’t get into my non-corseted back dress. I wasn’t even drinking alcohol to try to not gain weight and ate small meals, mostly consisting of fruits and chicken. I was truly scared I would not fit in my dress between the sweatiness and humidity and my newly expanded body. The food was delicious though!! Every where we went, we ALL found something to eat and enjoyed it tremendously. I have a very picky eater sister who never once complained (at least not to my face anyway) and said her favorite thing was to order a late-night pepperoni and cheese pizza from room service. El Patio seats you with chips, salsa and delicious guacamole…then you get to order some fantastic Spanish food! I ate at this restaurant twice :-D Oceana was a place I wanted to eat at more often, but some of the members of our party don’t eat seafood, and that kind of knocks all the options off the table, so we compromised and ate at other places to accommodate everyone’s tastes. We ate at the World Café every morning for breakfast, as it’s usually the only option for breakfast foods, but they also have things for lunch too, so we were all happy no matter what time we strolled in! Hehehe…I had dinner there one night and it was good, but I missed ordering off a menu. We waited on line for Himitsu one night, and I can’t say I’d do that again. It was okay. They have “seating†times and you HAVE to get there about 30-45 minutes before then to make sure you get a seat at one of the Hibatchi tables. We waited, got our seats, and then waited some more. We were sooo hungry by the time the chef guy even came out, we had to go to the sushi bar and order 4 rolls for our table. The sushi was ok. I expected better since we had such great seafood at Oceana but it was around what you can find at a supermarket. I didn’t even finish what I took; not anything special. The entermainment by the chef was ok…he did a good job. The food, I’d give a B-, C+. I’m not sure if it was the food, but four of the 10 people at our table had to actually leave early for stomach issues. We all ate out of the same thing, so that’s why I’m not specifically blaming the food…maybe just a coincidence. You also don’t get to really chose what you eat there. They cook it and you can say yes or no. All in all, I’d skip Himitsu. The view from the terrace is nice though! Drinks After having a few cocktail sips from my husband’s glass, there was a DEFINITE difference between the bars around the resort and the PL bar. The liquor in the PL bar was 100% real. The stuff at the outside bars was questionable at times. It was definitely liquor (maybe slightly watered down? Or not what the bottle said it was) but something always tasted a little different when we ordered drinks from the outside. We made it a point to walk to the PL bar when we wanted something after this discovery. We also had the PL bar manager or a bottle of Macallan and Glenfiddich for us because we’re single malt scotch fans and they were out of it. About 4 hours later, there were two bottles and they were basically for us since they said no one else was drinking it. That was awesome!! There is a drink of the day every day and they’re always very fruity and tropical. My sister’s loved them!! I was trying to fit in my dress, so I didn’t really drink like I wanted to :-( Entertainment The Dream Entertainment staff was awesome!!!!!!! Their nightly shows were super entertaining and made for a great way to end the evenings!! I would highly recommend bringing bug spray because you will get eaten. They had a phenomenal magic show one night and I’m still wondering how he managed to do the things he did!!! Excursions We went down to the DR wanted to do two things: Zip Line and Scuba Dive. We didn’t get a chance to do either. We did however end up horseback riding on the beach and doing a Reef Explorer tour, both of which were really fun!! The horseback riding (we signed up with a guy near the beach, not the excursion people in the lobby) was $45 for 2 hours. It was a 5 minute bus ride from the resort to the ranch. We jumped on our horses and took off. We toured down a gorgeous beach, on a country road, stopped for a pee-break (horses, not us), took our pictures (VERY badly done, but funny! Courtesy of the guys leading us) and then went back down a road and the beach. At the end they offered you a CD with your pictures on it, and a bottle of Mama Juana with your picture on it for like $15 or $20. I didn’t know about this, but didn’t have enough money on me. I wish I had bough the bottle though as a nice keepsake. We paid $89 pp for the Reef Explorer tour. It was about an hour and 20 minute ride to the dock. We were taken out to a floating dock, and went snorkeling, swam with nurse sharks, held stingrays, kayaked, floated around on rafts, had a massage (15 minutes) and ate a small lunch. The whole excursion, from pick up to drop off, was about 6 hours long. The people on our bus who didn’t do the reef explorer with us did a party boat tour (basically drinking and swimming and drinking) and they were highly intoxicated. The bus tour guy asked the driver to stop and let them off for MORE beer. I wasn’t happy. They were soooo very obnoxious. One girl got sick on the bus, another guy peed in a bottle. I was more angry that the tour guy let them off to continue their drinking than I was