JamaicaBrideToBe

Hi yes it is included. The Gazebo is one of the main options and definately the most popular. The flowers on the Gazebo were part of the free package, all that I paid for at the ceremony were the sashes on the chairs, videographer and the steel band. Most of our money went into the reception. The linen fabric is free.

Hi yes it is included. The Gazebo is one of the main options and definately the most popular. The flowers on the Gazebo were part of the free package, all that I paid for at the ceremony were the sashes on the chairs, videographer and the steel band. Most of our money went into the reception. The linen fabric is free.

I'm asking $700 for the dress. Best Offer for the shoes. Thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by jerzygirl85 That dress is gorgeous! I was looking at that designer's dresses, there are quite a few that I like. Yes they are extremely well made. I was a size 6 when I ordered it, then got pregnant and had a baby and was a size 8 at the wedding. The corset back is great for that!! There is boning in the dress that hides flaws!! The crystals were gorgous being that we were outside, I wanted something that would still glitter, but not be too hot! It's great for destination!

Hi everyone, I have attached pictures of the dress for you to see. It is called the Anastasia, and it is absolutely beautiful. I have drycleaned it and it is in pristine condition. It is a Champagne dress with white lace covered in swarovski. The shoes were worn from my hotel room to the beach and the rest of the day I was in bare feet or flats - in other words, I paid $275 for them to wear for 10 minutes - my loss is your gain They are size 8, Grace Silk in Ivory - will add a color picture as soon as I can. The dress is size 10 Bridal but fits true to size 6 or 8 as it is a corset style. I'm 5'9 and did not require a hem. Here's a link to the Maggie Site http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?style=J1083 Please email or pm me if you are interested [email protected]

We spent about 200 on tips while down there for 2 weeks. Not including anything to do with the wedding. For Chandlyn we gave 50 and a bottle of perfume, 50 for Niki, and a mug for her and Niki. We gave each Bartender at our reception 10.00 plus our guests rounded up a very hefty tip for them too...it helped that they knew them and liked them from previous nights. They knew us by name the rest of the trip. We tipped each server at our reception 20.00 and they knew us the whole time as well. Throughout the resort, we left 2-3.00 a day for the maid, 5.00 the day after the wedding cause it was a mess. We gave about 10.00 when 4 of us went to Mammee Bay for dinner. After a night with the bartenders they usually gave about 10.00. Breakfast Buffet I would leave a dollar or two depending if we got service (sometimes they will bring your drinks and coffee, other times they are too busy cleaning up) At the dinner buffet we usually left 5.00 but that was a table of 4-6. At the Spa I gave 5.00 for my mani/pedi and 20.00 for my hair - which is a lot but she did an amazing job and she was very nice, then I found out she was prego which brought my original 10 to 20 instead - I have a 7 month old. Needless to say, some of our other guests didn't tip so much and some tipped more. At the end of the day your experience will be great no matter what. We like to help the locals out wherever I can, it makes us feel good. Also, we didn't tip to get in to a restaurant - that's just odd. We only tipped the front desk after we got upgraded due to being bride and groom. That was not expected and we did that discreetly as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by diana31 Great Review....Thanks for sahring! Do you remember the name of the person who did your hair? I want to make sure I get her. It was probably Nikki, she seems to be the one that everyone is happy with the results. She's the thinner one with the glasses. The second lady is Melrose, she's a little bigger lady.

WELCOME BACK GIRL!!! It was nice meeting you down there! Congrats to being a Mrs. now as well. So, a bit of after advice coming home to the cold, it takes about a week to get out of Jamaica mode - all of us were out of it at work Monday morning and it took til Thursday to get into work again. Sounds like you had a wonderful time!! I can't wait to see your pictures!!!

Here ya go!!

