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Dominican Republic
Wedding Review -- February 3, 2011
This is a review of:

Majestic Colonial Punta Cana All Inclusive

Detailed Ratings
Accomodation Value:
5.0
Communication:
5.0
General Location:
5.0
Wedding Sites:
5.0
Wedding Value:
5.0
Oryx

By Oryx, · 3,330 Views · 26 Comments

Pros: Amazing wedding, great service, beautiful resort -- fantastic for groups
Cons: none

 

Hotel: Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana

 

Having our wedding at the Majestic Colonial was one of the best decisions we could have made!   The staff really went out of their way to make us feel special throughout the entire week.

 

Rooms:  We arrived on January 29th, 2011 at around 1:00 PM.  Our rooms were not ready yet, but we expected that.  Our group made ourselves comfortable at the lobby bar for a couple of hours and explored the beautiful grounds.  At 3:30, we went back to the front desk and they gave us our keys.  They upgraded my hubby and I to an AMAZING suite with two balconies and an outdoor Jacuzzi!  It was great.  The room was large and clean and we were really happy.   The standard rooms were also quite big and everyone was pleased.

 

jacuzzi

Our outdoor jacuzzi!

 

Service:  Overall, I would say that the staff went way above and beyond my expectations.  For example, we had our welcome dinner the first night in the buffet dining area.  Someone in our party mentioned that we were getting married, so our server Alfredo called the band over and everyone danced and sang for us at the table… it was so nice!  Throughout the week, we found little surprises in our room, like chilled champagne or white chocolate covered grapes… (yum).  Everyone just seemed to go out of their way to make us feel special.  Our guests also commented on how great and friendly the staff were.

 

Food:  Excellent!  Everyone in my group really enjoyed the food at the Majestic Colonial.  The buffet was huge with plenty of selection.  The beachfront restaurant turns into two restaurants at night -- the Steakhouse (specializing in steak) and Tres Carabelas (specializing in seafood).  We ate there like three times!  Tres Carabelas had this grilled lobster that everyone kept going back for.   And then we had our rehearsal dinner there and the staff let us order from either menu, so it was perfect.  I didn't get a chance to try all of the a la carte restaurants because we had the wedding also and our romantic dinner, but we did try the Mexican one and I thoroughly enjoyed the nachos and burrito.  Some friends tried the Japanese and said it was really good.

 

Lobster

Grilled lobster at Tres Carabelas

 

Of lesser fame (but great popularity!) was La Bodeguita -- this is the fast food joint located by the disco that served up french fries, onion rings and chicken wings late at night.  We ended up there a few nights after dancing it up at the disco.  What a blast!   Nothing beats some fast food and cerveza at 2:00 AM.

 

Out of 29 guests, there were 3 people who got sick during the course of the week.  This usually lasted for a day or two -- Pepto Bismol saved the day.  After our wedding week, my hubby and I moved to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro for our honeymoon.  This is the #1 hotel in Punta Cana on Tripadvisor, and let me tell you, the food there was fantastic!   But it was at this second resort that I got sick and was out for a day… so definitely bring your OTC medications just in case.  You never know what might not agree with your belly when you travel.

 

Beach:  The beach was absolutely beautiful!  White sands and beautiful palm trees with a nice breeze… we couldn’t get enough.  And even though the hotel was at full capacity, it didn’t seem crowded and we did not have trouble finding chairs.  The water was warm and beautiful.  A couple of friends did some snorkelling and enjoyed it, but I didn’t see too many fish myself when I was swimming.

 

beach

Majestic Colonial beach

 

Pool:  The pool is huge and stretches across the entire length of the resort!  I didn’t spend too much time in the pool just because I was usually at the beach, but I did make a point to take a dip before we left. 

 

 

Overall atmosphere:  Amazing!  This is something many people may not think about, but it’s really tough to choose the right type of hotel for your group…. such as small vs. large resort, relaxing vs. party resort, young vs. older crowd, etc.   We found the Majestic Colonial to have the right balance for us – it was large enough that people could sneak off and do their own thing if they wanted to, but not too big that you couldn’t find anyone.  We could always go to the lobby bar and find people from our group after dinner or after the show.

