2013 Paradisus Palma Real

[angelnjewels]

Hi ladies...

 

I am continuing to get responses with people saying that they are not able to make it because it was really expensive...I contacted the romance office and they shared that the guests staying at other resorts are allowed to come in 30 min prior to the wedding and have to leave up to 30 min after the reception. The wedding pass is $35.00 and the day pass is $120.00....

 

I sent out information letting them know that they are responsible for paying their wedding pass if they choose to stay at other resorts...I kind of feel bad. But we cant afford the extra expense...

 

 

Anyway...I have decided that if some of the bridesmaids are not able to make them I will title them the "honorary bridesmaids" meaning that they will not be there but that they will be close to my heart on the special day.... Does that sound corny??? I just don't want anyone to feel bad but I do understand that lots of people are not able to afford it and that is okay....

 

Regarding at home receptions...I need a cheap space in NYC to bring to my fiancé because I really want to have an at home reception since we have gotten lots of NO's and I really want to share our day with people...What do you ladies think? My fiancé says that its an added expense but I feel that we could share our wedding video and have like a nice summer party...

 

Maybe I am just being the "want it all" bride...I don't know....

 

As some of you mentioned before...planning a destination wedding is just or more stressful than having a wedding back home...to much to plan, think about and its really crazy...

 

 

.

[darleneg2b]

It was great. We arrived on Wednesday and stayed in Royal Service. Most guests arrived Thurs and stayed in the regular Palma Real portion of the resort. Our royal service butler helped to deliver the OOT bags, which was very helpful. We did a welcome party on Thursday night-- we had cocktails and passed apps in a private area near one of the pools and then they had a private area at the Naos restaurant sectioned off for us for dinner (one of the buffets). I also did a triall at the salon on Thursday. It took a long time, but she did a nice job. Friday was a free day and most people hung by the swim up bar at the main pool and the guys played golf. Our wedding day was Sat and it was great. I rented the bridal suite and my bridal party and I all got hair and makeup done. The guys got ready in our room. We used Arrecife for photos and video and DJ Mannia as our DJ. Our wedding was off the resort at the Jellyfish and if you want to leave the resort for dinner one night, I highly recommend going there- the food was amazing. After the wedding most of our guests left yo head home and we moved to the Reserve. We had a swim up suite there. We stayed until Friday morning, and spent the honeymoon relaxing by the beach/pool, doing excursions, going to the casino, and trying all the restaurants. We also ventured out to the casino at the Hard Rock one night.... Everything was perfect and coming home was very depressing! I was extremely nervous before I went and the first part of my trip (before the wedding) was extremely stressful, but everything turned out great.

So happy that everything turned out great! In terms of the private area in the buffet... How did you set that up? Was there an additional cost for that? Thanks!

[MissyBee]

I set it up through Massiel and there was no additional cost. The cocktail reception at the pool was included in my group rate package through the travel agent but the dinner was totally separate. At first I was upset they would not let us do the welcome dinner at a regular restaurant but the buffet worked out fine and they even had grilled lobster at the buffet that night, so it was still classy. Plus the seating at the buffet is in an outdoor area right near the beach, so it was beautiful.

[MissyBee]

Wow that is really awesome!! I am so glad that you had a great time.... I read that the jelly fish was amazing...how did that work out with the whole package thing with the resort? It sounds like it was an amazing wedding/trip... Yay!!! Sorry if I bombard you with questions...I think is all of the anxiety lol Did you like Arrecife photography? (we are trying to contract with them for our wedding) Did you do the video? How was the reserve? (My fiancé does not want to stay at the reserve but the rooms look amazing...Do you hear children crying all of the time...I read on some reviews that people do not like to stay at the reserve because of all of the kids...) Was this your experience? I hope we can see some pictures... Thanks for your response and congratulations to you and your husband!!!!

There are a lot of kids at the reserve but they did not bother us. The swim up room is gorgeous and has two shower heads in the shower , indoor and outdoor jacuzzi, a huge bed, and the pool out back. We still spent most days/nights at the main ppr resort though, as it has more going on. It is very easy to get a golf cart back and forth at any hour of the day or night. Our suite at the reserve was also much bigger than our room at royal service. it doesn't really make sense that they made the reserve the family friendly area and royal service couples-only! It should be the opposite considering how romantic and honeymoon oriented the rooms at the reserve are. You can't really go wrong with either option and we would gladly stay in any room at the resort again,

[EVKnowsitall]

There are a lot of kids at the reserve but they did not bother us. The swim up room is gorgeous and has two shower heads in the shower , indoor and outdoor jacuzzi, a huge bed, and the pool out back. We still spent most days/nights at the main ppr resort though, as it has more going on. It is very easy to get a golf cart back and forth at any hour of the day or night. Our suite at the reserve was also much bigger than our room at royal service. it doesn't really make sense that they made the reserve the family friendly area and royal service couples-only! It should be the opposite considering how romantic and honeymoon oriented the rooms at the reserve are. You can't really go wrong with either option and we would gladly stay in any room at the resort again,

Thanks for this! I mistakenly booked the Reserve confusing it with Royal Sevice and ranted and raved about it to my friends. Then I realized it was the family friendly side which is cool- we have 5 kids as guests- but my fiancé gets easily annoyed by kids- or should I say easily annoyed by in controlled kids- which is what I assume would be the case on vacation. Lol your post saying you would gladly stay at either room puts me at ease. We have Mannia as our DJ- how did you like them. I find their correspondence friendly and fast. We had to Fight to keep them so I hope they are good. We also have an outside photog but ate using Arrecife for Videography- did you use them? When you have time post a review with pics- so few PPR brides do reviews! I'd love to see your wedding. I'm just wedding curious I guess. Lol congrats and thanks for all the info- it has been very helpful.

