VIP Vacations Inc.

"We decided to use the Majestic Elegance as the backdrop for our Happily Ever After. Picturesque, great hospitality, family and adult atmosphere, this place had it all."

Majestic Elegance Destination Wedding Review

Dear Nicole and VIP Vacations Team,

The Linares Family would like to thank all of you for you awesome hard work and the amazing team that continues to grow. For starters, we would like to nominate Ryan Donsencz as our MVP. He did a great job keeping us abreast of the many attendees/vacationers in our party. A special shout out to Jennifer Doncsecz, Nicole Acevedo, and Liz Moran for all of their communication and hard work as well! Thanks to VIP, we had the Destination Wedding of our dreams.

Using VIP:

We decided to use the Majestic Elegance as the backdrop for our Happily Ever After. Picturesque, great hospitality, family and adult atmosphere, this place had it all. We begin this story though not in Punta Cana, but in Neptune, NJ, where Alissa and I live. It started with a phone call to VIP and chatting with Jennifer Doncsecz over a year ago. We knew that we were coming short on time and had been vetting different agencies to help with planning Alissa’s Big Day. We were stuck between two different agencies but something visceral felt right about VIP.

Being very analytical, we had to look at the pro’s and con’s of what each place was offering to help with with.  Finally, in the end the great deals that VIP offered is what won us over! Especially with timing of being able to lock in the Delta Flight promotion.

Finally, we made our decision together and checked one thing off our long list (it really wasn’t that long, 5 things at most, at least it felt that way). As we continued the process, we settled on a date and started to cross of tasks.  While Alissa started the countdown, we frantically started to finalize invitations; choosing the right font, the right paper, the monograms, and the style of invites.

Media Scares and the DR

Also, I forgot to mention how clutch the Save the Dates were, which VIP took care of! 😉 Things were progressing and the days started to draw ever closer and seemed to be going by faster too! Ryan updated us on our room reservations, one by one, week by week.  At the same time, my lovely bride to be, was juggling getting her MBA and working full time and then the infamous DR scandal broke. First, there were horrifying reports about alleged attacks and abuse.  Additionally, there were the reports of mysterious deaths from alcohol and food poisoning.

After some time, I started researching, and I found out some interesting things like how these incidents occurred in different months and years and how they were unrelated…little did I know, the folks at VIP were doing the same thing. WINNING! Of course, being the good fiance, I panicked on behalf of Alissa, because she really didn’t have the time or energy to do so, so I called Ryan. Thankfully, he turned into Jack Ryan, and presented me with some facts to help ease my fears, like any CIA Operative could do.

Since we got that awesome Delta Promotion for our flight, we decided to spring for an upgrade to First Class. I could get use to that lifestyle. Four Bourbons later, we were landing in sunny and hot DR. With a short transfer to our hotel, we were greeted with cool towels, drinks, and the first of our 74 guests.  While everyday came with its own set of challenges, we made it through each unscathed.

The Wedding:

Finally we arrived at our Wedding Day. On Friday, July 19th, 2019, the day began with great weather and plenty of sun. Katherine, our wedding coordinator from Majestic (who is also an amazing coordinator) began her rounds with setting up everything. Juan, our photographer arrived around 10AM, just in time for the ladies of the wedding party, to document the beauty process and the tender moments that Alissa was sharing with her father.

After taking some pictures and video, I was ready for the next step. I look at my watch and to everyone’s dismay, I was on time for once. The guests were making their way down to the beach.   Alissa calls me and tells me to call Katherine to make a final decision…on a plan B for our reception. Looks like rain is in the forecast at the same time as the start of the reception. I call Katherine and make the executive decision to move the party inside an open air pavilion.

Few! That was the hardest part of the day. Finally we are able to commence with the ceremony.

Everyone takes their places and the procession begins. I start it off with my beautiful mother on my right arm and my handsome father on my left arm. As we near the gazebo on the beach, my mother starts to let her tears fly into the ocean…and so does everyone else watching. “Stop mom, you’re going to make me cry.” I managed to hold back the flow but a few tears escape my toughness. The rest of the wedding party proceeds and then finally the moment everyone is waiting for: Alissa’s grand entrance with her Father and mother. With my back to the whole event, I wait for Jason, our officiant, to tell me when to turnaround to see my Bride for the first time in her dress. He gives me the nod and without hesitation, I turnaround. I am floored!

My bride was absolutely stunning her gorgeous, white dress with her long flowing train behind her. I step down and shake her father’s hand and take his daughter to the altar. As we commenced with the ceremony, we performed the rites and rituals, including assembly of a Unity Cross. As we came upon the ending, we proceeded to exchange our vows with as much emotion as the tides bring the waves onto shore.

Just like the water flowing in the background so did the tears of everyone behind us. Love was truly in the air and everyone was feeling it. Naturally, I was ready to leave the tears behind and ready to get the party started. Alissa and I continued with our picture taking by Juan and his assistant while the cocktail hour commenced.

The Reception:

Once we got back, it was reception time. The magic continued as Katherine greeted us and got the festivities underway. The service was impeccable…every time Alissa’s cup was halfway down or almost empty, it was filled right back up with anyone asking. Dinner was served and for the few bambinos (kids) who were looking for some more comfort, found them in the form of chicken tenders, which were not on the menu nor was the ice cream that they somehow found. In good fashion, the help were enjoying our wedding reception just as much as we were and that is how we like it, everyone enjoying themselves with us.

We danced and danced until the very end of the night all the while having a cigar roller roll fresh ones with our names on the band (a nice touch, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you get a good deal). As the realization that the party was ending and our life together was beginning, we felt that we just experienced the most dreamy and best experience we have ever had in our life. All in all, our wedding was picture perfect and we couldn’t have done it without all the help and love of everyone especially VIP Vacations, Majestic Elegance, and all the other vendors we utilized.

Stay tuned for the excerpt on the Honeymoon to Italy…

-Kristian Linares

Team VIP!

Kris truly did an amazing job putting all of our feelings and experiences into that email, but I must say myself how thankful we were for your services. Jenn for dealing with our 1000 questions in the beginning and being so patient, Liz for being so available and helpful through the guest booking process and calming our nerves as we neared the big day, and Ryan we couldn’t have done this without you! Ryan everything you said to us may have not seemed like a big moment but it always left Kris and me to feel better from our conversation and excited to continue the adventure ahead. To say our stress level was so minimized from the entire team is an understatement! We can’t thank you enough.

Italy definitely deserves its own email, as it was truly amazing. So more to come!

Enjoy some photos of the wedding (and dogs) below!

So much love!

Alissa

P.S. Please forward to all the other VIP Team Members who were involved. Thanx!