Cassie South

Hi Neve, I'm sorry to hear that, it is one of the frustrations of dealing with not just properties directly, but airlines as well. An advertised price in the travel industry is rarely what you actually pay but normally they will tell you before you deposit. I've worked in travel for years and sometimes reservations staff just forget. I would hope the intent isn't to rip you off. Be very weary if you are booking your own airfare too because the airlines are even worse. They will advertise a one way price before tax when legally you can't even fly one way into the destination! I've seen airlines advertising flights for less than a third of the real price. As Destination Wedding planners, we are always sure to quote the total plus the tax so that our brides are not mislead. My advice would be to try negotiating. We have to negotiate almost every wedding contract we do in order to make sure our brides get a fair rate without surprises. Good luck! Ginger @ Blue Petal

Fair enough, a good reason to be concerned! I ate dinner on a beach in the pouring rain in Fiji once and it was messy. We all had our cloth napkins on our heads so our hair didn't get ruined, which was totally futile. In the end we all looked like drown rats but it's a great memory! The Rose Hall Suites have a large ball room which would make an excellent location for a reception. It has a 320 person capacity, which is probably theatre style seating so it would be worth asking them what number it holds banquet style seating... There is also the Rose Hall Beach next door which also has has convention facilities. I don't know if they would be willing to use their sister property for a back up plan if need be but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Rain is always a worry to destination wedding brides. The wedding coordinator at the property should be able to offer you some alternatives. Good luck! Ginger

Hello, I don't think the size of your wedding will be an issue at all. Did someone at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites say something to make you feel this way? They have 317 suites and ample meeting space so they should be able to accommodate. You may be limited in where you can host certain events but you will find that at any resort. At my wedding, we took up about 90% of the resort rooms (granted it was smaller) but I loved it that way! Plus if you love to dance, what a party! My only suggestion to you would be make sure your TA is willing to be the "one point of contact" for everyone so that on key dates (like when deposits or final payments are due) you aren't answering 100 - 200 phone calls with multiple questions from your guests. That would be overwhelming for anyone! Good luck with that, it sounds absolutely amazing... Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hi Jen, I apologise if I caused any confusion on this matter... Every wedding is different and I was just explaining one way of many. Every couple handles deposits differently and not all weddings are booked through tour operaters. Tammy is correct in that the best person to ask this to is your TA. Thanks, Ginger

Ah, you're getting married in November...! That flight schedule ends Sept 6th. I'm not sure these flights will be operating then, perhaps they just haven't released the schedule. If you're worried about it, I'd give them a call. Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hi Magirl, Not sure when you're getting married, which is a pretty important piece of information... However, the only direct flights I can see in my system from Boston to Cancun would be with Jetblue. This is out of my system so it's coded... Flight # Days of week Dates of operation City Codes departs arrives aircraft # of stops B6 885 S M T W T F S 04MAY-15JUN BOSCUN 600A 1133A 320 1 B6 885 S M T W T F S 16JUN-06SEP BOSCUN 600A 1122A 320 1 This flight has one stop (JFK airport in NYC), but your checked bags will remain on board. You may have to disembark the aircraft for cleaning perhaps but it would be virtually impossible to miss the flight because you'll be in a holding area. Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hi Jen, I can't speak on behalf of your TA, but since you are located in Canada I can give you an idea of how we process group deposits. All major Canadian tour operators (Westjet, Air Canada Vacations, etc) require a group deposit in order to hold space. The deposit amount ranges, but it's usually $200 a person and can be for ten people or ten rooms, it depends. Normally you are looking at a minimum of a couple grand just to hold the group space. This money is completely non refundable. Here at Blue Petal Weddings, we keep track of the deposits as they come in and credit each one to the bride and groom (since they almost always have to put down the group deposit). So you'll have $2000 with us and we confirm your guests rooms using your money. Everytime someone pays a $200 deposit, we then apply their money to your room. We have to do it this way, since we are legally not allowed by the wholesaler to refund your money (cause that would be too easy!) By the time you have ten guests confirm (and fill your group minimum), you will have a credit on our books for $2000. This can be applied to your room, any other travel plans like tours or flights, your honeymoon, whatever... Your TA may do it differently, but this is how we can assure the bride and groom get their money back when they've had to cover the group deposit. Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hello Sunshine! Well you've done well! You haven't found direct flights because there aren't any... There may be some sort of "island hopper" you can charter locally but that won't be cheap (if it's even possible) because it's a decent distance between these three places. The simplest option would be to fly from Montego Bay to Punta Cana (via Miami). American Airlines has regular scheduled flights from Montego Bay to Miami. These operate daily at 8:20 am, 11:40 am and 3:45pm. Once you are in Miami you will have lots of connection options to the other islands. Your most efficient connection to Punta Cana will be taking the 11:40am to Miami (arrives at 2:40pm), then connecting onto Punta Cana on AA 1737. This doesn't leave Miami until 7:10pm, arriving in Punta Cana at 9:30pm. Not the best connection in the world but there aren't a lot of options. Space is limited in mid June so don't sit on this too long. St. Lucia will be a double connection and pretty much take all day. You'd leave Montego Bay at 8:20am and wouldn't arrive in St. Lucia until 10pm. Very long day! Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal

