Aphrodite

Now, I may be biased (since I had a one shoulder strap on mine lol) but keep the strap!! Mine was removable so you could always have the option of doing that and wearing it during the ceremony and taking it off for the reception.

I have a big Italian family...we are all crazy in one way or another LOL. My situation got a little difficult because I had ZERO intention of having an AHR but then my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer last January and we didn't know what to do...she ended up not coming to my wedding...long story made short, I came home, there was zero interest about my wedding or doing anything at home so I said to hell with it! I'm happy with how my wedding played out I agree!! Post some pics!!!

I actually never ended up having an AHR... Too many family politics that I didn't want the experience of my wedding to be ruined by family drama. So I said to hell with it! lol After reading a lot of the comments on this site - for anyone else that stumbles up on this thread... If I did end up having the AHR...I would 100% wear my dress again with my bridal part wearing theirs as well. I don't see how it is tacky. I feel like the people who think it WOULD be tacky weren't hugged enough as children...

There is a lady in my area that makes them... www.thankyouchocolates.ca She actually made the labels for the rock candy as well! They were so yummy and beautiful

I got custom made rock candy and glass wine bottle stoppers (see pics!) - they were very easy to transport to DR and fit right in with our luggage!

I don't think the price changes for every additional guest at the resort BUT if you talk to your TA, I'm sure the prices or "perks" change when you are booking your group rate. I know it did for us. Upgrades are usually standard in some cases for the bride and groom; eg. rooms, VIP access to certain pools, etc. Talk to your TA about this - they should have the most information on what the resort will give you. Must haves - DEFINITELY splurge on a private reception if that is an option for you. I know a lot of brides on here are apparently forecasting to spend about $10,000 - to each their own I suppose, but I don't think it is necessary. Our wedding package was about $750, our private reception was about $800, our extra photos with the photographer was about $300 (our package included about 10 pictures) and then our trip cost us almost $1400 each. So we spent nowhere near $10,000...that's even with about $1,000 for my dress and $300 for my BM dresses that I paid for. We did custom rock candy and wine bottle stoppers (glass) for our favours and I can't remember how much it cost me but I want to say under $200.

You have to have a certain amount of posts (don't know exactly how many - and please don't spam the boards just to get the count up! lol) or you can pay a fee.

At the very least she could have at least quoted whatever she was commenting on.... When did internet laziness start? lol

Buy the knockoff and save yourself some $$$! I'm not good at this game but Maggie Sotterro?? lol It's beautiful Keep the train! Even if you have no train it will end up getting a bit dirty - it's really only the underneath that gets a bit dirty - but it's not the sand, it's the floors and everywhere else you walk! So you would have the same problem if you got married here! I think the train looks beautiful on this dress and definitely wouldn't get rid of it!

I didn't have this experience at my hotel. Before I chose the hotel - I emailed every hotel I was interested in and would ask the WCs questions and then see how fast their response time was. Gran Bahia seemed the quickest and most efficient at all of this so I picked them to stop myself from having an anxiety attack lol. Light a fire under their butts...tell them if they don't respond within 24 hours you're cancelling or something along those lines. There is no excuse for them not to responding to you ladies within 24 hours. In fact, I never had to wait more than a few hours to get a response - as it should be. They are running a business, in the Dominican or not, you need to be efficient when dealing with brides!!

HOLD ON. There is nothing to panic about lol. Almost EVERY hotel will have your WC translate the ceremony as it is happening. So the judge says a line in Spanish and then the WC repeats it in English. I would be shocked if a hotel did not let you write your own vows or add anything to the ceremony. Even with the judge performing the ceremony in Spanish (as that is THEIR national language and therefore the language needed to make your ceremony legal) they will alot time for you to do these things. Your WC will help you with all of this.

I got married at the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana...all the resorts are in one big resort. The Esmeralda is beautiful (although we didn't stay there). I think all wedding couples get the VIP bracelets too. If you click on my name, I have posted a full review (with some pics) on this resort. I loved it

Nothing. Would you tip them here? We didn't tip the WC, the photographer or the judge. In my opinion, it isn't like you are getting a "deal" with how much you are paying these people and I know I wouldn't be tipping them here either as the cost they charge is enough to cover much more than their actual expenses. We tipped the staff that was working at the restaurants, working at our reception and the maids. Maybe I'm the only one that didn't lol. But we weren't treated any differently.