[EVKnowsitall]

I meant uncotrolled kids btw

[angelnjewels]

Originally Posted by MissyBee 

 

 

There are a lot of kids at the reserve but they did not bother us. The swim up room is gorgeous and has two shower heads in the shower , indoor and outdoor jacuzzi, a huge bed, and the pool out back. We still spent most days/nights at the main ppr resort though, as it has more going on. It is very easy to get a golf cart back and forth at any hour of the day or night. Our suite at the reserve was also much bigger than our room at royal service. it doesn't really make sense that they made the reserve the family friendly area and royal service couples-only! It should be the opposite considering how romantic and honeymoon oriented the rooms at the reserve are. You can't really go wrong with either option and we would gladly stay in any room at the resort again,

MissyBee,

 

Thanks so much for the response. It is very helpful. I like the reserve because of the rooms but was upset about the kids...

 

Thank you!!!!

[EVKnowsitall]

Originally Posted by angelnjewels 

 

Hi ladies...

 

I am continuing to get responses with people saying that they are not able to make it because it was really expensive...I contacted the romance office and they shared that the guests staying at other resorts are allowed to come in 30 min prior to the wedding and have to leave up to 30 min after the reception. The wedding pass is $35.00 and the day pass is $120.00....

 

I sent out information letting them know that they are responsible for paying their wedding pass if they choose to stay at other resorts...I kind of feel bad. But we cant afford the extra expense...

 

 

Anyway...I have decided that if some of the bridesmaids are not able to make them I will title them the "honorary bridesmaids" meaning that they will not be there but that they will be close to my heart on the special day.... Does that sound corny??? I just don't want anyone to feel bad but I do understand that lots of people are not able to afford it and that is okay....

 

Regarding at home receptions...I need a cheap space in NYC to bring to my fiancé because I really want to have an at home reception since we have gotten lots of NO's and I really want to share our day with people...What do you ladies think? My fiancé says that its an added expense but I feel that we could share our wedding video and have like a nice summer party...

 

Maybe I am just being the "want it all" bride...I don't know....

 

As some of you mentioned before...planning a destination wedding is just or more stressful than having a wedding back home...to much to plan, think about and its really crazy...

 

 

.

 

Angeljewels-

 

Define cheap. LOL I am having a NYC AHR and its not "cheap" by others standards and its borderline in my opinion, of costing too much. But I know plenty of places- Where in NY are you looking? I live and work in the BX and my bridal shower is at Frankie and Johnnies Pine Restraurant on Bronxdale Avenue. For my shower we are having a brunch and its $25 per person for breakfast/lunch foods- eggs, bacon, waffles, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, assortment of breads, juices, white wine, bloody Mary's, Mimosas, and screw drivers. With taxes it comes out to $32 a person and there are 4 private rooms in the restaurant- 2 with outdoor access/ patios. The latest start time for a brunch option is 1:00 PM so you can have a midday AHR and that restaurant has a great bar area so if people want to go into happy hour and pay cash and continue the party, they can lol. I think its a great bargain- we almost considered using it for our AHR. They also have other options like just a 4 hour open bar with butler passed hors d' oeuvres for $35 a person etc etc.

 

Our AHR is $55.95 a person at Tosca Marquee Catering Hall on East Tremont. For that price we have the room for four hours, cocktail hour on the roof with 8 butler passed hors d'oeuvres, continued butler service and hors d'oeuvres for the remainder of the night, a salad and crudite display, a pasta station, a carving station, cookies and cannolis, coffee and tea and open bar, colored linens, use of the sound system (although we have a DJ because we were originally getting married in NY and couldnt get a refund lol long story), and use of the in-house centerpieces and bridal suite. So for what you get- I think it's cheap, but for a budget friendly AHR- not really. It's costing us the same as our package at the resort hahahaha. More- because our parents went crazy inviting people and we are at 100 guests and ready to tip over that. They have offered to give us some money. My mom paid the deposit of $1500 for us, my estranged father "claims" to be giving me $2600 since he can't come to my wedding, and my MIL says she will give us anything we fall short of in the end. We shall see. I'm not counting on it. 

 

A smaller venue in Pelham/ New Rocehlle is the Bartow Pell-Mansion. You can rent it for $500 but you have to bring your own food, drinks and tables and chairs and I believe it only holds 30-40 people. 

 

There is also Juliano's Catering Hall in New Rochelle- a tad outdated but inexpensive and has several rooms and Maestro's Catering Hall. 

 

Your best bet is to go with a restaurant that will give you a limited alcohol and menu option for a fraction of their regular costs. You can also rent community centers- but to be honest those costs can start to get out of control unless you have a potluck style. Originally my shower was going to be in my friends yard but she was buying a tent, tables and chairs, cake, food, alcohol- the cost was going to be $1200. I told my MOH and mom about the Pine and there we got a more formal backdrop and the total was $1800. Slightly more- but no clean up, no running out of food, etc. PM me if you ever need more info.

[EVKnowsitall]

Angeljewels...

 

PS- my fiance was soooooo anti-AHR. I went ahead and planned it without him. His exact words were "if you can find a way to pay for it I wouldn't be opposed. So I started bartending and so far I have saved up $6,000. Some of it is going to our wedding in DR which is why we could use last minute help from the parentals. I'm still bartending but with all the weekends I need off for wedding things I don't know if we will fall short. We are cutting it dangerously close. 

 

Anywho- he fought me tooth and nail but I put my foot down. Initially, I was not sold on the DW idea and I compromised for him. Now he has to compromise for me. LOL

[Kel123073]

is anybody doing their own centerpieces? and what type are you doing?

I wasn't blown away by any... and I have beautiful centerpieces from my shower...