
Dominican Republic Destination Wedding Details
Wedding Date: April 22nd, 2024
All-Inclusive Wedding Resort: Dreams Royal Beach
Wedding Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Wedding Venues: Beach & Seaside Grill
Wedding Photographer: GGG Photo
Destination Wedding Travel Agent: EverAfter Travel

Dreams Royal Beach Wedding Highlights
Family-friendly, all-inclusive resort (adults-only sister property next door)
Beachfront property located on the famous palm-studded Bavaro Beach
Only 25 minutes from the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ)
14 dining options with cuisines like Italian and Asian plus a pizzeria, ice cream shop and more
12 bars/lounges including a swim-up bar, beach bar, sports bar and a music lounge for adults
4 pools with two main pools, one children's pool, and one Preferred Club pool
Waterpark with seven slides and a splash park
Onsite casino with blackjack, roulette, poker, slot machines, and table games
Discounted green fees at the Cocotal Golf & Country Club
Non-motorized water sports like kayaking are included with your stay
Daily activities and entertainment including live shows and theme nights

Dreams Royal Beach Wedding Review With Gina & Dan
Why did you decide to have a destination wedding?
We live in a different state than our families so planning a wedding would have been very difficult. Plus it gave us an excuse to keep it smaller! Plus a built in vacation!
What were your biggest concerns about planning a destination wedding? What were you struggling with the most before reaching out to EverAfter Travel?
Deciding which resort to pick. There are so many resorts it is impossible to know which to pick. It is also hard knowing which locations have a wedding department and how their costs work.
What were your "must haves" for your destination wedding? What were the deciding factors for choosing your resort?
My father-in-law did not want to go to Mexico so we chose the Dominican Republic. We had three kids coming so it had to be family friendly. We needed it to be all inclusive. And price was the major factor.

Tell me about your wedding e.g. events, venues, special touches, etc. How many guests did you invite to your destination wedding and how many people ended up attending? If you're comfortable sharing, how much was the total cost of your destination wedding celebration (not including things like travel expenses, your dress, etc.)?
We had 40 people for the wedding. The ceremony was on the beach, cocktail hour behind on the beach, and I paid for the Seaside Grill venue for the reception.
Our wedding coordinator was Sarah. Leading up to the wedding I was nervous because communication was touch and go, as I expected since they have so many weddings. Once we got there, though, Sarah was wonderful and reassuring.
My package included my bouquet, I paid extra to have it be what I wanted. I never specifically asked about the bridesmaids bouquets and the day of the wedding realized they were not included. I called Sarah panicking while getting ready and she was somehow able to get the flower company to make bridesmaids bouquets before the ceremony. I was very thankful.
I really wanted an archway with flowers that matched my bouquet. I had to pay $700 for the archway and flowers. The flowers were fake flowers that they had used for other weddings on this page. Which is fine, I’m not mad about that part at all. But $700 for the arch and flowers you already own is extremely generous.
The ceremony on the beach was perfect. Sarah was there directing everyone where and when to go places. The set up was what I wanted. The sound system was seamless.
We used the WBA videography that was included in the package for the ceremony. We used the spa hair and makeup since it was included in my package. It is very hit and miss. My bridesmaid hair and make up was amazing. Mine….questionable. My bridesmaid redid all of my make up and hair after they were finished.
There is an outside vendor fee for photography but it is SO worth the cost. 1000000% worth the cost. Knowing the quality of photos we got, I would have paid double the vendor fee knowing we got such amazing pictures. I had read very mixed reviews of the photo packages included with the wedding. So it was worth it to pay the fee knowing we would get photos we loved. We went with GGG Photo and we are are in tears. The pictures are PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!
Our photos are more amazing than I ever imagined. I can’t believe these are really the pictures I get to look at the rest of my life. Georges and his team were so nice, helpful, and accommodating. They never hesitated to do what it took to get the best pictures. If you are looking for a photographer, do yourself the favor and book them. You will have no regrets using them. Truly. My HUSBAND and I will recommend them to everyone.
I am so glad I paid for the Seaside Grill for our reception. The added cost was worth it since I didn’t need any additional decor or lighting or dance floor. We paid for the DJ and used a friend who did our ceremony as the MC to save additional money.
Since we got married on a Monday, they did not do welcome parties on the weekend. So our welcome party we used as a farewell cocktail instead. It was at the royal gazebo and it was a very pretty venue. It was very basic. Just the bar was open no food. But it was very nice.

Was there anything you splurged on for your destination wedding and if so, did you feel like it was worth it?
I paid extra for the bridal suite for the girls to get ready in the morning of the wedding. It made for great pictures and was convenient.
I paid a venue fee for the reception to be at the Seaside Grill and it was definitely worth it.
The arch way for $700 was not worth it.
I paid an outside vendor fee to have the photographer come in. It was worth it.
Was there anything you tried to save on for your destination wedding and if so, did you feel like it was worth it?
I saved by not having decor or centerpieces on the tables. I justified this by having the reception where I did. The beach background was decor enough.
What were the most helpful online websites/social media groups/content creators/YouTube links that helped you during the planning process?
I joined the brides of the dreams royal beach beach wedding group.
Shout out to any wedding vendors you loved e.g. photography, DJ, makeup, etc.
GGG photography.

What kind of feedback did you hear from your guests? This could be about the resort, the wedding, and/or EverAfter Travel.
The resort of course if beautiful. However, our guests ran into some consistency issues with their rooms like some were upgraded and some were not, some didn't receive the Preferred Club amenities like a beach bag and a bottle of rum while others did. All of the rooms are identical inside except the view you get. The rooms were very nice and clean. No actual problems with the rooms. And if we had not had so many people, no one would have known the differences.
The water park was a huge hit with my group. Surprisingly there were very few children ever on the water slides and was mostly adults. The water slides never had a wait so it made them way more fun.
The food I was VERY worried about the food because people online said how bad it was. We had no problem with the food at all and my husband is a very picky eater. Oceana was very slow but the food was great. Portofino was by far the best food. Tons of options. No one ever went hungry. One of our guests did not want to come on the trip because he was so stressed about the food but said he never had a problem finding something to eat. Nothing was extremely delicious but nothing was horrible.

What advice do you have for other couples planning a destination wedding?
Know that the communication from the resort will practically be non existent until the month before the wedding. The resort had two weddings every single day. But when it comes time they knew what they were doing.
What were your favorite parts about your destination wedding?
It was all perfect and less stressful than having to plan every detail months in advance. I enjoyed that I didn’t have to coordinate tons of vendors.
Why did you choose to work with EverAfter Travel for your destination wedding?
I had been Googling best resorts for destination weddings and wanted someone’s opinion who had used the different resorts.
How did working with EverAfter Travel make planning your Dreams Royal Beach wedding easier/better/less stressful?
It was nice knowing someone else was dealing with my guests and I didn’t have to be the always go to person.

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