Tropical Imaging

Here are some recent weddings, one at GBC, and another at Seven Stars: http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/06/turks-caicos-grace-bay-club-kortney-kelseys-wedding/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/06/wedding-mimi-rob-part-2/ Hope that helps Krys

Hi Karey, Sorry to hear about the problems with the Gansevoort. I will ask my husband tonight about music restrictions at Grace Bay Club, but I know I have shot weddings there well past 11pm and music was going strong. They may have an 11pm or 12pm cutoff because they don't want to disturb guests in the late hours. We do lots of weddings there, so I don't think it's an unreasonable restriction if there is one. Otherwise, brides would not book! I like the locations of GBC and Seven Stars, because it's a lot more convenient for guests to go to shops/restaurants/grocery stores etc without having to have taxis or rental cars. You also have Ocean Club West and Villa Del Mar by these properties if you have any guests that are looking for a lower cost option and yet they still can be close by. If you want an idea of basic room rates, check out www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc . They keep all of the hotel/villa information on island and sometimes have better rates than the hotel web site and keep up to date on all of the current deals going on. Just a heads up as well, Next weekend the island is PACKED for the 4th of July weekend. I have talked to numerous people in the hotels this week and we are really surprised to be this busy late into the season. Just know if you don't get an immediate response, they may be running about quite a bit. But if you don't hear back within a few days, email again! Let me know if you have any other questions on the island and I'll try to help out! Krys

The best way to search in the T&C is www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc (I have no affiliation with them, they are just known on island as the place to get the best service and best deals and have everything in one place) They have all of the hotels/resorts listed on one site and they keep up to date information of all booking specials. Pretty much any of our main resorts should be able to m 100 guests. The most popular here are The Regent Palms, Grace Bay Club, The Somerset, The Gansevoort, The Sands, Ocean Club/Ocean Club West, Seven Stars, West Bay Club and we have a few more. You can check our blog listed below for what weddings look like at each of the resorts. If you have any other questions on resorts feel free to ask me, I have lived here 16 years and am happy to help. Krys

The Miami PO Box is our reliable mail service and we'll get that in the next week or so! Thanks! ..It's the Turks and Caicos PO Box that has the issues (we very rarely give that out to anyone off island, it's mainly used for items on island and a few other things). Take care!!! Krys

That is still in process, we have yet to hear that it is final and a "done deal" and usually when those things happen it's a good 6 months to a year before a change over (as well as any construction or room changes Beaches may make) with current reservations being honored.

Check out "the Islands" in the forum navigation button, that has a lot of information about the T&C with brides reviews and hotel references etc! Krys

It's best to send things via email here. You won't find a mailing address as regular mail coming down here is not the best option. We personally have Turks and Caicos PO Box for a few things but I literally could get something 4 weeks from when it was sent up to 11 months later (I actually got a Christmas card last week! and that is the norm not an exception). The worst is when some well meaning friend decides to send you cookies and they arrive after 8 months and are stamped with locations around the world LOL (true story happened to one of our friends a while back). We also use a mail service which people send things to a box in the US and then it is brought down on a plane once a week. My guess is that Beaches probably has T&C mail sent to a stateside office and then sent down. You may want to check with the Florida coordinator on mail. Krys

Next door to Beaches to the East is The Veranda, it's all inclusive, brand new, and probably a bit less (condo style rooms with full kitchens), on the other side of the Veranda is The Alexandria and that is also Condo style rooms but not all inclusive (many go to the grocery store and just eat out for lunch or dinner and fix other meals in their room. I would think the Alexandria is an even better rate than the Veranda. To the west you have Turks and Caicos Club and Coral Gardens...all are quick walks along the beach to Beaches. Tell them to check www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc for rates etc. They are locally based, have all of the specials all of the resorts are running and even a few you won't find anywhere else, as well as they have all of the resorts listed in one place you can compare. (I have no interest or relationship with this company, they just really do a great job and it's nice to have it all on one website!). Hope that helps! Krys