 

The hotel also had a nice mix of couples, singles, older, and younger crowds.  There were kids around, but not too many and they were most often confined to the kiddie pool during the day it seemed.  People were happy to find quiet relaxing spots on the beach, as well as music and activities by the pool.  The disco was pretty busy at night, and there was always something happening at the lobby or pool bar.  It was a nice party crowd, but not a stupid-drunk rowdy crowd, if you know what I mean.  Just a nice atmosphere overall, which we missed when we left for our honeymoon!

 

 

Wedding Ceremony:  Majestic Gazebo

 

We chose to have our symbolic ceremony at 3:00 PM in the gazebo.  Luckily the weather cooperated! 

 

Gazebo

Gazebo before the wedding.

 

 

Wedding Coordinator (Stephany):  When you see Stephany, she just looks so cute and young, but she definitely knows what she’s doing.  She told us not to worry about anything and sure enough, everything was perfect!  I had originally been dealing with Sandra by e-mail (I think she handles most of the correspondence).   When we arrived, we were told that our meeting would be with Stephany, so we met with her 3 days before the wedding.  She was very organized and had all of the information I had sent to Sandra. One thing that I would like to mention is that I was a little unsure about whether to get the decoration package or not – I wanted the tulle for the gazebo decoration and the aisle runner, but I had brought my chair sashes with me.  Stephany talked me out of any decoration packages and just charged me for the little extras that I wanted, which was awesome and much appreciated.  It worked out to be less expensive that way.

 

One other thing to mention – you can request a complimentary lunch to be delivered to your room on the day of the wedding (sandwiches and stuff).  Just ask Stephany and she will have it arranged.  My dress and flowers were also delivered the morning of the wedding – everything was very organized and made the day nearly stress-free.

 

Flowers

Our flowers and lunch

 

 

Decorations:  Beautiful!  Stephany did a great job and everything just looked beautiful.  The chair sashes were set up in the gazebo, and then moved to the reception later.  The aisle was decorated with the aisle runner, rose petals, and vases filled with orchids along the sides.  Everything just looked very classy and I’m glad we chose the gazebo rather than the beach. 

 

 

Flowers:  I brought a picture with me for an idea of how I wanted the bouquets to look.  I basically just wanted some coral and peach roses and gerbers… and to my surprise, they matched the picture almost exactly!  The colours were perfect and the flowers were beautiful.

 

Wedding party

Wedding party

 

 

Salon:  Maria in the salon did my hair, as well as my mom and two bridesmaids.  She was super fast and did an amazing job for all of us.  I brought a few pictures with me, but ended up choosing a picture from the binder there and I was really happy with my hair in the end.  Maria spoke very little English though, so definitely bring a picture with you or a translator (if you have one in your group).

 

 

Music Trio:  We wanted something a little different, so we hired the Caribbean Trio to play as I walked down the aisle.  They were fantastic and definitely added a nice touch to the ceremony.  Also, to my great surprise and pleasure, they wore coral shirts to match my wedding colours!  They were so cute.  After the ceremony, they played during the champagne toast and we had a little dance between pictures.  It was very nice.

 

trio

 

 

Pastor Rick York:  We requested Pastor York to perform our symbolic ceremony. Definitely an amazing choice because he is FANTASTIC!  If you are thinking of using him, do not have any doubts because he made us laugh, brought several people to tears, and just made the ceremony so much more meaningful for us.  If you ask him ahead of time, he can also bring a certificate for you and your witnesses to sign to make it more formal or official looking.  I’ve heard that he donates the money he receives to his church and missionary activities in the DR – you can’t go wrong with this man and we were so fortunate and happy to have him.

 

Rick York

Pastor York and the groom

 

 

Videographer ~ Diego (Bright Light Productions):  At first, we were not sure if we would even have a videographer, but I’m so happy we did.  Diego did a fantastic job!  We asked for the “Moon Package” which basically included some shots getting ready, as well as the ceremony.  Diego was pleasant and professional and had our DVD edited and delivered to us the day after the wedding.  We are very happy with our video – it is a beautiful keepsake and it also allows us to share our special day with those who couldn't make the trip.

 

One thing to note – Diego only takes cash.  Although he is booked through the hotel, his services did not show up on the bill we received from the Majestic.  We didn’t realize this until the day after the wedding.  Something to keep in mind!

