Chinanow

Hey future brides this forum was really instrumental in helping me ease the anxiety for my wedding so I felt it was only fair for me to post my review!!

My wedding date was July 11^th 2013. We arrived July 9^th to check out everything and give us a chance to familiarize ourselves to the resort. Like others have said, the resort is much further out than all of the other resorts. It’s a nice ride and the entrance after seeing other resorts, the entrance was pretty grand. Upon arrival we were greeted with a cool towel and a drink (just like in the movies). We checked in and our baggage was immediately taken by the baggage guys….(I think it helped that we were in the exclusive club). We had a hotel rep walk us to the exclusive clubhouse, during our walk we were able to check out a wedding in progress. Our room was very nice..building 1, which was all the way by the beach. We had guest in building 6 which was between the beach and the main building  and guests in building 3 which was next to the spa (they hated that building because it was far from the beach and had a leak @ 2 a.m. while asleep).

The wedding….

Remember the weather in July is HOT and tropical…no 3 piece suits…no dark colors!!! I said that because there was a wedding before us that was at 4 p.m. and those poor groomsmen were soo hot!! The wedding was beautiful. We had the gold package which meant we got professional onsite photographers for the wedding and a video of the ceremony.  Remember 3 selections of songs for the ceremony (I didn’t know that)…1 for the bridal party, 1 for the bride, 1 for after the ceremony and walking back down the aisle. We used fake flowers for our ceremony purchase for $5 a pack on ebay!! The WC did our ceremony…I couldn’t remember a thing we said. I got dressed in the wedding pavilion because they didn’t have a room for me. I didn’t want to get dressed in my room because it was so far from the actually wedding area. After the ceremony, there is wine…and pics…this is where you can cut costs…if you don’t want a reception, don’t do it…especially if you have an early ceremony. Give guests a chance to freshen up…the food at the reception is plenty…and they can grab some snacks at the buffet if they are really hungry…But really reception food and the dinner was a lot of food. I love the 3 piece band. The WC decorates the reception area while we were taking pictures after the wedding. So if you do cut out the after ceremony drinks make sure to give the WC time to decorate the reception area. We had our reception at the portfornio terrace which was upstairs. It was odd because the entrance to the Italian restaurant was there as well, so you will get people peeking into your wedding. The view was magnificent. The food was awesome, we had steak and shrimp and the cake was crooked (ours was) and they said our ceramic cake topper was too heavy for the cake.

No one got food poisoning in our group from the wedding, but there was a huge 60 party wedding the day after where a bunch of people got sick. I think a lot had to do with the fact that our party was so small they didn’t have to prepare the food that much in advance. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I had a destination wedding.

We got married at Dreams Punta Cana three weeks ago and had the Ultimate Wedding Package with the private reception at the beautiful roof terrace overlooking the sea Portfino Restaurant.  There is an open bar included in this package.  The food was great and nothing is too much trouble for them there with our own designated waiter service throughout the meal and reception.  We were ordering cocktails and all sorts! If you ask they will send you over a list of drinks...it's extremely lengthy!  Enjoy and good luck!

@Amazed...what did u pick for dinner? Did u choose another photographer or did u stick to the dreams photographer? How were the flowers? Did u buy extra flowers? How did Ur hair hold up? How was the humidity? Sorry for the questions!!

Caitlin did u have round tables or one long banquet table? I only have about 15 people and thought the long banquet table may be more intimate...

Which wedding package did u choose?? Please take lots of pics!! Congrats....it will b a blast!!

Hey Brides!!!

Did anyone choose the Ultimate Wedding Package....It says online that with the ultimate wedding Package you get A:  One natural floral centerpiece for reception table and B: One natural floral table centerpiece and additional decor....does anyone know what the "additional Decor" is?

Hey Former Brides....

On the Ultimate wedding package it states they give a floral centerpiece for the reception table and one for the One natural floral table centerpiece and additional decor for the other tables...can anyone elaborate??

thanks!  (me and wedding planning/decorating)!!

Yazzy do you have pictures of the reception? Which dinner did you choose? What kind of Hor D'oeuvres did you choose?

Hey sister brides....I have appx. 15 people coming so I was thinking about doing a long table instead of several round tables...has anyone been to a wedding that has done that? What kind of decoration do you think will travel well?

