18 replies to this topic

[taxchick]

Hello everyone,

I'm a noobie here. My FI and I recently decided to go with the DR since it would be more cost effective for our guests.

Well I just received the info for 2010 from the Paradisus (sp?) and it seems a little pricey. We are expecting about 40 people for our Feb or March wedding and looking at the details we are at about $7500 without pictures or extras.

I was previously looking at St Thomas and the packages were much cheaper and included photography. Am I missing something? Are all the resorts in the DR pretty much the same on pricing?

Help me please!!! Any resort suggesstions will be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks!!!!

[asone]

Hi Taxchick and Welcome to the Site,

My name is Shai (Asone) and my FI and I are getting married at the RIU Resort in Ocho Rios Jamaica. It is a wonderful all inclusive resort and the price are not bad at all. They have resorts in the DR so try giving them a look and see if you may like them. The website for RIU is Riu Hotels & Resorts and click on dominican republic it will show you all the available resorts they have there and info on each. Also to check out there wedding packages go to Wedding Packages by Destination. Honeymoon Holidays. Weddings by Riu to get wedding package info. If you need any other info or have any other question I may help you with feel free to contact me.

Congrats and Good Luck
Asone

[DarcyJAde]

Congratulations!! There are a lot of options and it is easy to get overwhelmed. My FI and I are getting married at the Melia Caribe Tropical in October, which is next door to the Paradisius. We had been there on our first vacation and abolutely LOVED it. We were toying with other options after we got engaged (because there are so many) but stuck with Melia becasue we already know the food/drinks/ ambiance are AMAZING! Good luck with your search. Let me know if I can help in any way.

[trance_angelx0x]

Hellooooo. They way I went about this is by going to a travel agent and getting their wedding brochure for Mexico, Dominican and whatever else they had available. These brochures go hotel by hotel and explain the cost and what's included in the wedding packages.

[taxchick]

Thanks so much for your help!!!

I didn't know that about the TA. I haven't found a good one yet. I was going to go through AAA but the prices were higher than searches that I did on travelocity.

I have stayed at a RIU before in Cancun. It was a nice hotel but I did want to go a little different for the wedding.

I haven't checked into the Melia yet. It is all a bit frustrating as well because you want information right now, and sometimes you have to wait 2-3 days before getting a response. But, I plan to check into that on my lunch hour.

Is anyone concerned about the ceremony being in spanish I'm not so sure about that.

[sunsetbride1]

I would absolutely contact a TA... there are some wonderful ones right here on BDW that could really help you.

Personally, we went with Dreams Punta Cana because of their prices; beautiful grounds; facilities and free wedding package. But.. as I have said before, everyone on here will recommend their own resort because we all chose them for their special features that touched us each respectively in our own ways.

[tylersgirl]

FI and I stayed at Grand Palladium Palace in Punta Cana last year for a mini vacation. It was so beautiful and affordable. I am pretty sure they do weddings!

[jennierin]

Like you, I was looking into the Paradisus properties...the prices there are a bit pricier compared to other resorts in the area. A gorgeous resort but when I put it out there to certain people that I would invite; they balked at the prices so I had start a search that would make us all happy!

I went to a TA and had her go through different resorts in Punta Cana, as well as Jamaica and Mexico and then we went from there. The other thing to think about is what you are looking for in a resort. For example, I have guests ranging from age 2 up to age 65 so I wanted to find something that would accommodate everyone as well as have the perfect wedding.

I also searched high and low on the internet and looked at reviews from past brides and travelers. BDW was a god send when I found it! Google also became a good friend to me!

The best thing to do is to write out a list of what you want in a resort, ask a TA and do a lot of research on your own to draw conclusions. That is exactly what I did and why I ended up choosing the Melia Caribe.

Good luck with your search and keep us posted.

[eloping789]

There are tons of resorts in DR and I think I looked at all of them. My FI and I are eloping so we were looking for something a bit different than most and found the best option for us at Melia Caribe Tropical. However, there were others in my Top 5 for sure - Majestic Elegance, Excellence Punta Cana, Grand Palladium, and the new (nearly complete, but already open) Moon Palace resort in Punta Cana. If we'd been having guests I certainly would've have found a travel agent so I think the other ladies are right about that one. I've heard wonderful things about how helpful they can be. Also, for thorough reviews of the hotels and often weddings, etc. I found that tripadvisor.com fantastic.

Good luck and congratulations!!!

[DanielleNDerek]

I would look into other hotels and contact the wedding cordinators for the wedding options and prices. That's what i did I think I had 3 or 4 resorts on my list and i emailed each WC for the info.