I actually do the Social Media and Marketing but I was a travel agent for 10 years and work in a Destination Wedding agency in Vancouver BC. We have an amazing team of wedding designers here... I love them Shame about your TA... I guess they aren't all created equal! The good news is I have the email from my Dreams rep and I have a map for you... Either post your email address on here or email me at [email protected] and tell me you're Lasallebabe and I'll forward the maps to you. Ginger @ Blue Petal

Tough call, we book both of these properties all the time so my team gave me some feedback for you... Both properties are lovely but they have a very different feel. If cost of hotel rooms is a major concern, the Barcelo will be more accommodating as it is closer to a "mega resort" and has many room categories (756 rooms in total), allowing for different price points. They have probably quoted you what we call the "entry level room" or in other words, the cheapest, which is why the huge price difference. If you request a more expensive room, I'm sure they will offer it. Land only, entry level rooms usually come in between $200 and $300, depending on dates and room availability. The Dreams isn't exactly a "boutique" resort (it has 486 rooms), but it is smaller and the rooms are closer together. Land only, entry level room rates usually run between USD $350 and $450, depending on dates and room availability. Just like the Barcelo, if you request a more expensive room they will certainly offer it but as far as lower end room categories go, Dreams doesn't really have any. If you are dealing with both properties directly, ask them to send you images of the room categories they have quoted you and go from there... Keep in mind they will have had a professional photographer take the best picture imaginable! This pricing seems to be pretty normal for a group of 100 people... With a group that size, the price flexibility of the Barcelo may increase the number of guests you have, but I can't deny the Dreams Riviera is one of the most requested destination wedding resorts in our office. Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hi Lasallebabe, I haven't forgotten about you! I've sent a second email to our Dreams rep...

Of course, let me see what I can do I'll send her a message today! Ginger

Thanks for replying Tammy. I imagine things are different in the United States but in Canada most travel agencies have to mark up or charge a fee since our commissions are very small. Our product is our service, and the service we offer is worth paying for. If our brides disagree, we refund our fee. Thank you for clarifying, most of your readers are in the United States after all Ginger @ Blue Petal

Thanks for backing me up there RMBride2B!

