maridr2012

So far our plans are to pay for the bridesmaids makeup at the salon/spa, I'm getting them each a necklace and a cutemakeup bag with little essentials for the wedding day: lashes, markup remover wipes, a nail file, blotting tissues and maybe 1 or 2 more little items. If budget allows we'll also treat them to a manicure at the spa. For the guys, I think we are getting them each a mini camcorder. We have 8 guys, I only have 4 girls so the guys get 1 more expensive gift vs the girls getting several smaller gifts.

Hi. For any brides that got married at the beach gazebo, how long was you walk down the aisle? I asking because I'm trying to figure out what songs to play for the processional and recessional. I'd like to play a song for the wedding party (4 BM and 6 GM), and another song for my walk down the aisle. It looks like such a short walk though!

We made an A list for those guests we absolutely wanted to/needed to invite, and a B list for those we would like to invite if we had enough space in our budget and venue. Save the dates postcards were sent out to the A list 9 months prior to wedding date. Formal invitations were sent out 5 months before wedding date, again, only to A list. Our RSVP date is 4 1/2 months before wedding date to give folks enough time to book and plan their trip. I'll start calling people 1 wk after the RSVP date if they never sent the response card. This gives me an opportunity to still send out invitations to the B list if we get enough declines, and those B listers won't feel left out. When I had the RSVP cards printed I had about 25 with a blank space so I can calligraphy the date in (for the B listers since their response date is different from A listers).

We're having a 1 hour cocktail party the day before the wedding (right after the rehearsal dinner since that will only be for immediate family & wedding party). We may even do that 2 days before the wedding because it may be a bit too much of time-crunching. That is included as one of the kick-backs we get from the resort, a privatized 1 hour cocktail party, which we will call "Welcome Cocktail Party". Having a welcome dinner was just too expensive for us. Our rehearsal dinner is costing us $150 b/c we have more than the allotted qty of quests included in the package we chose (10 people over at $15 pp). Other than that, we aren't paying anything else for our guests, because #1, it was too costly, and #2, we didn't want our guest's vacations to be dictated only by our wedding events. I think we'll prob only have 1 excursion, like zip-lining or something which we will work out time, costs, transportation etc but the guests will need to pay themselves if they wish to attend.

Hmmm I havent given this any thought either. I guess it kinda depends on the crowd you have in your bridal party. If you know they're die-hard partyers who start early in the day and make asses of themselves and its uncomfortable, then yes, an honest frank discussion is in order. However, I think you as the bride should have the discussion with your bridesmaids - after all these are prob girls who you consider to be good friends, and your FI should have the talk with his guys, for same reasons. I also think a phonecall or face-to-face conversation should be the way you communicate it, DEF not over an email or FB or text message because too often the tone of your message can come across very differently than you intended on a screen. Keep the convo light, laugh about it, etc. Your bridal party will appreciate hearing it directly from you, rather than hearing it after the fact thru rumors, and other things. I only have 4 bridesmaids and I dont think I need to worry about that with them. The groomsmen...that's another story. But, one would hope that out of respect for the bride and groom, folks would know not to show their "azz"! LOL

Agreed, if you want a friend to officiate, go ahead and proceed with that! Just make sure its okay with your venue first. They may require your friend to me a minister of some sort, so maybe he/she can take an online ministry course and be certified to officiate at weddings if they arent already a minister or officate of some sort. We are getting legally married in the US prior to our DW in DR, to get the legal paperwork out of the way. Since my parents are very religious, we're having a Christian pastor from the DR officiate at our spiritual ceremony. That seemed to satisfy all of our needs as well as our parents (err...well, my parents, lol).

