Pandabride6

Hey ladies... I wrote my review to Chan80's post. Check it out... I got married this past June so it's pretty recent. Good luck to you all!

Hello, Â I haven't really been on the forum much since my June wedding but I wanted to respond to you because I know I can help you with this. I had my wedding at Rose Hall Resort and my reception at Day O' Plantation. It was the BEST decision I feel I made! Â I heard about the restaurant from another bride on this forum so I started researching. The main reason was Rose Hall was charging an arm and a leg for the reception and I wanted to see what options were there before getting locked in. I contacted Jennifer Hurlock, who owns and manages the restaurant with her husband, Paul. Â She asked me what I would like for the reception, including a cocktail hour and we were able to come up with a package that was both affordable and flexible. Trust me, they will charge you a crazy price at the resorts for something you can get for a WHOLE lot less at a local restaurant. Â Anyways, I e-mailed Jennifer constantly with ideas and questions before the wedding and she was open, honest and communicative. By the time I actually met her in person (which was two days before the wedding) I didn't feel at all nervous. She knew what I wanted and I couldn't be happier. The place is really nice. It's up the mountains about five minutes outside of MoBay and is surrounded by tropical foilage and is very intimate! There's also a pool that guests tables can be set up around. It's, in a word, gorgeous! Â On the wedding day, Jennifer and Paul exceeded our expectations! The decorations were wonderful and she used everything that I brought in, even hanging up the paper lanterns I bought. The food... was... AWESOME!! To this day, our guests keep talking about the food was great. And trust me, a majority of them are Jamaican so it definitely means something since we would know if they didn't like it! Â Overall, my experience with the restaurant was great. Because it's not a resort, you truly get that one on one attention as a bride. It's a great way to introduce your guests to a real Jamaican experience (if they're not Jamaican). Jennifer will work with you and your budget and will tailor your package (meaning everything from the cake, DJ, band, food, cocktail hour, etc.) to the way you want it. You won't have to look for any other vendors yourself!! Definitely consider the restaurant for your reception! You won't regret it!

Thanks for all your compliments ladies! Whatever you all choose to do with your hair is truly up to you but just don't stress out so much about it. Â Â Hopefully this helps you Raazzy... I can tell you I refused to get in the water before the wedding but my sisters did and they were in the wedding. My youngest sister wears her hair natural also and her hair didn't get along with the humidity either. But she had a REALLY awesome flat iron (I think it was a Cortex) and her hair came out and stayed straight throughout the night. Â

Hey ladies... Â It's been a while since I've posted on here since my June wedding in Jamaica. But I wanted to see if I could help anyone out if I can when it comes to hair. In my case, I realized that doing things simple worked the best for me. I wanted a side-bun updo but wasn't sure how it would look. My hair is coarse but usually stays straight after a perm. But I had stopped getting perms for maybe a year before the wedding and had been just flat ironing it straight. Â Anyways, one week before the wedding, I decided to balk and get a perm. But I wanted only a kiddie perm that my Aunt did for me. It did the job in terms of straightnening out the roots. I was worried about humidity since it was already June and the start of hurricane season. But, lemme tell ya, the humidity in Jamaica wasn't terrible. Even after a rain storm and with a good flat iron and hair mosturizer, it was fine. Â I my hair goes past my shoulders but I wanted my bun to have more volume. So I bought 14" Yaki with hopes it would help (I don't wear weaves or extensions so I wasn't sure how this would work.) My cousin did my hair using the Yaki, a lot of pins and gel... Â Â Â The process took a loooong time (about an hour) but it was worth the effort. Here's a pic of me outside during the ceremony. Still waiting on pro pics but here's to give you an idea on how it looked... Â Â Â The look even stayed into the next day for our post-wedding shoot. But I will say it was a bit uncomfortable sleeping because of the pins (pain is beauty I guess). Â My point is, don't stress out about your wedding day hair. Just make sure you know what style you want and have your normal hair accessories with you. Yes, my husband didn't want me to wear extensions because he wanted me to look "like myself" that day. To be honest... he didn't even realize I had extra hair in until I told him. So, to those who want to wear extra hair... I say go for it. The guys won't be worried about that once they see you walking down the aisle. Â This forum really helped me so I hope this helps other "Chocolate Brides" too! Â Â Â