 

Diego and Phil

Diego and Phil

 

 

 

Wedding Reception: Presidential Suite

 

After the ceremony, we were busy taking pictures until about 6:30 PM.  Following that, we made our way to the Presidential Suite.  It was so nice that the staff placed candles and little flowers by the appropriate elevator to show the way. 

 

The buffet dinner was already set up when we got there and the terrace looked amazing!  The tables were set up according to the seating plan I had given Stephany, and she set up everything perfectly (along with the chair sashes).  The view was stunning and the whole scene was just breathtaking.  I’m so glad we went with the private reception – the Presidential Suite was completely worth it!  It did get a little breezy at some points, but it felt amazing when we were dancing!  Dinner was fantastic and included more food than I could possibly eat... beef, chicken, lobster... yum.

 

presidential suite

Presidential Suite set up with white tent

 

Although it was another extra cost, we requested the National bar.  The waiters did not let my drink reach below half full before they were refilling my glass again.  Other guests also commented that they could barely finish a drink before a waiter brought them a new one.  The staff was just amazing and everything went very smoothly. 

 

Reception

Reception -- dinner

 

 

Cake:  We requested the chocolate banana cake and it was delicious!  We brought our own cake topper and just paid $25 for a few flowers to decorate the cake.  It was beautiful and tasted even better.

 

cake

Chocolate banana cake

 

DJ Mannia:  Amazing!  These guys really know how to throw a party and they kept everyone dancing the whole night.  We had also brought some Persian music for them to play (my new hubby is Persian) and they incorporated that without a problem.  It also helped to have someone MC, introduce the bridal party, announce the speeches, etc.  I’d highly recommend them!

 

 

Photographer ~ Phil Steingard:  Absolutely amazing!  Phil deserves his own review, but for now, I’ll just say that we were BLOWN AWAY by his work.  In addition to being an amazing photographer, he knows everyone at the resort and he expertly guided us through the entire wedding day.  Phil started at around 11:00 AM with the guys getting ready, and then seemed to be unstoppable for the next 12 hours!  Let me just recommend to bring some comfortable shoes with you, because Phil will have you trekking all over both the Colonial and the Elegance resorts.  He was also a pro on the dance floor and got right in there – jumping up and still taking pictures!  Just amazing.

 

The following day, we met Phil again at 4:30 PM for our trash the dress session.  We were able to get about an hour of shots in before it suddenly started to pour!  We took cover in the palm tree jungle for a bit, but the rain didn’t let up…. we had a blast but unfortunately didn’t get the beach shots that we were hoping for.  Amazingly, Phil offered to meet us again at 7:30 AM the following morning to get the beach shots!  I was really shocked and impressed at how dedicated this man is to his work.  So we got up early the next day and took even more pictures.  I was totally exhausted by the end, but it was worth it!  Phil was such a pleasure to work with and he really went above and beyond our expectations.  I mean, he didn’t have to wake up early the next day to get those shots, but he did.  We should be getting our professional photos in a couple of weeks now and I’m so excited. 

 

jungle

My hubby and Phil taking cover in the palm tree jungle

 

It all goes by so fast… enjoy every moment! 

 

 

Update: here are a couple of the professional pictures... thanks Phil!  :)

 

Renee Wedd-730.jpg

 

Renee Wedd-616.jpg

 

Renee TTD-231.jpg

 

Renee TTD-6.jpg

26 Comments




Great Review!!! It makes me so excited for my wedding! We also chose to go with Pastor York/DJ Mannia and Phil!!! :) Thanks for sharing!

 

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THANKS SO MUCH...I am booked for April 12th, 2012 and this just made me sooooooo happy!! You looked gorgeous by the way!!

 

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Thanks so much, ladies! Congrats to you all -- you'll have such an amazing time :)

 

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Thank you so much! We are leaving Monday for our June 4th wedding at Elegance and this review was so very helpful! You created (with a great Majestic team) a beautiful wedding day. Congratulations and thank you for sharing :)!!

 

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Hi Ladies! Great pictures you both looked fabulous! Does Phil work for the hotel directly? I know if you bring in an outside photography the hotel charges you to bring them onsite?? If you don't mind what was the cost for your photography? Did you get all the pictures, how many were taken and how long did you have Phil for? Any help would be appreciated my fiance and I are booked for February 10, 2012 and are looking for any and all info. on getting a photographer locked down :D

 

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Hi Mandm2012,

No, Phil does not work for the resort, but he's there all the time. You do not have to pay the extra fee for photography because he stays at the Magestic Elegance. His prices may depend on how many weddings he gets per week, but I paid $2600 for the wedding day + trash the dress. He did a fantastic job! He was there all day on the wedding day (from about 11:00am - 11:00pm, including bride getting ready, groom getting ready, ceremony and reception).

