Lala32

AH crap - shot myself in the foot. Pastor York isnt available until 5 so i suppose i'm stuck to that now.... 4:30 would have been better because now i'll have 20 min of light afterward but i suppose I can just do some photos before the ceremony instead and get sun set after? I really need to choose a photographer and ask this stuff to...

I had originally asked her what time would allow for some light after the ceremony for photos and Maybe replied 4 / 4:30. Makes sense actually. Looks like the sun sets in December in PC around 6pm which after the ceremony should give me an hr of light and some sunset photos which is perfect . Sun sets around 7 pm in May, Cinnagirl, so you should be good with 5pm, 5:30 even if you wanted! http://www.shootingonlocation.com/filmlocations/dominican-republic/punta-cana/punta-cana-sunrisesunset-may.php Lindsay - the decor fee I blieve is really anything you want, besides real flowers - those are additional. Just send Mayte photos of what you like and she seems to pretty much match it. :-)

Her ears must have been ringing - she just sent me an email and suggested 4 / 4:30pm.

OH! A welcome drink, I didn't think to add that.... thanks! I learn so much on this board! When is everyone's ceremony time? I asked Mayte for her suggestion but haven't heard on that one yet.

Can't wait to hear all about ! thanks ladies for the ideas on the bar :-) i may have to alter my quote a bit when i get it of course lol

haha. Thanks ladies! That makes me feel better but I'll give her until Thursday or Friday and reach out again. This week is crazy. cinnagirl, for 50 thats not so bad! thanks for sharing. I actually have 30 -35 and decided to have guests just choose off the menu rather than the set for the simple reason that I think they would appreciate the choice after having the hotel buffet for a few days ;-) I'll be honest, I'm not sure I fully understand the bar choices Jellyfish offers though. Open bar I totally get but I've also read here about a cocktail hour with 2 signature drinks and wine/beer during dinner options that aren't listed in the packages. Anyone know about those?

hey Cinnagirl! hm, ok I'm right at the 3 week mark then if you don't count the week that passed that she couldn't open the document ;-) I'll ping her again soon. I'd love to see the damage lol how did yours come out?

Great photos Kirsten!! Love! Thanks for confirming the tax, Venus Cinnagirl, how long did it take you to get the quote back? It's been weeks for mine... getting anxious to see it

Yea, I know it differs depending on what you choose .... Just trying to get a handle on a ballpark. But if yours is higher than expected, Venus, I'm a little nervous!! I think I read somewhere that the tax was pretty high, like 16%?

Hey ladies! I'm still waiting on the quote from Mayte but of anyone who has gotten one or even better, has had their wedding already, would you be willing to share the estimate/costs? My FMIL is requesting more family attend, which is EXACTLY what I didn't want to happen. (*blow my brains out*) I already have about 30 people plus 3-4 kids but I don't have a leg to stand on to even argue with not knowing the costs..... I'm curious, is tax and gratituity in addition to the menu prices or do those seem like it's included in the cost? thanks for the help!

I'm still waiting on my quote as well. She told me the same actually, that I'd have it end of week (last week). Last email was that she was still waiting on the flowers. I'm sure she's working on it - just tends to take her longer than i think we all are used to. I'm pretty sure the poor thing does this all herself so I'll see what next week brings...

AHHH - I really feel much better. I made a decision on the hotel finally (decided on Majestic Colonial based on the costs being so reasonable), the website is out and the pressure is off! YES! Now onto the fun part, dress shopping. ......It's hard to keep back reading on this forum so I'm not sure if there is a running list but we can build a new one! Here, I'll start and add you as well cinnagirl. Just add onto it by copy/pasting. I think the past lists I saw were jumbled so as a suggestion it may help to add the rest in date order? MM/DD/YY lala32 ~ 12/14/12 cinnagirl ~ 5/28/13

oooh ! jlarruda and Lande08 - glad I got to see your websites!! I'm just building mine now. . . jlarruda, good idea about the Travel info page. I forgot about Passport info honestly, I may have to steal that from you :-) And also steal both your Elegance info if I choose that but I'm leaning towards it. I was originally going to go with Dreams PB but upon careful consideration with some potential family drama , the bigger the resort, the better. I'm still waiting for the pre-invoice from Mayte - she responded once that she was excited to see but couldn't open the attachment (btw ladies, she can't open the newest version of Word if you send a doc). I sent a new but I'll give her a little longer. Hoping to finish the site and get it out by the end of the weekend. It's serving as my Save the Date, Invitation and Info Central !

Hi Cinnagirl, Oh no, that happened to you?? The cancellation for the Dreams group contract was 10% nonrefundable deposit upfront; then 60 days out, they will keep 1 night deposit; at 30 days, when they will take the whole amount upon any cancellation. So if your cancellation fell within 30 days of arrival, they would keep 100% which I think is what happened to you. I asked if it was negotiable and no response. With that being said, I'm just giving my guests the freedom to make their reservations on their own (cancellations are a few days before directly on the resort websites and expedia) and will just recommend name of a travel agent should they choose to use them. That way, I don't have to worry about the $ portion, losing my and their deposit and owing $ to the hotel should people book through the internet outside the block. Stress free wedding planning :-) Astef, I'd love to hear about the tips too! If I remember correctly, I think I read somewhere that someone gave Mayte 10% to divide amongst the staff, $100 to photographer, $50 for pastor/DJ, etc.

I just sent my "what I like" photos over to Mayte so now just waiting for her reply! :-) This weekend I'm going to have to choose the hotel and create a website to send out in place of printed save the dates. So far I've requested and reviewed group contracts from both Dreams Palm Beach and Majestic Colonial but they aren't advantageous. I'm an event planner by day and the cancellation policies are awful and I'm not willing to pay a nonrefundable deposit. So I'm at the point where I think I'm going to just choose one and say every man for themselves in regards to travel. If any of you have any opinions on either, I'm all ears!

I'd love to see photos as well!! I just wish Mayte would reply to my emails asking about availability - so far it's been almost 2 weeks and nothing yet. <--- i really liked this guy. Summed it up nicely hehe

Hey Jello! Looks like we are searching for something similar :-) I'm doing the same - kinda of searching everywhere looking for boutique hotels or villas that are private(ish) yet aren't too expensive from NY area (however with the airfares so high, it seems like $ is a crapshoot at the moment). Maybe also look at Catcha Falling Star, Rockhouse and Moon Dance Cliffs/Villas in Negril ? *Lala

Hi All! I'm a noobie also - think I'll be a January 2013 bride! :-) Destination TBD - This is my second wedding and I'm an event planner by day, so REALLY didn't think this was going to be so hard but seriously struggling with choosing a location!