Hello ladies, I just got married at Rose Hall last Saturday and I have to agree with the other brides who've gotten married there. You don't have ANYTHING to worry about. I picked the resort sight unseen and was a bit worried but I felt that things would be okay. Our guests fell in love the same way we did! Everything from the staff to the food is great! There's the waterpark with tubing slides and water sports. My husband LOVED kayaking! There are several restaurants but the main one is a buffet and honestly, that's all you need. There's something for everyone. I think the biggest complaint was the lack of nightlife at the resort, but honestly, it wasn't a big deal. A shuttle takes you to the tourist strip for free each night if you're into that. We went to Margaritaville and got in free too. For the wedding, you honestly don't really start planning until you get there. I remember telling my coordinator about certain details but she didn't really focus on it until I saw her in person (like the number of guests, decor, etc.) Everything went flawlessly. You won't be disappointed. My best piece of advice would be to relax. I was calm on my day and it made all the difference. The coolest thing... our wedding was on the West Lawn and there were so many hotel guests who stopped what they were doing along the pool and the second floor balcony just to see the wedding. They were extremely respectful and even took pics. Good luck to you ladies! I hope this helped.

Quote: Pandabride6 - how are you holding up being this close to your big day... are you overwhelmed with excitement too?! You know, I'm actually holding up pretty well... I did notice that my mind isn't on work so much these days, lol. We've been planning for so long, I just want it to happen already! Question for you guys... how will you handle the phone situtation while you're overseas? I know we'll need to keep in contact with guests.

Ok soo... our wedding's are coming up next month and I see activity from every other month but us... where is everyone with their planning?? Our wedding is next week so I'm finishing up DIY projects and getting ready to pack basically.

Quote: I am more worried about the BP oil spill reaching the Caribbean... I wouldn't worry about that. If anything, the spill is said to be heading into a loop current which will bring it to the top of Cuba and around to the east coast of the US. And even THAT, experts say can help break up the oil. I live on Florida's east coast and work in TV news so we've been covering this story heavily since it broke. The meteorologists I work with all have a pretty clear idea where the oil's headed. So East Coast FL should worry, not so much the Carribean.

My wedding is in a couple weeks and I think the best thing to do for brides having their weddings coming up soon is to call the US Embassy in JA and let them know you'll be there just in case they need to get in touch with you while you're there. It shouldn't matter if your wedding is on MoBay, Negril or Ocho Rios. They may be more secure than Kingston right now but it' best to just be aware for yourself and guests.

I like the marriage dance idea too. Another idea I've heard of (and we may actually do) is while the guests are seated, you have the DJ or MC ask questions about the bride or groom to guests, like true or false questions. Guests work together at each table to answer the questions (kinda like a game show). The table who can answer the most questions gets a prize or something like that. Just a thought.

Reception games? I'm personally not a huge fan of the bouquet/garter toss. Plus, most of our guests are either already married or pretty young. So, FI and I have been tossing around ideas for games/activities to do instead. The idea got me wondering, are you guys doing something other than the traditional reception activities. If so, what are they?

Hello, I'm looking for either turquoise blue, fuschia or any shade of purple paper lanterns. If you have 10 of either color that you're selling, that would be great! Also, even if you're not selling any but have a great site to point me to, I would appreciate the help. I already checked Luna Bazaar and Oriental Trading.

I'm using a videographer provided by the resort. They'll only capture the ceremony. Honestly, I'm thinking of not using them since we have family members with video cameras. In terms of decorations, the florist vendor is the one who provides those options, not the resort. You can go through either Grande Garden or Tai Flora for that service without having to worry about a vendor fee.

Quote: With 35 room Wedding o 6 days / 5 nights complimentary stay for the Bride & Groom in a Caribbean Suite It says "complimentary" stay. I don't see why they won't honor it. I guess I'm trying to understand. Do you have 35 rooms not including yours? And by deposit, I assume you meant the amount you used to secure the wedding there right? I was told you can put the deposit toward anything. I do see why you're irritated.

I can relate as my cousin's b-day falls ON our wedding day (didn't realize it until later on) and my dad's b-day is about 6 days after. I think a good way to honor them is to have a special toast to them and to anyone else celebrating something special close to the wedding. You could also probably give them a card at their table during the reception or have small cupcakes set aside for them. HTH! Not sure what we're gonna do yet since we'll also be celebrating other relative's graduations during that time too.

