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Thank you very much Yes my hair and make up trial was awful, but I have read other reviews where ladies have had much better experiences so perhaps I just didn't get the best person for the job!! also, their make up is really basic, they pulled it out of the cupboard in what looked like a freezer bag and it all looked like a my first make up kit! Just in case any of you ladies were unsure, we had the gold menu included in our package but you are allowed to mix and match from the silver menu also if there is something you prefer from there! The lanterns were brought down by my father in law....it was lovely, we set about 5 or 6 off and it was so chilled and calm and they looked beautiful in the starry sky our waiters sorted them out for us in the end, after we tried and failed to get them going - they have obviously used them before they attracted quite a crowd and everyone clapped when they went up - it was lovely!!! Try not to be too nervous, honestly everything comes together so easily when your there and have your meeting with the WC - everything is so simple and just a phone call away - I didn't choose my cake, flowers or menu etc until I arrived, everything will be perfect!!!! The resort was so beautiful, it looks just like the pictures in the brochures - there are some really lovely spots and the food in the restaurants is great - the beef fillet in the French is to die for!!!!!! Oh also, if you have the honeymoon package included don't forget about your private candlelit meal - you can choose where you want it - we went with the end of the pier and it was great, we had our own waiter and the food was again brilliant!! you can choose from three 5 course menus for this night!! Our room was 5238 (block 5, floor 2) it looked onto the preferred pool which was lovely and quiet - think you can see it in some of my pics!!! Hope this helps....happy planning

hey ladies, still havent got round to writing my review...been crazy busy since returning from honeymoon - back into the daily routine already!!!! anyway, had a quick flick through the last few pages, and if any of you are friends with HDC on facebook you will see that they have confirmed they are still permitted into Dreams hotels...great news for all you future brides as they were FANTASTIC!!!!! and in another league to the hotel photographers. there was another wedding straight after ours, and they only had the hotel photographer, and they didnt realise that tropical pictures only take their photos during the actual ceremony, so they were expecting a photo shoot afterwards and were just left standing there when the photographer disappeared as soon as the confetti had been thrown. theres just a few things i thought i'd share with you all as i've got 2 minutes: i didnt book my hair/make up trial before arriving - Yanna just sorted this out when we arrived (arrived wednesday evening, met with Yanna thursday morning for an hour and we sorted EVERYTHING!) however.......went for my trial, took pictures with me after reading previous reviews - it was a disaster!!!!!!! i had Maria and she didnt really seem to know anything about make up application and i got the feeling that unless you want a beehive look with millions of tight, hairsprayed curls then they find it a bit difficult - my hair didnt look like my photos in the slightest. not surprisingly i decided to do my hair and make up myself, and asked Yanna if i could swap hair and make up for manicure and pedicure, this was no problem and worked out really well as i was going to get my nails done either way (but didnt have to pay for them ) i cant emphasise enough how brilliant HDC were, we had Francisco for about 3 and a half hours, we ran over slightly because the hotel videographer wanted certain shots etc etc but HDC were so patient, didnt rush anything and Francisco would just say 'dont worry we will take as long as we need!!' so great!!!!!!! the hotel photographer was also there, but to be honest we didnt pay much attention to him as i wanted to make sure the pictures from HDC came out well. the hotel photographs were 'nice' but nothing spectacular, and when we went and had them printed out they do try and get you to buy them all on a disc or get more printed etc etc, we just took the 50 that were included in the package - he wanted $300 for the disc!?!?!?!?!?! anyway, the prints were ok, cheap photo paper and they werent presented in an album but they just gave them us in an envelope and a hideous looking album (real tourist rubbish!!) seperately - which we actually left there!!! sorry ladies thats all i have time for right now, off to work but i will include a few links below to the albums i have put on my facebook page (some of the HDC ones are on there, the quality isnt great as i could be bothered to wait for the higher quality to upload, but rest assured the pictures we have are amazing quality!!!!!!!!!!!!) - oh also, if i remember rightly with HDC's package (i think it was the silver one) they say you get approx 300 pics on a DVD, but we actually got about 390!! YAY!! as i'm short on time and not getting chance to check in much at all, if you have any questions about anything then feel free to e-mail me at ellerby_lisa@hotmail.com and i'll get back to you asap!!!! Dreams La Romana is amazing and when you get there you will realise just how simple it is there to sort things out, we didnt do much planning beforehand at all re: flowers, cake, table set up etc etc etc and just sorted it all with Yanna on the thursday meeting - it was so simple and she just showed us loads of pics and we chose from there. anyway....heres the links to my piccies (i will give you the one to my 'general' holiday pics so you can see the resort and my reception set up too) HDC pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122681&id=1179893956&l=bd09088051 Holiday Pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123257&id=1179893956&l=fdaa8b5a8f and http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123259&id=1179893956&l=7367d9a7b3 please e-mail with any questions!!!! Lisa xxx