Yazzy...your wedding was beautiful!! Thank you for adding the Carribbean Emotion video....it really gave me a good visual of the terrace...I have such a tiny wedding party so I'm super excited. I am worried about the salon now...because I really wanted my hair pressed out by the ladies...but that just at home will take 3 hours...so that means I would have to be there by 1 for a 6pm wedding. Do you have pics of your wedding..and was the terrace properly lit in the evening or do you suggest I bring more lights?

GG

Originally Posted by yazzy 

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.

 

Sisterbrides, maybe I'm just freaking myself out...but I just read the last couple of reviews on Trip Advisors about the resort and its been BBBAAADD!!! Really horrible reviews....has anyone been there before...anyone talked to their TA about where there rooms are...one of the biggest complaints was where the rooms were..which building was new and which were old and drippy and musty....

HEELLPP!!

Originally Posted by Dacia 

 

We just got back from Dreams Punta Cana yesterday and had an AMAZING time!!!  We had lots of concerns just like everyone else, but everything was perfect!  I will do my best to write up a full review on the resort and Caribbean Emotions this weekend.  We used Caribbean Emotions for our photography and videography and we couldn't be happier!  Originally we were just going to do the photography but decided to get the video and I am so glad we did!  Michael & Pascal are very professional and extremely easy to work with.  If you are planning on getting married in Punta Cana, please check out Caribbean Emotions.  You will not be sorry!!

 

I'm so happy for you..I'm super excited to see pics and reviews...I was worried about the food..and did you get a seperate room the night before for you and your husband? Did they have someone to help you with the dress? What about the make up and hair?

Sorry for the questions...

Originally Posted by Deemore 

 

 

Hi Tcruz21,

 

Yea i have picture. Give me your email and I'll send them to you.

 

I have a questions for everyone, when are you guys sending out your save the dates and invites? I was just wondering cause I don't want to send them out too early or late.

hey Deemore,

My wedding is July 11th of next year. I sent out my save the dates cards and emails 3 weeks ago...the TA said that with about $100 a month they should have their rooms paid in time to pull out and get a 100% refund if they  needed to.

Dreams Punta Cana...if possible..

Originally Posted by Winslow13 

 

My date is set for July 13 th 2013...... I think we are in the same situation. I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I want everything, but then when I analyze it , I decide against or on something different. My acids awesome though and understands

Hey how's the wedding planning going...My wedding is on the 11th...and I have no idea what I should be doing right now..I've been wedding dress searching and looking for a good TA...what are your colors?

Originally Posted by msvasq 

 

Tcruz - I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it all!!!!!  thats going to look amazing. where is your reception again?  are you handling the decor or asking that they do it?

did they tell you that they charge to hang things up? i just want to make i'm not getting scammed LOL -- b/c i asked & since i was thinking of hanging chinese lanterns I was told they $1 per lantern.

 

would you mind if i borrow your votive candle idea?? that is just amazing! 

 

& again so sorry you got all upset for hopefully nothing! 

 

 

 

Msvasq,

Is that $1 a pompom for them to hang it up? Crap...well that's good to know..I'll just do a couple...like 20 of them since I don't have many guests...Jeeze...that's good to know!

[email protected]  email of the manager!!

Originally Posted by msvasq 

 

Ladies!!!

 

Not sure if any of you are on the Brides Punta Cana FB group - but I just learned last night that the resort is NO LONGER allowing outside vendors!!!!!!

It is truly outrageous and unacceptable especially because the resort has not communicated this to anyone unless you ask. I drafted a letter if you want to use is. But everyone is reaching out individually to fight this. 

 

 

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to our attention that new rules have been implemented at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa restricting outside vendors from providing services to weddings. These restrictions were never clearly communicated to those who booked a wedding at the Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa and have only come to light recently from outside sources. 

It is unacceptable and bad business for a resort to change its rules without proper notification to brides/grooms and families leaving us all dumbfounded and at a loss on what to do next; especially after brides were provided information by their appointed wedding coordinator that outside vendors were allowed for a fee. 

 

We all have chosen the Dreams Punta Cana Resort for a reason and for this to happen mid-way preparations is truly disheartening. We all have already taken a leap of faith to have our wedding far from the comforts of home - and we rely on communication to ensure our special day happens as we all have dreamed it would.

 

We hope that you take this letter seriously and remedy this issue in a timely manner as best you can to satisfy our needs as well as yours. It is our hope that no future bride will ever have to endure such lack of consideration from your resort in the future.

 

Thank you,

they tried that crap before..see posts in like 325 range....sometime last year and there was such a huge backlash that they had to drop that policy!!...Hmm has anyone looked on their facebook page abotu this policy?