Great, thanks for letting me know that number isn't working... Glad you were able to sort it out Ginger

Hello ladies, I have done pretty extensive research on which travel agencies specialize in DW planning and how much (or how little) they like to be involved (in other words, I know my competition! ha ha). I also know how much (or how little) they charge to do so. The rule of thumb with travel agencies is "you get what you pay for". If you aren't paying any fees, don't expect the TA to deal with the onsite wedding coordinator, figure our little details like flowers, ceremony details and things like that. They get paid on the travel only, so that's what they will focus on. If they are doing more than the travel and not charging you any fees, they have either marked it up (a common industry practice) or they will go out of business eventually. Clearly nobody can work for free and sustain it. There are exceptions to this rule. Most airlines don't pay any commissions so if you are marrying in a private property or a venue that doesn't pay your TA commission, there is essentially no revenue at all so a fee is necessary to book the travel alone. If they are charging you fees on top of their travel industy kick backs, they should be willing to assist you with other details. These fees can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. At Blue Petal we decided to do "as much or as little" as our brides would like. We don't have a "set fee" or "packages' because every wedding is totally unique. We sit down with the bride and groom, talk about their dream wedding, how much they want to be involved in the planning process, talk about their budget and negotiate a fee based on how much revenue we estimate will come in from the travel side. This initial consultation is free and we found this works best for both parties. My advice is make sure there is a clear understanding from the very beginning of what you expect your TA to assist you with. You will likely be speaking to your TA once every few weeks (sometimes way more) leading up to your wedding so find someone who gives you a good feeling and you feel has your best interests at heart. Ginger ~ Blue Petal

Hi there, I would try the community on www.homeofpoi.com I'm a fire dancer (as well as a destination wedding specialist!) and this is the biggest fire dancer community forum that i know of. They have over 125,000 members from all over the world. Post a request on that forum and somebody will probably know somebody... You will be best off to find someone locally as you can't fly with fire dancing equipment. I did an event in Fiji once and I had to buy all new gear (the airlines won't let you take burnt wicks on aircraft). Sourcing kerosine locally was a trick as well so if you can find someone who lives in the Dominican that will be your best bet. Good luck! Ginger Blum ~ Blue Petal Weddings

I'm not sure about your travel plans, but if you haven't booked your flights yet I'd suggest going a day early and buying them in Jamaica. Not only will they be more authentic, but they will be a quarter of the price and you'll have much more variety to choose from. I personally think shopping in foreign markets is way more interesting than shopping in Canada In Jamaica most resorts will arrange a taxi or driver to take you to a gated shopping area. The gates are meant to keep the local touts to a minimum so I recommend staying in there. You will have ample sarongs to choose from. Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal

Congratulations Alda! Love your style, good luck with the dress! I'm sure it will be all you ever dreamed of and so much more Ginger

Hello LaSalle Babe, I'm sure you've been on thier website, but they have a semi detailed map on there... You can hover for more detail. Here's the link if you haven't... http://www.dreamsresorts.com/drepb/resort-map.html When our Dreams rep came in she had one, I'm sure your TA can get a copy... If not, flick me an email at [email protected] and I'll call my rep and see if she can scan her copy and email it to me. Can't help you on the other things, although I thought I saw little 2-packs of Advil at Costco once... Ginger ~ Blue Petal

I found this article interesting because I planned my own DW and did all the travel too, since I work in the industry! Brides, make sure your TA is willing to communicate directly with your guests and is a "one point contact" for everyone. The last thing the bride and groom should be worrying about is travel logistics and collecting payments from their guests. If your TA isn't willing to take this job off your hands, find a different TA. Ginger @ Blue Petal

Hi there, Congratulations, the Moon Palace is a stunning property! If you are looking to get married on Valentine's Day I would suggest trying to go through their Miami office to see if there is anything you can do to expedite that request. We have found Valentine's Day to be one of the most coveted days of the year, next to number combinations like 11/11/11. It sounds like you've already gone through a lot of stress! A destination wedding will certainly be easier. I always recommend to brides to let their TA do a lot of the work for them, especially when it comes to your guests. We encounter guests worried about the safety of Mexico all the time (as well as fear of flying, fear of getting sick locally, fear of the unknown, you name it!) and have pretty much mastered the process of relieving them of that worry. I'm sure your TA will be the same. Hope that helps and good luck! Ginger @Blue Petal