Hey Ladies..... Sorry for the lack of input lately.....been veeeery busy!!! So....I am officially a Mrs now WOOHOO!!!!!! Dreams La Romana was amazing, so perfect!!! Am in a rush so just stopping by to say hi and to let you all know I'll write a full review very soon, also HDC were fantastic - we couldnt be more pleased that we booked them - but will fill you in soon........ Lisa xxx

Hey Ladies..... Sorry for the lack of input lately.....been veeeery busy!!! So....I am officially a Mrs now WOOHOO!!!!!! Dreams La Romana was amazing, so perfect!!! Am in a rush so just stopping by to say hi and to let you all know I'll write a full review very soon, also HDC were fantastic - we couldnt be more pleased that we booked them - but will fill you in soon........ Lisa xxx

Thanks Bee thats great. I think i will try my luck also and see if i can get a bit more for free we are going to take our own speakers too as (its free....) and i heard that the hotel DJ only plays your iPod music for you anyway?! Thanks for the reply...much appreciated!!! xx

ladies....just wondered how we play music as i walk down the aisle? do the hotel provide facilities for this??

Hey...and welcome!! you will find some extremely useful info here, just takes a bit of time to trawl through all the pages - but its definately worth the effort! Â What date in March are you booked for? (we're on the 2nd) our plans after the sit down meal are pretty much dancing, drinking and having a great night with our friends and family- with a few speeches thrown in here and there no doubt, not really following anything too traditional (as its not a traditional wedding ey!) our dinner is on the beach, so we're planning on taking a bose speaker system and the iPod (the DJ didnt seem worth it for us) - the hotel are setting up some lights for us on the beach, and we are also having the bonfire ($120) at some point during the evening. other than that we havent got anything set in stone and will just let the evening flow i guess, but you can pretty much plan whatever you want. Â p.s ladies HDC is officially booked - whoop whoop!!!!!!

ladies, we're trying to finalise timings for our day, and was just wondering how long the photo session with HDC takes after the ceremony (for those of you that used them) please, thank you xx

CONGRATULATIONS Bee!!! glad you had a fantastic day (and it sounds like your enjoying your honeymoon ) can't wait for your review and pics!! Â

eek....bet your SO excited!!! best of luck, hope the weather is fabulous for you...look forward to seeing your review!! I also have a question ladies....we are having our reception on the beach but not hiring a DJ - do you know what we do about lights?!?! i don't really want to just be sat in the dark !!!

we're having a legal ceremony, the services of a minister are included, but was just wondering who it might be!? glad you had a good experience at the spa, did you do a trial beforehand or just take the plunge on the day? (ps your hair and makeup looked amazing so i guess i will try for maria ) Â hope all goes well with your party this weekend, are you wearing your dress again? how exciting!!! Â also Dana...thank you for sharing those pictures, got lots of new idea's now!!! Â x

hey girls, Â just catching up after a few nightmare days of contact with Yanna, she told me that I now couldnt have 3pm for the ceremony and would have to wait until 5:30 but then told me it would be going dark around that time, and that also i couldnt use the gardens because of the other wedding - after much stressing i just received a new confirmation e-mail, ceremony at 3 - PHEW!!! have no idea what all the confusion was about but i forwarded the e-mails she sent me back to her so she could see that she had already said 3pm was fine, no acknowledgment of the e-mail i sent her, but i got the confirmation i was after - yay! Â couple of questions: how did you guys decide who would do your ceremony, did Yanna/Tiara suggest someone or do you know if there is a specific person if you are having the ultimate package? and i was also wondering if anyone is having/has had their hair/make up done at the spa and how it turned out or if anyone has made trial appointments?? Â best of luck to the brides to be, can't wait to read your reviews and see your piccies, hope everything is perfect for you!!! Â have had a few e-mails off HDC as well, their pictures look amazing...so i'm very tempted...Yanna said in a previous e-mail that the photos would be during the ceremony, does anyone know if this is correct, i was assuming that they would hang around after the actual ceremony to have our pictures taken around the resort?!?! Â Thanks ladies, sorry for all the questions...hope all your planning continues to go well!!! xx

Hey there,  I was recommended www.wedo.com for all the paperwork, they quoted US$125 per person (with an additional $95 per person charge if previously married, for the translation of divorce certificate etc, and an additional $85 per document if you need to have anything translated - adoption certificates, parental authorisation etc etc)....however they said in their e-mail that prices do vary for other citizenships, so am just about to get a quote for UK citizens, will let you know if i hear back. Haven't looked for any UK based companies yet though!!  Hope this helps  x

so...we are now confirmed for 3pm...phew - i will now stop stressing about the light!!! Â also...Yanna just told me that they are also building a new gazebo at the moment that may be finished by then (don't think i'll take that risk) but may be of use to future DLR brides!!! Â GEM....how did you play your music on the beach and for the ceremony- did you book the DJ or just take an iPod? if so....did they provide you with speakers?! Â Thanks

PS great news about the dress!!!! Very exciting!!