The link to the photographers website is CORRINA WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Quote: Originally Posted by jmb0902 Thank you SO much for your review! I have a couple of questions for you -- 1. Was your photographer a private one? How much was she? Also, it looks like your pics weren't all on one day or at different locations ( I might be wrong)... was it more to do that? Any info on this part would be appreciated! 2. Were your flowers provided by ROR or did you bring them? Are they real or silk? 3. Was the cake upgraded or is that the one you get? Thanks in advance! 1. Yes she was my own photographer. She is the cost of a 1 week trip which in my case was 2100CDN and 1000.00CDN from that I had the whole wedding day covered from getting ready to end of reception. We also did the trash the dress the next day, we went to the old market in Ocho Rios and then to Dunn's River and then to the Beach at the bottom of Dunn's River, trash the dress took us about 4 hours total. 2. Flowers are a very high quality silk, they are amazing and look completely real. I got flowers, boutenniers, and flower petals for the tables from her. 3. The cake was an upgrade yes and it was also Rum Cake (Excellent!) decorated the cost was 650US.

Quote: Originally Posted by hardlyanangel You have been such a BIG help! Thank-you. I do have a couple more questions. Where on the resort is the beach gazeebo located? And which pool is the poolside reception held at? The smaller pool beside Mammee Bay restaurant? Also the beach party the Riu puts on Sat night? Where is it held at? Thanks Again! No problem!!! The beach gazebo is at the far end of the resort opposite the planatation. It's closer to Mammee Bay but it's still a good 4 minute walk from there, which is nice because it's in an area no one is around. There is a set of stairs that all the brides walk down to go to the Beach Gazebo, the pool is right at the top of those stairs, where you see those big white arches is where they do the reception - it's directly in front of the Reggae Bar. No person has to cut accross this area to get to their rooms so it's very private for the entire night. The beach party is held in that same area in front of Sea Grape.

Quote: Originally Posted by KHarrod Does Chandlyn submit the application for the marriage license or it that something that we have to do in advance? Chandlyn does this for you, you just send her the paperwork and be sure she has it approx 1 month in advance. I didnt even get mine notarized, I scanned our passports, ID's and DL's and emailed to her and asked her to reply that she rec'd everything, she said to bring the originals just in case but she didn't need them.

Quote: Originally Posted by AnnaC Great review! We're planning on taking our baby to the wedding as well. From your review and the pictures it seems that this was not problematic for you. Not at all, there's actually a lot of babys there. We brought our stroller everywhere on the resort. Bring twice as much wipes as you would normally use though. Our group had 5 babys and all of us ran out! There is a supermarket if you need anything and they have all of the usual brands, I was phycho mom and shipped every medication, diaper, food, and bottles necessary just in case and I really could have just picked them up there. I brought some pediatric electrolite because of the heat, gave him some every day and he didn't get sick at all. Also, you need a baby carrier in Ocho Rios, strollers won't work in the streets.

Quote: Originally Posted by kitty_kat_uk your photo's are fab, you looked stunning. The poolside reception - do you have to pay for this, if so how much is it? Thanks! Yes you do, it's considered a private reception so you get your own location, servers and bar with bartenders. It's $55US per person. If you read previous posts you will see more info on this as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by diana31 Wow, I loved the pictures. I do have one question. What address did you mail the decorations to ahead of time. My wedding is 2-21-2009 and Im getting a bit nervous about traveling with all my decorations. I sent my wedding supplies through Air Canada Cargo, I had a lot - we had 50 out of town bags, 72 mugs, 12 centerpieces, 180 candleholders, candles, and I also sent a whole lot of baby stuff, formula, food, diapers to have while we were there as we weren't allowed much weight on the plane. I'm sure if you call your cargo places you can do the same, you just have to get a cab and pick them up. I was fortunate cause we had family do it for us.

Quote: Originally Posted by sarah.cullen Hi congrats on your wedding day, you looked so beautiful, am delighted you had a great time. I have a question, another bride on here stayed in a junior suite but apparently they had to pay to eat at the A la carte restaurants inc. Mammee bay, did you have any problems there? Congrats again Sarah x The standard rooms will get you in to all of the restaurants, you just have to reserve right away as they book 4 days in advance and they book up quick. A jr. suite and suite will get you into 2 more restaurants the Japanese and Sir Johns - we didn't go to either on our visit though. We went to Mammee Bay twice and Mandalay Bay (asian) once and had no problems, nor did it seem like any others did - just make sure you reserve.

