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Paradisus Palma Real (PPR) Wedding Review
This is a review of:

Paradisus Palma Real Resort All Inclusive

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

By kmhg, · 1,834 Views · 22 Comments

Pros: Accommodations (The Reserve), food, drink, staff, romance team, grounds, pool
Cons: making dinner reservations can be a bit annoying

We got married at the Paradisus Palma Real on April 2, 1011 and it was simply beautiful. I would recommend this resort to anyone. The grounds, accommodations, food, drinks, and staff were absolutely wonderful.

Here are a couple highlighted details:
Wedding package: Aqua with Chill Out Chic colors (2011 package which included alcohol)
Number of guests: 57 including bride and groom
Total cost for wedding (just wedding, not room) - $9600 roughly
Total cost for everything, including room - $15000


Resort:
We arrived three days before our wedding day and decided to stay in The Reserve, which was probably the best decision we could have made. Our room was outrageous and this resort has a slightly different vibe – mostly from décor – than the Palma Real. We reserved a swim-up suite and were upgraded to the one bedroom master suite swim up bc we were getting married there and had booked our wedding package with them. There are three restaurants, one grill, and two bars in The Reserve and all were great. My only recommendation would be to hammer out your dinner reservations as early as possible. They have concierges in almost every building, and I would tell them as soon as you decide on a place to eat. You can make your dinner reservations two nights in advance and I recommend you do.

Our room was cleaned twice a day; once for housekeeping and once for a turn down service every night at around 9pm, and the mini bar is stocked once every 24 hours. You can order room service 24 hours a day, which we took full advantage of. Pizza isn’t the greatest, but hit the spot at 3am and when you’re in need of food. There are staff members walking around at all times and if you are hanging out by the pool, they will ask they can bring you anything – drink/food, etc. The spa at The Reserve is lovely. I can’t compare it to the one at Palma Real, but I would imagine it’s the same, if not nicer bc it’s newer. The ladies who work in there are fantastic and did everything from my nails to hair and make-up perfectly.

The restaurants were all great. My husband’s favorite was Vento – at Palma Real. They offered a meat heavy menu with steaks and chops. We ate at Aqua and Mizu (both at The Reserve), Vento, Bana (Asian menu served family style and the sushi bar), the late night buffet by the Sky Bar (open 24/7), and the Gabi Club at The Reserve as well as Gabi Beach at Palma Real. Everything was great.  The drinks were also great – top shelf liquor and fun mixed drinks. It’s insanely easy to get between The Reserve and Palm Real – just a golf cart ride away or a 10 minute walk.

Wedding:
Jennifer was my Romance Coordinator and she was awesome! I communicated with Diana via email in the months leading up to the event but once I was on the resort Jennifer was my point of contact.

I visited the resort in July of 2010 and put my deposit down then, reserving the garden gazebo and the cocktail reception and dinner reception locations. It was a little frustrating not getting immediate email feedback to my questions, but after being there for a wedding, you realize how busy they actually are. All of my emails were answered and they were always thorough.

I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and I had my meeting Thursday at 11am with Jennifer to walk around and preview the location one last time.  I had emailed them a final headcount before I left and we confirmed it. I asked during the preview if we could do a “rehearsal” Friday evening providing there wasn’t a wedding going on and she accommodated that request graciously.

She took my place cards, wedding favors (which were very last minute – like when my flowers arrived on the day of the wedding, last minute), arranged for table numbers, double checked flowers for ceremony and décor and ceremony music. I didn’t have to think about anything – she had it all covered.

The day of the wedding I got my hair and make up done. I made the spa appointments before I left via email. The ladies in the spa were wonderful. I brought in a picture of how I wanted my make up and they did it perfectly. I hadn’t anticipated wanting flowers in my hair, but they ran outside and picked some and suggested I wear them – and they looked amazing. After my appointment was over, Jennifer came by with my room with the flowers, took the last minute wedding favors and went to set up.

