Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe

[ncordero6504]

Trivera I plan on bringing starfishes from oriental trading website, I really don't want to carry with too much but hopefully with the flowers and starfish it will look a lot better...I also am bringing miniature maracas that will be at each place setting I found them on oriental trading too they're plain wooden ones I can paint myself

[ncordero6504]

Has anyone sent out the wedo wedding documentation I'm about to start the process I just had a question about the notarized paper we need to send them....

[sunny55143]

Bjeantil,

 

I would highly doubt they would let you buy just a day pass for HDC - that is exactly what they are trying to deter you from doing when they say no outside photographers.  Definitely check with them about buying them a room for the night.  I think the whole point is that they are trying to keep all business within the hotel - either by making you use Tropical Pictures or by booking rooms.  Pretty lame!

 

ncordero,

 

We live in Chicago and have a Dominican consulate out here so I just went to their office to have them notarize our docs.  What was your question, I can try to help.

 

I'm actually gonna head up there this week again to get our marriage license notarized...so that we are finally legally married in the States too 

[samsbride]

Bjeantil, I would highly doubt they would let you buy just a day pass for HDC - that is exactly what they are trying to deter you from doing when they say no outside photographers.  Definitely check with them about buying them a room for the night.  I think the whole point is that they are trying to keep all business within the hotel - either by making you use Tropical Pictures or by booking rooms.  Pretty lame! ncordero, We live in Chicago and have a Dominican consulate out here so I just went to their office to have them notarize our docs.  What was your question, I can try to help. I'm actually gonna head up there this week again to get our marriage license notarized...so that we are finally legally married in the States too 

I iust got my certifacte last week and have really been dragging my feet avout going to the consulate. I have no excuse because it's two blocks from my job! Glad to see to see I'm not the only one

[sunny55143]

Originally Posted by samsbride 

 

 

I iust got my certifacte last week and have really been dragging my feet avout going to the consulate. I have no excuse because it's two blocks from my job! Glad to see to see I'm not the only one

 

Yeeeeah.....we got our about a month and a half ago right as I started traveling every week for work.  Oops.

 

Did they keep your birth certificates?  We brought ours to our meeting and Marlene said she would give them to the judge to look at, etc. and we thought that meant we would get them back after the ceremony.  Well, of course I forgot to delegate someone to follow up with this on the day of the wedding and when we brought it up to her at the end of the reception she realized she forgot to get them back from the judge and said she would contact him on Monday (the day we were leaving).  Well, then we got emails from her saying that the judge keeps the birth certificates because they are not the "originals".  So we went back and forth on this for a while because yes, they were the original legal documents.  I realized later that when she said original, she meant that it wasn't the actual birth certificate that was given to our parents the day we were born (because we had to get that apostille attached to them, we got birth certificates that say they were issued March 2012 or whenever we got them).  So she said the judge keeps them. 

 

We both thought that was kinda bogus - are people really expected to give up their birth certificates to get married in the DR?  Those are still legal documents even if they aren't the original birth certificate.  I called the Dominican consulate here and asked about it and the woman said that some judges do ask to keep them, but it is not required by law so if it really bothers us we should insist that they send them back.  She didn't seem too worried or concerned about it and also mentioned that the US requires Dominicans to turn over their birth certificate too when they come here to get married.  The whole thing is still sorta off putting but I haven't had time to follow up with them about it.  Someone told me that no one can really steal your identity or do anything with just a birth certificate so I guess that shouldn't be an issue if that was the shady business that was going on with this whole thing.  I also thought it was weird that Marlene was at first concerned that the judge didn't give them back while we were still down there, but then in emails changed her tune and said the judge keeps them.  I know we aren't the first Americans she has done a wedding for that has gone through this.  

 

Anyway, sorry this was so long and sorry if I worried anyone about this.  I would just make sure you and your WC's have an understanding regarding this beforehand if you are doing a civil ceremony.  

 

And if they say you are supposed to get them back, let me know because then I will be pissed!

[teena84]

I found an old response from my WC Susana about photographer:

 

As for photographer – I understand your resort do not allow external photographer, but if we have a photographer stay with us at the resort for a few days or the whole week, would this be ok? If that person is staying at the hotel and is going to be one of your guest this won’t be a problem.

 

As for menu options, at first she weren't going to let us have any options, but she seems more lenient now - here's her responses, if anyone's curious about extra menu cost:

 

Can you please clarify now, is this only for main dishes?  Or do all guests still have to eat the same soup, salad, and dessert? If we pay extra for guests to choose between the soup, salad, and dessert, how much would this cost? For soup $5usd each, for salad $10usd each and for  desserts everybody eats the same.

 

When you said beef, would this include the Beef Tenderloin and Sirloin Steak to choose from?  Or is it just one of them?

 

Pesto marinated broiled chicken--Chicken $10usd per plate

Pan seared fish medallion, parmesan cheese risotto, asparagus and red bell pepper coulis--Fish $16usd per plate

Glazed pork chops in old mustard sauce--Pork

Beef tenderloin with potatoes and vegetables--Beef $16usd per plate

Sirloin steak parisienne coffee with vegetables--Beef $16usd per plate

 

When I say beef this is for Beef tenderloin and Sirloin Steak.

