is anyone NOT getting married at a resort??

Seems like everyone is going to AI route and I'm wondering if anyone else here is coordinating a wedding that's not at an AI? If so, I'm hunting for a good wedding planner in the Ocho Rios area, if anyone has experience with one that they would recommend, or share any feedback they have on non-AI venues they've considered for their ceremony and reception.

 

Thanks!!

I am using destinationweddings.com as my TA. While most of their business is with the resorts they also can help you set up an off resort ceremony. Check The Ruins in Ocho Rios. It is beautiful there and you can have your wedding and reception there. Also if you want to have your guests stay at an AI and have your reception somewhere else where you are free to make all the decisions you want, there are several places in Rose Hall where you can do this.

I am staying at ROR but my ceremony and reception are both offsite. I found a company online called triopicalweddingsjamaica.com They have plenty of options and packages. You can choose to get married on the beach (like me) oceanside, in a garden, in a church, etc. and the packages are customizable. I told her what amount I did NOT want to go over and she picked out a package that would suit us then we added and deleted items from the package at our will. So far, they have been great to work with.

 

I am not using them for the reception. I found a restaurant in Ocho Rios called Evitas and we are taking our group there. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

I have actually looked at the Ruins. I know the place well...and probably need to look at it from a "fresh" pair of eyes to see the potential. Which places in Rose Hall would you recommend? I have thought about the Hilton Rose Hall but hear from friends it's "just ok" and the food isn't all that great. Where specifically would you suggest?

I am using Michelle at weddingplannerplus.com - she is great and very reasonable with any budget. My mom and step-dad used her as well as my best friend. She can take a little while to respond to emails, but it is worth it!

 

Hope this helps!

Sorry - I also forgot to say that I am not getting married at a big resort. Michelle will help with finding an intimate location for the ceremony and reception.

Me too! Except we will be arriving by cruise ship for the day only. We are working with Tropical Weddings Jamaica, which I have found nothing but rave reviews on quite a few forums. It does seem like she over prices some of the items to make a larger profit, but I felt confident choosing her so it was worth it to us. Everyone talks about how great she (Almarie) is, she will answer my questions for the most part, but she has been very short with me and not all that "wonderful." Basically, I literally researched every nonresort option and this was the company I felt the most comfortable with based on reviews and pictures.

We will be having our lunch reception at Evita's. I can say nothing but good things about the owner, Eva. She is has been extremely helpful and very responsive. Good luck!

Yeah I would have to agree Almarie isn't overly friendly in our email coorespondence. I just don't get that excited tone in the emails from her....maybe it'll change once its closer to the date or when we actually meet. She has been very thorough and she's quick to respond and I agree about the overpriced stuff. I asked if she thought we would need fans for our guests due to the weather and she suggested purchasing some fans from them but they were like $13 a piece. Um, no thank you! lol

Eva has been great! she suggested someone for our cake and our centerpieces (tia flora) but tia flora is a little outside of our budget so I'm hoping she can recommend someone who's prices are a little less.

Did you already decide on your menu?

Well, at least I know that I am not the only one...I was beginning to think she had something against me. Yeah, $13/fan is ridiculous...definitely bring your own, we are. What bugs me about her packages are that they are for 10 guests, but these guests include the bride and groom. We will have near 40 people, so having to pay per head after 10 is adding up quickly. It seems overkill to charge $20 per guest for just a plastic chair with cover and sash for 15 minutes(maybe I am just cheap). Did you find the same thing to be true?

This is the menu we decided on, but we will probably eliminate the appetizers OR the soup and salad. It just all seems like a lot of food for lunch. We both don't like cake and icing, but love cheesecake. So instead of a wedding cake we will allow our guests to pick their dessert.

choice of one appetizer:
Gamberi cocktail
Mozzarella in Carrozza
Jamaica's viagra

choice of one of the following:
Zuppa del Giorna
Mista

choice of one entree:
Lasagna Rastafari
Jerk Spaghetti
Chicken Parmigiano
Fresh fish of the day

choice of one dessert:
cheese cake
tiramisu
Jamaican Bobsled pie

Yeah we are having the same issue. The price she quoted us for everyone after 10 is $25 and we are having between 40-50 people, hopefully no more than that because it does add up and we have to pay for everyone to get there too. Almarie quoted us $15 per person for transportation. LUCKILY I found Lee's. They are charging us $7 per person.

Your menu is pretty much like ours. We are doing two appetizers (conch & mozzarella) and one salad (mista) and then 3 entrees (chicken parmigano, jerk spaghetti, and fettucinni alfredo caribe) and then wedding cake.