Gran Bahia Principe Esmeralda 2013 Brides

ashley1316 · July 29, 2012

I Didnt get married at the esmeralda, But i did stay there for my honeymoon. I got married at the Bahia but the bavaro part, which is just another area of the large resort.

If you have any questions ask away. I will say you should for sure have a private reception, made the whole night even better!

cjboardingpass · July 31, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by erin4070

We are all flying out of Toronto. You? I have some guests in Calgary but air transat doesn't fly out of Calgary in the spring/ summer do they will have to come to Toronto first. I have booked through a travel agent with a group rate and I have so many spaces reserved for my guests to book in. Are all of your guests booking themselves?

Most of my guests are flying out with me from Montreal, but i have few coming from Europe but for some reason every other hotel shows up except for this one! it's really frustration. I have some people coming from Calgary and Halifax, but my TA said that West Jet travels from there. Ask your TA, it could be cheaper for your guests than flying to TO.

I did the same, i booked 32 spaces. I think that we will probably be more than that but i sent out a STD and just reserved for the people who confirmed that they were coming. We got a really good price for the package compared to other resorts $1250 tax in.

Wow! Your getting married the day after me and we are leaving from the same city! How weird is that? Lol. We are leaving Montreal May 11th. Are you leaving then also? We have one couple from Edmonton coming with us and they had to book the hotel room and then buy a flight separate. They will most probably have a lay over somewhere. Not too sure where they haven't booked their flight yet. Who did you book with? We got a price of 1350$ tax and service fees included with Transat. Booked with a family member that is a TA. Are you bringing your own decorations for the reception? I was thinking of doing it but I'm not too sure. And we also wanted to give everyone a bottle of rum as a party favor, probably going to buy it there. Are you getting a photographer from Montreal? Or the one that the hotel offers? I'm not sure what I want to do. Happy planning!

cjboardingpass · July 31, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by erin4070

We are all flying out of Toronto. You? I have some guests in Calgary but air transat doesn't fly out of Calgary in the spring/ summer do they will have to come to Toronto first. I have booked through a travel agent with a group rate and I have so many spaces reserved for my guests to book in. Are all of your guests booking themselves?

Most of my guests are flying out with me from Montreal, but i have few coming from Europe but for some reason every other hotel shows up except for this one! it's really frustration. I have some people coming from Calgary and Halifax, but my TA said that West Jet travels from there. Ask your TA, it could be cheaper for your guests than flying to TO.

I did the same, i booked 32 spaces. I think that we will probably be more than that but i sent out a STD and just reserved for the people who confirmed that they were coming. We got a really good price for the package compared to other resorts $1250 tax in.

Wow! Your getting married the day after me and we are leaving from the same city! How weird is that? Lol. We are leaving Montreal May 11th. Are you leaving then also? We have one couple from Edmonton coming with us and they had to book the hotel room and then buy a flight separate. They will most probably have a lay over somewhere. Not too sure where they haven't booked their flight yet. Who did you book with? We got a price of 1350$ tax and service fees included with Transat. Booked with a family member that is a TA. Are you bringing your own decorations for the reception? I was thinking of doing it but I'm not too sure. And we also wanted to give everyone a bottle of rum as a party favor, probably going to buy it there. Are you getting a photographer from Montreal? Or the one that the hotel offers? I'm not sure what I want to do. Happy planning!

Just realized that your not getting married may 15 th! Oops!

kch727 · August 1, 2012

I am also getting married at this resort on January 22, 2013. We are also doing the private reception on the terrace but I have not sdecided on a menu yet. We aren't getting a DJ - just the ceremony and the dinner and then we will all just go with the flow and hang out wherever. This is what we did at my brother's wedding in Mexico and it was great. Nice and casual and people could go their own way if they wanted. Excited to find some people getting married at this resort on here. I had looked a few months ago and found nothing.

sosodj · August 4, 2012

Originally Posted by cjboardingpass

Wow! Your getting married the day after me and we are leaving from the same city! How weird is that? Lol. We are leaving Montreal May 11th. Are you leaving then also? We have one couple from Edmonton coming with us and they had to book the hotel room and then buy a flight separate. They will most probably have a lay over somewhere. Not too sure where they haven't booked their flight yet. Who did you book with? We got a price of 1350$ tax and service fees included with Transat. Booked with a family member that is a TA. Are you bringing your own decorations for the reception? I was thinking of doing it but I'm not too sure. And we also wanted to give everyone a bottle of rum as a party favor, probably going to buy it there. Are you getting a photographer from Montreal? Or the one that the hotel offers? I'm not sure what I want to do. Happy planning!

I'm actually getting married May 8th so we are flying out on May 4th. I originally reserved with Air transat flying out on the Sunday as it was $100 cheaper and we had a week to book the seats but funny enough they sold out two days later even though the wedding is a year away! so air Canada matched the price who were originally $1459 but leaving on the sat, which we didn't mind too much bc that would give everybody an extra day to relax when they got home before they started work again. i think if the price goes down 60 days before the departure date you can renegotiate the price.