Hi Amy! welcome! The Caribbean is a huge area and islands/countries are vastly different in terms of costs, activities available, access etc. Probably the best way to start is to tell us what you envision your wedding to be. For example, do you want to be on a white sandy beach to get married or maybe in a beautiful tropical garden setting. Do you like more water/snorkeling/diving/boating type activities? or would you love to tour waterfalls, do jungle tours or visit old caribbean or mexican towns. Are you looking for a ton of activities or just quiet? Looking for lots of nightlife? casinos? or not? All inclusive? Villa? Condo style hotel? Where are you flying in from (as well as your guests) flight access, costs and time spent flying are important to consider as well? Tell us what you and your Fiance are dreaming of and maybe we can start to narrow it down for you. You probably won't find everything you are looking for, but I bet you can find something that meets a lot of your requirements. Just a little about me, I live in the Turks and Caicos Islands (for the past 15 years) and have traveled a bit through the Caribbean. The T&C islands are known for their white sand beaches and clear blue water (we have no mountains or jungles). We are very quiet, not tons of nightlife, and do not have tons of tourists like many of the other destinations. We do tend to be higher priced than many destinations which keeps traffic low here. Mexico is a very popular destination on the boards as is Jamaica. There are many all inclusive resorts to choose from in those countries. Once you have narrowed down countries, I would suggest emailing one of the Travel Agents on this forum who specialize in your chosen destination, I have always read great reviews about their help with brides! Happy Planning! Krys

Northwest Point resort is WAY out there...I haven't been there in a few years, but it would be in the category of cheap and cheerful, and not the caliber of resorts in Grace Bay. The restaurant is not open very often or at all anymore (not sure as I don't know anyone who has been out there in a while and 2-3 years ago, the resort was looking a bit worn.) You will have to come into town for restaurants/food/groceries/excursions, and look at a 25-35 minute drive (vs 5 minutes in Grace Bay (the exception would be Amanyara which is about a 20 minute ride west, very nice hotel and beach but the road to there is not paved and rough. The beach at NWP resort is on the North side like grace bay but because there is a lot of turtle grass in the water around the Northwest Point area, there is a lot of grass/seaweed wash up on the beach. unless someone is raking it a couple times a day, it gets a bit messy. It is not the pristine beach like Grace Bay. Unless you are staying at Beaches you will find the resorts on Grace Bay pretty quiet (unless it is Easter Break or Christmas Break). That seems to be why people keep on coming back to the T&C because Grace Bay is low key and not crowded. Personally, I wouldn't do NWP resort for a wedding, but that is my own opinion based on distance/convenience/beach (I was there some a while back because we had friends that rented a condo there and my kids would go for playdates/bday parties, they moved closer into Grace Bay). However I haven't been there in a few years so I can't comment on condition of the resort now and if they have upgraded the rooms/restaurant etc. We have not had a wedding there that I know of.... Hope that helps. Krys

Most of our boudoir brides choose to put the session in an album (a little black book) to give to their grooms on the wedding day. Here is an example with a photo of the album on the day http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/05/sexy-bride/ Although I do know a few clients who have put some collages of photos in their dressing room walk in closet/bathroom area. Krys

Stop looking at the weather reports! I will repeat myself, Stop looking at the weather reports! Our weather is really funny here and we rarely get a wash out kind of day (except for the rare hurricane). In the past week we have had rain but about 15-20 minutes worth and then hot sun, clear blue skies etc. It can literally be pouring down at my friends house 2 miles away and clear blue skies at my house. This morning we woke up to rain on the south side of the island (for about 30 minutes, but I can see the north side (grace bay) has clear blue skies and all nice and dry. We've had less than 6 inches of rain this year....you'll be fine. Andy shot a wedding on Saturday where the skies opened up an hour before the wedding and then had a gorgeous ceremony....the blog photos are here so you can see for yourself http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/05/turks-caicos-regent-palms-casey-tonys-wedding/ So, first, Breathe...second, STOP LOOKING AT the WEATHER REPORTS! and third don't worry about things you can't control. The weather will be what it will be, but I promise you will have a lovely day if you just enjoy it! Krys

Just to chime in, we don't hold dates for anyone until a deposit is paid. It's first deposit come first booked. I know we had a bride here a while back that thought that by talking to us, we were "holding" her date and was surprised when the photographer she wanted was already booked. You can choose your photographer when paying your deposit and that is locked on the calender (as long as they are not already booked). We do have brides on the books for 2012 already and we've had quite a few dates this year already that everyone is booked, so when you place your deposit is up to you but if you want to book someone in particular sooner is better than later. However all of our photographers have been with us for more than 6-7 years, are all friends (actually 3 of them bought houses next door to each other LOL) and we make sure we do continuing classes and master classes with them trying to challenge them. We're a pretty tight bunch!

