candacey

Great thread- thanks for starting! I'm sure you'll get to it when you begin planning the ceremony section, but I have also been noting "must play songs in my binder... Just an idea

Can someone please post the price list for Tropical Pictures or tell me where to find it? Do we need to book our spa time in advance? My ceremony is at 4 so need to have the bride room that morning (time suggestions?) for hair and makeup. Also, should I do my Tangerine facial that day or the day before? Should I do a manicure and pedicure before I leave or in the spa there? I leave on a Wednesday and the wedding is Friday. Thanks!!!

I am a Jan 2014 bride-to-be from Winnipeg as well. Getting married in Punta Cana :-)

Does anyone know if we can release Chinese wishing lanterns?

Wow, you are amazing! I, too, am wondering where you got the excursion and spa information.

I have been in contact with Marlene using [email protected] although sometimes she takes a while to respond.

Oops on the double post!

Our wedding date is January 10, 2014 at 4pm. We originally were given Jan. 11 as our date but the ceremony would have been at 11am, which just wouldn't have worked for us (not enough time to get ready & too much time to waste before dinner). We chose the Tangerine package, with our ceremony on the beach and dinner in Bar Higuey. We have 40 confirmed guests so far and expect about 10 more. I am waiting for an updated price list- it seems everything goes up each year! We booked using Ixtapa Travel agency and have been offered a few perks. Let me know if you have any questions about anything - we can help each other stay sane!

Our wedding date is January 10, 2014 at 4pm. We originally were given Jan. 11 as our date but the ceremony would have been at 11am, which just wouldn't have worked for us (not enough time to get ready & too much time to waste before dinner). We chose the Tangerine package, with our ceremony on the beach and dinner in Bar Higuey. We have 40 confirmed guests so far and expect about 10 more. I am waiting for an updated price list- it seems everything goes up each year! We booked using Ixtapa Travel agency and have been offered a few perks. Let me know if you have any questions about anything - we can help each other stay sane!

We also booked with a TA in January for our wedding in Jan. 2014. Our guests need to pay a $200 deposit by the end of May and can pay as frequently as the want, with balance due at the end of October. If the price goes down between now and then, we get the lower rate as well.

Tricia-m.... A fellow Winnipeger! So cool!! Feel free to ask me any questions... I'll do my best to help.

Rebecca, thank you for your detailed review! My FI and I (who are from Winnipeg- yay Canada!) are jealous- it sounds like a dream week, especially with the upgrade to the presidential suite! I would be over the moon to have that space. We are getting married January 2014, with our wedding planned on the beach. I will kee your post on hand as we continue to plan. Thanks again!

I just received my invoice and it's $4200 for the tangerine sunset package. The brochure I have stated $4000. I assume they are upping the price for 2014, but I was wanting to confirm other 2014 brides have been given this amount...?

I haven't posted in a while but am excited to say that my wedding has been moved from 11 AM on a Saturday morning to 4 PM on Friday. Thanks to the ladies who helped support my point that an 11 AM wedding is waaayy too early!!!

For those of you who have paid your deposit, can you please tell me how the money transfer was handled? I do not have a wedding coordinator and am dealing directly with Marlene at BBPD. She hasn't responded to my email all week, in which I asked her if I could pay via PayPal or over the phone. I'm not too comfortable emailing my credit card information but would like to pay my deposit to ensure I get what I want!

Thanks!

Candace

If you are from Canada, download the Bargainmoose app, and you can get 33% off your Vistaprint order (until March 18th).

Natalieblev, thanks for the laugh! My guests (along with the groom and I) will be drunk by 2 PM if we have an 11 AM ceremony!! Trivera5521, how far in advance did you book your 4PM wedding? I think there may be other weddings that day, but the WC is being very unclear. She says we can chance a later ceremony time if there is a cancellation.... Seriously? How many people are actually going to cancel??? Also, she won't guarantee Bar Higuey until I pay 30% of the package ($1200). So... I am supposed to pay that much for a ceremony time I am unhappy with and no guarantee the reception will be where I want it?!!? I don't understand why she can't tell me if Bar Higuey is available that night... Especially if there are other weddings going on. Sorry to vent but I am freaking a little bit (not to mention expecting a baby in 2 days, so rather hormonal!) For other brides using Bar Higuey, did you confirm the location before or after your deposit?

H

Thanks so much Tamara and missjali for the info and responses! I didnt realize you couldnt have a dinner reservation every night you are there! That kind of sucks!! Candacey I am assuming she wont give you a time because you are deciding to have a civil ceremony rather than symbolic. If you dont mind getting married at the courthouse before you go (or even after you come home) I would suggest getting a symbolic ceremony. You dont have to deal with the paper work, waiting to know what time works for the judge, not knowing your wedding time, and having a wedding at 11am!!  Noone would know the difference either as you still have a ceremony just how you want it. But obviously that is up to you! Just thought i would let you know in case it helped! 

MissJali, that's fabulous! Do you know how many people would fit comfortably on the pier? 

