maridr2012

Keep it for yourself and it'll help with ur budget! I have a deal where for every 5 rooms booked I get 1 free room, max of 3 rooms for 3 nites. Im using these comp'd rooms for myself, my parents, and FI's parents. Both our parents have been so supportive in our decision to have a DW that we felt it was a nice gesture to give them their rooms for free, but they won't know about it until they get there and the $ is refunded back to their credit cards. Ur guests are fully aware of the rates they are paying when they decide to go to ur DW so u aren't obligated to give $ back to them. I think a lot of people wrongly believe that DW is sooooo much cheaper for the couple and I feel it's only cheaper because you have less people attending, that's the major reason! And let's not forget that if u have a wedding @ home, and u are all staying in a hotel the night of the wedding (that's what I see typically happens) the bridal couple gets at least their room comp'd, if not more!

Yeah I know it's frustrating. I booked my wedding in 2011 so the prices were a bit cheaper. They did try to charge me everything based on 2012 rates but I stuck to my guns and they relented so now I'm paying slightly lower fees based on 2011.

I did a love @ first site trip in December and honestly it didn't go as well as I'd hoped I think in large part because there was lack of communication at the resort itself. When I arrived nobody seemed to know I was there for that, apparently they thought I was just there for a regular vacation and just happened to want to meet with the on site WC. so I would say call the resort itself, just suck it up and pay the long distance call fee and speak with someone in the wedding dept on site to confirm ur appt. this prob sounds like I'm nit picking but for example we never received the bottle of champagne or basket of fruit until I asked for it and it was delivered on day 3-my last night there. I never got to see a show room setup or linens..we were given a tour of the resort and shown where they do ceremonies and receptions but at that point I'd already seen most of it anyway from looking myself. We were shown the different hotel room classes. I never saw the bridal suite. For the food tasting, Miguelinamade an appt for us at the Gabi, we had already selected our choices for what we wanted to eat. We show up for our appt and they were closed! That communication never got to them-and that was set up by Miguelinamade 2 days after we'd already arrived! I raised a big stink and after 30 min we were set up at Vento the restaurant in the Reserve area. The food tasting after that went well I suggest ask to try as much food as you can. We ended up selecting our reception options from the Vento menu, NOT the selections they give u for the meal options. I think they allowed me to to that only because they'd already messed up so much lol. Take ALOT of pics as its so much you'll forget what the spaces look like. Try to observe a few weddings while ur there I'm sure you'll see a few and try to be friendly with some of the wedding purples there so u can get 1st hand feedback on their experience before & after. Good luck!

We leave PPC 2 days after the wedding to honeymoon in another town a few hours away and won't be back home until Nov 17th. I'm sure I'll be tired and trying to catch up with work and life when I get back but I'll def post when I return with a review and some tips!

Lori it depends which resort ur staying at and their policy. I'm getting married at Paradisus Punta Cana and if you book the Pastor directly thru them it's a bit more than you would if you book him yourself, there is no "external vendor fee" or day pass fee as its already baked into the price. But, if u book him ur self you'll need to pay the resort for allowing an external vendor to come into the property-they charge the full day pass fee $120. The difference between the 2 was only like $50, so I opted to pay a bit more and book the Pastor thru them. That way if anything fell thru or any miscommunication happened they would be responsible on the day of my wedding. A little peace of mind for me was worth the $50. Each resort has a slightly different policy so u should check with ur resort on theirs.

Hey SimplenSweet! I get married on Nov 9th...we will just be missing each other! My ceremony will be at the gazebo and the cocktail hour will be there as well. I have about 60 guests attending. I've only just started working with Jessica who is filling in for my planner Veronica indefinitely. I never had to work with Cemone - thankfully. Veronica's been absolutely great...and so far my experience with Jessica has been great as well! My power planning call will be with Jessica this Friday, but I've been slowly planning everything out with Veronica over the last 6 months so pretty much everything is planned at this point, the power call shouldn't be too much to go thru for me. I too asked about the setup for the cocktail hour, extra costs with chairs, ottomans, lounge tables etc...it all adds up quickly. Veronica suggested to me not to bother with getting the extra chairs etc. I have the Aqua Package so I will already have 3 lounge tables set up, and they setup the h'ors deuvres tables and bar literally right next to the gazebo. She suggested that guests can just sit at the same chairs they used for the ceremony, and most people will be standing around chit-chatting and posing for pics during the cocktail hour anyway. So...I decided to take her suggestion and save a few bucks. Hope this helps!