that they were drunk…it’s their vacation…but then again, it’s mine too. My only complaint about the tour though. Wedding Location When we decided to have a destination wedding I initially was adamant about a beach wedding. I wanted to walk in the sand!!! Then, I saw pictures of beach weddings, and I kept saying “ohh and ahh†to the gazebo weddings, but “that’s nice†to the beach ones. The more I thought about it, the more I started preferring the gazebo. I didn’t want my 79 year old grandmother to have to navigate the sand in addition to the heat and humidity. Plus, we’d get a more private ceremony in the gazebo and definitely have the “ohh and ahh†pictures I really wanted. After talking to my photographer and the wedding coordinator, I trusted them and went with the gazebo. NO REGRETS AT ALL!! The beach was nice, but I don’t think I’d want to get married there. We took pictures on it, did our TTD on it and that’s good enough for me! Wedding Coordinator It was by pure luck that I got Sharron Pitches as my wedding coordinator and I think that was a blessing!! Sharron was incredible! She answered all my very wordy emails with one or two lines that were short and to the point. I knew that this whole process was going to be as easy or as difficult as I made it. So from the beginning I decided that I wasn’t going to stress about anything. Most of my questions to Sharron were about what I wanted and what they could do based on what I wanted. I didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but I wanted something fun and entertaining. Sharron was able to make all my requests happen!! Our meeting with her was about 45 minutes long. We planned the whole thing in 45 minutes!! Hahaha…I love it! I have her box of centerpieces and bubbles/fans and we went down a list of questions about flowers, music, photography, entertainment, and dinner menu. It was easier to plan a wedding with her than it was to check in the hotel!! She’s got a cool English accent too! Hair I had initially wanted to get my hair and makeup done at the spa, but when my husband lost his jobs, it was crossed off the list as a way to save money. Once I got there and saw how my hair was (mis)behaving, I knew I had to have it done. I figured if I did it myself and hated it, I would always be mad looking at my pictures, but if someone else messed it up, I could just blame them hehehe…so I made an appointment at the spa the night before, for the next day at noon (5 pm ceremony) and it was incredible!! I have short, fine, thin hair. A real pleasure to work with! LOL…so when the lady handed me a magazine and said pick one, I almost laughed. I WISH I had long lovely hair like the ladies in the book, but I don’t. I told her it’s short, what can she do? So she left the room and returned with another magazine open to a page. She said “how about this?†and I said “If you can make it happen, I’d LOVE IT!â€â€¦well she did!!! And she did an AMAZING job!!! I swear they must use spray glue because my hair lasted all day, through the night, and into the TTD the next day. Incredible! She even picked two plumeria off the spa grounds and put them in my hair. She nailed it! The only thing that moved was my bangs, but that was from excessive sweating and I’m sure oil. In some of my pictures I think they look very 1950’s-ish, but that’s ok…it wasn’t her fault. Makeup I did my make up myself back in the room after my hair was done. I MAKE makeup, I don’t wear it, so this was a challenge. I brought all the makeup I own with me, and ended up using my sister’s palette of colors. I think it turned out pretty well! It was a group effort Clothing My wedding dress was a Mori Lee dress in ivory Mori Lee bridal collection of wedding dresses 2010 Bridals Style 2521 Organza and Satin With Beading. I couldn’t find this dress in ANY store. I called 55 places and no one had it in stock for me to try on, but everyone wanted to order it for me. I finally got a call back from Isabella’s Bridal in West New York, NJ and Joshua had told me that he could have my dress in 3 days! I went and tried it on…it was the fifth dress I put on (went to DB first and tried on 4 before I called it quits). I knew it was the one as soon as I saw it online, but need to feel it on and make sure I did the dress some justice. I paid $800 total for the dress, including alterations. I wore my favorite Vera Bradley flip flops . Groom wore a tan linen suit from Men’s Warehouse. It was Calvin Klein, along with the CK shirt. Belt was Armani. His flip flops were from Express. Bridesmaids all picked their own dress, which worked great as they got to find something THEY liked. I only asked for the color to be light yellow. The groomsmen were told the same as the BMs. Wear what you’d like to our wedding, just please try to make it light yellow in color. I wanted everyone who came to feel included in our wedding, so that’s why we went with the light yellow for everyone theme. I think it turned out really nicely and with the colors on the resort, made for great pictures!! Flowers The flowers were my only real concern coming down to the DR. I didn’t know what was available, or what I had to pay extra for. I was going to go with white orchids and pay extra, but I really wanted something that would show the tropical environment I was in. We ended up making up our own