Candacey: I have a few pictures I can share from our site visit last February, whats your email address? Also I would say although there may be a few onlookers for a beach ceremony the gazebo is literally in the middle of the resort. There are a ton of people who are walking through this area to get to and from the beach and resort area. I think the garden area is probably your most private area in terms of ceremony. As you may know I dont believe the rooftop area is an option for the reception but it is an option for the cocktail hour for an additional $500. There is also an additional fee to hold the reception on the beach and keep in mind things such as the dance floor and lighting are all extras. 11:00 is wayyy to early and I would def be up in arms about being forced to do it at that time. Unless your having a catholic ceremony and this is the only time the priest is available I would opt for a 4-5 ceremony. As you mentioned what would your guests do all day long until your evening reception? Natalie: I am also working on our pre-travel brochure and some things I included that you may want to include is that although the reservation is paid in full the resort keeps a card on file for incididentals. They DO NOT however put a hold on it, they just keep it on file. Dont forget the $10 entrance fee into DR as well contacting banking/cc companies to advise of international travel to avoid a hold on the cards. Also encourage guests to make reservations as they check in b/c they get full real quick...FYI:

Dinner reservations for the specialty restaurants can be made once guests check in. Barcelo limits the number of dinner reservations made depending on your number of nights stay.

For example:

for 6 & 7 night stay, guests are allowed 4 dinner reservations

for 5 night stay, guests are allowed 3 dinner reservations

for 4 night stay, guests are allowed 2 dinner reservations

 

MissJali: I know your not getting married until next year but I have to tell you airfare from NYC is outrageous, I would jump on it as soon as they go on sale. We brought a few months ago which was still about 5-6 months out and we still paid close to $600rt pp!

Candacey: I have a few pictures I can share from our site visit last February, whats your email address? Also I would say although there may be a few onlookers for a beach ceremony the gazebo is literally in the middle of the resort. There are a ton of people who are walking through this area to get to and from the beach and resort area. I think the garden area is probably your most private area in terms of ceremony. As you may know I dont believe the rooftop area is an option for the reception but it is an option for the cocktail hour for an additional $500. There is also an additional fee to hold the reception on the beach and keep in mind things such as the dance floor and lighting are all extras. 11:00 is wayyy to early and I would def be up in arms about being forced to do it at that time. Unless your having a catholic ceremony and this is the only time the priest is available I would opt for a 4-5 ceremony. As you mentioned what would your guests do all day long until your evening reception? Natalie: I am also working on our pre-travel brochure and some things I included that you may want to include is that although the reservation is paid in full the resort keeps a card on file for incididentals. They DO NOT however put a hold on it, they just keep it on file. Dont forget the $10 entrance fee into DR as well contacting banking/cc companies to advise of international travel to avoid a hold on the cards. Also encourage guests to make reservations as they check in b/c they get full real quick...FYI:

Dinner reservations for the specialty restaurants can be made once guests check in. Barcelo limits the number of dinner reservations made depending on your number of nights stay.

For example:

for 6 & 7 night stay, guests are allowed 4 dinner reservations

for 5 night stay, guests are allowed 3 dinner reservations

for 4 night stay, guests are allowed 2 dinner reservations

 

MissJali: I know your not getting married until next year but I have to tell you airfare from NYC is outrageous, I would jump on it as soon as they go on sale. We brought a few months ago which was still about 5-6 months out and we still paid close to $600rt pp!

High ladies, i havent been here in a while, but wanted to share since this forum helped me make so many decisions. (still on honeymoon lol) Just wrote a long review and deleted right before posting.... Ughhh So here is the shorter version. Wedding was Nov 2nd at 5pm Package: tangerine Ceremony: rooftop deck (totally worth the extra $500) Reception: bar higuey (perfect) Susana... Best wedding coordinator in the world! Trust her, she totally knows what she is doing Centerpieces: I paid ($75 a piece times 5 tables) people loved them and couldn't stop talking about the decor (which included the Tiffany chairs at an added cost of $5 per chair) Food: I went with the buffet (it's based on a 40 person minimum). I only had 33, so I paid extra and there was a lot of food left over, but my guests loooved the food, Pictures: I was terrified of using someone I didn't know, but tropical pics was amazing! Malena was our photographer and Santiago our videographer Excursions: zip lining.... Way fun and guests loved! DJ: we used the package with the MC and it was totally worth it. Highly recommend upgrading to club premium... A few perks plus wifi included. Hair/ makeup: it was included, but I used to be in beauty industry so I'm very picky about it (specially for my wedding) Lady at spa was very sweet and tried doing it, but I ended up finishing my hair and makeup which was totally ok with me. They don't have too much variety in colors, so if you have a specific look you want, bring your own makeup. I went to MAC, had my lady do my wedding makeup, then had her teach me to do it just the same. Dinners: have your WC reserve a week ahead of time.... They book fast Can't think of anything else of the top of my head, but if you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or message me on our Facebook fan page. Tons of pics on (over 200) on our fanpage at www.facebook.com/teamtunner . These are the professional ones by tropical pics Happy planning!

I am hoping there are some brides willing to share a few pictures of the location of their wedding and reception with me (email?). Without being able to visit BBPD in advance, I am having a very hard time deciding where to hold everything as it is hard to know without seeing. I would love a beach ceremony but am worried about onlookers. Therefore, we are leaning towards the garden gazebo for our ceremony. We are also interested in hearing more about the rooftop deck or even the garden area next to the convention center. For our reception, our first choice is to have it at the Bar Higuey but we are interested in hearing more about the Palapa on the beach. Please help!!!

I am new to this website, and I have to say, you ladies who have posted are amazing!! I am getting married at BBPD in January 2014, and since I have never been there before, I have tons of questions! One concern I have is my agent just offered the date I want with a wedding time of 11 AM. This seems way too early for me (and the rest of my guests & wedding party). I cannot imagine being ready (hair, makeup, dressed, etc.) that early without feeling super rushed and stressed. Also, what would my guests do during the time between the ceremony & the evening reception! Most posts I've read say the weddings were at 4 or 5 PM.... I would appreciate all and any feedback related to times.