Dreams Puerto Aventuras Brides - POST HERE!

[Allie2012]

Hi Alison and Welcome!!! My name is also Allison This is a great thread. If you have time definitely try and read through it. I did when I first joined and I learned so much about the resort and about the planning process at DPA.

 

So exciting that your wedding is in February, mine's not until May and I can't wait! Have you made decisions yet regarding where you are having your reception?

Who is your wedding coordinator? I have Sandra Sanchez.

 

Anyways, happy planning, and it's so nice to talk to other brides getting married at the same resort!

 

Allie

[AlisonDawn]

Hi Allie! Great to meet you!

 

Thanks for letting me know to read the thread, I've started and I have so far learned that I need to pay for a full night's stay for my photographer? I'm a little confused because when I asked my wedding coordinator (Jackie Muir), she said they would just need a day pass. Now I'm all confused! lol!  If I just keep that email do you think they will have to stick to their word on that? Hope so!

No decisions yet on my reception, have you chosen??  Do you happen to have any photos of the options?    I was originally going to have my wedding at dreams punta cana, but there were a few guests who couldn't afford that resort in Feb, so we decided to switch to Mexico.. so I feel like I am a little bit behind!

 

So far I have booked La Luna to photograph the wedding day, and Del Sol for a cenote TTD session!! soooooo excited!!

[Bianca87]

Hey everyone, I totally forgot about this thread until I received an email about it! We had our wedding here in May of this year, so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask

 

Bianca

[Allie2012]

Alison - Maybe they changed their policy regarding external photographers, that would be great news if we just have to get a day pass for them! I have emailed my coordinator to ask her about this. I have also asked Sandra if she can send me some pictures of different options for reception locations around the resort. However, I definitely don't want to have mine on the beach, so I'm hoping to have it poolside or possibly rent out one of the restaurants.

 

Bianca - Congrats on your May wedding!!!! I definitely have some questions for you

Where did you have your reception? I find it's hard to decide theses things without having ever been to the resort. My wedding is next May, so I was wondering what the weather was like when you were there? Did it rain much? Well that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll think of more!

 

Allie

[Bianca87]

Hey thanks Allie and congrats to you as well!
We had our reception out on the beach, and we didn't decide on where to have it until we got there. I know the day we had our wedding the Mexican restaurant was already booked, which we really didn't plan on renting out a restaurant anyway since it cost extra. They showed us the banquet room which smelt kinda funny and reminded me of a conference room, and I figured I'm having a destination wedding so I want to be out on the beach. I couldn't have been any happier that we decided on that, the ambiance out there is absolutely amazing, especially at night!! Some of my guests even told me they felt like they were in a movie. We were there from May 17-24 and it was HOT!! Lol That sun really beams down on you and is strong, I was so burnt! Before we left I was constantly checking the weather and it showed some rain in the forecast, however it didn't rain a single drop during our stay. I was so worried it would rain on the day of our wedding but it didn't, but they did say if it happened to rain that they would have to move the reception to the banquet room. So if you have any other questions let me know!

[Aistule]

 

Ladies,

 

it took me long enough to come back to the site to write a quick review.  Everything at our September 2, 2011 wedding went really really well--Sandra ended up being our coordinator, and the girl knows exactly what she is doing!  The staff and the location were PERFECT for our group.  All of our 50 guests kept asking whether we've been to the resort before because they couldn't believe that we picked it remotely just based on research and online reviews.  I think everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.

 

The night before the wedding we did a "welcome" dinner at the World Cafe--they just held one side of the restaurant for us so that we wouldn't have to pay extra and everyone could enjoy the buffet and drinks.  It was great for us, and for our guests, so no regrets! After we were done with speaches and dinner, we all joined the beach karaoke and had a blast.  It was a great night.

 

Wedding day it rained during the day and I have to say--I got a little nervous, but as is common for that area, the clouds cleared up and it turned out to be a perfect, cooler day (which was great because it was really hot all week).  Our wedding was at 5pm, a perfect time for daylight, followed by sunset, and then darkness that led into dinner and dancing.  Our ceremony was at the wedding gazebo, and although it was a bit hard to hear what the minister was saying, with the wind and the waves crashing, everyone said it was a fairy-like moment.  All our guests were absolutely mesmerized by the surroundings and said it was a bit surreal.  I was really happy that we decided to hire a saxophone player because it added a lot to the mood.  We originally thought about violin, but so happy we changed our minds because I dont know if you could've enjoyed the sound of violin the same way (again, because of the noises in the natural surrounding).