We are not getting our parents gifts for the wedding. I've been to several weddings and rehearsal dinners, and there was only 1 time where I saw gifts presented to parents at the rehearsal dinner - and my luck, it was my FI's sister's wedding. She presented a beautiful cocktail ring to her mom (my FI's mom), as well as a gift to her dad, and the groom's mom (groom's dad passed away years ago). I was very confused when I saw this and thought, "Oh my God! Do I have to do that to?!". But after checking in with all my friends that have been married and blogs, etc. I realized this is not the norm. So, what we are doing is paying for the mom's makeup for the wedding - which we're also paying for the bridesmaids makeup as part of the gift, the mom's will get a corsage as well (that's normal), the dads will get a small gift only slightly monetarily less than the groomsmen, AND, we'll be getting each of our parents a wedding album coffee book as a part of their X-mas gifts which will be only a little over a month after our wedding (we get married in early November).

Hmm...I have to say I'd be disappointed also if I spend a ton of $ to fly somewhere and see a friend/relative get married and not at least be able to share their special day with them eating a meal and celebrating! I also agree that the cocktail party would be more appropriate for an AHR, if you really want to do the cocktail party. Granted, most of these resorts are all-inclusive, but really, you may not even need to do a privatized sit-down dinner. You could even do a semi-private dinner which would be in one of their restaurants amongst the other patrons, and just have a section for you and your guests reserved. Best of luck!

To have a group rate locked in I was forced to sign a contract, otherwise my guests would be paying whatever rates were available when they booked and I wanted to make it as easy as I could for everyone and also not have to field all the BS calls from guests ; ) So...I signed a contract for only 10 rooms which is what was required for a group rate. I had my bridal party & immediate family call the TA and book their rooms within 30 days of me signing the agreement - which was the requirement so the 10 rooms wouldnt get charged to my card. That fulfilled the requirement, and now, each guest that calls in to book a room under my group rate, my TA contacts me and asks my permission to add them to the group rate. If guests bail on me last minute I would assume a penalty based on a very complex cancellation policy, but in order to avoid that the TA is strongly suggesting guests to get additional insurance and is telling them they are responsible to pay for any cancellation fees applicable to their room based on the cancellation policy. This has worked out well so far for us.

Correction: I personally wouldn't bother with sending wedding announcements until after the wedding and would only send them to those people who weren't invited to the DW or AHR.

Hmmm... Etiquette says that wedding announcements are sent after the wedding and its only sent to those folks who weren't invited to the wedding but you still want to share your special news with. I personally wouldn't bother sending an announcement for that reason. I submitted an engagement announcement to our local newspaper a few months after we got engaged and we had picked a date & location so it could be printed in the engagement announcement in the newspaper. We are not having an AHR. So, we invited only those folks who we really wanted to attend (120 people, I still cant get over that!). All of the invited guests won't be able to attend, but at least they got an invitation. For those folks who we would've wanted to invite had it been a traditional wedding at home, we are sending wedding announcements. Again.. that's what "etiquette says". But...these days, go with whatever you want to do! : )

hey ladies. i'm not getting married @ barcelo, i'm getting married @ paradisus punta cana. But...I do read most of the threads on Punta Cana weddings and photographers. I'm 5 months away from my wedding and I booked HDC photos. I really love their pics and videos, so I booked them for both. I felt like their prices were competitive, and my resort's photographer's work paled in comparison to HDC. I'm more than happy to post pics when November comes along. But, when I was researching I did ALOT of you-tubing. I was impressed everytime I saw HDC's video's. Try you-tubing your photographer/videographer to get an idea of the finished product you'll be getting. Hope that helps!

I agree with monicak. Your wedding day is what really matters. Most people want to be able to choose their own how to spend their vacation time. Maybe they want to save their vacation days for another trip elsewhere, but they will stillbe sharing on your special day. So, if I were you I wouldn't put any pressure on them to arrive on a certain day and stay thru a certain day. I'm getting married on a Friday, and our most important guests arrive on Wednesday. The only thing we did ask was our parents and wedding attendants to arrive by Wednesday since their flight wouldn't be arriving until late afternoon and they need time to unwind, unpack etc. Thursday is our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (only for immediate family and wedding party), we have a cocktail party for all the guests Thurs night after rehearsal dinner, and Friday is the wedding. Just have fun! Honestly you'll prob want all those people out of your hair if they're there all week!

