welljen

Hi Murmel, Thanks for the tip on the LEDs, I'll check them out on the site. J There is a forum in the DIY section- called LED throwies. One of the girls also included a link to a website, I think called dealextreme??? You should double check, but we ordered the LED's and the batteries from there. (can't remember the price- FI did the order, but I know it was cheap)

hey vlynn, Thanks for doing this! Jenn

Hi jennyclo, Glad to hear that you finally received your confirmation. As for your question about sending your CC and ID, I was asked to do the same thing. I was a bit apprehensive to do it too, but considering it was next to impossible to get someone on the phone, I ended up caving in. It took them a couple of months, from the time I did so until the charge actually showed up on my bill. Jenn

My colours are turquoise and orange (see the attached image of our STDs)

Hey Murmel, Just wondering if you could share the instructions for making the LED throwies! I also ordered my lanterns from Asian ideas, but I'm looking for alternatives to the pricey LEDs. Thanks, J

HI Jenny, It was our WC that confirmed the availability of the judge, since that was actually the determining factor for setting our wedding date and time. I think it probably took about a 1.5 weeks for us to receive the confirmation. I was starting to get a bit worried, so I actually called them at the resort. Hope this helps. Jenn

Thanks ladies! Your thoughts have been very helpful!

Hey Ladies, My fiance and I are also planning on doing an AHR about a month and half after our wedding on May 5, 2011; and we were planning on inviting all of the same people to the wedding to the AHR. Right now, the only thing we know is that it will be an informal brunch, but we haven't finalized the venue and date. Currently we are finalizing the invitations and I was wondering whether it was necessary to include the details on the AHR? With the event details still TBD I was wondering whether it would be okay to send out the regular invitations and then to send out the invites to the AHR after we've gotten married? Have any of you been in the same situation?

Hey ladies, I am also a May 2011 bride. Our date is May 5th at the Dreams Punta Cana!!! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by! I feel like there is so much to do, and not enough time!! Still need to send out the invitations (they will be going out before the end of this month); finalizing the decor, programs, and some of the fun things like getting the bridesmaid dresses, and my own accessories!!!! Jenn

Hey there eddie and sheila, I couldn't help but notice that you are from the Toronto area as well. I came across this site and I think this could be the answer to my fiance's suite issues. Have you placed your order for the suits yet? If so, where you happy with your order? Sorry, for all the questions but I have one more... If you are done with the swatches, would you be open to sending them to me? Fortunately we live in the same city, so hopefully it won't be too much of a hassle. J

Wow, that is really tough. People can really surprise you when you are planning a destination wedding, it can be disappointing that it really does show you where some people's loyalties lie. I can somewhat relate, as I've had to deal with my three closest friends not being about to commit to being in my wedding party, because of various reasons, some of them good (i.e. vacation ban at work, and money being tight) and some pretty lame. But the truth of the matter is, that you kind of have to be prepared for that when you are planning a destination wedding - since you are asking a lot of your guests. Like everyone on the site says, just remember the reasons why you and your fiance decided to do a destination wedding in the first place and don't let other people sway you.

Lyndsay, you've put a lot of work into those OOT bags and it shows!! Your guests are going to love them. Jenn

Wow Lizzy, your pics are amazing!!! I've also booked HDC for my wedding on May 5, 2011 and after looking at your photos I'm really glad we decided to go with them. Jenn

Yup, as long as you book 7 nights or more in the honeymoon suite, the basic package is still included.

Hi Ladies, Just wanted to let you know that DPC has updated their Wedding Information Package Brochure and surprise, surprise - they have increased the prices of their wedding packages. The biggest increase was to the Complementary "Dreams Weddings in Paradise Package", which I guess is because they got wise to all of us going with that one and then picking and choosing other options a la carte!  You can check it out here: http://www.amresorts.com/wedding_guides/drepc-wedding-guide.pdf  Figured I'd pass along the info. Jenn

Hey Jenn, I received a document with some samples of different floral options. If you would like, you can PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you. J

