EXCELLENCE Resort Punta Cana - New thread started April 2010

[mdb]

@ fmichelle, how dressy is your dress?  the shoes are nice but don't look very dressy. Then again, if your dress is long, you won't see them... and it is your day and all about what you want. : )  

 

@ Diva-  The girl who did my make-up was amazing.  I too was worried before I went but I'm so glad that I had them do it at the resort.  I wouldn't say that are the most sanitary,(I think they use the same applicators on everyone) so I might suggest that you bring our own applicators if that bothers you. 

[stephany0930]

Hi Everyone!!!

 

   Im a newbie here on the forum.. although i admit to lurking since may!  Im a soon to be EPC bride (june 4, 2011). I want to thank you all for all of your help with informative info!

[fmichelle]

@mdb, I was thinking of blinging the shoes out a little bit with a glue gun and some rhinestones.  I'm going to have to walk around in them a little bit more, make sure they're comfortable first though.  Otherwise, I'll just have to go with the blinged out flip flop wedges.  Thanks for the input though, much appreciated.  On another note, how did you handle tipping at the resort? Other than the servers and bartenders, on the actual wedding day did you tip out the WC/photographer/etc?  I'm just trying to work out my budget before getting all excited about OOT bags.  Thanks so much! 

[stephany0930]

I was wondering if anyone had information about the "gold package" . Ive chosen this but they are so vague about the additional decoration included in this package. Ive seen flowers pinned to the drapes on the gazebo(beach ceremony) is that included in the gold package or would that be considered "extra"? also the excellence of love package (included in the gold package) says "natural flower centerpiece for dinner table" does this mean just the bride and grooms table? and lastingly it says "additional wedding decoration"....i would like some tiki torches but i dont know if this stuff is included?! *sigh... time to email "Isyuney"....

 

 

Additional Question: Ive chosen the gold package but i seem to like the silver dinner menu better. Seems like there arent too many "meat" dishes and unfortunately not all of the DF's family likes fish... including the DF! hes a steak man and while on in each the gold and silver have beef tenderloin as an option the other meals in that menu seem so-so.. anyone try to mix and match, do they allow that? how is the food?

 

 

TIA!

[stephany0930]

I dont mean to be a board hog... but.

 

 

Ive reserved photosouvenir for my photography and they've been so good at responding to my emails. Ive requested the 5 hour package and spoke to Reno about breaking up the hours. Ideally i would love to have a welcome dinner the day everyone is scheduled to arrive (day before wedding) and i asked if i could have 1 hour (of the 5 hours) for photography that day... he said it was no problem. Im scheduled to get married June 4th 2011 and i asked him about the mosquito situation and he said most likely it there will be mosquitos at night and mentioned that most guest complain about mosquitos the most ( i originally wanted to cascade pool) but i've decided on the Toscana, unless there is another place i can have the reception outdoors that isnt too buggy....

[Diva]

Sounds like you have everything down Stephany!! :-)

 

I keep reading the Trip Advisor reviews, which can be a good AND bad thing, and people are saying that some buildings have better rooms than others.  Since I am at the 4 month mark (hooray) Isyuney is starting to talk to me about details. SO, what buildings should I go for/ stay away from?

 

Thanks!

[stephany0930]

Hey Diva,

 

        lol it may seem like i have everything down but im still so confused (and stressed) about minor details!!   So here is a question for any EPC brides (past and future) so i've been seeing alot of people using pastor York and i never gave it a second thought until it came to mind that perhaps no officiant is offered for the wedding? how does this work? My WC told me i have a judge for my wedding since its not symbolic (its civil) and i was wondering if the judge doesnt say anything at all? is this the reason why everyone is hiring a pastor? *shudders @ the thought of another expense.

 

If anyone has any answers on this, please let me know!!

 

thanks so much.

[mdb]

Okay let me try to answer some of your questions. ... 

@f michelle-  we tipped our WC 50... some tipped more, some tipped less. I know that someone said that that tipped 100. I would say that it is a personal preference!   Just tip what you feel you should tip.. Without the WC things wouldn't have fallen in place the way that they did!!! : )  

 

@stepahy0930-  I got the least expensive package because there were only 12 of us including my husband and I and the two photographers that we brought with us.  Included in that package was flowers for the cake table, Two flower arrangements for the posts, an aisle runner (it is included but they didn't put it down for some reason)  I didn't stresss the small stuff.   and tiki torches to line the aisle.   This also included cake and whatever else was listed on the web.   oh oh  it says private dinner for two but make sure you request that and set that up with your WC.  we forgot all about that. 

We didn't hire pastor york, we used the judge. I will tell you that she speaks spanish and then the WC will translate. That didn't bother us ... my thought was... we're in their country and that's the language that they speak.  : ) and it saved the extra expense ... I thinks someone wrote that pastor your was like 300 ... I could be wrong though. 

 

Diva- my husband got a room near the excellence club and the air worked better, but other than that, it was the same!  

 

I hope this helps ladies

[atrott]

Stephany,

 

You also may want to ask your WC to send you the buffett menus. We have 36 total attending our wedding & the buffett menus are amazing. I'm sure you'll be able to find something there that will satisfy everyone.

 

December 6th is coming up FAST, this board has been a godsend for me, I've learned soooo much from all you girls! Thanks!

[fmichelle]

@ mdb, THANK YOU so much for answering all of our questions. You've been IMMENSELY helpful.  It's interesting that you had the Judge do your wedding as Griselda told me that the Judge wouldn't be available to do our ceremony and would just show up whenever he showed up to sign our paperwork.  I was under the impression (I don't know why) that were was only one legal Judge in all of Punta Cana and he would never be able to perform all of the legal ceremonies with so many resorts in the area.  At this point, we are leaning more towards doing the legal paperwork before we leave, as much as I wanted to have the moment of saying "I do" be THE moment. But since the Judge wouldn't even be doing it, I'm not sure how different it really will be.  Griselda said he might even show up before our ceremony to just sign papers, which I found slightly odd.  Who knows, we've gone back and forth on the issue so many times, but with expenses mounting up and the fact that my FI wasn't born in this country and I was actually married before, it seems like it would cost us significantly more than most to do all the translating, legalizing, etc.  On a side note, I thought the fact that I lived a mile from the nearest Dominican Consulate would be cost effective...unfortunately the California consulate charges more than Wedo and was the only place that wanted my birth certificate to be stamped with an apostle from my home state, not to mention what they wanted me to do with my FI's birth certificate.

 

Anyway, just thought I'd share my most recent thoughts.  We're now at 164 days...getting very excited!!