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Sounds like you all have found good deals! I agree with the way one bride put it on this thread, it's your wedding day and although you should be budget savvy, you should feel like the princess you are on your wedding day even if it means going a bit over your budget. I originally planned for $2,000 on a wedding gown, including alterations. I went to Kleinfelds in NYC and found "the dress", but their price was $2,700 plus $850 alterations, and of course tax. I was speaking to a co-worker, and she referred me to the store where she got her gown at a few months prior. Turns out they were having a trunk sale, AND the state of NJ doesn't charge sales tax on wedding gowns. To top it off, the dress shop alterations were only $350. So, in the end I purchased the same dress and with alterations, and savings on sales tax I hit a total of $2,300. Again, a bit over budget but well worth it. I suggest looking for sample sales, trunk sales, and don't be afraid to negotiate. You can work out good deals with the bridal boutiques if your bridesmaids and mother of groom, mother of bride all buy their dresses from the same store. Also try to get your accessories - e.g. veil, shoes from them. The more business you give them, the deeper discounts you'll get. Good luck!

Oh my...thats a tough situation you're in! Here's my 2 cents. She is really HIS friend, not yours, and you were trying as you said to be supportive of her business. As a business woman, his friend should understand that if you are tough on her, it's not an attack on her personally, but you're a bride and you asking for answers to questions that aren't out of the norm and you've given her several opportunities to give you an answer. So, if I were you, I'd pick up the phone and call her personal phone number, since now it has unfortunately reached that level, and tell her you need her to step up and provide you with answers on your questions...it's not personal, but you are a bride after all and you're sure she's dealt with panicking brides before so she can understand. Also remind her that you were being supportive of her business, and if it had been any other store you would've been more aggressive and taken action. You don't want to do that to her as you and your FI consider her a friend, but you only have 6 months to go and need to seek other options for a dress if you don't have a solid answer on tracking # within 2 days. Give her a specific timeframe so she knows you are serious! Say it as sweetly as you can. Best of luck!

I have a question about wedding dress with veil. Unfortunately I can't post my dress yet - but to give you an idea, it's a mermaid cut, strapless sweetheart neckline, with vertical ruffles all around. The dress doesn't have any bling on it or anything other than a few appliques. I won't be wearing a sash. And there is no crenoline or anything under the skirt to give it volume, so it's not poofy at all. The fabric is silk taffeta. So....I know I DEF want to wear a veil - I don't like the idea of a blusher for me, and a chapel length is just way too long and formal for my taste. I thought I'd want fingertip length, but keep reading that it can cut your porportions off in appearance. I'm pretty short at only 5'1, and need any bit of help I can get in looking taller, lol so being cut off is not an option for me. So now, I've been considering waltz-length veils, single layer of tulle. I think I want to have my hair done in a low ponytail to the side with curts, which I'll then pin up into a "messy bun" for the reception if I get too hot. Any thoughts on this length of veil with a mermaid gown and look as I've described above?

Thanks for the advice girls! He and I talked about it some more and boy is he a tough nut to crack...he really wants just 1 wedding date and is so traditional when it comes to these things! I keep trying to explain its not guaranteed the judge will be available in DR, we may not get back our license after registry for some time, etc. In the meantime I've been researching all the requirements for getting married in our area. We still have 5 months to go before our wedding but really need to make a decision within the next 2 months...YIKES!

