MrsLamb

Arrecife Studio in the Paradisus Punta Cana was great! The video was fantastic too!!! They shot my wedding in October 2010.

I worked with Arrecife Studio at the Paradisus Punta Cana resort back in October, 2010. They were fantastic!!! I was so nervous about the quality of the photos. I really wanted a photojournalistic style and I was so happy with their work! The photographer was so professional, he was well-dressed, and seemed to genuinely enjoy shooting the wedding. (You know those photographers who only do weddings because they have to make money? Not him.) The girl in the office was really sweet too. We all met two days before the wedding right there in the hotel. The pictures were ready the day after the wedding. I was really impressed. I worried for nothing! =)

Hi, Megan! 1) No clue. sorry! 2) I had my wedding at PPC last October and I saw the YHI Spa. They have a private pool with cabanas, which is probably the area you'd be renting out. It's beautiful! If it's worth the $200/hour plus food, go for it-- you probably won't be disappointed. I'm not sure what the plan B is in case of rain. Perhaps there is an empty cabana that they'd put the tables in? You'd have to ask Mayra. But if it's a good day to be outside, there's plenty of room around the pool. (so nice!) If you didn't want to pay for a private lunch at the Spa, another option is to simply show up at one of the restaurants with your crew. They're super accommodating to guests. Of course, they're going to want to sell you as much as they can and tell you that you can't reserve for so many people (when I was there the restaurants didn't take any reservations at, but it was never a problem), but everything is already paid for, so if you don't mind not having a privatized event, eating at the restaurants is a great option. Then you can take the trolley down to the Spa for your appointments. Just book early! I didn't book early enough and another bride with 8 bridesmaids took all the availability! They were great and accommodated me and my mom anyway, but I suggest booking early to avoid any anxiety-- oh, and bring pictures for your hair-do. Good luck!

Hi, Ladies! I am at the resort right now and LOVING IT!!! The staff is amazing. The food is great. I`m sure the pool and beach are wonderful too-- I`ll check them out tomorrow when I`m finally done with the welcome bags and wedding planning! I was so nervous before today because I wasn`t sure I could get the wedding I wanted for my budget. I was ready to go the Jellyfish-- which is really cool, by the way. Mayte was amazing-- super fast in responding and so on top of things. In the end, my heart was set on this resort, and I´m so happy that we were able to get everything I wanted within my budget. Jennifer is very sweet and in 2 hours we had everything picked out. So, all that worrying for nothing. Alelujah. I am a happy, happy girl!

