Jellyfish Restaurant

[sunny55143]

We aren't doing our wedding at the Jellyfish but we're having our rehearsal dinner there on April 20!  I feel very well-informed for having followed this thread too!

 

One week until we leave - yay!

[Lala32]

Hey ladies!  I'm still waiting on the quote from Mayte but of anyone who has gotten one or even better, has had their wedding already, would you be willing to share the estimate/costs? 

 

My FMIL is requesting more family attend, which is EXACTLY what I didn't want to happen. (*blow my brains out*) 

 

I already have about 30 people plus 3-4 kids but I don't have a leg to stand on to even argue with not knowing the costs.....

 

I'm curious, is tax and gratituity in addition to the menu prices or do those seem like it's included in the cost?

thanks for the help!
 

[venus909]

The quote actually depends on a lot of different factors (which options you chose, # of people, and extras) so it can vary alot from one person to the other... 

 

I do know that taxes and gratuity is not included in the menu prices...

 

I received two quotes for different amounts of people (one for 50 people and one for 70) and for different options and both are higher than what I was estimating to pay, I'm waiting for my final RSVP count to start finalizing things to get a more "real" quote.
 

Originally Posted by Lala32 

Hey ladies!  I'm still waiting on the quote from Mayte but of anyone who has gotten one or even better, has had their wedding already, would you be willing to share the estimate/costs? 

 

My FMIL is requesting more family attend, which is EXACTLY what I didn't want to happen. (*blow my brains out*) 

 

I already have about 30 people plus 3-4 kids but I don't have a leg to stand on to even argue with not knowing the costs.....

 

I'm curious, is tax and gratituity in addition to the menu prices or do those seem like it's included in the cost?

thanks for the help!
 

 

[Lala32]

Yea, I know it differs depending on what you choose ....  Just trying to get a handle on a ballpark. 

 

But if yours is higher than expected, Venus, I'm a little nervous!!   I think I read somewhere that the tax was pretty high, like 16%?

[Kirsten]

Our incredible wedding at the Jellyfish Restaurant!

 

My husband and I got married at the Jellyfish Restaurant last April (I know…it’s taken me forever to post this review, but here it is!). We had the most incredible time and are so thrilled that we decided to hold our wedding off of the resort.

 

Jellyfish staff

Mayte, the Jellyfish Restaurant’s wedding planner, was fantastic to work with! I sent her emails with photos and examples of exactly what I wanted for the wedding and she and her team more than delivered! She was a pleasure to work with and is definitely an expert at planning weddings, a real pro.

 

The rest of the Jellyfish staff also provided excellent service on our wedding day. The bar staff was super friendly and our servers over dinner were exceptional.

 

Venue and decorations

The restaurant is set on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Punta Cana. The water is a clear aqua and the sand almost white, so it was the perfect setting for a beach wedding. The Jellyfish itself is an impressive, two-story open air restaurant with a relaxed, beach lounge feel. We were a group of 40 for the wedding, so we had the main floor and bar to ourselves, with more than enough room for our tables, a dance floor, DJ booth and a sweet little lounge area.

 

I’d sent Mayte pictures of what I wanted the wedding ceremony and reception decorations, and flowers to look like. The results blew me away! She exceeded our expectations and the decorating was even better than I could have imagined. We held our wedding ceremony on the beach, just a few steps from the restaurant, overlooking the ocean. Cocktail hour was just beside the ceremony location; our guests enjoyed cocktails while relaxing in a lounge area on the beach (tons of outdoor seating, oversized pillows and benches were set up). The attention to detail was excellent and everything was completely tailored to our requests. A bench (stocked with towels for guests to whisk the sand from their sandals) was strategically placed at the restaurant steps off of the beach when we entered for dinner. Mayte made a custom reception seating chart out of drink umbrella labels on top of a little sandbox. Our table centrepieces were a gorgeous arrangement of fresh tropical fruit (pineapple, coconut and bananas, and sliced papaya, cantaloupe and limes) and flowers (birds of paradise, lilies, snapdragons and other exotic blooms) that surrounded a tall glass vase with a floating candle. My bouquet was a gorgeous mix of yellow, purple and white orchids, and my husband and the wedding party wore yellow orchid boutonnieres.

 

Food

Our meal was excellent, and by far the best that we had during our two-week stay in the D.R. The food at our resort was very good (we stayed at the Majestic Elegance and loved it), but our meal at the Jellyfish was wonderful! For appetizers, we enjoyed butterfly shrimp wrapped in bacon and the best Caprese salad we’ve ever had (tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, fresh basil and pesto sauce). For the main course, guests had a choice of brandy-drunken prawns, pork tenderloin with a lychee sauce, or melanzane pasta (eggplant, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes) with grilled potatoes and vegetables as sides. Our cake was brought in from a local bakery; we’d wanted a white cake and Mayte recommended adding layers of fresh mango purée (as they’re in season in April in the D.R.); it was delicious! Fresh yellow and purple orchids decorated the three tiers of the cake; simple yet gorgeous.