Ladies: can any of you share your experience in getting legally married at home before your DW? I'm coming to the realization that getting legally married in the DR is just a very cumbersome and expensive process. Between the multitude of documents required, the fees, and having no guarantee that the judge will actually marry us at our ceremony and to top it off we may not have our executed marriage license for some time after...I'm kinda over it. So, now we are thinking of just getting legally married here in the states the week before we leave and have a Pastor marry us in front of our family and friends in a spiritual ceremony. The only thing is I'm not sure if we should have a mini-celebration here when we get legally married? And I mean VERY mini... we would go down to the courthouse/city hall by ourselves and I'll wear a simple white or cream dress, get married by a judge, and have a nice dinner with just our parents and maybe our siblings, OR doing the same thing except have a justice of the peace come to one of our parents homes instead . My fear is that our parents will want to make a fuss over it especially since some close relatives can't make it to our DW, and they'll want to invite the to this instead which in my opinion takes away from our DW. If we do a mini-thing here I'd like to keep it very quiet and no-production; its just tomake it legal, thats all. I feel like our WEDDING is going to be in DR. What to do?!?!! Please share your thoughts and advice!

Hey all. Can any of you please share the samples that Pastor Rick gave you to choose from? I know he has 2 ceremonies: one that's religious and another thats more temporary. I'm trying to decide which one to go with. Thanks!

We sent out our save the dates to only our immediate family and close family (not all relatives) and our absolute closest friends. Then we did an A list and a B list. Our A list had over 100 people and we agreed if we get enough declines back then we'll send invitations to the B list. Our "guesstimate" is around 70. But...as awful as this may sound, I also get a little happy when someone says they can't make it lolz.

Hi Jenna. Well you've certainly come to the right place to get info! First I would suggest you start working with one of their Wedding Coordinators as soon as you can, they have an office in Miami with a 1-800 tel # so you don't have to make long distance calls. Second, most important thing is setting your budget. They do have some very simple packages that aren't too expensive, like the Fantasy package where you don't have to do a reception dinner with dj, plated menu, privatized restaurant, etc. They will allow you to just completely customize your event and anything you do would be a-la-carte, but trust me that can get expensive because you'll be charged for every little thing unless you do it yourself or bring it with you - at which point you'll need to pack it or ship it there - and again, there goes your $. So, I think you should have a budget in mind of what you are willing to spend, and then work with the coordinators to see what can be done with your budget. They do lovely simple-low key weddings for not terribly expensive..it's when you start adding on all the extras that your $'s go up. They have several areas where you can do your ceremony including the beach. You don't have to do chairs..but..it's a wedding...as low-key as it is. Just something to think about. The lobby starts going at about 9 pm with entertainment. That's where everyone goes. They bring in a live band every night which plays great latin fun music, and then the disco/club also located in the lobby opens at 11 pm. This is a nightly thing, so yes you'll have somewhere to go and dance/party. You can definitely do a non-privatized dinner without having to privatize a restaurant. Speak to the coordinators once you have your budget in mind, you'll be surpised at what can be put together for you. Good luck!

I just heard back from Pastor Rick York after my inquiry for availability on my wedding date, turns out he is unavailable due to a meeting he has to attend. Now I'm a little panicked as my plan was to get legally married back home in the States and have a symbolic spiritual Christian ceremony in DR. We can't get married in a church due to religous differences (although we are both Christians). Any thoughts from anyone on who else could perform the religous ceremony for us @ PPC? The "symbolic" ceremony performed by the WC just seems so impersonal and we really wanted to have a Chrisitian pastor. Neither one of us has any ordained pastor friends and don't buy into the whole online ordained pastor things...we want a REAL pastor : (

AquaCait: what length is your veil? I'm trying to find the right veil for my mermaid gown and I'm not crazy about the fingertip length but also don't want a chapel or cathedral length. I'm thinking maybe a waltz length would be good...is that what you had? How'd it work out for you?

I just sent him an email to see if he's available for my wedding date. It just seems like the legal ceremony process is so cumbersome. But, on the other hand, I really only wanted to have 1 wedding date. I also want a spiritual element for our wedding which you dont get with just the judge. Wedont practicethe same religions but we are both Christisns snd religion is very big to my parents...Pastor York may be the best compromise I'm going to have to speak with my WC to see what other options I may have i.e. having a judge legally marry us in the morning and then do the symbolic later in the day.