Hey Michelle, Â Thanks for thinking I'm organized, my fiance thinks I'm a little obsessed Yeah, unfortunately family members complaining about prices seems to be a common rite of passage for all of us destination brides When we sent out a preliminary email with the early booking prices we got a lot of flack from people, but after reading through a few of the threads on this site and reminding ourselves again of why we know this is the right decision for our wedding, we were better able to deal with it - although it was one of the more serious disagreements we've had in quite a while. Bottom line is that we've realized that for some of our family and friends the idea of a beach vacation at an all-inclusive resort just isn't appealing to them at all (strange I know ), and no matter how much they love us it really is a lot to ask someone to put down over $1000 on a trip they already know they aren't all that keen on - regardless of how much they would like to be there to see us get married. Â Right now we have about 14 people that have said they are definitely coming and a few others that have said they will be in a better position to book something in the new year. Â We weren't really planning on having a traditional "rehearsal dinner" before the wedding, instead we wanted to host a dinner at a restaurant in our home town with the immediate family and bridal party. We are undecided on the welcome dinner at the resort, as it all depends on when exactly people are arriving, since some of our guests have been researching rates and have noticed that the prices are a bit cheaper when you leave mid-week. If there is a large number of people their in advance, we had thought about just booking one of the a la carte restaurants, instead of having a formal event. Â Let me know if you have any other questions. Have you received a sample of some of their floral arrangements? If you need it, PM me with your email address and I'll send them along. Â Jenn

Hey Michelle, I'm a May 2011 bride too! Our date is May 5th. When is your wedding date? Â In terms of our wedding planning, we have been working with a TA agent to arrange our travel - and we have included her contact info on our wedding website. We've kind of made it clear to people that they can use her services if they would like, but are free to make their own arrangements if they are the type that likes to do things last minute (or think they can get a better deal on their own The STDs are going out on Monday and in addition to the "where and when" they also refer them to our website (although we've already given a few close friends and family members a sneak peek ). Our designer is already getting started on the formal invitations, which we'd like to follow-up with relatively soon as well - since a figure that with a destination wedding it's probably never too early to send out the invites. Â Other wedding day details we've taken care of so far: confirmed the location of the ceremony and the private cocktail and dinner reception, confirm the menu, booked the photographer, and bought my dress!!! I know there are still many other little things to do, but I figure as long as they are on 'the list' we'll get to them. How is the rest of your wedding planning coming along? Â Jenn

Hey Shelly, JackieandTim is right, they do take their time with the replies, but their responses are usually pretty thorough. You said that your date is May 20, 2011 have you completed the wedding reservation form and received their confirmation? If not, let me know and I can send you the form to fill out. Â Also, just wanted to make sure you have the right email address, I've put the two addresses I've used in the past below: Â [email protected]; [email protected] Â Good luck! Jenn

Misty your photos are amazing!!! - Jenn

Thanks Nat and lilboltz10, I really appreciate the pep talk about the initial backlash from family. (I just have to say though, if one more person says they can't commit because they don't know where they'll be in 9 months, I'm totally going to have to call them on that lame excuse... I mean really, no one knows exactly where they will be in 9 months") - sorry that was me venting after a long day! My fiance keeps telling me that a lot of it has to do with the initial "sticker shock" and that I just need to give people some time to get their heads around it. Anyway, like you said those that decide to come will be glad they did and those that don't will be disappointed they didn't when they hear how much fun everyone had! Â Thanks for the suggestions for the groomsmen ideas, I'll be sure to pass them along to the fiance. Jenn Â