Quote: Originally Posted by Scott-Pierre Congrats! Your pics were great! You and your husband are a beautiful couple and your little boy is gorgeous! I think you have also changed my mind about the seagrape! Did the $55/pp cover the bar/bartender as well? Did you have any trouble getting reservations to the restaurants on the resort? Did you have to tip to get in? How much did you pay for your hair to be done the morning of the wedding? Was all of your wedding party satisfied with the spa services? Yup the $55 covers everything but your table centerpieces or extra flowers/cake etc. They do all of the decorating, provide the white folding chairs (I did the sashes on all of the chairs for $2 a piece and that covered ceremony and move to reception) provide the servers (for 110 people we had 6. Bartenders, we had 3. As well as the take down. The restaurants book 4 days ahead, you pretty much have to go to the girl at the desk as soon as you arrive to book your dinners - you can expect to get a reservation for about 3 nights later depending how busy the hotel is. I haven't heard anything about tipping to get in, but we never tried or cared - the food at St. Ann's was quite good, the night they had the lobster tails we went there instead of our reservation. Mammee Bay is worth going though, we went there 2x in our 2 week stay. I booked my appt's at the spa months ahead and you have to pay 50% at that time. My hair is quite long and the 105.00 US covered it. I brought my own little decorative pins. My wrap was 92.00 and the french mani was 36 french pedi 42. All of us were happy with our hair. The mani's and pedi's were alright, when I get them done at home (for less cost) my feet are baby's bum smooth - these were just alright, but my French Manicures were great, I already know that french polish only lasts a day or two so I went in to Ochi and had a lady just paint my toes for $5.

Quote: Originally Posted by MoKe0506 I forgot to ask a question, do you know if they cut men's hair at the spa? My FI has asked me this a million times. If not, do you remember seeing any near by barbershops while you were in town? Yup, all of my guys went to the Barbershop in the morning, there was 12 that went. They were excellent too. The Barber shop is right accross from the laundrymat in that same plaza next to the craft market. There is also a ladies salon 2 doors down where my hubby went to get his hands and feet cleaned up. I also went to get my feet done after the wedding, they were excellent there too. 500 Jamaican for a cut and 300 Jamaican for a line up. About 10US.

Quote: Originally Posted by nscaper Is anyone aware of any reasons that milk may or may not be safe for a 2 year old in Jamaica? We now have one child travelling with us and the parents had questions and I did not have answers? Thanks! They do have milk available at all of the restaurants. It tastes so much better than anything Ive ever had as well. There were about 12 or so people that loved it. Plus, they give you warm milk in your coffee every morning. Its safe.

The local towns are safe, and just to make that point clear they are heavily policed as well. We just got back from our wedding and spent every other day in Ocho Rios, went to a night club there as well...there are a lot of tourists that head out it's not out of the norm. The local people were very friendly to me, saying hello in passing. I would stay away from Kingston in the evenings - not so much that your in danger but there is always the danger of cross fire if there is something going on in the streets. I'll tell you, I went to Spanish Town where my husband grew up and literally I was the only white person there. And Spanish Town is big for Jamaica. No one looked at me any different though, I was travelling with family. Needless to say, as Erin states above, don't make senseless choices and if they are not comfortable, then don't leave the coziness of your resort.