Hello, Ladies! I received information from the Jellyfish. Here's the info: ENTREES Caesar salad Inferno chorizo (spanish sausage) MAIN COURSE Seabass filet with ginger and passion fruit sauce Chicken supreme with red bell peppers and creamy white wine sauce Arugula pesto fetuccine SIDES Garden rice French fries PRICE US $ 35 MENU II ENTREES Caprece Salad Coleslaw MAIN COURSE Turkey Breast in ginger-orange sauce Seabass filet with shrimp and veggies Chef's pasta (chicken and mushrooms) SIDES Zaffron rice Sautee vegetables PRICE US $ 45 MENU III ENTREES Greek Salad Butterfly shrimp MAIN COURSE Brandy drunken prawns Melanzane pasta (eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato) Pork Loin in leechi sauce SIDES Sauteed potatoes with bacon and parsley Oriental style vegetables PRICE US $ 55 MENU IV ENTREES Arugula, shrimp and Parmigiano cheese salad with balsamic vinegar Polenta crostini topped with mushrooms sauce MAIN COURSE Lobster tails in Champagne butter Penne with creamy Salmon Beef filet with Rosemary SIDES Caramelized carrots Escalibada PRICE US $ 65 FOR APPETIZERS YOU CAN CHOOSE DESCRIPTION PRICE PER UNIT US $ Hot Pockets (filled with ham, cheese and tomato sauce) or (filled with spinach and ricotta cheese) 1,5 US $ Mozarella sticks 1,5 US $ Fish sticks 2,- US $ Jelly Pops (diced and fried chicken breast) 2,- US $ Antipasto (zuquini,aggplant and peppers with basil,olivee and fresh tomato dressing) for 4 persons 7,5 US $ Butterfly shrimp (bacon wrapped shrimp) 2,5 US $ Tempurashrim (oriental style) 2,5 US $ Infierno chorizo for 4 persons 7,5 US $ Seafood in shots 5,- US $ Cerviche for 4 persons 13,- US $ Camembert with strawberry mermelade 13,- US $ Beff brochette 5,- US $ Shrimp brochette 6,- US $ Breast chicken brochette 4,- US $ Make your selection and quantity for your guest, service, minibuffet, or waitress pass plate OPEN BAR PREMIUM + Whisky Dewar's 12 años + Johnny Walker Black Label + Chivas Regal + Cognac Hennessy + Vodka Absolut + Pinot Griggio + Pinot Noir + Ginebra Bombay + Tequila Reposado + Ron Brugal Extra Viejo + Ron Brugal Blanco + Bailey's + Frangelico + Grappa + Cerveza Corona + Agua embotellada Price 20,- US $ Per person per hour INTERNATIONAL + Dewar's White Label Johnny + Walker Red Label J&B + Absolut + Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc Fume Res. + Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon Res. + Tanqueray + Tequila White & Gold + Brugal Añejo Rum + White Brugal Rum + Amaretto + Sambuca + Kahlúa + Corona + Bottled Water Price 15,- US $ Per person per hour LOCAL + Local Whisky + Local Vodka + Local Tequila + Santa Carolina Premio Red & White wine + Local Gin + Brugal Carta Dorada rum + Brugal Blanco Rum + Peach Liquer + Banana Liquer + Presidente Beer + Soft Drinks + Orange, Pinapple & Passion Fruit Juice + Bottled Water Price 10,- US $ Per person per hour WEDDING PLANNER SERVICES FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION PRICE US $ DJ & Sound 600,- US $ Rock Band 1500,- US $ Merengue Band 1500,- US $ Karaoke 500,- US $ Projector & Screen 300,- US $ Laser light 600,- US $ Exclusive use of the restaurant 1000,- US $ Ceremony set on the beach 500,- US $ Decoration place & tables (price for max 50 persons) 500,- US $ Flowers & bride’s bouquet (price depending on types of flowers) N.A. US $ Hairdresser & make up for brides (will come to your hotel) 300,- US $ Couple of dominican dancers 150,- US $ Dominican dances show by 6 couples 1000,- US $ Dominican dances show with performers & live music 2000,- US $ Fire shows option 1 (1 person, 2 fire toys, 5 minutes) 200,- US $ Fire shows option 2 (2 person, 5 fire toys, 10 minutes) 300,- US $ Fire shows option 3 (2 person, 7 fire toys, 15 minutes) 400,- US $ Sky fire show (4 minutes) 900,- US $ Person acting as a statue (1 hour for one statue) 175,- US $ Transport service with Star bus 5,- US $ Babysitter for children including activities 250,- US $ Roller cigars (a cigar hand made for your guests) 300,- US $

Well, this just looks out of place! LOL! I was responding to this post: "Hi there. I am getting married April 2, 2011 at PPR. I have most of my questions answered already but the one thing I can't wrap my head around is the fact that they charge you 17$/person/hr for the open bar. I mean, really! You are already paying the all inclusive fee for staying there (all of our guests are staying on the property) and it's not like they would charge all of us to stand at the loby bar and drink all night, so I don't understand why they would charge you to set up a bar elsewhere for a reception. I would understand possibly a staffing cost, but we have about 50 people coming, so that's 2550 just for liquor for the 3 hour reception. Anyone else running into this proble?" dee dee dee!

I'm furious about this! No amount of ranting and raving is going to change it, but OOOOOOO!!! It's just wrong!

I'm so glad the pictures are helping you! Rest assured, the resort is just beautiful and I know the staff will be wonderful. JKWeddingDay, your concern about privacy on the beach or the gazebo is valid. It's not private and you're going to have curious onlookers. They'll have the decency to keep a reasonable distance, of course, but I'm pretty sure a few will be immortalized in at least some of the pictures. "Go JK, it's your wedding day, oh-oh, oh-oh!" I'm having our ceremony in the garden and whereas it's not a private area that other guests will not be allowed into, I'm pretty sure the distance between them and our ceremony will be adequate. The convention terrace area is probably the most secluded, aside from a ballroom. This photography thing has me frustrated! For the style I want I'd have to fly in a photographer. Not worth it to me in the long run. HDC and PhotoSouvenir got the best reviews on this site, but Arrecife Studio is right on the resort. Because all three seem to have very similar styles, I'm going with Arrecife for simplicity's sake. Again, they are right in the resort so I don't have to get them a day pass (yes, I'm budget-minded-- lol), and I can easily pop into their office to check the proofs. Bikegirl, I got my quote and it looks like they have to charge for the linens for place settings that exceed the 20 included in the package. So it's not that I'm being charged for changing the Chill Out linens to the Fantasy linens, just that I have to pay for linens for the extra guests. Everyone, how are your ceremonies coming along? Supposedly the most important and moving part of the day is becoming an after thought in my planning experience! Ha! Are you doing programs? Gotta go.... look forward to your responses!