Quote: I am not getting married at the Rose Hall Hilton, I will get married at an all inclusive Hotel, one with a NAME,,,, I will not take chances in going to a Foreign Country that I do not know and going to place to have fun...have you ladies check to see what kind of insurance these places have, NOW if something goes wrong your guest can only blame you. I here the people in Jamaica drive very bad...you all need to look at the other side of the coin and stop talking bad about these Hotels. From look at through this forum all Hotel charges a venders fee. So these companies that work for the Hotel may have to pay the Hotel some money. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE...... AND WHAT YOU DO...... WHERE YOU GO..... WHEN YOU TRAVEL OUTSIDE YOUR ENVIRONMENT HUH? Humm... I guess everyone has their opinion and so do I, so I'll say it. Where did this comment come from? This forum is about letting others know to be more informed about what they are potentially paying for. You wouldn't want to go to a venue and be blindsided by cost, would you? I know I wouldn't. That's why I mention things about fees, etc. It's not about talking bad about the hotels... It's just helpful to know what to budget for. Clearly, we are planning to have our weddings at the hotel so there's nothing wrong with it. We just discuss other options that may be more cost effective too, that's all. You either take it, or you don't. Just like donutdjn said, anything can happen anywhere. I don't know where the insurance thing came in, so I'll leave that alone. Yea, so you hear people in Jamaica drive bad. I spent summers growing up in Jamaica and I've seen it first hand. But it ain't anything different from how people drive where I live. Movin' on... I'm sure we're all aware of things that can happen when we go outside our comfort zone. But that's part of the adventure in it. Enjoying a new experience smartly, safely and with the people we love!

Hey everyone... long time, no talk on here! I did want to shed some insight. @MrsReed 2 b- I'm glad you were able to find a place off site for you and your guests. I told Yolandi I was having my reception off site too and she asked me where. I don't really think that matters. What matters is making their prices more reasonable so people don't have to look elsewhere, lol. @tauristar- I also got a quote from Grande Garden. I think I might be going with them since they're less expensive than Tai Flora. @Everyone: I believe the best advice I could give brides thinking of planning a wedding at RHR would be to be EXTREMELY specific when asking questions. Make sure you know about site fees, set up fees (yes, they're two different things), bar fees, everything! Don't assume that just because a reception site is on the property, that it's free to hold the reception there. I believe Sugar Mill Fall (the waterpark) is like $2500 for a set up fee. That's not including the cost for a bar, service, etc. Make sure you ask prices for everything. I just asked about having speakers for the ceremony and was told it's like $193 plus a technician fee... Technician fee? You mean there's a cost to literally plug the speakers in?? Like I said, question everything!

Hey ladies, Quick question. We're close to ordering and I know it was mentioned on here once or twice but I wanted to know how did you guys choose your Trouser Fit? How do you know what would look good on your FI? My FI has skinny legs and he's about 5'7. We were leaning toward the Slimmer Straight Fit but I wanted to get an idea on what the options were visually before choosing.

Quote: I did want to piggyback off what Tammy said. I meant Maureen, not Tammy. My apologies!

I did want to piggyback off what Tammy said. Check out the threads she mentioned. I'm getting married at RHR and yes, it can get pricey if you don't watch the small details. RHR also does multiple weddings a day but no more than 4. Just check the current threads and you'll see what I mean.

Mrs. Reed to b- Sorry it took me so long to get back on here... guess it's just the pressures of life sometimes, lol. But anyways for a reception, check out The Native on the tourist strip or Pier One Restaurant. I believe Pier one has a website pieronejamaica.com. Hopefully that helps! My cousin said The Native is a good place with good food. tauristar and kimilee- Thanks for the info on Grande Garden. I've contacted them and will let you know how things go with that as well. I'm assuming the website belongs to the same floral company Rose Hall works with.

I read through all the threads, but no one seemed to really compare the suits to the ones at department stores. My FMIL seemed really insistant about choosing a suit locally but I would rather go with Studio Suits. I was just wondering if someone could help me figure out a way to explain it to her. Quote: They are linen suits just like the ones you find in the department stores. What that said, this is all I needed to know, thank you.

I agree, it took me about a week to hear from Tai Flora. But it took less than two hours to hear from someone at Grande Garden. Honestly, customer service is tops for me. Obviously, it weeds out vendors who really want your business.

I posted this a few days ago and didn't really receive a response for it. I'm reposting it here. Just need a little advice, that's all... Quote: Hey ladies, I don't think this question was asked yet. But for those who ordered/received a suit from Studio Suits, why did you ultimately decide to order from them? How was the fabric, feel and overall look different from the suits at stores by your homes? The reason I ask is because my FMIL is insisting we get a suit from Syms (a clothing store in the South). They sell some suits for $99, but not all. When I went to theh store with her while visiting them in GA, the salesman suggested worsted wool or linen for the DW but those suits don't usually come in till March. Anyway, I don't want to feel like I'm going out of my way to order a suit. I am leaning toward StudioSuits but I guess I'm saying to help me convince my FMIL that it's the way to go.

Our colors are turquoise and purple. It's true, turquoise is a color you can mix with anything... plus it's Pantone's Color of the Year! So I guess you can't go wrong, lol.