Resorts located around Villa Del Mar: Grace Bay Club Grace Bay Club Estates Seven Stars Ocean Club West Comfort Suites (GBC And Estates are a pricier option, with Seven Stars and Ocean Club West being more mid to mid/high range, Comfort Suites is across the main roads and is a budget option/further hike very basic rooms) You can give them the list and then check turksandcaicosreservations.tc , they have all of the hotels listed and any deals going on in one place. They are located on island and are great at what they do Krys

Villa Del Mar is a lovely resort only about 2-3 years old. It's not on the beachfront, just in front of Grace Bay Club with Beach access, but actually it's a shorter walk across to the beach than if you were staying at some resorts garden view rooms. We've had a few friend stay there and loved it and the price is great. The resort is about 3+ miles from Leeward (it's not a bay), it's not walkable (unless you want a real hike) but VDM is much closer to Leeward than the other resorts you mentioned. Krys

Villa del Mar is in the heart of everything and in walking distance to a lot of shopping and restaurants. Somerset, you can walk to a number and restaurants and shopping but it is a bit of a distance 1/2-3/4 of a mile. Windsong and West Bay Club are really out on their own. You will want a rental car or taxi to get to shopping or restaurants. turksandcaicosreservations.tc will list all of the hotels and any special offerings they have all on one website. Krys

Pastor Colby's number is 649-231-6387 or 649-231-4276, he does not have a toll free number or an email contact. Hope that helps Krys

Late November here is going to be similar to April, with early november more like May/early June. The water is still warm and nice to swim in for us expats that think it's too chilly during the winter months LOL. But I find November a great month (I have lived here since 1995 so about 16 years). We don't really have a rainy season, but it just depends on the fronts coming in from the US as to rain and cooler temps. Krys

I am glad I can help. Email Ileana ([email protected]) and she can get an idea of what you want to do and she can give you some ideas on packages that would suit your day. She'll also have the contacts for the pastors that you can work with. Ileana coordinates all of our wedding business, (Kellie coordinates portraits, David does commercial, Louise manages the office, Preston does video and Andy oversees everything.) We all shoot, but find it's good to have one contact point for each area and Ileana is fabulous in helping our brides. I actually do album design/commissioned paintings and then do some school teaching of photography and photoshop as well as jewelry design and commissioned work. For Atabeyra, just email [email protected]. David is the owner with his wife Jenny and they can also give you an idea for prices in October. We love Atabeyra, they tend to be the expat choice of sailboat on island. Let me know if you have any other questions Krys

It's certainly possible. All beaches are public access, so no hotel "owns" a beach. We've done ceremonies down near the leeward end of Grace Bay, just driving down to the public access point, meeting the officiant and there you go. Another option is Little Water Cay. People will book a boat trip with Atabeyra or Sail Provo and do the ceremony on an uninhabited cay (although your fee for the officiant may be a bit more as they would have to be there longer). Additionally, Taylor Bay and Sapadilla Bay are areas that are used for non hotel/villa type weddings. There are a number of officiants on island. Their fees are somewhere between $200-$500, but they handle the paperwork/certificates (it's a nice job if you can get it LOL). I don't have anyone's contact information with me right now but Ileana would have it as she coordinates all of our wedding schedules etc. Essentially you would set the timing and location up with the official, meet them there and get married. The four areas I have mentioned (leeward area of Grace Bay, Little Water Cay, Taylor Bay, and Sapadilla Bay) will be pretty private. Leeward and Big Water Cay will be more private than the two bays. I know we've picked up couples and witnesses in our van for weddings and taken them over and then brought them back, it's very doable, although I would suggest renting cars vs cabs as that gets pricey with cabs. Hope that helps Krys here are some weddings in those locations http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/03/wedding-melissa-bill/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/01/wedding-joletta-kevin/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/05/wedding-jackie-chris-straatman/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/03/brady-bunch-wedding/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/04/sailing-perfect-beach-wedding-part/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/04/sweet-simple/