Quote: Originally Posted by hardlyanangel Congratulations on your Wedding and Thank you so much for you review. I do have a budget question regarding the poolside reception, supper. We have approx 70 guests and I really like what I've seen of your pictures and the review about the privacy and would like to try and do the same. Right now we have the Seagrape booked for reception but I think changing it to poolside might be the way to go. Just looking for a break down in costs if you don't mind. The private receptions are 55US per head. And there is no budging on that price as we tried! That includes set up and take down, meals, servers and bartenders. I brought my own centerpieces (shipped them ahead of time) but if you are buying from Tai Flora I would budget about 100 per piece. The round tables can seat from 8-10 people depending how you want it. We did 8 to give people more room. I did a tall arrangement of Lily's at the guest book table which was 80US, I brought a small memory frame and put a bunch of childhood pictures on it for people to see, that was a hit. Chandlyn supplied me with an extension cord. DJ is expensive, we used his equipment for 100/hr I believe to use him as well is 150/hr. With that amount of people though it's well worth it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jill Hey Congrats!! I am having a poolside reception in April so I am very happy to see the reception looked beautiful!! Sets my mind at ease. Just one question did you have your own DJ or the resort DJ?? How was he and his music?? Also can you comment on the buffet dinner.. I have the menu and I also know there is a salad bar. But would love to know what you thought of the food?? Thanks again! It was beautiful, Chandlyn asked me to send her my pictures just because it was so beautiful. The pictures don't even do it justice because we were lit up with candlelight, tiki torches a few up lights and lights at the bar....once you take a picture the flash changes the look. But you get the idea. The food was excellent, we did the buffet Jamaican Menu and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. They had it set up along the side bushes and flowers - the only thing none of us thought of was proper lighting at the food stations, people had to really look to see what they were eating - but that's about it. Like I said, there were 6 servers for our group that attended to the head table of 13 and the parents table of 7 and attended to drinks as well. We did have our own DJ but used the DJ's equipment, however the DJ - Prince is his name, is very good if you like modern dance, r&b and reggae which is what is played in the disco. Since that is the music we listen too I didn't ask about anything else, but he uses CD mixers so if you are wanting specific songs just bring it with you to be safe.

Pool View, Plantation is the blue building on the right Plantation, the wedding receptions take place on that top floor Beach Reception Area (directly in front of Sea Grape) Seagrape Bar View down to beach reception (from where main stage is located) Dunns River Bar - directly above Sea Grape in front of main stage Dunns River and open area - directly below is the beach reception