 

Drinks were plentiful and delicious. Guests were served a refreshing signature cocktail upon arrival at the Jellyfish just before the wedding ceremony, and enjoyed pina coladas, mojitos, and beer during cocktail hour. Service was excellent over dinner - our glasses never went empty!

 

Photographer

Photo Phil (Phil Steinguard) came highly recommend by so many brides who got married in Punta Cana, so we hired him for our wedding and were very impressed! Phil was awesome to work with and our photos turned out fantastic! Phil captured the best moments of the day – but our favourite pics are the ones of us all on the dance floor at the Jellyfish. So much fun! We highly recommend him to any other couples getting married.

 

Phil’s nephew, Michael Steinguard, did our trash the dress photo shoot a few days after the wedding and was also wonderful to work with. The photos turned out beautiful and we have so many amazing beach and jungle shots to look back on and relive our trip.

 

DJ

Mayte arranged for DJ Ery, one of the top DJs in Punta Cana, to handle the music at our wedding. He was awesome! We gave Mayte our list of music for the wedding ceremony and requested beach/lounge music during cocktail hour and dinner, and the latest hits for the dancing/party. Ery and his crew were awesome! The music was great; all of our guests danced the night away and Ery was able to play every request.

 

Transportation

Mayte also arranged all transportation for the evening. My husband, our wedding party and officiant, as well as my parents and I had separate cabs (really nice ones) to get to the Jellyfish. Our guests travelled to and from the Jellyfish on a private bus, and we all joined them for the trip home at the end of a wonderful evening.

 

My pics

I can't figure out how to post some of my pictures for you, so check out the Jellyfish's Facebook page for photos of different wedding setups...Mayte and her team can do anything you want, just send her some pics and they'll blow you away with the results!

 

Our experience at the Jellyfish was incredible. We absolutely loved every minute of our day. Mayte and the Jellyfish staff went above and beyond to make our big day so special and memorable. The setting was gorgeous (our paradise), and the food and service excellent, which made for an amazing experience. Our guests raved that it was the most fun they’d ever had at a wedding. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.

 

We’re heading back to Punta Cana this week to celebrate our first anniversary; we’ll be celebrating with dinner at the Jellyfish one evening. We can’t wait!

[cinnagirl]

Kirsten, congrats on getting married last year!! Thanks for the review on the Jellyfish, for me it just solidifies that I made the right choice of venue. Love the photo of your reception set up! The colours are gorgeous and so classy. Please feel free to share more photos of your wedding if you're comfortable. I'm sure all of us here would love to see them.

[venus909]

Kristen... your wedding day sounds like it was AMAZING!  By any chance can would you be able to share pictures of your bouquet, cake, seating chart/escort lables?  They sounds so pretty I'd love to see what they looked like.   

 

Also, how awesome that you are going back for your 1 year!  have fun  
 

Originally Posted by Kirsten 

Our incredible wedding at the Jellyfish Restaurant!

 

My husband and I got married at the Jellyfish Restaurant last April (I know…it’s taken me forever to post this review, but here it is!). We had the most incredible time and are so thrilled that we decided to hold our wedding off of the resort.

 

Jellyfish staff

Mayte, the Jellyfish Restaurant’s wedding planner, was fantastic to work with! I sent her emails with photos and examples of exactly what I wanted for the wedding and she and her team more than delivered! She was a pleasure to work with and is definitely an expert at planning weddings, a real pro.

 

The rest of the Jellyfish staff also provided excellent service on our wedding day. The bar staff was super friendly and our servers over dinner were exceptional.

 

Venue and decorations

The restaurant is set on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Punta Cana. The water is a clear aqua and the sand almost white, so it was the perfect setting for a beach wedding. The Jellyfish itself is an impressive, two-story open air restaurant with a relaxed, beach lounge feel. We were a group of 40 for the wedding, so we had the main floor and bar to ourselves, with more than enough room for our tables, a dance floor, DJ booth and a sweet little lounge area.

 

I’d sent Mayte pictures of what I wanted the wedding ceremony and reception decorations, and flowers to look like. The results blew me away! She exceeded our expectations and the decorating was even better than I could have imagined. We held our wedding ceremony on the beach, just a few steps from the restaurant, overlooking the ocean. Cocktail hour was just beside the ceremony location; our guests enjoyed cocktails while relaxing in a lounge area on the beach (tons of outdoor seating, oversized pillows and benches were set up). The attention to detail was excellent and everything was completely tailored to our requests. A bench (stocked with towels for guests to whisk the sand from their sandals) was strategically placed at the restaurant steps off of the beach when we entered for dinner. Mayte made a custom reception seating chart out of drink umbrella labels on top of a little sandbox. Our table centrepieces were a gorgeous arrangement of fresh tropical fruit (pineapple, coconut and bananas, and sliced papaya, cantaloupe and limes) and flowers (birds of paradise, lilies, snapdragons and other exotic blooms) that surrounded a tall glass vase with a floating candle. My bouquet was a gorgeous mix of yellow, purple and white orchids, and my husband and the wedding party wore yellow orchid boutonnieres.