PPC brides: Did any of you ship your items down to DR prior to the wedding so you wouldn't have to lug it all in extra baggage on the airplane? I'm getting EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with trying to get answers on how to ship my stuff down there. I mainly have OOT bag stuffers, the bags themselves, and wedding decor including tealight candles, candle holders, raffia fans, etc. It's alot and some of it is too bulky and delicate to just throw in a luggage case. I was referred to a company called CPS by the PPC Romance Dept, but they have been unresponsive to any of my emails on basic questions and at this point I have no confidence in giving my business to them and having my items arrive safely and on time, based on their lack of response. Please help! If any of you can share what you did/who you used to ship your items I'd be very grateful!

Thanks for that info! Finally someone who could answer it for me, lol. You were a stunningly beautiful bride by the way! I think I will select a song for guest seating, good tip! Where did you have your cocktail hour, and what about reception? I have about 60 guests coming, and I think I'm having the cocktail hour right by the gazebo, and my reception in one of the terraces. Also, how did you handle tipping? I'm trying to include that in my budget, but not sure who or what I'm supposed to tip. I figured I'd tip Miguelina the WC $100, I'd tip the bartender $30 at the cocktail hour, the other bartender at reception $50, the wait staff $20-$30 each. Did you go with Arrecife for your photography? Quote: Originally Posted by keedon2011 Thank you Maridr! Feel free to ask away! This forum has helped me so much and I'm glad to offer some assistance back. After you get off the trolley "that they provide", you walk up the path and it may take approx. 25 seconds (at least for me it did). I choose Beyonce "After all is said and done" I walked very slow because they have little cobble stones along the path and you don't want to fall:-( My girls came down to India Arie "Beautiful Surprise" and it took them approx. 60 seconds (I had 3 girls). Hopefully, this helps! I would recommend having music to get your guest seated in case your running late. I used the bridal suite but my hair/makeup stylist was a guest so I didn't use those services. Attached are two picture to give you visual. Good luck and happy planning!

Keedon so glad to hear ur wedding experience was wonderful! Be prepared to be bombarded now with questions from all of us including me lol. Since you got married at the gazebo, approximately how long was ur walk down the aisle? I can't seem to get answers on that lol. I just want to pick songs and appropriate lengths for our procession and recession! Also, how did the spa do with ur hair and makeup? I see ur a brown girl like me. My package includes hair and makeup, but I'm considering getting a lesson from MAC just in case Im not happy with theirs. Hair I'm not too worried, I was there in December and got a blow-out at the salon they did a great job. Nobody does a blow-out like the Dominicans-I may be a bit biased as I'm Dominican myself haha. Im also using the bridal suiteso my girls and I have privacy. Can you please share oils of your day, ceremony, reception, hair/makeup? By the way thanks for the tip on updo due to the wind...I've been undecided on that! Congrats on your wedding!

I hear ya. We invited about the same, and 57 people have confirmed yes, but I'm giving myself a few extra seats just in case. If we have 60 people that would be great, anything more than that the costs start going up significantly again. Between paying per person for anything over the package deal (mine is 24 people), plus extra costs i.e. OOT bags, favors, welcome party, etc it adds up!

I have to agree with one of the previous ladies...I don't want anyone wearing white to the wedding..I should be the only one in white. I'm the bride! Heck, I don't even want any girls wearing ivory, lol. But...most girls do know not to wear it. My FI's uncle told me a few weeks ago very excitedly that he knew exactly what he was going to wear and would be purchasing his outfit the next week.....a cream colored linen suit. I blinked my big eyes very widely and said, "Are you serious? Ummmm you can't wear that...Jaime's wearing an ivory linen suit". LOL.. I felt kinda bad because he was so excited. He then started teasing me and saying he didn't care, he would wear it and everyone would think he's the lucky guy. haha. It was all in good fun but I could tell I burst his bubble. His wife later told me she would make sure he wouldn't wear that.

For our first dance, we are using Prince Royce's version of Stand By Me. It's in English and Spanish, perfect for us because my parents don't speak English nor do some of my guests, his family doesn't speak Spanish, and this version of the song is a bachata-which is a typical Dominican dance...thats where my family is from snd we're getting married in Punta Cana!

Only 2 more posts to go...then I can access these!!!