 

After the ceremony, we took some pictures with the family, etc. (which you'll have to tell the photographers exactly what you want!) and then had a mini romantic photo session.  We joined our guests at the Barracuda bar for the cocktail hour, with the Mexican Trio entertaining them--it was great.

 

Since we decided to do a dress change before we sat down for dinner, we left our guests a little bit early and went to change into my party dress.  When we came back, Sandra had everyone seated at dinner tables (which were beautifully set on the sand right in front of the Natural Pool), and did  a nice wedding couple introduction, which led right into our first dance.  Dinner afterwards was perfect--perfectly timed, with our family and friends giving speaches, mother-father and son-mother dances, etc.  At some point, I think even before the desert, we all just got up and went off to dance on the sand (Sandra ended  up giving us a great deal on the DJ so we decided to go with it and it was an excellent choice).  Literally, again--people were speachless.  Dancing under the moon, with the stars, with sounds of a dark ocean--it was unbelievable!  We finished off the party at the pool with champagne!!!

 

All in all--everything was amazing.  One minor thing which our guests insist they didn't even notice was the table settings.  They weren't set exactly as I wanted them to be, and I think at some point they miscounted the settings and ended up adding some tables at the last minute.  What that did was the new tables didnt have the table runners which we brought with us! (we did two long tables of 25).  So that kind of pissed me off, but since everything else was perfect--I decided not to care and enjoy the party.  Apparently, our wedding was featured in a local Quintana Roo newspaper, which we couldn't get our hands on (although it would've been fun to do!)

 

Here are some pictures from our Trash the Dress session which we did a few days later in Playa Del Carmen.  LOVED IT and are so happy with our decision to hire La Luna for that session (sister company of Del Sol):

http://lalunaphotographers.com/blog/gallery/laluna/portraits/aiste-christopher/

 

And the pics below are from the Dreams PA photographers, which we also liked.  If you have any questions at all, send me a message!!

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsRobinson12]

Thanks for the tips Bianca87! I really want to have our reception on the beach too. Did you go for one of the gold / silver menus or did you have a buffet? How was the foo? What kind of set up did they do for you for your reception? Also, did you have a dance floor / music, or any equipment for speaches etc? Thanks in advance.

 

Also, I have been reading some very mixed reviews about the resort. How did you find it?

[AlisonDawn]

Thanks for the info Bianca!

 

About the beach reception, I was wondering how windy it was for you?   The last time I was in Mexico I remember it getting fairly windy around 7ish. But this was in late August/early September, so it was probably just the time of year??  My wedding is in Feb. so I am hoping it will not be a problem!

 

Also, like MrsRobinson, I've also been reading some mixed reviews and it has me a little worried!!! I have some EXTREMELY picky family members, as I am sure everyone does, and I need some peace of mind!!

[MrsRobinson12]

AlisonDawn - I am also very worried about my family members, especially when it comes to food. A lot of them have never been to Mexico before and it concerns me when people say the food is terrible. I am pretty easy to please and so is my Fiance and friends, but our parents might be a little harder to please. I also read its very outdated, but the pictures look beautiful, so I am concerned. Are you getting a DJ, or are you unsure? Also, do you know who your photographer is yet?

[AlisonDawn]

Hehe yeah I'm in the same boat as you! My fiance and I are very easy going/laid back, as well as all of our friends... but his parents like to take cruises and aren't set on the whole resort thing in the first place, and my parents take beach trips every year and stay in resorts that not everyone can afford! AAHHH I love them, but they are driving me CRAZY!! lol   In the end though, I just have to remember that this is our week and they came to see us get married, and so hopefully they can get past any small issues and just have a good time.  

 

I don't think we are going to get a DJ.  I think we are just going to get some speakers and hook them up to our ipods and go from there. That way friends can pick and choose what they want played. Especially since we have certain songs that we all like to sing and dance to.. including inside jokes, etc.  Plus, it saves money!!    

 

As for the photographer, we booked La Luna for the wedding day and Del Sol for cenote TTD photos the day after.   I sort of wanted Del Sol for the wedding day as well, but the TTD photos don't come cheap so we went with their sister company to save some money for the wedding day. And after I went through a ton of their photos online, I realized that La Luna takes beautiful photos anyway!!