Weddingbee boards

We are getting in PR as well! In two months.  Its a bit crazy for us to decide to get married there since neither my FI nor I have been to PR before. But  all the research I've done on the island gives me full faith that it'll be great and that our guests will enjoy our wedding and their stay!

Planning has been a bit difficult since having a full coordination is not in our budget (considering hiring 'day of'), but since we will have only 25 guests as long as we have enough food and drinks I think everything will go well :).

Azula, comida puertorriqueña is pretty much what we told our  venue to do for the reception, I am soo excited to get off the diet and try it all!

Marywil, keep us posted on your planning, and good luck with eveyrthing :)

So glad to see some brides talking about PR.  My fiance and I just decided to get married there.  We got engaged there and it hold a special place for us.  

I would love to hear as much as possible about vendors, venues, etc.  

@Iruska, yes please tell us what venue and share what ever info you can.

@Marywil, what beach are you thinking of?

@Azula, ANY tips you care to share would be super helpful and MOST appreciated.  And photos if you are inclined to share, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see.

I will admit that I am a little freaked because of the distance and delay in communication with my potential venue.  I know that some of it is really just my own issue and desire to have the information instantly.  

I have requested that the chef come up with a sample comida criolla puertorriqueña menu for us to take a look at but it seems to be taking a lot longer than I ever could have anticipated.  

Hi ladies,

I am glad to see more PR brides out here, I feel less helpless!

Marywill and MrsJones, we ended up reserving Jajome Terrace which is around Cayey, about 45 min. outside of San Juan (talking about potentially interesting transportation logistics :). Ironically, while beach was our initial focus, we are going to be married not a beach but in lush greenery of central mountains, which we absolutely fine with! What I loved about Jajome was ability to have a totally private affair (the whole place to ourselves and our 30 or so guests and rooms we can crash in afterwards), they were very helpful, and quote was reasonable.

We looked at El Convento. Becomingmrsjones, if you have not booked a venue yet I strongly recommend looking at El Convento. Pictures look beautiful, and staff is very professional and you can tell they have done tons of DWs.

Not having a full time coordinator is definitely a stress,  but through research and other brides experiences (thank you Azula:) it is a doable task if you have patience and a bit of persistence in follow up. We are running short on time but I am not quite yet to panic level.

We are going to though use Wedaffair to help with marriage requirements, and our minister is going to be through Ministros de Bodas.

With less than 2 months we still dont have music figured out, which is probably my biggest concern. Most likely we will end up iPoding reception, and have live music for the ceremony.

If you ladies have any recommendations on hair (I am trying to find somebody who would come out to our venue the day of), good bakery (we are skipping wedding cake for dessert table), or reasonable music (live or DJ), I am all ears!

I've also checked out posts on weddingmapper under San Juan. There were few suggestions there for venues, overall wedding experience, etc. You might find it helfpul

Becomingmrsjones, I am sure whatever you decide on will work out great! do you have venue narrowed down to few options? Marywil, the pics of Caribe Hilton weddings I've seen on local photographers blogs look beautiful!

wow thats a long post. I am just excited to find you all on this thread!

Apologies for bad spelling and bad grammar in my post above. My thoughts were obviously ahead of my typing, ha ha

I can't wait for our PR wedding.  Xmas eve 2011.  We're marrying on the beach, (isla de cabra) and reception is salon crystal in bayamon, our home town.  they only quoted me $30 a person, and that includes open bar for 6 hours with all types of drinks, beers, piña coladas etc.  champagne for toast, 2 menus buffet style, dj, tables and table clothes, heurderves (sp?) chair bows and room decorated with your colors, etc.  My aunts cousin had it there and i saw the pics and it was very nice, and my aunt said the food was good.  I have the photographer picked out, jose ruiz, google him and you can find his page or friend him on facebook.  He did my cousins wedding, and prices are great.  Sweet esthela does great cakes, friend them on facebook.  Oh I can't wait.  It's a xmas eve traditional wedding with pleneros, live salsa merengue bachata, xmas puerto rican food....

Magenta, in-laws house for reception? That's a great solution (I am seeing saving $$, symptom of wedding planning and budgeting!).