We decided not to go with the photographers that were onsite because the pricing structure was a little strange. Instead we went with HDC Photographers, and they were awesome! Arnoud and Milan were our videographer and photographer. They came to the room (we had to pay for a day pass for them since they were not located at the resort) at 4pm and were there for me getting ready, my bridesmaids getting ready and my mother and aunt who came down to help out. They had us laughing the minute they walked in the door. The two of them put everyone at ease and were so kind and professional. They took charge and started taking photos while I was walking around the room and chatting with everyone. I didn’t know exactly what kind of photos I was looking for so I relied on them heavily to direct me and they did so with grace. Jennifer said we would be picked up at 5:30 and we were – right on time!

Arnaud and Milan were everywhere, taking a ton of photos. I didn’t notice them during the ceremony bc I was too consumed in the actual ceremony – and I cried (more than once) when I looked at the pictures  because I was amazed they got some of the shots they did. After the ceremony there was a champagne toast and both Arnaud and Milan instructed all the guests to get together for a great group shot, which turned out great. Our wedding was at 6pm so we needed to make the most of the sunlight and moved quickly from champagne into wedding party photos. We were laughing so hard at some of the poses they put us in, but the photos are stunning! I can’t say enough great things about them. They were comfortable with the resort, and knew just where to take us. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of beach shots (yes, I know we got married in the DR, but something about walking around in the sand in my dress didn’t sit right with me), but Milan said we would regret it if we didn’t take a couple. So, we did, and I LOVE them. They seriously had us all laughing so hard, which made it a much more relaxing and fun time.  We took photos in the garden, pool side, on the beach, the main gazebo by the main pool, the entry fountain and then moved on to the reception.   They got amazing photos of the reception site, everyone being introduced, first dances, all the guests, and Greek dancing from my husband’s side of the family.

Jennifer met us at the reception introduced us to the DJ (DJ Mania – who was also super great) and were introduced. I had sent the song list to the DJ that morning and he had everything ready to go by 8pm. He was upbeat, fun and took requests. The music was mostly 60’s and 70’s “oldies,” American top 40 dance music and Greek music which we brought with us, although he said he had it on his computer already. He literally has everything. He even brought out big balloons that our guests played around with.

The staff at the reception was simply the best. They anticipated our needs before we did. Every time I thought of getting another drink, it just appeared. They came around with mamajuana shots (which are not my favorite, but definitely celebratory!), were dancing with us, and all around having a great time. The food was on point. We had the shrimp salad, been filet (4 people had fish bc of Lent and being vegetarian and that was no problem – Jennifer made that happen for us) with mashed potatoes and vegetables and white and dark chocolate mouse for dessert, in addition to the cake.  We were having such a good time we didn’t even cut the cake – just had them cut and passed it around to everyone. Jennifer delivered the top layer of cake, wedding flowers and remaining wedding favors to my room the next day.

We finished the night by going out to the other bars at the resort until about 4am. Simply put, the best day of my life.

Arnaud met me and my mother and aunt two days later to give us the photos and video. I had asked him to make sure to get some black and white pictures bc I had gotten sunburnt the day before and he honored that request. We cried and cried as we went through each picture and watched the video. He was even taking pictures of us as we all cried..haha. Such a nice  guy!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I wrote this quickly at work and didn’t proofread ?

22 Comments


I'm so glad you had a perfect day ! Congrats ! I'm getting married there May 6th , we are staying at the reserve , 50 guests , gazebo the we privatized Gabi Beach... I hired LUXE as wedding planners and they have been horrible nothing has been finalized and I'm nervous but I did get in touch with Diana last week and since then I feel better... My question is how long in advance were extras booked ? Flowers, music etc ? Also what do you think of Gabi , did you like the area? I'm new to this , I just joined because of all the crazy things that have happened. Any advice would be great ! Thanks again and congrats !

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Hi Mscenz - congrats on your upcoming wedding!!! You will not be disappointed. Interesting you went with an outside planner - I had an easy time dealing with the Romance Team directly. I didn't even know you could go with an outside planning vendor.