flower combination and it was a hit! The florist even asked to use it in her portfolio! We chose fuchsia roses, yellow callas (they have to be spray painted in the DR, as they only have white), bird of paradise and these green ball-like plants. Turns out the green balls, weren’t green this time of year, rather they are red…so we got red balls hahaha…They were perfect! My BM bouquets were smaller versions of mine, the Groom had a yellow calla and “red ball†bout. The groomsmen, FOB, FOG, and male guests all had bird of paradise and yellow flower bouts. The MOB, MOG and female guests all wore orange-rose wristlets. Everyone had some sort of flower. The florist even included a HUGE shopping bag full of rose petals in all colors for the flower girl at no charge! Very nice!!! Before Ceremony This was hectic. We got up and had breakfast together with as many of our guests as we could find. Then went to the beach until around 11:15 until I had to head back to the room to get ready and meet up with the photographers for detail shots. I took a shower while the photographers took pictures of the dress, rings, etc. and then headed down to the spa with them to get my hair done. While there, Sharron stopped by with my flowers to get my approval before she told the florist to leave. They were GORGEOUS…and at that moment in time, I started to get butterflies! It was an awesome “OMG, I’M THE BRIDE!†feeling… My mom, sisters and step-daughter met us back in my room at 1pm for dressing. Not everyone was ready to get dressed though (MOM!). So we ordered 4 pizzas, a chicken Caesar salad, and a cheeseburger. We told room service we were getting ready for a wedding, hence the large order, and they sent up a bottle of champagne and fruit for free!! (The start to MANY free fruit plates and bottle of champagne hahaha) My mom went back to her room to shower, and the rest of us got ready while the photographers were snapping pictures. We decided to go to the beach and take pictures at 3pm, but my mom wasn’t ready, so she missed out on those. While at the beach, it started to rain, so we moved indoors. Around 4, we were getting really close to go time, and the guys hadn’t been photographed yet. I gave my sister and photographers my BD book and the boy’s flowers and they headed out. I had to meet Sharron at the end of Building 9 to go down the service road to avoid being seen by anyone. Of course, my family doesn’t take orders very well, so they were scattered about and ohhing and ahhing as I super-secret ran around. I met up with the BMs, the flower girl, and my dad in the lobby. The Caribbean Trio slowly walked up to us, and the processional started. I couldn’t see anything because there is a large planter in front of the gazebo, but I was sooo happy to NOT be able to see people’s faces as I was walking. I would have lost it. I looked at my dad and he had a tear going down his face…which made me start to cry. I can see in the video that I’m making faces to stop the flood gates. Once it was our turn to head out, the Trio followed us and played until we took our places at the altar. They stopped playing and the ceremony started. Ceremony Music We chose the Caribbean trio as our “music†because we wanted something tropical and local to feel like we were actually in another country getting married, rather than a CD. It was a fabulous decision. No one had to pick and choose songs…they played what they felt fit. They entertained our guests and made our DW really FEEL like a DW. I loved having them there!!!! They played for about 45 minutes total, even though we paid for an hour, but I wouldn’t complain. I’m just letting everyone know. It was perfect for what we did!! Ceremony The ceremony itself was probably about 10 mins. It seemed to fly by for me. Sharron read the ceremony (we didn’t alter it all, just that standard one). We got to say “vows†and “I Doâ€. After we were pronounced Mr. & Mrs. we walked down the aisle and forgot to wait for people to blow bubbles hehehe…it was hot, and I wanted to get into some air movement ASAP. We chose to have the majority of people standing with us under the gazebo (which is HUGE), but also have chairs set up in case people wanted to sit. I think about 3-5 people sat, everyone else stood. It was nice to be surrounded by our loved ones, rather than just have them be in the audience. Sharron was worried about the photographers getting pictures, but when I asked them, they said “don’t worry about us!â€. So we chose standing! Dinner/Reception We opted for a non-private dinner reception, but really, it was like we were in our own little world anyway!!! I couldn’t have asked for more! With only 20 people, it was PERFECT!!! We had our own waiters (“Mr. Happy†KICKS BUTT!!) and we were set up at one long table. We sat in the middle of it to be around our guests. People were congratulating us and saying how beautiful we looked. One bride came up to me and asked about my flowers and centerpieces because she wanted to re-create them. I told her which flowers I chose, but that the centerpieces I made at home. Our dinner reception started at 6:30, and we were done taking pictures around 6/6:15, so we had met up in the lobby bar for a drink and cooling-off period. Then we all walked as a group to the Sea Side Grill. Our dinner took longer than expected, as the