3 weeks after my RSVP date and I still haven't gotten definite yes or no's from about 40 guests. I ended up sending a few guests very direct emails/text messages, asking them to simply give me a yes/no by X date so that i can give accurate # to the resort and for my own planning purposes. I ended each one as nicely as I could, stating something to the effect of "We would've loved to see you there but at this point your lack of response leaves us no choice other than to assume you will not be able to join us, and we have to move forward with planning without your headcount. If you decide to join us as the date approaches, please let us know as soon as you can so we can try to add you to our headcount and ceremony and reception space as size is limited, but please know this is not guaranteed and after we submit all our plans this is not guaranteed". End with a sad smiley face. Honestly, I'm so over the what ifs, last minute guests, I'll let you know if we can make it, people ignoring us and disappointing us, the guilt trips, etc. I'm actually a Supply Chain Planner in my career, which means this is what I do for a living....I plan ahead...I buy supplies, submit production orders, and work with manufacturers/vendors to produce goods MONTHS in advance. So...you can imagine why this is such a big deal for me. Big sigh. I submitted my #s on Monday to the resort, I'm going out this weekend to buy more stuff for OOT bags, decorations, etc. I am done, done, and DONE. I tried my best to make it as easy as possible for all guests, and now I'm going to try and be all smiles from here on out...there's only so much a gal can do..I did my best, and now the ball is rolling!!! Best of luck to all!

Hey girls. So, after 3 weeks of several emails back and forth between Pastor York - when he told me that he wouldn't be available for my November wedding, nor would his backup pastor...and me kinda freaking out and stressing over it...I FINALLY have a new confirmed pastor - referred by Pastor York himself. The pastor that will be marrying us is Pastor Torribio Francisco, and the WC at my resort has confirmed he is available, I am paying for his service directly thru the resort. It'll be a tad bit more expensive than going thru Pastor York directly, but at this point I don't care, I was desperate to have a pastor marry us and not just a regular symbolic ceremony by one of the resort employees. The only down side is Pastor Francisco only speaks Spanish, so the WC onsite will have to translate the ceremony in English (Pastor York will provide a transcript of the English translation). To me i'ts not such a big deal because my parents and some of my relatives attending only speak Spanish anyway...but when I mentioned it to my FI he wasn't very happy, as he and his family only speak English! LOL. But...at least we're having a Pastor do the ceremony for us which will be a special touch, and we'll technically already be married by the time we get there anyway (stateside legal ceremony a few days before departing). So, to sum it up...my words of advice to any couples that have not yet secured your officiant, do this early on and document it! If you're planning on using Pastor York, who's basically the only Pastor that officiates ceremonies in PC, email him early on and lock in your date and time! If you're planning on getting married in early November like I am, contact him soon to get backup options!

Ha! Mine is too! My FI is APPALLED that I don't want to spend the entire week and then some with his fam n our friends. I had to negotiate with him on it. But, ultimately it came down to this: he travels so much, average 2 wks each month. I kinda sugar talked him by explaining we never get to spend quality time just by ourselves, and this will be the only opportunity before we have kids (umm like next year) when we'll be able to enjoy each other's company by ourselves in a beautiful location as husband and wife. He got it, understood and relented. Good luck with your plans : )

I read these posts of all these brides that want to honeymoon at the same location that all the guests are staying at, I think they're CRAZY. lol. But...to each his/her own..I guess for them its super important to spend time with their loved ones who they probably haven't seen in a long time (I still think they're crazy, lol). Anyway, we are staying at our wedding resort for only 1 more night after our wedding. We arrive Tuesday, get married on Friday, and leave on Sunday morning to another resort on the same island but 2 hours away. At that point, I'll have had enough of everyone, had a chance to spend a few days with them all, and will need to decompress from all the wedding craziness in a new surrounding. I think that's something every bride and groom deserve! Good luck!

LOL...this is kinda funny but kinda not. Sorry you're having a tough time with all the questions and opinions and your friend assuming she's involved in the wedding. I think all of us brides go thru this to some degree. I suggest to telling her you want something very simple and not alot of fuss or big production with a wedding party, and the only person you're having as a witness is your sister and your FI's relative because they are FAMILY, and they would be extremely hurt if they weren't the witnesses. Hopefully she'll understand. But, to make it a bit funny, tell her she's more than welcome to throw you a huge bridal shower and a even bigger bachelorette party! LOL. good luck!

Ohhh thats a tough one. Yeah I'd prob be a little pissed off if one of my friends backed out of my wedding as a bridesmaid after agreeing to it, but also agree you shouldn't wait to the last minute. Chances are, your friend may understand when you explain to her that now you also are getting married and have huge financial committments of your owns and savings you need to plan for. Just tell her right away so she won't have to harass you or feel ignored. What I'd also suggest is that you still want to be a part of her big event as much as you can, and you love and support her. Try to go with her to look at dresses, check in with her to see how her planning is coming along, and be helpful in planning her bridal shower and bachelorette party. I think it'd be impossible for her to have sour grapes if you show her you just cant physically be there on her big day. And hopefully, she'll do the same for you when it's your big day as well. Good luck!