Brendamar, can I come to your wedding? Kidding, it just sounds so much fun! I'll have to google Sweet Esthela. I think I am getting slightly obsessed with the goal of having the best tasting dessert bar ever.

Mademoisell C Jolie, having wedding in 3rd location is what we are doing as well since a lot of our family and friends will be coming from different places, including Europe. I've heard that Punta Cana is gorgeous!

I am loving all of the conversation, it is super helpful!!!! I am finding my self getting frustrated with the time difference, the level of responsivness and the fact that I am just so far a way from PR and can't just go there and get everything done.  (Well, I could but that would significantly impact the overall budget.)

Anyway, we stayed at La Concha and loved it but I don't like any of the ceremony sites that they've shown us.  I've emailed them a several times to see if there were any other options but still waiting...

I just looked at El Convento and it looks really nice.  I also sent them an email yesterday and am waiting for a response.  I'm really interested in the outdoor patio restaurant.  I thought I also read something about a smaill chapel on the property, does anyone no anything about that?

What about the Condado Plaza?  The photos look geat.  The outdoor areas look fantastic.

We are also open to renting a house or villa, does anyone have any leads?  I found one that was amazing but it is about 2 hours from San Juan and the airport that is close is pretty small and has limited flights.

MrsJones, El Convento would definitely be a great choice. I think you can do ceremony in the inside courtyard, then cocktail hour near that patio, and reception in that patio (if available), or one of their lovely rooms. They were not available for our date, if they are available for you definitely consider them!

Marywil, I dont have pictures of Jajome but here is their  facebook link, you can look at their albums of different weddings. The selling point of that location is complete privacy and natural beauty of surroundings. Sara has been great to work with.But is outside of metro area, which can make a difference in vendor quotes.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cayey-Puerto-Rico/Jajome-Terrace-Salon-de-Actividades/141162905217?ref=ts

Another absolutely stunning location, if you dont mind going outside of SJ, is Hacienda Siesta Alegre. It is not cheap, but it would be absolutely worth it (at least judging from pictures)

Also, if you are able to afford a wedding planner, do it. We dont have one and I am starting to melt (and have panic attacks that my fiance has to deal with). I think in the end we will break down and get one at least for the day of, I already emailed for a quote. It does take a lot of patience, folllow up, and a lot of blind faith to go with the vendors you choose on your own. With full time work, everday fitness bootcamp (yup, gotta to squeeze into that dress), fixing up the house, I dont think I am enjoying wedding planning. That makes me sad.

Ok, somehow it turned into a vent, so I will stop :).

@ Iruska - If you can't find them on google, they have a fanpage on facebook.  let me know if you can't find it and i'll get his email from him.  he has done a couple of peoples cakes and I hear they are delicious.  He went to HS with my aunt, so I haven't met him personally but will do the cake testing later on this year when I take a trip home.  About dessert bar, I'm not sure, but if he doesn't do it, I'm sure he knows someone that does.  he's been featured on many many PR shows and has done cakes for their parties, galas etc. 

Shanibee, we are getting married during official hurricane season, at the beggining part of it. I am not concerned, but if you want estimate probability, I would look at the history of hurricanes in Jamaica, and what months they took place. That's how I calmed my fears. While every year is different and you simply can never have 100% guarantee, I think past pattern can at least give some type of an idea of odds. Maybe ask that question as well when you are contacting potential venues?

Good luck! :)

Shanibee, looks like you have a hurricane strategy :). Yeah, we are going to sweating in PR in June. But I'd still be there in June then back home ha ha. Our wedding is in the mountaneous area, so it will be slightly cooler. And for the rest of the trip we hope our guests will keep themselves cool by the pool with their drinks in their hands!

Does anyone know any good/relatively inexpensive day trips for our guests (20-25) from San Juan? :)

hey busy bees! I am loving all the info...

my parents are going to renew their vows in PR. I am so excited and cant wait to help my mom. so your ideas are awesome...any more ideas for  beach inexpensive and intimate family setting? I am loving all the advice!

hello ladies

so i finally had the courage to tell my mom and sister that i was getting married lol

i want a really small wedding beiing really shy i want somenthing really private 10 to 20 people max in the dominican republic wish me luck