Hi everyone, we have been back home for a couple of days and Im finally getting settled in. Feel free to ask any questions. We flew Sunquest from Canada direct to Jamaica. We had a 2.5 hour delay getting out of here so it set our arrival from 7:55am to 10:30am. The airport was fairly straight forward, we got our bags and got on our bus and off we went. The buses are not all that organized, they didn't have a list of names or even a count of people, but that's sort of the start of a mind set you will soon learn. The driver was hilarious, and we also had a helper in the back that sat with the luggage and enternained those of us at the back, also noted landmarks along the way. The drive is not bad at all. They will stop at a stand but unless you don't mind spending more than you are used to then I would wait the extra half hour and get a red stripe at the hotel. Check in was very simple, we got in on a Saturday, everything was there waiting for us. There is a line up to get your room number and then a second line up to get your key, you will then tag your luggage with your room number and they will bring your bags to your room. I called Chandlyn to let her know we were here. We were going to meet that day but she was very busy and we arrived late (we were going to meet right away) it was actually a good thing cause we were tired. We did meet later on around 6pm to go over everything, we had all of our decisions already noted over email so basically it was confirming details and number of guests on and off the resort, literally took about 10 min. We had to confirm numbers with her so she gave us an idea on price based on our estimated 108 guests and said to confirm it with her on Monday and we would pay her at that time as well. She was great, very calm and collected for the amount of work that she actually does. Her office is huge in order to accomidate anything that brides bring. We were able to bring up all of our centerpieces, candles, programs, fans etc. I just put a note on them as to what goes where and left them with her on Monday night. Our first room was in building 3, which surrounds the pond gazebo. The room was beautiful, we had a full and true King Size bed and another Double bed (I think this is because we booked as 2 adults and 1 infant with a 6 month old)The next day we went to the front desk and politely asked if we could have a room upgrade, they asked what room we were currently in and said that they could but we would have to come back tomorrow morning. We went back at 9am and the person we spoke to was busy checking in some guests and apolized and said to come back at 1 and he will have something for us. So we did, and he gave us a room key to go over to building 1 and take a look at a room. Building 1 overlooks the beach gazebo, for a smaller wedding party or a bride and groom that want to be away from their guests this would be a beautiful spot. The room was a Jr. Suite and it was very pretty, however, with all that we brought having a baby and with 5 bridesmaids and a flower girl to get ready on our day we would need something a little bigger. We went back to him and thanked him, told him it was gorgous but if there is a possibility to get something a bit bigger we would really appreciate it. We did follow to let him know that our wedding is 100+ people, he then gave us another room key, this time in building 2 which is right in the center of the resort. We got a suite this time, it was perfect, very large, and a huge wrap around balcony with a beautiful view. We went back and thanked him. My fiance asked him for an envelope and gave him $50 back for thanks - this was not something he expected and he was very grateful to us the whole time we were there. Our friends and family for the most part were in building 2 as well, so it was a treat to just be a stones through from everyone. They were all very happy with their rooms, the few that had complaints (1 had ants around the kitchen area and one had a sewer smelling bathroom) asked to get moved and the hotel moved them the next day. I will say, we would have been fine in a standard room - I wouldn't pay to upgrade, the jr suite is not much bigger and you barely spend any time in your room. Our wedding was Tuesday, January 6th. Myself and 2 of my girls as well as my Mom booked a mani and pedi at the spa, it wasn't great, but it was good enough for pictures. The morning of the wedding I had an appointment for a body wrap at 9am and my Mom and 1 of the girls had an appt to get their hair done. I LOVED the wrap and would have taken that over a massage any day. It included a full body scrub, the wrap to lay nice and cozy and make your skin silky soft and then full lotion applied - it took an hour and a half. Next I went to see Niki for my up do and my MOH saw Melrose - I didn't have a pic or an idea of what I wanted, I trusted her to do my hair as I have read so many great reviews I didn't even worry. All I said was I wanted it all up and out of my face, she did a beautiful job and it stayed put the entire day. I also found out that she is pregnant - so I promised her at the end of my stay I would come and give her all of my baby stuff left over from my 6 month old. I did, and she was so greatful. Then comes the wedding day - I will note that my husband is a born Jamaican and moved to Canada at age 13. He still has family in Jamaica as well as family here that flew down to attend but did not stay at the hotel. Of 108 guests there were 35 staying at the hotel, the remaining guests came on a $50 day pass. Well if there is anything to know about Jamaicans - they are NEVER and I repeat NEVER on time. Our time slot was 2pm and I made sure they all knew that this time they have to be on time as there is a wedding scheduled for 4. Well, Chandlyn called at 10 to 2 and asked if we were ready, she said she will head down at 2 to see how many people are at the gazebo. Geez....she called and said there were 5 people!!! I had a bit of a breakdown, but gave it a few minutes, fixed my make up and had a shot of rum with my girls (seriously!) and I came to terms with it. She said we can give it some time, anyway, she called at 2:45 and said Nikki was on her way to get us. So, we made our way down, walking down the hallway I see my husbands Dad doing circles in the lobby and about 15 of our male friends sitting at