 

How much would pork cost? $16usd per plate.

[Bjeantil]

@ teena84... Thank you!

[samsbride]

Originally Posted by sunny55143 

 

 

Yeeeeah.....we got our about a month and a half ago right as I started traveling every week for work.  Oops.

 

Did they keep your birth certificates?  We brought ours to our meeting and Marlene said she would give them to the judge to look at, etc. and we thought that meant we would get them back after the ceremony.  Well, of course I forgot to delegate someone to follow up with this on the day of the wedding and when we brought it up to her at the end of the reception she realized she forgot to get them back from the judge and said she would contact him on Monday (the day we were leaving).  Well, then we got emails from her saying that the judge keeps the birth certificates because they are not the "originals".  So we went back and forth on this for a while because yes, they were the original legal documents.  I realized later that when she said original, she meant that it wasn't the actual birth certificate that was given to our parents the day we were born (because we had to get that apostille attached to them, we got birth certificates that say they were issued March 2012 or whenever we got them).  So she said the judge keeps them. 

 

We both thought that was kinda bogus - are people really expected to give up their birth certificates to get married in the DR?  Those are still legal documents even if they aren't the original birth certificate.  I called the Dominican consulate here and asked about it and the woman said that some judges do ask to keep them, but it is not required by law so if it really bothers us we should insist that they send them back.  She didn't seem too worried or concerned about it and also mentioned that the US requires Dominicans to turn over their birth certificate too when they come here to get married.  The whole thing is still sorta off putting but I haven't had time to follow up with them about it.  Someone told me that no one can really steal your identity or do anything with just a birth certificate so I guess that shouldn't be an issue if that was the shady business that was going on with this whole thing.  I also thought it was weird that Marlene was at first concerned that the judge didn't give them back while we were still down there, but then in emails changed her tune and said the judge keeps them.  I know we aren't the first Americans she has done a wedding for that has gone through this.  

 

Anyway, sorry this was so long and sorry if I worried anyone about this.  I would just make sure you and your WC's have an understanding regarding this beforehand if you are doing a civil ceremony.  

 

And if they say you are supposed to get them back, let me know because then I will be pissed!

Oh man! We were confronted with that same issue. My husband actually had his original that his parents had. The consulate did attach an apostille on it but he didn't mind. He did, however, raise a ruckus when Susana told him that they were going to keep it. He had the exact same issue with identity theft and that sort it beign an american birth certificate. (I had a dominican birth certificate that I can go get reprinted again if I needed so I didn't care if they kept mine) He held his ground and on our wedding day she handed it back to us (right after the ceremony lol). She told me that the judge was completely cool with it but had to just see it (the original). She said that all he did was cut the string and kept the apostille. She even seemed surprised at how easy it was. I think that since he was so adamant about the whole issue that she made sure she relayed that to the judge. He was not getting on the plane back home unless he had that in his hands lol.  The WC's might just be misinformed about this because when we first met with her it seemed like it was going to be a hopeless battle for us to keep the original. It just didn't make sense since they already had a copy of it and the apostille. My advice is to just tell them that they absolutely cannot keep the original and make sure to follow up with the WC on the wedding day to get it back. Sunny, I wouldn't even begin to know how to contact DR to get them back but it's worth a shot how to investigate it.

[natalieblev]

Hi ladies. I am having trouble getting responses about how much Tropical Pictures is going to be/. Does anyone have any information regarding their prices? I'm worried because if it was cheaper for Sunny to fly down a photographer, pay for her way for a week and get the service and prints for cheaper then one day of pictures, that is insane to me and ill need to start looking for someone too. 

 

Also does anyone know if they are even that good? 

 

Any info would be much appreciated! 

[trivera5521]

Natalie: I will tell you that I emailed Tropical Pictures probably over a dozen times over a 2-3 month period and not one response from them! After that I was like there is no way I am going to put my wedding pictures in their hands if they cant even return emails! This day will never be able to be played back and 20 years from now all I will have are my pics. Not to mention although they have a website and their pics seem nice I had a hard time finding brides that used them. I assumed of course they would have the best pics on their website needless to say a personal review from one of our brides is what I was looking for. Not to mention their prices (attached) were a bit steep.  As such I also hired a photographer out of NY and will be covering all her expenses in exchange for coverage of my ENTIRE week. Inclusive of TTD, Welcome party and full wedding day.

 

I however do recall a bride on this thread that was able to book them through her WC, even so I am the one that will be paying you, I am the customer I shouldnt have to go through a WC!

 

I am thinking of using them for videography services though only because I dont have a choice and I really want a video. Has anyone used or heard of Wedit?! http://www.wedit.com/ They mail you 5 HD cameras and you give them to people in your party. They record the duration of the day/week from different perspectives then you mail the cameras back and they edit it into a video. Actually pretty cool! Check it out and let me know what you guys think, as this is my plan b option for videography services if I dont go with Tropical Pictures.

 

Not sure if i said it before but their policy for outside photographers is !!! I hate that they force you to use their photographer!! Grrrr