Yes you do have to bring your original birth certificate down with you...also your passport plus your translated documents. The apostille thing must be an American thing so I can't help you there! lol

I don't know every airline's rules - I think the safeset thing to do is to call the airline and ask them what their policies are regarding wedding dresses. I flew with Air Transat and they were very accomodating. Calling the airline will also help you figure out what model plane they will be using for your flight and then in that case they will know how they can accomodate you. I think the only overall rule we can all follow is NEVER LET THEM CHECK YOUR DRESS IN AS LUGGAGE! lol

I think it's just Sunwing's way of making you feel at ease lol. There shouldn't be any sort of program - all the airlines should allow you to have your dress hung up - they all either have closets for this on the plane or they have a hanging rack near the pilots. Whichever airline you fly with - if you want to put your mind at ease, just give them a call and ask

Great tip! For the record - my dress went through the x-ray machine in the garment bag that came with the dress (the bridal store really should supply one free of charge) and they never opened it up. One more tip - when you get on that plane, make sure you TELL the stewardess NOT TO FOLD YOUR DRESS. They have closets and other methods of hanging your dress, so don't just take their word that it has to be folded and put in the overhead bins. They lie lol. My alterations place told me the same thing and of course I didn't listen on the way there and my dress was the ONLY dress folded - it was hung with everyone else's but they put the loop on the bottom of the garment bag over the top of the hanger...It was bustled in the garment bag and the loop for my bustle ended up breaking...I was pissed...

And the best part of this template is that they have the matching template for envelope labels

Don't mind the horrible cut on the top of this magnet lol. This was one of the rejects! I cut them all with one of those slicing blades you use to cut stacks of paper...

See I thought you were talking about the documents we get FROM the consulate to take with us there - I gave the resort THOSE originals. But for sure - I wouldn't let them keep my birth certificate/passport. I'm surprised! Isn't the hotel you were married at a pretty big chain?? That is one of the reasons why I picked Gran Bahia just because I felt like there wouldn't much "shadiness". I'm really sorry you had to deal with such stress during an occassion that is supposed to be so happy

Well... I work with legal documents for a living...and I'm really sorry for anyone having this awful experience. I gave them my originals and kept a photocopy for myself (I did not give them my birth certificate/passports - they photocopied them in front of me and handed them back). Generally, when you are dealing with courts, judges, etc. - they need the original to process a legal document. I had no issues with my resort. I gave them my originals and I got my marriage certificate mailed to me about 2 months after the wedding. I was told from Day 1 that I wouldn't be getting my marriage certificate on the spot as they need time to process it through their own judicial system.

I got married at the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana. I loved it! Everything went very well. Gran Bahia Principe is a pretty big chain so I'm sure you will have the same experience. But if you haven't chosen where in Dominican you would like to go - I will strongly suggest Punta Cana.

Oh and I also did STDs (not the sexual kind LOL)... I went and got sheets of magnets that you run through your printer at home (they are label size) and trusty old Microsoft Word had a template for the magnets and I used that... Doc1.docx

The only advice I can give is this... Once you decide on your venue, call the hotel and ask if a) you are allowed an outside photographer (I have heard of some places not allowing it) and how much it costs. Some of your wedding packages will include a few pictures depending on what you pick and depending on where you go. Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana includes some pictures in their wedding packages. Their onsite photography is Arrecife - they have a few locations at a few hotels and I love their work They also do TTD sessions. This particular hotel charges $500 I believe for an outside photographer. I think the package I chose was 30-something pictures for about $300ish dollars. I had no issues with their work - they are pros at wedding photos, so they tell you exactly what to do and they are so familiar with the location that they know all the great spots to take you!

By TA do you mean Travel Agent? Refund you the money for what, the photographer?? Or the whole trip?? Have you got your deposit back yet?