Newbie! Trying to decide between Cuba, Domenican and Jamaica any advice

[missmeliss]

Hi all!

We got engaged over a year ago but we just recently decided on a DW.  We are still trying to find a resort.  We are looking at January 2012 for our wedding either in Cuba, Domenican or Jamaica.  Any thoughts on where is easiest to get married and what resorts are the best in those places?

 

Any help would be great I am so overwhelmed by all the possibilities.  I can't seem to make a decision!

[JayKay]

Hi there, and congrats on deciding on a DW!  We never considered Cuba for our wedding, but we considered Mexico, Dominican, and Jamaica.  We found that the requirements to legally get married in Mexico and Dominican were nearly the same.  Jamaica however, seemed to have the easiest and cheapest process and no documents need to be translated to a different language.  We eventually decided on Jamaica after finding a resort we fell in love with! 

 

It can be super overwhelming at first.  Try making a list of what is important to you in a resort (ex, big vs small, free wedding vs non free wedding, price for guests etc).  Also, try searching on here for different resorts and you will find tons of info!  Good luck and happy planning:)

[missmeliss]

Thank you for your reply! It seems that Jamaica may be a good option.  I have been looking at Gran Bahia Principe's wedding packages and they look great.  Since you don't need to get papers translated are there any extra costs for getting married in Jamaica than?  Were you able to get a good price per person for your guests?  Do you have a travel agent?  I want to try to keep the cost down for the guests so more can come if possible. Sorry for all the questions.  I do like the Bahia but I worry it may be out of price range for many guests.

 

Thanks again!

[mandys]

I would choose DR over Cuba. Much easier to communicate with people in the DR and I found that there are more resorts there that cater to specialized weddings. Plus, if you have any guests coming from the US, I dont believe they are allowed into Cuba. That was a deciding factor for me.

[X-Chan]

Congrats! I'm a January 2012 bride too and we're going to be getting married in Cuba. Price wise, I think Cuba usually has lower prices leaving from Canada to those destinations you listed. 

 

Price was a big factor for me too and I wanted to keep things affordable for my guests. I chose Blau Varadero, a 4* resort in Cuba that has great reviews. Although we're not ready to book yet, I'm working with a TA and had her quote some prices for my resort to get an idea of what the prices will be like. For our Jan 11, 2012 departure, she quoted me 1009 from Toronto, 1119 from Montreal and 1671 from Vancouver. These prices were slightly cheaper than what I could find online because she was able to get a no fuel subcharge, and there are also other perks like 1 complimentary adult for every 20 adults booked. So far, I'm glad to be working with a TA and I hope that everything will go smoothly.

 

Good luck!