Hello everyone, I just wanted to start a thread about the one question we end up answering without fail for every wedding we do... "If my guests can find it for less online, what is the advantage to using a professional travel advisor?" There are many reasons but I am only going to point out five. Ideally, your guests will call your TA after spending their entire evening shopping for deals online but often they will call you. We like to prepare our brides with an explanation when this happens. One - The internet is an amazing tool for travellers and one of the best places to get “dealsâ€. Your wedding is not a “dealâ€; it’s one of the most important days of your life. Planning this day is going to take more care and attention than you will ever get from a website so make sure there is one real person overseeing the handling your wedding (and all of your guests). Make sure you can contact them directly when you need them. Two - “Deals†found online are released when airlines need to liquidate a few seats on an aircraft and only last until those few seats are gone. If two of your guests book online, these could be the last two seats at this price. The ThThe TThtkj fdThe next two people may get another price. It is inconsistant and everyone in your group will end up paying different prices. Three - Lead in pricing is shown on the first page to lure you in, but most online booking engines don’t actually check availability until you have entered a credit card and click “book nowâ€. If that fare isn’t available, it will come back with the next fare category that is. Don't think something is confirmed at the advertised price until you have paid. Four - The deals you see on websites like Expedia, Red Tag, Bookit.com, and other websites are usually based on double occupancy. Advanced search engines may be able to accommodate as many as six passengers but you cannot book any more than that on any website. You will have to send in a “group quote request†to the groups department. If your guest took the time to submit a group quote, they will end up getting quoted the same price your TA quoted you. Five - There are advantages for group rates that online deals cannot compete with. The price is locked in and will not change once a deposit is made. Then everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and not have to worry about the remaining amount until 60 – 90 days prior to departure. Online deals must be paid in full immediately and are 100% non refundable. Most importantly, if all your guests are booking online to save $40, your wedding will not be considered a group and many of your group perks will be taken away, including the ability to hold space with just a deposit, free room nights, free wedding packages, and more. Occasionally there are group rate price decreases which will also effect your group, and that's always a pleasant surprise! We have found keen guests that want to play travel agent will be one of the biggest stresses of planning your destination wedding. We advise our brides if they run into this to have their guests call us directly to alleviate that stress! One less thing you need to worry about! Hope this helps! I'm happy to answer any questions you guys may have about this topic. Ginger @Blue Petal

Hi there, One suggestion I have is to not just meet with the wedding coordinators, but actually request a site inspection of the properties you are interested in. Your TA should be able to arrange this. It's important not just to see the wedding venues, but each room category. Try out the restaurants in the properties and spend a day splashing around to get a real feel for the place. We have arranged site inspections for some of our clients and have been able to open all sorts of doors even our savviest brides would have never pulled off! By getting assitance from our sales reps, we have been able to get them travel agent rates, cake tastings, free upgrades, complimentary day passes, it all depends on where they are going and how good our contacts are. If you are booking through an agency that the property is familiar with, they are way more likely to come to the table then if you are just a random traveller calling directly. Hope that helps! Ginger @ Blue Petal Weddings

Hi Maria, I haven't actually been to the Dominican Republic, but I've travelled to at least 20 countries with all of the things you listed in my bags (I tend to attract sunburns and hangovers!) without any issues. Providing all liquids are packed in your checked bags (obviously there are liquid / gel restrictions on international flights) and in sealed gift pouches you should be good to go. Make sure your Off is in a pump style bottle, you cannot fly with aerosol cans! Here is a link to what the current customs form for the Dominican Rebublic looks like... http://www.airtran.com/common/PDF/international_forms_DominicanRepublic.pdf Providing you declare these little gifts to customs I reckon you'll be just fine. If you are really worried, post an exact list and I'll flick an email to our Dominican Republic Sales Manager..! Ginger @ Blue Petal