We have a total of 3 planners on island (yes that's 3 total). Diane from Island Harmony, Teresa from Tropical Destination Management and then Nila Destinations. Diane and Teresa are both owners of their businesses, Nila has employees who are hired to coordinate. Eden is currently doing the weddings for Nila but is leaving this summer and I don't know who is taking her place. Some of the hotels have in house coordinators if you use them. Others (Sommerset, Gansevoort) actually hire Diane or Teresa for their weddings so if you go with them you don't need to hire someone separately. Lately we have done most of our weddings with Diane or Teresa, with a smaller percentage with Nila. This is a small island (the entire country of 9 islands has less than 20,000 people). If you are not good at what you do here, you will not be in business for more than a season. We all work, play, have kids in school together, play sports etc, so word gets around lightning fast if someone is not doing a good job.(we call it the coconut telegraph!) All of these businesses have been established on island for 4+ years. If you have any more specific questions let me know. If you check our blog, we will always mention the coordinator in our wedding posts if there was one. You can search Island Harmony/Tropical Destination Management/ or Nila and the weddings they coordinated will come up and you can see their work if that would help. Krys

We have one limo driver on island that I know about but I don't think we have any private car services like you are thinking of (our taxi drivers are a very powerful lobby on island and are very quick to squash any competition). Also it's a maximum 10 minute drive from the airport to Grace Bay (15 minutes if there is traffic LOL) so you wouldn't even have time to open the champagne before you get there. There will be air conditioned vans waiting for you at the airport (that's what all of the taxis are). You may want to use the $$ for a nice spa treatment or something else special once you arrive. Krys

You can check the Islands section for threads on the T&C that involve resorts other than Beaches. There are 2 florists on island. Environmental Arts and the Flower Girl. We have found Brides in the past few years almost always choose Environmental Arts as they offer a wider variety and more modern approach to their work. There are 3 wedding planners on island: Diane from Island Harmony (she's the owner), Teresa from Tropical Destination Management (also the owner), and Nila Destinations (the owners here hire workers who do the planning). I don't know what you want to rent, we don't necessarily have a everything rental company and depending on what you want will depend on who to recommend but usually the hotel can sort those things out for you. Here are some weddings at Gansevoort and Sommerset to see what they look like: http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/11/francesca-domenics-gansevoort-wedding/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/01/wedding-christina-tanner-foreman/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/10/wedding-dana-craig-gansevoort/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/10/details-details-details/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/04/turks-caicos-somerset-resort-brianna-cj/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2011/04/turks-caicos-somerset-resort-brianna-cj-slideshow/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/11/wedding-janine-christopher/ http://www.brilliant.tc/2010/11/wedding-kate-craig-wright/ Hope that helps, please feel free to ask me any questions, I have lived here for 16 years, and am happy to help Krys

For those of you trying to get in touch, just remember, these two weeks are the busiest of the year with may and April being the busiest on island. Beaches can have up to 7-10 weddings a day these weeks with 3-5 a day minimum during April and May so the coordinators on site have their hands really really full. It's not that they are ignoring you or are on island time, it's that they are going flat out to make the current brides happy (and there are a lot on island). I know my husband has been doing 16 hour days for 3 weeks now with limited time off, and we don't do anywhere near the volume of Beaches weddings. Hope that helps (this year is the busiest I have seen in 16 years on island, I guess the secret is out LOL) Krys

Ileana coordinates all of our wedding photography, just send her an email with dates, what you are looking for and she can give you some quotes. We do have some basic portrait packages etc up to some multi day event etc. We do have a lot of "2 person" weddings on island so we certainly are happy to work with smaller groups. Her email is [email protected]. We're happy to help out with questions etc and if you don't end up using us that's okay too. We really want to make sure ALL Turks and Caicos brides have a great experience! Krys