Hey lilboltz10, You are right it has gotten quiet in this group. I believe we are officially in those "dog days of summer" Â My wedding date isn't until next May, so we are at the stage of finalizing the Save the Dates and setting the tone for the decor. I've been lucky that my best friend is a corporate event planner, so she has been great about getting me to think about all of the details. Â Things are moving along, but the only hard part is that now that we have chosen the resort we are starting to get the push back from guests about the cost. We knew that this could become an issue, since for most people (including ourselves) have found that booking trips a month or two before the departure date is significantly cheaper. At this point, we are just resigned to the fact that people at going to always think that they can 'get a better price' on their own and are happy to have them try to do so. The key thing for us is that our guests are now aware of our wedding date, so as long as they are there for the ceremony they are free to coordinate their own travel arrangements. Thankfully, my fiance and I are united in the fact that although we would love it if everyone could make it, we are prepared for that fact that their may be those family and friends that won't be able to make it (either as a result of costs, job constraints or other responsibilities). It does kind of suck, but we realize that it comes with the territory once you decide to have destination wedding. Â I was hoping that someone on this site could help me out with something, I was wondering if anyone has any photos about the floral arrangements available? Also, I was reading the threads on this site and it looked like there were some additional photos of the El Patio terrace set-up. Would someone be able to send them to me? Here is my address: [email protected] Â Oh, on a side note, my fiance is trying to think about some cool ideas for gifts for his groomsmen. He is the last of his group to get married. What are some of the ideas that your guys are thinking of? Â Thanks, Jenn Â