I can't remember how many pictures we got in the end... I think it was over 1500. You get all of the photos on CD and can print them anywhere you like.

Hope this helps.

 

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Everything looks gorgeous! I'm still in the beginning phases of planning and you have pretty much the same kind of set-up I want re. the trio, DJ, reception. Did you buy the sashes or rent them? I was trying to think of cost-saving type stuff such as bringing decorations and such, and that's a great idea! Why did you prefer the gazebo over the beach?

And if it woulnd't be a bother, would you mind sending me the cost of everything, if you still have it?

Thanks!

Stefani

[email protected]

 

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Thanks Stefani!

I bought the sashes from: http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/crorsa2.html It's definitely cheaper that way (they charge you $5 each to rent them at the resort!). I didn't bring many other decorations besides the cake topper, favours, and name card holders.

I preferred the gazebo because the beach is not very private. I noticed various speedo clad men and topless women gawking at other weddings that took place on the beach, and it just kind of took away from the moment, if you know what I mean. Also, the beach can get quite windy and it's hard for people to hear your vows. I just found the gazebo to be a little more formal and the shade was also nice. However, to each their own and either location is beautiful!

I'll post the cost stuff here since it seems to help many people.

Best of luck in your planning!

 

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I put together all of our expenses and I've included a breakdown below. Some of these costs were paid to the hotel, and some were paid directly to vendors (i.e. photographer, videographer, DJ, etc.). We did not get any special chairs or decoration packages -- the chairs come covered already with white chair covers and we brought the chair sashes with us. They set everything up for us very nicely.

Here is the breakdown for our ceremony (all prices USD except our photographer who was CAD):

 

Symbolic wedding package: $1250

Pastor Rick York: $300

Day pass for Pastor York: $90

Bridesmaid flowers (2 bouquets + corsage for mom): $127.60

Boutonnieres (2 groomsmen + dad): $20.88

Decorations (aisle runner + tulle for gazebo + orchids lining walkway): $160

Trio live band: $300

Videography (Bright Light Moon package): $550

Photographer (Phil Steingard from Canada): $2600

 

Total for ceremony + photography = $5398

 

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Here is the breakdown for our reception (all prices USD):

 

Presidential suite: $1000 ($500 deposit + $500 on site)

DJ Mannia: $850 ($450 deposit + $400 on site)

Day passes for DJ: $100

Buffet 27 adults: $1871.10

Buffet 2 children: $69.30

National bar for 3 hours (27 adults): $1275.75

White tent rental: $465

Flowers: $320 (I didn't get a decoration package but wanted 4 large centerpieces)

Cake decoration: $25 (5 flowers for the cake + we brought our own cake topper)

 

Total for reception = $5976

 

Note that the videographer (Bright Light productions) is with the hotel, but you have to pay him cash directly the day after the wedding.

 

Total cost for wedding (not including travel, attire, favours, tips etc.) = $11,375

 

**These prices should be used as a guide only -- I hope this helps!

 

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Congrats on your amazing wedding. These reviews are so helpful and help my stress level a ton:). Can you tell me how to get ahold of Phil Steingard in regards to shooting my wedding. Also where you all the only wedding that day?

 

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This review was VERY helpful. Did they charge you to set up the sashes although you brought those with you? Also, being that you bought sashes, centerpieces, aisle runner, tulle for gazebo and orchids for the runway, do you think you would have been better off just purchasing the decoration package for $350?

 

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Hello DRPrincesa,

Great, I'm glad this was helpful to you! No, the resort did not charge me to set up the sashes. They set them up beautifully at the gazebo for the ceremony, and then moved them to the Presidential Suite for the reception at no charge.