Originally Posted by sherylh 

 

 

Hi Chinanow, congratulations and I hope the planning process is going well for you! I am actually working with Barbara Vong from Wright Travel and all I can say is she is amazing and has been great to work with! She got us some awesome group rates and has been wonderful as far as answering every question I have (I think since I began working with her about 2 months ago, we have exchanged over 40 e-mails). She has made it very easy for our guests to put their deposits down and has been very clear as far as explaining how group booking works, incentives and things we can get for free if we book 10 to 20 rooms. In order to secure a room they require at least $100 deposit per person and guests have until 60 days before the wedding date to pay their final payment. I really have no complaints it has been such a smooth process and I hope it continues to go that way. Let me know if I could be of any help, good luck!

May I be nosy and ask, what price and for  how many days will your guests be staying at the resort? And what state will most of your guests be flying out from....and do you know how many months did your guests have to pay their balance down? And how much did they have to pay?

Sorry for the questions....but for many of my guests...this doesn't seem affordable....but hopefully the deal will be cheap enough that it won't be out of reach for my guests...

thanks

So this leads me to ask...does anyone of recommendations between Wright Travel vs. Apple Vacations? I really need a deal like the one on Living Social for my guests to be able to afford to come to my wedding...I've sent feeler emails out..but I want more insight by other brides on which TA they felt really worked for them..and especially from past brides...what kind of packages have you found for your guests and how much?? I'm from Indianapolis by the way!!

Originally Posted by Ashmagoo 

 

Hi ladies...I just thought this might be a great deal for anyone interested! Included:

 

• Round-Trip Flights and an All-Inclusive Resort, Including Unlimited Meals, Snacks, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Non-Motorized Water Sports, Evening Entertainment, and Gratuities
• A Three- ($899 per Person), Four- ($999 per Person), or Seven-Night ($1,199 per Person) Stay in a Double-Occupancy, Preferred Club Junior Suite at Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa
• Round-Trip Flights from Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore Airports to Punta Cana Airport via Frontier Airlines
• Round-Trip Ground Transportation from the Airport to Resort
• $400 in Resort Coupons per Room, Including $200 to Spend on Spa Treatments, $120 to Spend on Two Romantic Dinners, and $80 to Spend on Bottles of Wine
• One Visit to the Hydrotherapy Area of the Spa
• Two-for-One Bavaro Runners or Outback Safari Excursions from Amstar Punta Cana

 

 

http://www.livingsocial.com/escapes/429252-all-inclusive-resort-flights?msdc_id=854-cleveland-eastside

Dang...I hope they have something this nice next year!!

Originally Posted by Winslow13 

 

 

When are you getting married? I get married on the 13th...

I'll be getting married July 11th...so 2 days before you...ooh I hope get the chance to meet you!!

Is anyone getting married the first week of July....I was trying to see if I could just buy off the person before any decorations or votives I may need to keep me from having to carry them to the resort and to keep them from having to take them home with them!!

Hey Girls Vistaprint is now offering 30 FREE Save the dates...don't know how long it will last!!!

Originally Posted by Chinanow 

 

Hey we both have the same idea...I'm doing tissue paper pom poms too for deco....they are light and easy to make and since I will have no more than 15 people...it fits perfectly...thanks for the center piece idea....when are you getting married and what are your colors?

Originally Posted by Tcruz21 

 

Im having my reception at the Porofino Restaurant.  : ) The Pics look really nice. I super excited!  As so decor.  Im doing everything DIY.  There is no way I could spend 150 on flower center pieces.  So I got a few Ideas off Pinterest.  I didnt think I would like tissue paper as my main center pieces,but my mom and I played around with a few ideas and Im really excited about them.  They look like pom poms so Im hanging the bigger ones from the beams.  We are making smaller ones for the tables.  Some were are those fake lights in the center others we are just using as poms.  Im looking into glass votive I can bring.  Since i'm only having 6 tables.  I thought 3 of them I could do glass votive.  I found a few a the dollar store.  I wrapped rubber bands round them and spray painted them white.  After they dried I removed the rubber bands added a small candle.  LOOKS GREAT!  I was pretty impressed with myself!  I'm just worried they will brake on the way there : (   Other then that...that's all I got!  I figured the setting would help and I wouldn't have to do too much decor.  Oh I'm also doing my own bows for my chairs.  Still have to go buy them.  : )  What are you doing?  I live on Pinterest.  I'm not sure what I would have done w/o that site! 

 

 

Tissue Pom Poms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glass Votive