Bikegirl asked, -Aside from the setup, the colors are also different for the packages. Do you have to pay extra if you want the same setup, but different colored linens? For ex: Aqua package....can I simply change from aqua to say....orange? Â You don't have to pay extra as long as they already have the linens. For example, if you want to switch the Chill-Out Chic brown table cloth to the Aqua blue and white wouldn't incur an extra cost. Orange....probably, but the Wedding Coordinator (WC) could inform us of that. Â What I find confusing is the Excel document they sent me to work out the costs. I'm going with the Chill-Out Chic package, but the spreadsheet doesn't tell me what exactly listed on the sheet is included in my package. I'm sure the WC would figure it out, but it would be a lot easier if I knew off the bat. Â Â I'm starting to freak out about photography, though! I'm between Huellas Del Caribe, Photosouvenir, and Arrecife (b/c of the convenience that they are the hotel photographers). Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Â Thanks!

Hi Bella711! Â We chose PPC over Dreams because we liked it better ovarall. It just seemed to be in another category, and we wanted our location to feel really special. This may sounds bizarre, but the pool area at Dreams felt like a generic hotel. The ballrooms smelled like mildew (I'm sure the smell would go away once the AC was turned on, though), and we weren't crazy about the colors (earth tones, lots of brown). It's a nice place, but it didn't have the feeling we were going for. I thought the pictures on the internet were a little misleading. In all fairness, we visited around 4 or 5 o'clock when everything was out of place anyway. I loved their gazebo, but it was in the middle of the central courtyard, so everyone would be watching our wedding. I'm not bashing Dreams, but it just wasn't our style. Â I hope this helps!

Hi, Bikegirl! Thanks for your response! Â Â Do you have any photos of your site visit back in January? Cut and paste the link below into your brower (or give me your e-mail address and I can send the album to you through Snapfish): http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2008959020/a=159063362_159063362/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/ Â You may need to create a user account, but it may be worth your while-- LOTS of pictures. Â I really wish I could visit this resort! There just doesn't seem to be as much information on it compared to some of the other resorts. I read some reviews that the PPC is more "fun" whereas the PPR is more "classy". For the price difference and our group (half are in their 20s), I thought it'd be better to hold the wedding at PPC and save the PPR for a couples only trip in the future. I would agree. I mean, both are classy, but PPR is palatial whereas PPC is intimate. PPR is really spacious-- high ceilings in the lobby that opens out to the fountains, pool, and beach. I mean, it's really beautiful, but it doesn't have the intimate feel of the PPC. Everything is out in the open, whereas the paths at PPC meander through foliage and around pools. I also liked the furniture better at the PPC. It is more modern. PPR is newer, yes, but PPC is renovating their rooms (not the Reserve rooms, which are relatively new). Â I have some questions for you since you're now in the final stages of planning. Hope you don't mind! I'm actually just about to start this step, so I'll let you know. Â -Are you finding that you're having to upgrade (and pay more) for items not included in the Chill-Out package? -What made you decided to go with the Chill-Out package? I like the set-up and the orchids. Not crazy about the dots on the tablecloths, though. I want to get white linens. I'll keep you updated on how it works out and the costs and such. -Aside from the setup, the colors are also different for the packages. Do you have to pay extra if you want the same setup, but different colored linens? For ex: Aqua package....can I simply change from aqua to say....orange? Â Are you upgrading or saying in the regular suites? It's annoying they don't let you credit the price of the free wedding package (for upgrading) towards the higher package. Â I took a look at the photographer's website and wow, she does really great work! My FI was really shocked when I first told him the ball park figure we were looking at. When I first started searching, quotes were coming back $6-12K but we just booked Jared Rey (www.jaredrey.com) and he was more within our budget. I loved how good his first destination shoot looked....granted the bride is absolutely stunning! Oh!! Beautiful! The pictures are great! (Yes, the bride is stunning!) I think you'll be really happy with your pictures! =) Â BTW, what are you colors if you're going with brown dots? I have a link to the PPC Picasa album but I can't tell which are heavily upgraded setups and which are just standard options. I which they'd add more details to each image! Â OMG, I hear you, Girl! My only frustration is that the WC doesn't offer enough information. I asked her if there was a pastor who could officiate in English and she replied, "Yes." Uh-huh... great... do you have his contact info and availability perhaps...? Â Â Hope more PPC brides post in here! Me too! =)