 

Food

Our meal was excellent, and by far the best that we had during our two-week stay in the D.R. The food at our resort was very good (we stayed at the Majestic Elegance and loved it), but our meal at the Jellyfish was wonderful! For appetizers, we enjoyed butterfly shrimp wrapped in bacon and the best Caprese salad we’ve ever had (tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, fresh basil and pesto sauce). For the main course, guests had a choice of brandy-drunken prawns, pork tenderloin with a lychee sauce, or melanzane pasta (eggplant, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes) with grilled potatoes and vegetables as sides. Our cake was brought in from a local bakery; we’d wanted a white cake and Mayte recommended adding layers of fresh mango purée (as they’re in season in April in the D.R.); it was delicious! Fresh yellow and purple orchids decorated the three tiers of the cake; simple yet gorgeous.

 

Drinks were plentiful and delicious. Guests were served a refreshing signature cocktail upon arrival at the Jellyfish just before the wedding ceremony, and enjoyed pina coladas, mojitos, and beer during cocktail hour. Service was excellent over dinner - our glasses never went empty!

 

Photographer

Photo Phil (Phil Steinguard) came highly recommend by so many brides who got married in Punta Cana, so we hired him for our wedding and were very impressed! Phil was awesome to work with and our photos turned out fantastic! Phil captured the best moments of the day – but our favourite pics are the ones of us all on the dance floor at the Jellyfish. So much fun! We highly recommend him to any other couples getting married.

 

Phil’s nephew, Michael Steinguard, did our trash the dress photo shoot a few days after the wedding and was also wonderful to work with. The photos turned out beautiful and we have so many amazing beach and jungle shots to look back on and relive our trip.

 

DJ

Mayte arranged for DJ Ery, one of the top DJs in Punta Cana, to handle the music at our wedding. He was awesome! We gave Mayte our list of music for the wedding ceremony and requested beach/lounge music during cocktail hour and dinner, and the latest hits for the dancing/party. Ery and his crew were awesome! The music was great; all of our guests danced the night away and Ery was able to play every request.

 

Transportation

Mayte also arranged all transportation for the evening. My husband, our wedding party and officiant, as well as my parents and I had separate cabs (really nice ones) to get to the Jellyfish. Our guests travelled to and from the Jellyfish on a private bus, and we all joined them for the trip home at the end of a wonderful evening.

 

My pics

I can't figure out how to post some of my pictures for you, so check out the Jellyfish's Facebook page for photos of different wedding setups...Mayte and her team can do anything you want, just send her some pics and they'll blow you away with the results!

 

Our experience at the Jellyfish was incredible. We absolutely loved every minute of our day. Mayte and the Jellyfish staff went above and beyond to make our big day so special and memorable. The setting was gorgeous (our paradise), and the food and service excellent, which made for an amazing experience. Our guests raved that it was the most fun they’d ever had at a wedding. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.

 

We’re heading back to Punta Cana this week to celebrate our first anniversary; we’ll be celebrating with dinner at the Jellyfish one evening. We can’t wait!

 

[venus909]

On the quote I received taxes were 16%

 

Don't be nervous... I think my quote was high because I selected higher end options and didn't realize how fast things add up.  Hopefully in the next 2 weeks I will be able to request a more realistic quote as soon as I know how many people will actually be attending
 

Originally Posted by Lala32 

Yea, I know it differs depending on what you choose ....  Just trying to get a handle on a ballpark. 

 

But if yours is higher than expected, Venus, I'm a little nervous!!   I think I read somewhere that the tax was pretty high, like 16%?

 

[venus909]

I know it's been mentioned before, and I'm not sure it it was on this thread or a different one, but has anyone had success flying with Sparklers in their luggage?  not carry-on, but checked baggage?  I would really like to have a sparklers at my reception, but I don't know if I should spend the money to only have them taken away at customs.

 

Anyone know if this would be an issue?

[Kirsten]

Okay! I think I just figured out how to post a few pics lol...

 

Ceremony setup

 

Rose petal cones (they hung from each chair - see pic above; our guests showered us with petals during the recessional!)

 

Lounge area for cocktail hour (just beside wedding ceremony location on beach)

 

Reception seating chart (drink umbrella name tags in a cute sandbox)

 

Reception decorations/setup

 

Centrepiece on reception tables

 

Place settings (notice the attention to detail with the menus and napkin ties! You won't get this at a resort!)

 

Cake (three-tier vanilla cake with layers of fresh mango purée...delicious)

 

The Jellyfish (view from the beach)

 

My flowers (this was the thank you card we made for guests after the wedding; my boquet and husband's boutonniere came from the florist that Mayte works with; I got exactly what I requested...and orchids are super difficult to get the D.R.!)

 

As you can see Mayte is a real pro. She actually told me last week she's averaging two weddings a day! She's that busy and she still gets every detail right...an absolute pleasure to work with

 

Let me know if you have any other questions!