Newbie deciding between dominican republic and turks & cacaos!

[rtownsend]

Hi,

 

We're planning on having our wedding in May 2011 trying to decide between turks & cacaos and dominican republic, any help and/or advice on both places would be amazing!

[DWbridetobe]

Congrats on the engagement, and welcome to the forum! When I first started planning, I fell in love with T&C. However, the cost for our guests was the reason we nixed the idea. Budget can play a big part in your decision.

 

Good luck!

[Angel-in-Law]

Welcome to the forum! You should do a search for your potential locations and decide what best fits your ideal wedding and your ideal budget. Happy planning!

[tracy0716]

Congrats and welcome to the forum. There is a lot of information for both locations here. Try searching resorts you are interested in and check out other members feedback. Like DwBrideToBe said $$ should be considered if you want your guests to attend. Good luck and enjoy your planning!!

[Tropical Imaging]

Hi,

 

The T&C and the DR are two very different locations. (I have lived here in the T&C for about 15 years)

 

Some of the big differences

 

Cost: T&C is a much higher cost destination, you'll find flights/hotels and just about everything higher priced. The DR has a lot of All inclusive options and also has more flights and more hotels to choose from (it's a much bigger country)

 

Topography: The two islands are very different. The T&C is a limestone based island, it's very similar to the Bahamas and Cayman. We don't have mountains/jungles etc...the island itself is low flat and has scrub and cactus vegetation. However, the lack of runoff from the island and the limestone base is what gives it the amazing beach and blue water. We seem to be consistently in the top 10 beaches of the world and are very popular with celebrities and the "jet set". The DR is mountainous, giving you many options other than the "beach", with lots of interior excursions to offer guests. There are golf resorts/AI resorts and just tons of things to do. The beaches are not going to be as white and the water won't be as blue, but they are still fun.

 

Language/Currency: The T&C is a British Crown Colony, English is the primary language and the US dollar is the currency. The DR is Spanish speaking (although many speak English) and the currency is the peso I believe.

 

Population: The T&C is a country of about 9 populated islands holding less than 22,000 people total (yes we pretty much know everyone here)...The DR has a population of about 9 million. The T&C doesn't get a ton of tourists compared to the rest of the Caribbean, and the beaches stay fairly empty by most standards (depending when you come, they can be just empty LOL) Last week on Easter Monday, we met about 20 friends on Grace Bay's main beach and we had tons of space to spread out with kids playing soccer/football and making huge sculptures...there was no crowding.

 

Feel free to check our blog for photos of the T&C to get an idea of our island.

 

If you have any questions about the T&C, please let me know....

 

Krys

[sweetluna]

Welcome and congrats!! Deciding on locations is fun & sometimes a little nerve-racking. Don't be surprised that when you make a decision you come back to doubt your reasons for choosing said location. My FI discussed what was important to us and talked with a few TA's and indicated what was a MUST vs. Nice to Have vs. Stay Away From. The TA we decided on really listened and offered a few suggestions. We took the suggestions and researched each and talked with some close family. We made our decision to choose RIU Ocho Rios in Jamaica because of these factors: It was an all-inclusive, I didn't need to translate anything, it allowed kids, and it was affordable for most of our guests.

We were very logical & well-informed when we made the decision but for the first 2 months afterward, I was doubting myself big time! But then I figured that I had made the decision and it was one last thing I really had to think about. I have so many other fun things to plan that I don't need to go back and rehash about a decision I've already made, I can move forward. Now, 4 months after deciding on this location and putting down the deposit, I'm confident with my decision and I'm having a good planning the other things. (that is until I read a bad review on Tripadvisor then I get freaked out a little, LOL)

Good luck!!

[Laur13]

welcome and congrats! I would choose Turks if you budget allows

[Chelymo]

Welcome and congrats on your engagement. The toughest part for me was choosing the location, first the place and then the resort. But thankfully with the help of this forum and all the advise from the BDW brides I was able to make my decisions. Research the locations, pricing, resorts and make sure that the location you choose has EVERYTHING you want. I ended up choosing Dreams Palm Beach in Punta Cana and to date have been extremely happy with the service from the WC there. We have 44 guests coming and can't wait....20 days to my wedding. Good luck in your search.

[theend903]

Congrats and good luck planning!

[aubry]

Welcome and hope you find all the info you need!