As for the decorations i'm still up in the air, i'm having my reception at the Piscis and i originally wanted to bring some kind of lighting like lanterns but my TA was actually there last week on vacation and she said that the piscis is actually quote big and it would take a lot to decorate it. My TA said that they do a really good job of decorating so don't go through all the stress and hassle of bringing it on the plane. So in other words i still have no idea and am really confused of center piece too. i asked the wc and she said that if i send her a photo she can provide me with a quote but i still have no idea. Do you have any ideas? For some reason i'm stressing about them.

As for the rum would definitely wait till you are there, last time i was in DR a bottle of rum was $3.

I'm getting the photographer from the resort as you still have to pay $600 to bring your own photographer and from what i heard from people who have been married there their photo's were great.

sosodj · August 4, 2012

Originally Posted by kch727

I am also getting married at this resort on January 22, 2013. We are also doing the private reception on the terrace but I have not sdecided on a menu yet. We aren't getting a DJ - just the ceremony and the dinner and then we will all just go with the flow and hang out wherever. This is what we did at my brother's wedding in Mexico and it was great. Nice and casual and people could go their own way if they wanted. Excited to find some people getting married at this resort on here. I had looked a few months ago and found nothing.

i know i couldn't find anything on this resort either and then i started question why! LOL

it's nice to know that there are quiet a few people getting married there next year, it's good to bounce around ideas and information

cjboardingpass · August 7, 2012

Quote:
Originally Posted by cjboardingpass

Wow! Your getting married the day after me and we are leaving from the same city! How weird is that? Lol. We are leaving Montreal May 11th. Are you leaving then also? We have one couple from Edmonton coming with us and they had to book the hotel room and then buy a flight separate. They will most probably have a lay over somewhere. Not too sure where they haven't booked their flight yet. Who did you book with? We got a price of 1350$ tax and service fees included with Transat. Booked with a family member that is a TA. Are you bringing your own decorations for the reception? I was thinking of doing it but I'm not too sure. And we also wanted to give everyone a bottle of rum as a party favor, probably going to buy it there. Are you getting a photographer from Montreal? Or the one that the hotel offers? I'm not sure what I want to do. Happy planning!

I'm actually getting married May 8th so we are flying out on May 4th. I originally reserved with Air transat flying out on the Sunday as it was $100 cheaper and we had a week to book the seats but funny enough they sold out two days later even though the wedding is a year away! so air Canada matched the price who were originally $1459 but leaving on the sat, which we didn't mind too much bc that would give everybody an extra day to relax when they got home before they started work again. i think if the price goes down 60 days before the departure date you can renegotiate the price.

As for the decorations i'm still up in the air, i'm having my reception at the Piscis and i originally wanted to bring some kind of lighting like lanterns but my TA was actually there last week on vacation and she said that the piscis is actually quote big and it would take a lot to decorate it. My TA said that they do a really good job of decorating so don't go through all the stress and hassle of bringing it on the plane. So in other words i still have no idea and am really confused of center piece too. i asked the wc and she said that if i send her a photo she can provide me with a quote but i still have no idea. Do you have any ideas? For some reason i'm stressing about them.

As for the rum would definitely wait till you are there, last time i was in DR a bottle of rum was $3.

I'm getting the photographer from the resort as you still have to pay $600 to bring your own photographer and from what i heard from people who have been married there their photo's were great.

That happened to us also. We originally wanted to leave the week before ( the same week as you) but it got sold out before I could even confirm with my TA so we chose the week after. Seems like a lot of people are getting married then. I've decided to make my own centre pieces. Bought a few things on eBay and I'm going to make them when I get there. (a paper flower type thing with a light inside.Kind of thinking of putting it on a stick and then in a vase. To make it look like a flower) nothing too crazy just enough to add some decoration and color.Was reading online and people suggested bringing paper decorations cause they dont weight anything. And also to give decorations and accessories to your friends and family so that the weight is distributed in the luggages. My TA is going to ask a friend of hers to get us the rum. It'll be cheaper than buying it through the hotel. She said they're between 3-4$ a bottle. Which is pretty reasonable. Thought it was a good idea for the gift since most people will end up buying a little to bring home anyways. Is it just me or do you find it a little nerve racking that you can't really choose until you get there. (flowers cake etc) I'm a pastry chef and it really makes me nervous to not now what my cake will look like lol. Are you guys getting married on the beach? The beach "gazebo" is gorgeous. A friend of mine went to the resort and took a few pics. Sooo nice.

Carolina14 · August 8, 2012

Originally Posted by Sheryl2013

I am getting married at the Esmeralda April 2013. Any tips?

Hi Sheryl, i just saw your post, im in the same resort as you also getting married in April, my date is the 13th of April at the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana which is the same resort, right on the beach, i then transfer to the esmeralda side on the 17th for another week as the family leaves on the 17th, Happy planning!!!

kch727 · August 23, 2012

Has anyone decided where to have their private reception? We have the option of the Garden Grill, Il Capricio or Piscis (which I've heard is quite big so probably too big for the 35 or so guests we will have). Also, just wondering if anyone has heard about the quality of food from the Garden Grill and the Il Capricio? The menus from both places look good but you never know! Has anyone else seen pictures of these venues? I have some if anyone would like a peek.

Il Capricio