the bar having a drink. They were all smiles when they saw me, I asked them what the heck they were doing and they said waiting for me!!! anyways, they got to the site...the ceremony was beautiful in the end. We did red ribbons on the chairs, the standard flowers (birds of paradise) and the white tulle. We had the steel drum band as well as the videographer. The minister did a great job and led us through the Sand Ceremony perfectly. At the end of the day it was as good as it gets. Unfortunatly, we had to get out of the area right away, we did have drinks set up for a toast but since they were so late we had to clear out so they could set up for the next wedding. We started our pictures from there and did a 20 minute touch up and off to our reception we went. My girls all went down to check the set up prior to guests arriving. They did it PERFECT!!! Exactly what I asked for. The poolside reception was perfect, the location was romantic and private. We had a DJ and equipment, we had buffet meal but the bridal party and parents table was served. There were servers to handle drinks and we also had a champagne toast. The cake was beautiful - we ordered Rum cake which is a traditional jamaican cake - it was perfectly done and there were hopes that everyone could take some home they loved it so much. You can see by the pictures how the head table was set up, keep in mind we also had 12 tables, 6 on either side. Ever single person was very impressed. We went on to the Disco at about 12pm, many of the people called it a night but there was about 20 or so that shut the place down, it was a great night. Hotel food was quite good, we ate at St. Ann's more often than not, the Jamaican Corner is really good, especially if you are familiar with Jamaican dishes or at least willing to try something new. Througouht the week they have a different feature each night. 2x we were there they had lobster tails, and 2 other times they had seafood dishes cooking in the hallway as well. We had Mammee Bay twice and it was excellent, the snapper and the steak were impressive. We had Mandalay Bay and it was alright. We didn't make it to any of the other restaurants. The last week there though we really started to get sick of the food, there is a hole in the wall restaurant in Ochi called Mom's Homestyle Restaurant - if you want some really good authentic jamaican food it's worth going, just know that it is nothing fancy, just good food. The average dish is about 5US. We went there the last 4 nights in Jamaica, it's a popular spot for tourists that ask for a place to get authentic food. They treat you very well. If you are in town and you hear the whistle - thats the peanut man, he's selling roasting peanuts and it costs 50 Jamaican Dollars for a bag - it's a treat!! They call him Nutsy. Also, if you find the Jerk Chicken drum, that is the most authentic Jerk Chicken you will find anywhere - it has a smoked taste to it because of the drum they cook it in, that was 250 Jamaican Dollars, they give it to you wrapped in tin foil and you can take it back to the hotel or eat it on the street. They call him Jerky. Man, I love Jamaica. We went to Ocho Rios and Dunn's River to do our Trash the Dress the next day - I'm very impressed with our results, might I add, my dress is cleaner now than it was the evening of our wedding. There was a cruise ship in so we couldn't go past the top but that was okay We then went to the beach at the bottom of the falls to get our beach shots done. We did have our own photographer and to be honest I'm so impressed with her pictures that I am very glad we did. The videographer did a great job as well. The DVD will be nice to show our friends and family who couldn't make it. So, outside of the wedding stuff thought I would share a few pointers. We stayed for 2 weeks, with a 6 month old. We had a lot of laundry that needed to get done, the hotel charges a stupid amount (2-7US per piece) there is a laundrymat in Ocho Rios that you can take your clothes to, drop them off and go to the market while you wait, pick them up and get your cab back. We did a large load of whites and a large load of darks and it came to 1350Jamaican which is about 16.00US. A cab should cost you about 25-30 for a return trip, they will drop you off and then you give them a time to pick you up in the same spot. They are in the yellow shopping complex near the supermarket. The craft markets will really jack the price on tourists, you can be comfortable paying 1/2 or less what they are asking for. Your best bet is to go to the Cambio exchange and get Jamaican money and pay for as much as you can that way. When I was there last week the US exchange was .80 - that's a very good rate. There is a Cambio right on the main street in front of the craft market. If I can give an opinion about the Seagrape reception. There was a few going on while I was there. They set up and look beautiful but unless you have a DJ with loud speakers I don't know how you can not get annoyed with the sound of the evening show in the background, plus there isn't much privacy since you are right below one of the main evening bars and onlookers really do just sit there and stare. Plantation is more private but I did notice that there can be a few weddings going on at once. Not sure how that sits with other brides, I'm sure they set it up well but I couldn't tell just by looking. Myself and a few other friends got sand flea bites too. Also, for the 2 weeks we were there. The morning would start out cloudy and start to get really nice around 11ish, from there around 3-4 it would start to get cloudy and grey again. However, regardless of sun or cloud every day was comfortable. Here's a link to my pictures so far. This is just a few of what is coming. I should be receiving my disk from my photographer where I can post more pics of the reception as I know people were interested. CORRINA WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY :: Client Login password is: jamaica I'll also post the requested pics of the pond gazebo and locations around the resort. If anyone has any budgeting questions I can help there as well. I'll be selling my Angel's Bouquets if anyone is interested - I have the Bridal bouquet and 3 bridesmaids bouquets in the tropical burst. I'll also be selling my dress and shoes, if anyone is interested message me.