Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

[britb618]

Beachbride: For the restaurant, you can have a 35 person reservation which is included in all of the wedding packages, (except probably the free one) and they will seat you all together. I don't know how it would work as far as one table etc. but I do know that other people will still be eating in the restaurant.

 

Hope that helps!

[beachbride312]

Thanks!

[chula201]

@beachbride, so sorry to hear about your TA..  my TA is absolutely AMAZING .  She's planning my wedding in Mexico in JUne and has blocked off rooms for my group and has been the contact person between the WC and me.  She just did an amazing job with my girlfriend a group of 55 to Montego Bay Jamaica.  She truly does rock

Call her Cathy @ Easy Escapes Travel.  (917)400-3573  Tell her KEimalee and Joseph referred you.  Good luck

[asiamarie1]

britb618- thanks for the review of your stay..it will be very helpful for us when we arrive at the Hard Rock, we are not having our Wedding there but we are staying a week for our honeymoon, and we will be palace members....thanks again

[LalaJ]

Hi Toya,

 

The wedding coordinator at The Hard Rock informed me that you can ship decorations directly to the resort but it is not recommended. The Customs Departments in Punta Cana is very strict and could seize your package. The resort is not responsible for claiming items at Customs, so your package could be stuck there and potentially lost. In addition, if you ship a large amount of the same item, Customs may think it's for business and you may be taxed on it. In other words, don't do it. I don't want to run the risk so I'm planning to ask my family to help me take all the things I'm taking to the resort in their luggage.

 

As far as the outdoor reception, the event has to end by 10:30am.  
 

Originally Posted by ToyaToyaToya 

Nice!!! I do have a few questions!

 

Can you confirm with them that you can ship your decorations directly to the resort, and if you can have an outdoor reception that lasts later than 10pm if its on one of the terraces. Thanks so much and good luck! Take lots of pics!!!

 

 

[britb618]

lala,

how was your site visit? What did you think of the resort? How was the service? Any recommendations?

 

Thanks!

Brit

[vinarum]

Hi Ladies,

 

@ Brit - your review was very helpful . We will be at the resort next April and was hoping that there are only good reviews about this resort.

 

We were only thinking of doing a symbloic ceremony because I don't want to wait the full 3 business days to get married, I don't tan very well. I was wondering if anyone knows if we have to be legally married first?

[ToyaToyaToya]

This is so helpful!! thanks so much!!!

Originally Posted by LalaJ 

Hi Toya,

 

The wedding coordinator at The Hard Rock informed me that you can ship decorations directly to the resort but it is not recommended. The Customs Departments in Punta Cana is very strict and could seize your package. The resort is not responsible for claiming items at Customs, so your package could be stuck there and potentially lost. In addition, if you ship a large amount of the same item, Customs may think it's for business and you may be taxed on it. In other words, don't do it. I don't want to run the risk so I'm planning to ask my family to help me take all the things I'm taking to the resort in their luggage.

 

As far as the outdoor reception, the event has to end by 10:30am.  
 

 

 

[Shimiki]

I also thought about getting married before I went over and just doing a symbolic ceremony. However, my travel agent told me that even if you get married in the States, you still have to wait 3 business days before you can have the ceremony. Its a goverenment rule. So I am going on a Tuesday, and will not get married until Saturday (three full business days later.)

 

Bummer right?

 

But I am going for the symbolic anyway becuase it takes off the $500.00 fee for the civil ceremony. I hope this helps.

[LalaJ]

@ Brit, the site visit was excellent. I loved the resort and the service was amazing. Everyone greets you with a smile and all employees seem genuinely happy to be there. I was able to see all the venues, they prepared 3 tables with sample decorations and centerpieces. I was also able to do a cake tasting. The service was great and all the girls in the wedding department are very helpful. However, I was a bit disappointed when I saw the terrace where I wanted to host a welcome dinner. The terrace is only accessible through stairs as there is no elevator and the bathroom is on the ground level. While this is not that big of a deal, it's uncomfortable for my older guests. My grandmother uses a wheelchair so someone would need to carry her up the stairs. As a result, I think I'm going to have the welcome dinner in an alternate location by one of the pools.

 

As mentioned in a previous post, anyone who will be booking tours, spa treatments, etc... needs to be prepared to WAIT! Try to go bright and early because the wait time could be a little nerve wracking.

 

For those of you interested in OOT bags, if you want them delivered to your guests' rooms the fee is $3 per room. Also, if you're interested in an outdoor reception be mindful of the time of year because it can get pretty hot in DR. The outside vendor policy is not as strict as they make it sound. You can bring your own photographer, DJ, or ceremony officiant as long as they're staying in the hotel so they're considered one of the wedding guests.

 

In terms of events, the hotel provides round tables, white chairs, white table cloths and napkins and a select few color table overlays. The overlays are are basic colors and come with matching napkins that are also complementary. Everything else is extra. If, like me, you love the Chiavari or Tiffany chairs those cost $10 each for white or gold chairs and $12 each for silver chairs

 

These websites showcase decorations that have been done for the resort: http://vipeventspuntacana.weebly.com/theme-parties.html, http://www.creativepuntacana.com/. Laura at Creative Punta is very helpful and responds in a timely manner if you're interested in a price quote for centerpieces or have any other decoration related questions. You can email her at [email protected]. Creative Punta Cana is not the only vendor that the hotel uses for centerpieces but the other vendor does not have a website so you would have to wait to be assigned a wedding coordinator to get in contact with them. I saw their work and it's very nice. They can pretty much recreate any idea that you present to them.

 

My only complaint of the entire experience was at the end with the transportation dept. Our pick-up time was scheduled for 10:20am, by the time we left it was almost 11:30am. Some people in our same shuttle almost missed their flight so I recommend that you schedule your pick up time for two and a half to three hours before your flight. If I remember correctly, you can schedule your transportation to the airport upto 2 days before you leave.

 

I was there during Hurricane Irene and my flight was cancelled. The airport closed that day and all flights were cancelled. The hotel was gracious enough to give everyone whose flight was cancelled a free night. I was very happy about that because if not, my fiance and I would have had to pay an unexpected additional night.

 

Overall, I had a great experience and I'm very excited to have my wedding there! I will let you know if I think of anything else that I may have missed.