TishaJules

Congrats Jolly!! Yes, and my wedding was WONDERFUL and more than I could ever imagine. I have been slacking, but I will give a full update tonight with PICS for everyone. Theresa is AWESOME!!! No worries about her not being there. Jennifer is on site and is wonderful wonderful wonderful. Her calmness will calm you down! LOL. Quote:Originally Posted by yalitza0408 Hey Tisha, How did your wedding go?? Would love your input. I also hired Theresa (who i love) lol Did everything come out as planned?? I'm just worried since she wont be on site making sure things go right. Which package did you go with? Thanks Jolly

He has a new email. send me a private message because it will go to my email and I won't forget to send it to you.

Keep your welcome bags more simple! Water may be alot to carry and to ship. Quote:Originally Posted by Ashnicole6 Just thought of something else, what is every doing for favors/welcome gifts? I was thinking of getting labels made to put on water bottles and had some other cute ideas but am not sure as whatever I choose to do I will have to bring on the plane with me! Any ideas? Thanks!

Every year, the hotels upgrade their contracts. I PROMISE YOU. Every bar has premium liquor so don't waste your money. If your rehersal dinner is in the Gabi Club...the bar is right there so you will be fine. Quote:Originally Posted by Ashnicole6 Hello everyone! I am debating whether to upgrade our rehearsal dinner and reception to premium alcohol, but am unsure if it is worth the cost. Can I have any previous bride's input on this? I was told by my wedding planner that you can get premium alcohol at any of the bars in the resort, I want to make sure this is true because if so I don't think it's worth it to upgrade for the reception. I would appreciate any input/advice, thank you!

Hi Ladies...I know I have to tell you all about my wedding. It was wonderful. I am leaving work and PROMISE by tomorrow to post everything including some great pictures. You all will be amazingly pleased with everything. I PROMISE.

Hey ladies!! I just landed back in Atlanta and my wedding was AMAZING! Can't wait to get settled and fill you all in.

I just checked with my planner, and the outside vendor fee for the Pastor is $120.00 - Not $1,000.00. The $1,000 is only for the photographer. I'm so sorry you are having to go through that. Good Luck honey. Quote:Originally Posted by MrsWiggins2Be Hi Ladies. This is my first post here and I am reaching my frustration limit with PPC. With regard to Pastor York, you can reach him through [email protected]. He is not available for my wedding in April 2014, but recommended Pastor Mark Lykins. He quoted me a fee of $350. However, BEWARE! My coordinator in Miami (Jessica) first told me that PPC would charge me $1000 (the penalty fee, as I like to call it) for anyone other than Pastor York. Being SO sick of these ridiculous fees and upcharges associated with everything and given that Pastor York wasn't available and recommended Pastor Lykins (his colleague!), I raised a major stink and asked to speak with an on-site manager. Jessica informed me that she had emailed the on-site manager and copied her on the response to me. Later in the day (yesterday), Jessica e-mailed saying they would waive the $1000 fee, but that a Christian blessing is still going to cost me "$550+tax." This is over and above the fee charged by the Pastor so with tax, the total cost to have a Pastor preside over your ceremony will be $999. I have questioned this fee also and intend to fight it. How can PPC justify charging couples $649 for a Pastor to walk on the property and preside over a 30 minute ceremony - especially when they do not have an "on-site" Pastor (the excuse they use to charge the $1000 for outside photographers/videographers/florists etc)?!

Hi Ladies... I know there was someone else on this post that said they were using Pastor Mark for their ceremony at the Paradisus. Does anyone have his email address or a new email address for Pastor York? Pastor York's keeps bouncing back. Thanks!!

the package that's $2500 has a videoagrapher. If you go with another photographer/Videoagrapher - you will have to pay an outside vendor fee which if I recall is $1000.00 Quote:Originally Posted by JennyAdele Hi ladies! I'm deciding on which Arrecife photography package I want but they don't mention a videographer in any of the packages. Does anyone know if they offer video as well? Or do I need to find another vendor for that? Thanks so much!! Jenn

Quote:Originally Posted by kissta I private messaged you the contact information that I have! LOL...send it to me tooooooo! lol.