Hi, Bikegirl! Â Thanks for starting this thread! You're right...PPR and PPC are two different resorts that deserve their own threads! I hope I can contribute some helpful insights to other brides. Â I'm from CT and I live in San Juan, PR with my fiance. We decided to do a destination wedding so everyone who wants to be there has to travel, not just his family or mine. Fair enough. We chose the DR because it's so cost-effective. The price per person at a hotel comparable to PPC in San Juan is about $175. That is JUST for the food and drinks. No flowers, no decor, etc. CT or NY would be even more, so...easy choice. Plus, it makes a fun and memorable vacation for our friends and family. =) Â Well, my wedding is coming up fast! October 23, 2010. I did a site inspection last January with Andrea, who has since left the resort. I've been working with Jennifer Alvarez on the planning. It's going so slowly though... I can't decide on anything, and even though I was there only in January, I feel like it's difficult to visualize things. (That's one thing to consider if you're having a destination wedding.) Â I was all psyched about a beach wedding and reception and then I thought about dancing in the sand. Ewww. Not my favorite thing, so I'll probably bring in a dance floor. I initially wanted the ceremony to be on the beach, but then I thought the gazebo would be prettier because of the green from the grass and the trees. Unfortunately, the gazebo is taken on that day. I'm pissed because Andrea told me the beach weddings are held right in front of the gazebo because the beach is a bit more private (as private as you can get on a public beach, right?), so I thought it would be no problem to move it to the gazebo. But Jennifer told me they have another beach if the gazebo is taken. Grrrrr! Â So now I'm thinking about the gardens for the ceremony and the beach for the reception at Gabi Beach. I'm going a little nuts because I can't decide and everyone keeps telling me, "whatever you want." I'm grateful that no one is imposing their vision on me, though. =) Â For brides who are contemplating between the PPR and PPC, the deciding factors for me were: - The romantic, intimate feel of the PPC, rather than the palatial and spacious feel of the PPR. - The beach by the gazebo for the wedding ceremony was more private (I'm letting it go.... lol!). - The Gabi Beach for the reception is private (Gabi Beach bar is closed at night) (not to be confused with the Gabi beach/restaurant at the Reserve, which you can also privatize for about $10,000). Â Â One thing to consider is this: PPR is more expensive, but you can have your cake and eat it too insofar as you can have the comfort of a patio, roof, and facilities for a plated dinner right next to the beach. (You can privatize the whole restaurant, but if you don't, it still remains somewhat private as long as other guests don't act imprudently). At PPC I have to deal with sand on the dance floor. (I know, I'm probably sounding crazy-- It's a beach wedding!! lol!) I can go on thinking how I should have chosen PPR, but the feeling in my heart was better at PPC, so I have to trust that it will all work out beautifully! Â Communication with Jennifer has been good. She writes and understands English well. I just wish she would be more helpful in offering ideas. It's like going to a restaurant and having a server who tells you about the wonderful specials and what wine would pair nicely with them as opposed to a server who says, "what can I bring you?". She's more like the latter. Like I said above, at least she's not imposing her vision on me. =) Â I haven't chosen any details yet. Right now we're having the Chill-Cut Chic package (brown with dots), but I may change the linens to the white ones included in th Wish package. Â Choosing a photographer is really hard. I wanted to have this amazing woman from Wisconsin, but I don't want to spend so much of my budget on flying someone in. Her work is amazing, though, and from the conversation I had with her over the phone, she is super sweet. Here's a link to website (and no, I have no affiliation with her other than wishing she could shoot my wedding! haha!) Â http://www.mthreestudio.com/ Â Â Ok, I think I've been super winded here, so..... bye for now! Â Â Â Â Â Â