Well, looks like our #s are finally starting to come together. We invited 125. Our RSVP was 2 weeks ago and I've still got a few people that I have to harass for answers. But overall it looks like we'll be at 64 people, which I'm really happy about. I didn't want a huge wedding, but also didn't want something so small either that it wouldn't feel like our BIG day! For those folks that still haven't answered (which I reached out to last wk and STILL haven't heard yes or no..just oh...i dont know yet...WTF?!!) I am sending a final text/email tonight saying something to the effect of, "Well I never heard back a definitive answer, so unfortunately I am submitting my #s to the resort and not including you as headcount. If you do decide to join us, let me know down the road and I'll see if we can increase headcount and if the reception space will allow for more people". That's it.

Since your photographer is staying at the resort and she is a "guest" at your wedding, you won't need to pay another $120 for her as an external vendor fee for a day pass. They can't charge you that fee because she's already staying there.

SimplenSweet, whats going to be your final price then for having Pastor York marry you at PPC? I'm going to end up paying $522 (their fee last year when I booked the wedding was $450 + 16% tax). For any weddings booked in 2012 they are charging the $638 they tried to get you for ($550 + 16% tax). I don't mind it terribly too much that I still have am paying more than what he states his fee is $350, but I figured since if I just pay him directly I'd still have to pay the resort the outside vendor fee it's only a difference of like $50. Also, I'm hoping that working directly thru the resort will give me more peace of mind in securing a pastor since he already told me he's not available on my date. But, good for you for sticking to your guns about it!

I haven't seen a forum on here on this topic, so here goes. I recently have started to have bad dreams, almost every night. They're not nightmares, but they're always recurring themes: it's the day of the wedding, and NOTHING is done. No decorations have been set out, my dress isn't right, there's no hairstylist or makeup person, the bridesmaids aren't dressed or their dresses don't match, and everything has to be thrown together minutes before the wedding and it all looks like crap. I NEVER would've guessed that I'd be having bad dreams about this, I mean..I have it my ish together! Pretty much everything is planned out and at this point all I have left to do is print my programs, menu cards & table #s, buy OOT bag items, and wedding party gifts. The other thing I've been getting alot are major symptoms of anxiety: lack of sleep - only 3 to 4 hrs a night (and when i do sleep, the bad dreams happen) stomach pains, shortness of breath, heavy weight on my chest, sweaty palms, the works. The stomach pains won't even let me eat...which can kinda be a good thing to drop these last 10 lbs, lol. But seriously..this is getting crazy. I'm seriously considering going to my doctor and having her write me a prescription for xanax or something. If I try to talk to my FI about some of the things I'm stressed about that I think are causing me anxiety, he doesn't want to talk about it and says he's stressed too and we end up fighting. I do have a MOH, but she's got her hands tied with a 2 yr old and a newborn, and she lives 1 1/2 away from me. My other bridesmaids are his sisters which I don't feel comfortable in confiding in, and 1 more girlfriend and I don't want to always call her with the same whiny complaints! My mom is no help at all - she's never planned a wedding, and I don't feel very comfortable asking his mom for advice or help either. So basically, I've planned this all single-handedly. I really can't wait for this wedding to be over : ( Anyone else feeling this way?

I'm on the same page as LaLa32. Although we neither of us is divorced, I just didn't want to take the risk of having the judge not be available and having to do a "symbolic" wedding by a resort employee in front of our guests, and then have to sign the legal papers the morning of, day after, or whenever he'd be available. Plus, all the extra costs to do the paperwork and the hassle was just too much, and I've read some brides saying they didn't get their legal docs back from the registry (the judge takes it to the DR registry office for it to be recorded) until several weeks later. I'm actually Dominican - well, born in US but both my parents are from there and even they told me not to bother with it. So, we are legally getting married in NYC at City Hall a few weeks before we leave to DR. Just us 2, our witness will be the clerk, we won't exchange rings and probably just have a nice lunch in a cafe afterwards. We aren't telling anyone about it only our parents and they know not to ruin it by sharing with others, it's our secret. We are having a religious symbolic ceremony performed by a pastor in DR in front if our guests. Nobody will know the difference and it will be just as special.

Honey I think we've all experienced it in one way or another, including myself. I would say u should remind him of what u both agreed on - a rather small wedding with those you are close with and want to spend a week with. This woman does not sound like someone you are both close with, given you only see and speak to her about 1x a year. If she has done negative mean things to your family members, especially if they also will be there I think it'd be uncomfortable for them as well as you. As the bride, I def wouldn't want her there! Have the convo with him & explain this in a non-argumentative tone if you can help it. Just be prepared to get sh*t from his parents about not inviting their friend's daughter. It will be awkward but oh well, it's YOUR wedding and should be about what you and your FI want. Good luck!