Here are the answers to your questions:

1- Extras such as flowers, DJ, decorations, spa appointments were all booked within the month leading up to the wedding. They don't do much before that because they are so busy getting other people married, etc. My package came with flowers, so I emailed Diana about my options and what they could do and she said, send her a photo of what you're looking for and they'll price it out for you. I wanted peonies but they were $350 for a bouquet, so I just stuck with the white roses, which turned out beautifully. I did get two extra boutquets for the bridesmaids and two buttoniers for the guys - just told her what I was looking for (bright pink roses) and that's exactly what I got. DJ Mania is through the PPR so you just need to say you want him and you've got him. You can send a music list up until the last possible moment. I think I did it either the morning of the wedding or the night before and he got everything just right. Spa appointments were made probably 1.5 months before hand via email. You can get it from Diana, but I recommend doing it sooner rather than later bc the spa fills up quickly. If possible, Claudia at the Reserve spa is awesome for hair and make-up.

2- Gabi Beach Club, by the actual sand is great! They have a private beach, and the restaurant is gorgeous. It's open air and has plenty of built in seating and a big area they clear out in the middle for the dance floor. The bar is so convenient and there is a terrace of sorts right off the beach the guests can sit and sip cocktails, smoke cigars and not be sitting at the dining tables. The only reason I didn't do that is because it was above our price point.

I think your wedding in the gazebo will be great. it's not totally convenient to Gabi but it's worth it bc once they there they are totally self contained.

My recommendation for your wedding is that if it's in the afternoon, provide fans or something for your guests. They end up sitting in the sun for a while and it's HOT. Even at 6pm at the beginning of April, it was hot.

BUG SPRAY wipes are a MUST! The little bugs are out at night.

And above all, try and relax on your big day. I know it's hard not to stress about it, but in the end it will all work out. It goes by so fast, too. Every once in a while just take a step back and enjoy it with your new husband :-)

 

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Thank you so much for all of the information! This is really helpful - I'm having my wedding here next April, and it's great to read such positive comments! One question - where did you have the cocktail hour/reception? Any recommendations (besides Gabi which is not within our price point either). Also, did you have your favors and place cards shipped there directly or did you take them with you? Thank you again!

 

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Hi MDube56, April is a great time to get married in the DR. It's hot during the day and perfect, complete with a breeze at night.

I had our cocktail hour in the Flamingo Foyer (just behind the Onyx Club) - it's a direct shot from the Gazebo, and you have beautiful flowers and flamingos walking around in the water there. Request to have seating there so guests can sit and drink/eat appetizers. It was sunny there and my MIL complained of the heat and asked that the reception start 30 min earlier. They rope off that area so you don't get foot traffic through your cocktail hour.

Our reception was in front of the Apollo ballrooms. It was also outdoors, but covered and there were no other weddings going on in the ballrooms at the same time. We didn't have to rent a dance floor bc the marble floor was sufficient. They hung white drapes up so you don't notice the parking lot at the end of the walkway, and we had them hang the lanterns for extra lighting. i LOVED having our receptions at those locations. It was warm though and since you are on the back side of the resort there is little breeze. If you wanted a breeze I might recommend the terrace in front of the Theater, overlooking the main pool. It's not as private in that everyone can see you, but you'll have a beautiful view of the blue lit pool and that beach breeze.

I brought everything with me bc I didn't want to run the risk of not having everything when I arrived. We bought the cigars once we arrived (just found some guy on the beach to buy them from) and I had small wine stoppers/bottle openers for the girls, and the "emergency" kit was small and didn't take up much space in my luggage. My MIL brought the Jordan Almonds with her bc she picked them up before hand. I wrote the place cards the day before the wedding once I knew the layout of tables, and Jennifer took all of it from me the afternoon of the wedding and set everything out. She even called me in the room when she had a question - she's GREAT! I didn't have a lot of stuff to give out, so taking it with me made more sense.

Hope that helps!

 

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Thank you so much ! If you have time could you let me know which location you think would be best for the ceremony instead of the garden gazebo ? Again thanks so much & congrats!!

