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@MSvasq, we had the welcome dinner at the Mexican restaurant El Patio. We paid $15 a person to have the table set up and my group of 35+ served together. All the guests were invited. It was a good opportunity to welcome them and spent time before the wedding day and for people to meet prior to the day of. On another note, if you are planning to have welcome bags, please don't have them delivered to their rooms. My welcome bags became my biggest stress before the wedding. Some guests didn't get them or got the kid's bags instead. If I had to do it again, I would ask that the bags be handed to them at checkin instead.

@Chinanow, Sorry for the late response. We had the Lobster tail and beef and a few chicken meals for those that don't eat seafood. The Lobster tail was amazing and the beef a bit overcooked. We had the crabcake appetizer and the sanconcho and both were delicious. The appetizers I did not care for too much. I suggest going to the VIP lounge and trying their appetizers, as they are similar to the ones they make for the weddings. My favorite was the calamari. The cold appetizers that I chose were not that great..I cannot even remember what they were. :-) In regard to using a long table, I had my 36 guests seated in a long table during the welcome/rehearsal dinner and it was very impressive however, difficult to mingle with everyone. In regard to pictures of the reception, email me and I will send you a link. yesnithserrano@hotmail.com

@winslow13, I brought my own Chinese lanterns, chair bows and table runners. They only charged me $1 to hang the lanterns. Everything else was at no cost. I had 24 lanterns in two different sizes and colors. They were enough to cover the entire venue.

@TCruz, you looked great on the dance floor rocking the wedding dress. @Chinanow, we had 36 guests and the Portofino Terrace was perfect for the group. We had four tables and cannot imagine having a 5th table. The dance floor was just enough for the group. Regarding the beauty salon, I would not worry about getting your hair straightened. My sister had her hair washed and straightened before they did her up-do and it did not take too long, although she has very curly hair. However, I would stay on the safe side and get it done at 1 PM even if you are in your room for a few hours before the wedding. I wish I had the time to relax in my room before the wedding, instead it was a big rush. In regard to the lighting, the terrace has enough lighting. We had a DJ and he provided dance floor lighting that gave it a good nightclub ambiance. Below is the best picture to show the venue. Post your email address and I will send you a link to the rest of my pictures.

Dreams Punta Cana 10/12/12 Review Ladies- I finally found time to share my review. The wedding was beautiful and unforgettable. The resort is a perfect wedding destination. The wedding coordinator, Deyanira, was great to work with. She had everything under control and made sure the day was executed as we expected. Pros: Venue - beach wedding was beautiful even without any decorations. I only had chair bows that I brought with me and fans for each guest. The chair bows were transferred to the reception (Portofino Terrace). I brought lanterns to use as centerpieces and table runners to decorate, along with Chinese lanterns. That was more than enough. During the dance party, the wedding coordinator brought out balloon streamers which added to the party ambiance. Rain Plan - we were lucky to have the ceremony with no rain, however, right before the main course at the reception a cloud came over us and we had a 10 minute down pour. The wedding coordinator took total control, directed us down to the first floor to finish our dinner and by the time we were done with dinner they notified us that the rain had stopped and the Terrance was ready for us to continue the party. When we got upstairs, all the tables were set up like no rain had come down. Everything was perfectly set up and we finished the party. So thankful that they had it all under control. This is why I say, they know what they are doing and this was the perfect wedding destination. Menu - Crab cake, sancocho, beef and lobster tail. The food was delicious. Only downfall was the amount of guests that did not each lobster tail and the beef was a little over cooked. Photographer/Videographer - We utilized Caribbean Emotions. They were by far, the best vendor to work with. We paid the extra $300 to have external vendors and it was worth it. Michael and Pascal were great to work with. They were patient, creative, and so kind. They captured so many great moments and delivered a great product. Highly recommend their work. You can checkout our wedding trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFusJKGLqIs&feature=share. Cake/Flowers: Turned out great. I did not spend too much time on picking the cake and flower decor but it turned out beautiful. Service - all the staff was great. Cons: The resort rooms were the biggest disappointment. We were initially assigned to building 5 and after looking checking out our view of a garden and fence I decided to call and request to be moved. I specifically requested building 6 which is the closest to the beach and the VIP club. The suite was much better, larger and with view of the pool. The positive was that they moved us the same night we arrived. Many of our guests had musty and very small rooms. Some requested a change and others did not. Overall, I think the rooms do not match the quality of the resort amenities. Food was good in all restaurants, however, the servings are very small. You can always ask for an extra entree. The beach has a ton of seaweed so its not great for swimming/walking in it. However, the scenery is great and chairs/beach beds are great for relaxing. Spa Beauty Salon - The ladies that work their did not seem very confident with the requests we made for our hair. Carmen was very rude and hard to work with. The pins in our hairdos were falling out within half an hour of getting our hair done. I loved how my hair turned out, however, the falling hair pins was pretty annoying. The day following the wedding I shared my concern one of the managers at the spa. They were very surprised and gave my sister a complimentary message to make up for her bad experience with hair dresser Carmen. My number one advise -- GET YOUR HAIR APPOINTMENTS SET UP FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS IN ADVANCE. My appointment was for 1:30 with only and up-do to be done, didn't even get my hair washed and I did not leave the salon until 3 PM with the ceremony starting at 4 PM. The ladies at the salon are VERY SLOW. On the positive, the masseuse services were excellent. Probably the best message I have had in a long time and my husband agreed. I cannot right anymore. Please feel free to ask me any questions. Below is one of my favorite pictures taken by Michael from Caribbean Emotions.

@Tcruz, we leave October 8th. We are also getting married on the beach at around 4 pm. Can't wait. But more looking forward to relaxing poolside and enjoying my guests.

@ TCruz, very exciting. I'm also counting down. I get married the day after you. Good luck! I'm sure it will be beautiful.

Hi Tcruz21, I'm getting married the day after your wedding. What time is your ceremony and where is your reception? I'm trying to figure out what time to set up my hair and makeup appt for a 4 pm ceremony.

Dream Punta Cana Brides: For those who have external vendors hired, have you been able to get the original day pass ticket honored or are you going to pay the $150 per vendor? My wedding is in October and have it booked since January. I am so disappointed that this policy change is affecting me after the fact. Thoughts?

I'm getting married October 12th on the beach. I am in the midst of coordinating and purchasing decorations. I ordered the chair sashes, table runners and plan to purchase candle lanterns for centerpieces. The flower prices and additional table clothes/chairs etc is outrageous once you add it up.

Hi Yadira, I would love to see your pictures. I'm getting married in October and the nerves and excitement are kicking in. Yesnithserrano@hotmail.com

Hi, I am getting married on 10-12-12 in Dreams Punta Cana. I am also in the mist of all the planning. Currently trying to figure out the flowers and cake. That is my stress because without seeing options in person it is really difficult to imagine. What are you doing about flowers and cake?

I am looking for a destination in Antigua for my 2013 wedding. I am interested in information on the Verandah resort. Pictures of past weddings would be great.