 I've added my date to the list below:   August 2010 Jeanette & Julio - undecided Punta Cana, (PPC or PPR) Aug 2010 Ashley and Eric: August 31, 2010- Paradisus Palma Real September 2010 Nadia & Serge: September3, 2010- Dreams La Romana Jennifer & Elvin: September 4, 2010- Dream Palm Beach Bianca & Cosmin: September 10, 2010 - Dreams La Romana Diana & Eddy: September 3, 2010- Majestic Colonial Nikki & Jason: September 16, 2010- Grand Palladium Punta Cana October 2010 Glenny & Anthony - October 9th, 2010 - Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana Kim & Anibal - October 9th, 2010 Riu Palace Punta Cana Tee & CJ - October 10, 2010 - nh-Royal Beach Punta Cana Autumn & Dominic - Oct 16th, 2010 - Dreams Punta Cana Michele & Andrew - Oct 19th, 2010 - Majestic Colonial Luciel & Emil - Oct 23th, 2010 - Catalonia Royal Bavaro Sarah & Erik - October 23rd, 2010 - Melia Caribe Tropical Angi & Tony - October 24th, 2010 - Paradisus Punta Cana Monica & Brandon - Oct 29, 2010 - Excellence Resort Punta Cana Ulonda & John - October 29, 2010 - Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort November 2010 John & Rikki - November 8, 2010 - Dreams La Romana Terra & Chris - November 10, 2010 - Majestic Elegance Punta Cana Dana & Mike - November 16, 2010 - Grand Palladium Bavaro Tiffani & Merlin- November 21, 2010 Paradisus Palma Real Taniya& Kendell- November 1, 2010 Dreams Palm Beach Michele & Jon - November 22, 2010 Majestic Elegance Carol and Matt - November 19, 2010 - Dreams Punta Cana December 2010 Eliana (username) and Miguel - December 1, 2010 - Dreams Punta Cana Atrott (Username) - December 6, 2010 Excellence Punta Cana Coley88 (Username) - December 11, 2010 - Paradisus Punta Cana Nicole & Keith - Dec. 11th 2010 - Majestic Elegance Erin & Omid - December 18, 2010 - Paradisus Palma Real January 2011 Marian & Manav - January 8, 2011 - Melia Caribe Tropical Katie & Tim - January 10, 2011 - Majestic Colonial Katey & Brian: January 11th 2011 Melia Caribe Tropical Punta Cana Ashlee & Daniel - January 12, 2011 - Paradisus Punta Cana Lisa & Dave - January 13, 2011 - Majestic Colonial - Punta Cana Laura & Dustin - January 14, 2011 - Melia Caribe Tropical - Punta Cana jerzeegirl (username) - Jan 17, 2011 - Majestic ?? Shawana & Scott - January 24, 2011 - Gran Bahia Principe -Punta Cana Pam & Cem - January 27, 2011 - Majestic Colonial - Punta Cana Kasia & Rob - January 29, 2011 - Majestic Colonial - Punta Cana BeachBrideSoon - January 31, 2011 - Majestic Colonial - Punta Cana Shannon and Chris - January 2011 - Punta Cana, undecided - Iberostar, Excellence or Dreams February 2011 Renée & Paul - February 3, 2011 - Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana Chantale & Marcel - February 10, 2011 - Bavaro Princess Suites & Casino Carey & Marc- February 17, 2011 - Dreams Punta Cana Nathalie & Maurice - February 18, 2011 - Catalonia Royal Bavaro Diana & Manny - Feb 19 2011 - Gran Bahía Príncipe Bávaro. Meredith & Mark - Feb 20, 2011 - Excellence Punta Cana Sherri & Ryan - February 21, 2011 - Dreams Punta Cana Jenn & Kraig - February 25, 2011 - Majestic Elegance Amanda & Jason - February 26, 2011 - Riu Palace Punta Cana March 2011 Chris & Wendy, March 5, 2011, Majestic Elegance, Punta Cana Sonya & Serge - March 14, 2011 - Ocean Sands, Punta Cana Khalia & Questle - March 14, 2011 - Excellence Punta Cana Jessica & Josh - March 25, 2011 - Iberostar Bavaro  April 2011 Isabel & Francis April 5, 2011 - Grand Palladium Palace Andi & Jed - April 8, 2011 - Iberostar Bavaro Pierre & Shannon - April 12, 2011 - Grand Palladium Bavaro, Punta Cana Ali & Jeff - April 13, 2011 - Bahia Principe, Punta Cana Cindy & Chole April 14, 2011- Dream Punta Cana Ashley & Johnathon April 15, 2011- Barcelo Punta Cana Ryan & Chantelle April 21, 2011 - Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana Paul & Lindsay - April 28, 2011 - Grand Palladium Bavaro Colin & Kayla - April 28, 2011 - Gran Bahia Principe -Punta Cana Tracy & Keith-APril 29, 2011- Grand Palladium Punta Cana Natalie & Kyle - April 30, 2011- Grand Palladium Palace Jamie & Mark- April 30, 2011- Majestic Elegance Punta Cana May 2011 Brianne & Eric - May 2, 2011 - Ocean Sands Punta Cana Sandy & Aaron - May 4, 2011 - Dreams Palm Beach Jenn & Ngai - May 5, 2011 - Dreams Punta Cana Vanessa & Noel - May 6, 2011 - Paradisus Palma Real Naeemah-Anne & Claudy -May 6th 2011 -Paradisus Punta Cana Eugene & Jennifer - May 7, 2011- Dreams La Romana Amanda & Jay - May 9, 2011- Melia Caribe Tropical Lindsay & Cam - May 10, 2011 - Paradisus Punta Cana Jodi & Darryl - May 11, 2011 - Dreams Palm Beach Michaela & Stew - May 21, 2011 - Gran Bahia Punta Cana Theresa & Johan - May 22, 2011 - Paradisus Palma Real V. Danielle & G. Alan - May 28, 2011 - Dreams La Romana Ryan & Stephanie - May 30, 2011 - Majestic Colonial June 2011 Flore and Marek-June 11, 2011-Paradisus Palma Real Shannon & John- June 16, 2011- Iberostar Bavaro Qubi & Rukiya - June 18, 2011 - Dreams Palm Beach, Punta Cana Jim & Laura - June 21, 2011 - Dreams Punta Cana, Punta Cana Eric & Anna - June 25, 2011 - Paradisus Palma Real, Punta Cana July 2011 Ashley1316- July 8, 2011- Bahia or Majestic Torie and Matt - July 4th 2011 - Grand Palladium or Catalonia July 2011/ 2012 Yvonne and Andrew- last week of july 2011/ 2012 (money dependant), dreams la romana October 2011 Quiyana & Damien - October 15, 2011 - Riu Palace, Punta Cana December 2011 Robyn & Ky - December 2, 2011 - Majestic Colonial

Hope you had a wonderful Wedding Day Misty!!!

Thanks everyone! You are all totally right, this forum has been a huge help. Everyone is super friendly and eager to share their experiences with others. After much discussion, we eventually decided on the Dreams Punta Cana!!! Like Kmarch said, there are lots of good resorts out there! J