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Hi Mscenz, We picked the gazebo because it was more private and that was important to us. I would recommend you asking about getting married on Gabi Beach - right next to Gabi Beach Club, that way your guests don't have to walk very far at all and gabi Beach is a little more secluded than the regular area people get married on the beach. Other than that, I would ask you what you were looking for our of your ceremony. The whole resort is stunning, so anywhere you choose will be gorgeous.. Hope that helps a little :-)

 

 

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Did you ladies bring a lot from home as far as decorations? They have a limited selection, and it's pretty pricey. I am also concerned with matching colors, etc. Any advice is greatly appreciated. thanks!!

 

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NeveWhite, I brought the favors with me in my luggage which consisted of wine stoppers/bottle openers and little emergency kits. My husband got the guys cigars, and just found some guy on the beach to buy them from. As far as decorations, I just had smallish centerpieces - a medium vase with gerbera daisies in pink and theyprovided tea lights around it. I had the Aqua package but asked for the Chill Out Chic linens bc I didn't want blue and they were fine and provided enough visual interest. I did get the lanters for $300 and I really suggest it. It provides soft lighting and I think it looks cute. What sort of decorations are you looking for? They can do any kind of floral centerpiece you want and will quote you before hand so you can pick something that is in your price range. we didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on flowers that were going to die, so I just did small oes for $40/each . to be honest, i doubt anyone noticed it. they are too busy eating and dancing. The Chill Out Chic linens came with plate chargers and napkin rings so the place setting was really pretty. hope that hleps!!

 

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If you dont mind my asking what was the price point on the photographer you used? And where did you hold your reception dinner?

 

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Hi!

Im glad you had a great time at your wedding. I am a bride to be and I am considering getting married at PPR. I sent them an email a few days ago requesting some information regarding the planning process. I have no heard from them and I hope to hear from them soon. Like you, i'm planning on booking the Aqua package. I am a bit confuse about decorations and how that works. Do they provide decorations or did you have to send your own decorations, such as flowers, centerpieces, table clothes etc.

 

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Hi MaggieFresh,

I didn't bring decorations with me. I purchased them from the resort. With the Aqua package comes some flowers and runners, table clothes, chargers and basics like that. But the lanterns (or other extra lighting), floral centerpiece, candles and the like need to be purchased or brought with you. I've heard other brides shipped items to the resort with success, so I would say weigh your options. Which would make the most sense to use, and which is less of a hassle, bc after all it is your wedding day and stressing out over votives is silly and unnecessary.

They are really good about honoring your request. If you send them a picture of how you want it to look, they will price it out for you and give you a quote.

Hope this helps, and sorry my response was SO late.

 

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JaneEliz,

Don't mind you asking at all. We got the Platinum package with HDC and it included 5-6 hours of photography and 4-5 hours of video and an online photo gallery for people to look at for 90 days and it was 1700. They require a deposit and before you arrive the final payment. You can also customize your own package - for instance I didn't want the TTD, so it wasn't included. They are really the nicest guys to work with. Both Arnaud and Milan made us laugh and feel really at ease.

Good luck!!

 

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Hi kmhg! I'm happy to hear your wedding was so successful. I am getting married at PPR on October 27, 2012. I appreciated your comments. Do you have any pictures of your wedding that you can post or email me, to give me a better idea of what things looked like, as far as your ceremony and reception locations? Was your cocktail/reception dinner tables in the sand? You mentioned a marble floor nearby for dancing, was sand on the marble floor slippery for dancers? You also mentioned recommending to marry on Gabi Beach rather than the regular beach, is that right? My fiance and I definitely want to marry on the beach and have our reception tables/cocktail hour in the sand. We would appreciate your feedback!! Thanks.

 

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Hi capolinowedding,

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! I would be happy to send you some pictures, of anything you want, just PM me with your email address.

Our cocktail reception and dinner reception were both in covered outdoor areas but not in the sand. They were close to the Garden Gazebo. They both had marble floors but were open air, so we weren't in a room.