dessert hour I had requested (along with entertainment) was supposed to start at 8. We got to the Himitsu Terrace around 8:15 and the last guest got there around 8:30. Once all the guests were there and had a drink from the bar and some dessert, Sharron started the Fire Dancer music. They did one 5 minute number, took a milk-break, and then did another 5 minute number…It was SOOOOOOO cool!! We had such a crowd for the dancers, and I was happy that other people got to enjoy the entertainment. After the dancers were done, we cut our cake! We picked a white buttercream, with chocolate cake and chocolate mousse. YUMMMM….the only piece I got to have though was the one my husband fed me. We missed our breakfast and extra cake . The other desserts were AMAZING! They had a huge table filled with all kinds of things, from cookies, to fruit tarts, to truffles, and chocolate covered strawberries!! I was in HEAVEN!! I LOVE DESSERTS !!!!! Sharron also included our own private open bar, which was really nice and unexpected! Photographers – Melissa Green (Melissa Green Photography) and Summer Hooke (Shooke Photography) I have a LOT to say about these ladies, but I’ll do it an a separate review…because they deserve to stand alone. They were everything I needed them to be and MORE!! I would not have wanted anyone else there with us for this adventure! They were so accommodating and helpful…they were thinking of everything so I wouldn’t have to. I enjoyed my days at DPC sooo much more because I had these two ladies there with me. I am proud to call them friends…and I hope I can find an excuse to meet up with them again soon. Melissa has posted some teasers on her blog as well on Facebook along with Summer. Here is a link to the photos on the blog: Dreams Punta Cana Destination Wedding - Salt Lake Destination Wedding Photographer | OVERALL WEDDING SUMMARY: I know a lot of us are on budgets, and I had things I was willing to splurge on, and things I was willing to say "no thanks" to based on price and ease of transportation/necessity. We didn't do OOT bags. No menu cards or chair sashes. We didn't have a private reception but if I had it to do all over again, I'd do it the same way every time. It was like we were alone anyway, so I can't even complain about lack of service or attentiveness. I wanted a wedding that would be remembered based on what they experienced, so we had live music, fire dancers, and an “all-inclusive†feeling to our WEDDING, not just the resort. Since I know honesty is what people come to this forum for, I’m going to put this out there. For EVERYTHING that we did at the resort for our wedding, our bill was $1,232 USD. I was sooooo incredibly shocked, surprised, pleased, and a little dumbfounded as to how we had SUCH a good time, for such little money. This bill was for the fire dancers, Caribbean Trio, Dessert Hour with open bar, flowers (for 17 people), and getting my hair done at the spa. I am so happy with our experience and choosing a Destination Wedding. I thank all of you who have contributed in one way or another. I know I don’t post much, but you’ve all shaped me and my way of thinking!! THANK YOU!!!!! Tips: BRING BUG SPRAY! Bring cards with all your guests’ names on them (in a list) so you can have something to write down which room their in. It was the hardest thing to keep track of everyone on the resort and make plans for anything. Leave the cards at the front desk to be placed in the welcome material of your guests. As more and more people arrive THEY can fill in the information themselves. Bring an umbrella if you’re not staying in a Preferred Room. It will rain almost every day! Try to find some alone time with your FI/Husband…it’s sooo hard to do; Even if it’s a treat to yourselves at the spa. It’s nice to get away! Make your hair appointment (if you’re going to get it done) early in the morning of your wedding day. The day will FLY by and you’ll be rushing doing so many different things. Waiting to get your hair done is going to really mess up timing. Think about what pictures you want ahead of time and talk to your photographers about it. Our plans got a little messed up when the flights got cancelled, so we didn’t really have a lot of “pre-wedding†talk time…so it’s good to have things ironed out early. P.S. Sorry this is so long and rambling…I just needed to get this posted because I know I promised a lot of you! I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of stuff…and I can't remember who I've talked to individually, but once I get all the pictures, I’ll be able to SHOW you all the things I mean. I’m looking forward to sharing the centerpieces and favors!! They were a HUGE hit with everyone in my family and on the resort!!! PLEASE feel free to PM or email me with any quetions!! ([email protected])

PynkLemonade...THANK YOU!! I HAD to have it as soon as I put it on. The girls at my work named her Victoria because she needs a "regal" name they said, LOL... She really has a personality all her own!! I used her in my BD pics as an "outfit" hehehe...LOVE IT!!! I think every girl needs to wear her because it just transforms you when you put it on. Eliana, ok, you can have a pass on this sick day...but know that I'm not happy about it LOL...we'll have to find another day that you dont have to work so we can hang out and chat!