futuremrsp

Gorgeous, amazing pics! Swimming with sea turtles was one of the most amazing things me and my fiance have done together...we unexpectedly found 2 huge ones at Francis Bay in St. John USVI and spent hours looking at them. This has brought back great memories! Thanks for sharing! Sarah

LOL If my mom finds out I hid ANYONE in my suitcase she'll kill me...she's okay with us going alone but said she would kill me if anyone went...all or nothing!! lol Okay so the place shuts down a little early lol...well as long as there is a bartender SOMEWHERE, Tom and I will make a party for ourselves lol. You're right, though, we will probably crash early after all the sun and activities! There are two nightclubs, right? I suspect the one on the manor side is even less popular than Riviera. I'd love to know about the private pool...I will remember to ask you when it's closer! I'd also love to know your favourite restaurants...I heard it's sometimes hard to get reservations at certain places...will we be allowed to make all of our reservations as soon as we get there? Getting more and more excited with each day!! 107 days left!!

Yes that's exactly what I was looking at the other day! It looks quieter over there, definitely, but there's a lot of watercraft! The more and more I look at the pier, the more I think it would be a beautiful spot. My fiance was saying that it looks really quiet there in a lot of the videos, he said "where's all the people?" lol. I told them it's a HUGE resort with 2 different parts and I'll bet most of the people are at the pool or beach club! Where are the good hangouts? We're definitely going to want to party lol...romance and privacy sometimes, sure, lol, but lots of partying! We're people playing beach volleyball often? Seeing the vids is just making me more and more excited to go there!! We are staying on the Riviera side (our TA highly recommended it as it's closer to most amenities) in the Bamboo Grove building. It's a Rivera Deluxe room (pretty close to the bottom of the rung lol, but I'm sure it'll be great) I have looked everywhere for a picture or vid of the room but no luck!!

Thanks so much for the info and pics hollisandsteph! That is most helpful. I saw a few of your videos on YouTube as well which was great! I was thinking I might even want to change my mind to the pier location...it looked really beautiful to be on the water and more private than the beach. I guess we'll just wing it and see when we get there! Thanks again! Sarah

Thanks a bunch, Erin, that's a great idea! I might even be able to get my FI to do a TTD session with me since he's an amateur photographer, and I guess we could try using the timer to get him in on some of them lol. We could always have fun practicing before we get there! Thanks again, Sarah

Wow...this sounds complex! Thanks for your help and suggestions... I guess what I'm worried about is the fact that we are the only 2 people attending...so the photog would be our only "guest" lol I definitely would want to hire a photog out of Jamaica, and then I guess I would pay their day pass. But I wouldn't want them to be "released" from the property!! Especially after paying them and for taking up their time. Sigh...I, (like you Amanda), wanted the more journalistic style as you said...photography is an art and you should be able to choose your artist!! Thanks for your help!

My apologies as I'm sure this is addressed somewhere on the forum, but I haven't been able to find it... I was hoping to hire an outside vendor for photography-I'd like more options, originality, etc. The Sandals website says outside vendors are strictly prohibited; is this true?? How can I get around this? Has anyone hired an outside photographer for their Sandals Ocho Rios Wedding? I'd appreciate any feedback! Thanks everyone! Sarah

Hey girls...I would appreciate any of your great insights! My guy and I decided to tie the knot in Jamaica, just the two of us, in April 2009. We got our family and friends' blessings and are excited to go. My mom still wants to throw me a little shower (she wants to call it a "sprinkle" lol), since she won't get to be part of everything. We will be having a 100 person reception back home in June. -Is it rude to ask people to come to a shower since we are not including them in the ceremony? -We bought a house in early 2008 and got most of our housewares already; some of our friends and family got us housewarming gifts. Are we double-dipping if I sign up for a registry? -Should I specify on the invitation not to bring gifts and to just come and have fun? Or will some people insist? Can it be an option? I would love to know how other brides dealt with this, or any ideas that may help! Thanks, Sarah

Thanks so much, IrieBride; that is most helpful! I think you're right; it will probably be just fine if it's just the two of us. I am a bit scared to get my dress dirty in the sand, as I'll have to wear it again for our reception back home, but I think I'm going to have to let that go and just enjoy it! (Hopefully it will clean up okay!) I was thinking if we didn't really like the beach location, the pier looked nice too. Oh one more question! Could you actually see the sun setting from the SGOR beach? Or just the colours? I wanted sunset, but they said 4:00 is the latest you can get married there. Thanks again! Sarah

My fiance and I would love to get married on the beach at SGOR, but would like to know what that would look like and how other couples enjoyed their beach wedding. It will be just the two of us (and perhaps a stranger witness!), and we booked at the latest time available (4:00pm) My reservations are the following: -The beach looks small, so are we going to be right out in the open with all the sights and sounds of the beach? -Many of the pics I have seen on the forum feature a gazebo location; what are brides' reasons for not choosing the beach? -As of yet, I haven't been able to find any pictures of ceremonies on the beach. I would appreciate any input, and especially pics! Thanks bunches, Sarah

Thanks, everyone, for your replies! I do hope it will be especially romantic; I can't believe how excited my fiance is, lol. Thanks again for the great welcome!

Hi Everyone! My name is Sarah and I am marrying my boyfriend of 5 years, Tom, on April 2nd, 2009. (126 days left!) We are going alone, after getting blessings from our family and friends, and calling it a "planned elopement"! We want it to be really intimate and something just the two of us will share. Yesterday we booked our "WeddingMoon" at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, and we'd like to get married on the beach at sunset. I have been looking around the forum, and it sounds as though the beach is less private, but we have always envisioned our toes in the sand when we say our vows! Who knows what will happen The forum has already been extremely helpful and I've enjoyed reading the comments and looking at all the great pics. Thanks! Sarah