Quote:Originally Posted by kissta I have heard positive reviews about RS Entertainment through this blog. I think they stopped working with DJ Mannia because they were late or whatnot to events? I have been in contact with the DJ, so far all he has provided me is a form to fill out with my preferences, etc. I am working on finishing it this week and then will send back and we will see what happens afterwards! Hey Love, do you have a direct emaill or number for the DJ? Do you mind sharing with me please? I'm 44 days out and just closed all my books so that means my final invoice should be here very soon. LOL. I just would like to touch base with the DJ directly to calm my nerves. Thanks Kissta!

Hey Ladies - brides and brides to be, I have a question. I"m thinking about making some additions to my wedding - but last minute. When I get to the hotel, which will be 3 days before my wedding - will they let me add things? Example - Lighting and tenting and the possible fire dancers? I just can't make up my mind now, and I'm about to close my books soon. Anybody have any ideas or experience? Thank you ladies!!!

Quote:Originally Posted by shortnsweet I'll check it out! Thanks! I'll probably get some ideas too! Oh you will!! Absolutely beautiful pics!

Quote:Originally Posted by Katie83 Does anyone know if we can light those wishing lanterns on the beach in the Dominican Republic? Hi Katie...If those are the lanterns that go up in the air and fly away...NOPE. I wanted to do the same thing but they have rules because it can dirty the beach, and get in the water and hurt the fish and wildlife.

Quote:Originally Posted by shortnsweet Online reviews keep mentioning outdated rooms and the long check in process. Anyone experience this? Unless you are reserve or royal service you apparently have to wait to check in. Then, for royal service, your butler's main responsibility is to sell you a timeshare. People are writing that if you don't want it, then they don't help you the rest of your visit. I know that my planner was there for 3 weddings a few months ago AND Shelli from Destination Weddings was there last October and both RAVED about the upgrades that have been done to the hotel. I see alot of pics, and watch alot of wedding videos and on this blog, talk to different brides that had different experiences..but none that you mentioned. I'm booked in the reserve with close to 25 rooms booked - so I was told I would have not wait but a desk would be set up since most of my guest will arrive on the same day. I'm not sure about the Royal service at all, but I did read that there is not a private butler, but a butler per floor (or something along those lines.) I wish I could be more of a help to you... :-( I thank goodness that I don't go through the Miami office because they were useless to me and made my planning more difficult in the beginning. At least using my planner - I get honest feedback about how things work, and what I should avoid, or go for. Good Luck my luv!

Quote:Originally Posted by engaged1230 Hi Ladies how are you? I am planning my wedding with Theresa C, the wedding planner. She has saved me a ton of money, given me great ideas and made it possible to have my wedding at Gabi even with my budget. If anyone would like her information please let me know R Congratualtions on your wedding! There are a few of us that have Theresa as our planner. She is awesome!

Quote:Originally Posted by lmazz729 You will have to email a spreadsheet with all the guests to the Romance Team. Have a copy of the list and ask all room numbers after check in. Then have a dinner invite note sent to each room or simply call with the info. We had people arriving from Tuesday to Friday so we had to keep track k of where everyone was. Thank you! Yes - All our guests are arriving between Wednesday and Friday. I know there may be changes or last minute additions to what we will be doing. I was worried the hotel wouldn't give up room numbers because of privacy issues....but they are all my guests! LOL. Thanks again!

Quote:Originally Posted by Katie83 Stupid question: I was working on my expenditure xcel sheet and cant remember, does the 500 dollars that we paid to the resort to "reserve" our date go toward our final payment?? Yes it does!

Quote:Originally Posted by lmazz729 Just to let you know... if you wait until you get there and go through the restaurant booking in the lobby, you can arrange a reservation for your rehearsal dinner without an extra charge. They give you a set menu with a couple of entree choices and block off a section of the restaurant if there is space. My daughter's wedding was in January 2012 and the resort was full, but we did a seafood dinner in Luna on Thursday and a rehearsal dinner at Terra (steak) on Friday, and the wedding was Saturday. We had 37 people total and no extra charges. Whatever you do it will be fantastic because they do such a great job! That's awesome to hear! I really don't want to incur any additional charges. LOL. Will they give me a list roomings for my guests so I can let them know where dinner will be if I do something when I get to the hotel? I would have to find a way to let all my guest know! LOL.