In the breakdown above, I paid $160 for the aisle runner + tulle for gazebo + orchids lining walkway. The chair sashes were pretty cheap (like $10 for a package of ten), and the table runner was less than $5.. I got them from here: http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/crorsa2.html

I'm not sure what they are offering now, but when I was there, this was the deal:

Reception decor. Pkg 1 $250.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 2 $435.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 3 $760.00 *Up to 50 guests

 

PCK 1

Chair sashes + table runners

PCK 2

Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates

PCK 3

Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates + Tiffany chairs

So in the end, none of the packages included the aisle runner, or tulle for the gazebo, or the orchids. Definitely not worth it just for the chair sashes.Hope this helps!

 

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Hello DRPrincesa,

<br><br>

Great, I'm glad this was helpful to you! No, the resort did not charge me to set up the sashes. They set them up beautifully at the gazebo for the ceremony, and then moved them to the Presidential Suite for the reception at no charge.

<br>

In the breakdown above, I paid $160 for the aisle runner + tulle for gazebo + orchids lining walkway. The chair sashes were pretty cheap (like $10 for a package of ten), and the table runner was less than $5.. I got them from here: http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/crorsa2.html

<br><br>

I'm not sure what they are offering now, but when I was there, this was the deal:

Reception decor. Pkg 1 $250.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 2 $435.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 3 $760.00 *Up to 50 guests

<br>

PCK 1 = Chair sashes + table runners

PCK 2 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates

PCK 3 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates + Tiffany chairs

<br><br>

So in the end, none of the packages included the aisle runner, or tulle for the gazebo, or the orchids. Definitely not worth it just for the chair sashes.

<br><br>

Hope this helps!

 

Link to comment

Hello DRPrincesa,

 

Great, I'm glad this was helpful to you! No, the resort did not charge me to set up the sashes. They set them up beautifully at the gazebo for the ceremony, and then moved them to the Presidential Suite for the reception at no charge.

 

In the breakdown above, I paid $160 for the aisle runner + tulle for gazebo + orchids lining walkway. The chair sashes were pretty cheap (like $10 for a package of ten), and the table runner was less than $5.. I got them from here: http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/crorsa2.html

 

I'm not sure what they are offering now, but when I was there, this was the deal:

Reception decor. Pkg 1 $250.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 2 $435.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 3 $760.00 *Up to 50 guests

 

PCK 1 = Chair sashes + table runners

PCK 2 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates

PCK 3 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates + Tiffany chairs

 

So in the end, none of the packages included the aisle runner, or tulle for the gazebo, or the orchids. Definitely not worth it just for the chair sashes.

Hope this helps!

 

Link to comment

Hello DRPrincesa,

 

Great, I'm glad this was helpful to you! No, the resort did not charge me to set up the sashes. They set them up beautifully at the gazebo for the ceremony, and then moved them to the Presidential Suite for the reception at no charge.

 

In the breakdown above, I paid $160 for the aisle runner + tulle for gazebo + orchids lining walkway. The chair sashes were pretty cheap (like $10 for a package of ten), and the table runner was less than $5.. I got them from here: http://www.weddinglinensdirect.com/crorsa2.html

 

I'm not sure what they are offering now, but when I was there, this was the deal:

Reception decor. Pkg 1 $250.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 2 $435.00 *Up to 20 guests

Reception decor. Pkg 3 $760.00 *Up to 50 guests

 

PCK 1 = Chair sashes + table runners

PCK 2 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates

PCK 3 = Chair sashes + table runners + table centerpieces + printed menus + Plates + Tiffany chairs

 

So in the end, none of the packages included the aisle runner, or tulle for the gazebo, or the orchids. And the first two packages would have cost more because we had more than 20 people. Definitely not worth it just for the chair sashes.

Hope this helps!

 

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WOW Oryx, Thank you so very much for writing all your wonderful thoughts and feeling about this resort. Congratulations on your wonderful wedding, your a beautiful couple.

My FI and i just booked our flights for the Majestic Colonial, and having read this review has really put our budget into perspective. I very much appreciate all your helpful tips.

Take Care and the best of luck to you and your new beginning. :)

 

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thank you for the budget breakdown, its not easy to get that info. did anyone have a hard time hearing back from the resort? I emailed almost 2 weeks ago to inquire about wedding packages, etc. and still haven't gotten a response. My fiance (actually we legally got married already :-) but its a secret) and I stayed here in January 2011 and loved the resort, we would like to do a destination wedding or vow renewal in may 2014...depending on price. Its so hard to get a breakdown of costs, so thank you!

 

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