The cocktail location was: Flamingo Foyer

The dinner location was: Apollo Foyer

 

As for the beach to get married on, if you were looking for more privacy, I would recommend Gabi Beach, but if you don't mind onlookers, the main one is perfect. It's all so pretty. Just one thing to keep in mind. If seaweed has washed up on shore, it will be in your photos.

 

Is there a way for you to get a layout of Palma Real? As your romance coordinator for a map so you can see where different places are located. We didn't want to be on the beach which is why we picked the Garden Gazebo, that and it is a little more private. We did see many receptions on the beach and they looked like so much fun. The thing to remember is that since there isn't a hard surface out there, you'll have to rent the floor, and lights bc it gets dark quickly.

 

Hope that helps you a bit. Let me know if you want more info!

 

Kari

 

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Hello, I found your information to be veryful, I'm planning my wedding at the smae resort but not getting a lot of information back. Like who is there decor company on site? What are the prices? and did use a local vendor instead of what is offer on onsite. I was reading som e of the tripadvisor and a lot of the reviews were bad.

 

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Capolinwedding - I was in contact with Jennifer, but there seems to be some turnover. I also had much success emailing with Diana. Hope that helps!

Watttessa - I'm not sure which company they use for decor. I think a lot of it is in house. They do use an outside vendor for flowers, but I'm not sure of the name. You can send them pictures of almost anything, and they can get a price quote for you. If you want a certain color table cloth for instance, I believe they rent that. They have a whole list of things you can add to your day. I would recommend asking them for the list and you can see what's available. I think the list comes in the form of an excel spreadsheet and has all the prices associated with it. If you are having your reception on the beach, you'll need to rent a dance floor and lighting, so just be aware.

Hope that helps some!

 

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Hi Kari,

Thanks for your review, it was very helpful! I noticed you stayed at the reserve. Did your guests stay there too? Most of our guests will be at PPR and I am confused as to whether to stay at PPR, the Reserve, or Royal Service....Any feedback from a past bride would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!!! :)

 

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Hi MissyBee,

Some of our guests stayed at the Reserve. My bridesmaids, best friends, my mother/brother/aunt, and a few cousins stayed. The remaining guests stayed at PPR. I loved loved staying at the Reserve bc it gave us that much more privacy. It can be a little tough to get some alone time with your new husband, so we decided we were going to stay there bc we had a couple days before and after our guests arrive to ourselves. There wasn't a problem at all having our other guests stay at PPR. They quite preferred it bc the rest of them were all near one another, and could hang out easily. The trip between the two is a 10 min walk or a 3 min golf cart ride and you have to walk by/through PPR to get to the beach so it's not that you aren't going to see your other guests, it just gives you a little separation.

I've heard that Royal Service isn't worth it. In my opinion i would splurge and get the nice room (plus if you go through one of the wedding packages you get a room upgrade if i remember correctly) in the Reserve over RS.

We stayed in Rm 5303 in the Reserve and I would TOTALLY recommend it to anyone. We were at the end of the row, so the pool was all ours at the end and it was sooooo quiet. We were lucky not to have that many people around us, so I can't promise the exact same experience, but it was just so lovely.

Have a wonderful time!!!

Kari

 

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Hey KMHG,

I am considering booking my wedding at the paradisus and was wondering if you had pictures from your wedding there? Your comments have been really helpful and I am looking forward to seeing how your wedding turned out.

Thanks!

 

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Hi Kari,

I was wondering if you could send me picks of your cocktail and reception?

My fiance and I are trying to deceid on locations for our June 2014 wedding and we are having to same amount of guests as you, about 55-60.

I know your wedding was practically over two years ago but any pics would really help.

I have been to this resort twice previously on vacation but I just can't seem to get an idea of what the locations would look like dressed up for a reception.  I was looking at the Apollo rooms but we want to be outside and have the marble floor too.

My email addres is osborne.jasminej@yahoo.com

 

Thank you so much!

Jasmine

 

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