Quote:Originally Posted by Katie83 We Are interested in hosting a welcome dinner. We were initially going to have a beach BBQ with fire dancers at the end to get everyone excited about our wedding the next day. Later we switched to having reservations at Gabi beach. Now we are thinking we would like to do dinner at Gabi and the take a sunset cruise or something on a catamaran/ boat. Does anyone have any information on such a thing!? We just wanted to be extra special and kind of a thank you to our guests! I opted to do dinner at the Gabi for my guests. There is so much going on in the hotel...I didn't want to pay for anything else. I'm also have a few hours of free cocktails hours so I figured I would do something with that before dinner. I was considering the Cruise...but I haven't looked at what it may cost...and I'm coming down to the wire. I have a call with my planner in a few weeks to close my books - so I can run it past her then. But I tapped out! LOL.

Quote:Originally Posted by SexyCebuana 3 months to go!! Woo hoo they are expensive from here too! Its about $2200 for flight and hotel, a lot of ppl are waiting for a last minute deal but I don't know how much it'll go down..... I just dropped $2000 to pay off my rooms so I'm like bent backwards! LOL. As for the flight...I'm just being a tad more patient....Just a tad! LOL.

Quote:Originally Posted by shortnsweet I was shocked when I saw that reply! lol. I was defending your decision. Thanks for clarifying ;-) Best of luck finding lower fares. Girl...I'm sorry. I ran in to work...didn't have my coffee. Just had B12 shot. Was up late last night...and then I read the post and I totall missed like 3 words and the entire thing through me off....LMAO. Then I read it again and was like WTF is wrong with me. Let me get up and get some coffee!!!! LMAO. I'm telling you..I think I just had my first irrational bridezilla moment. Thank you for understanding! LOL.

Quote:Originally Posted by TishaJules  As I said in an earlier post...My husband works for Delta..he doesn't throw bags, he is an airline mechanice...so we will get on a flight regardless..and it's not a buddy pass. So we CHOSE to wait on tickets. But I thank you for you insight...but I think we know what we are doing. We fly all the time. But again...thank you for your opinion on how you think I'm handling my business. Shortnsweet....I apologize - the comment was not meant for you honey. Please check your private messages.

Quote:Originally Posted by shortnsweet  Ummm.... buying tickets now or next month is really not last minute. It completely depends on where you are flying from.  Airlines sometimes wait until 6 weeks out to drop prices because people who are ready book so far out are less affected by price. Meaning the airlines know that people who plan their trips so far in advance would rather pay a higher price and have the security of a seat than wait til later. For that reason, I only started booking a few of my family's tickets this week for my Oct 19 wedding. The rest I will wait for.  I checked flights weekly since fares were released for our dates and daily since April. I've watched as each months flights were high initially and then within 2 months those fares went down. Oct's have fallen a tad, but should be coming down even further soon...because like TishaJules said the planes have so many open seats.  Last year, the lowest prices for the Caribbean were seen 6 months out. This yr it's been spotty. Very unpredictable. As I said in an earlier post...My husband works for Delta..he doesn't throw bags, he is an airline mechanice...so we will get on a flight regardless..and it's not a buddy pass. So we CHOSE to wait on tickets. But I thank you for you insight...but I think we know what we are doing. We fly all the time. But again...thank you for your opinion on how you think I'm handling my business.

Quote:Originally Posted by futurearlington  Oh my! I don't know how you do it!!! Our wedding is November 2, we booked our reservation & flights in January and sent out invites in February! I'd love to be someone who can leave things to the last minute but that is oh-so-not-me! Best wishes to you! I've been planning this weeding since last October. By no means am I last minute. The only thing that seems to be lagging is my airline tickets..but I'm not worried. We will get it at a good price. The bride and Groom will be there!