Pandabride6

Hello, I was wondering if any of you used/will use an independent musician (preferably a saxophonist) in the Montego Bay area for your weddings. I know some resorts usually go through independent companies to find musicians so even if you went through the resort for this service, please let me know who they used if you know. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

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.

Quote: I have never heard of p90x - I just googled it, but the guy looks pretty intense! lol...what is it exactly? It's funny you should mention this. FI just started doing this a couple of months ago. THe guy is pretty intense and it's funny to see my FI get all work-out aggressive because of it (rolling eyes...), lol. Anyways, I have that Jenny McCarthy workout for the WII. I haven't been using it as much as I would like but it's pretty cool since it takes a picture of your body on a camera and tell you what you need to work on.

I've heard it takes a while to get the license back too. But your marriage is definitely legal in the US if you get married in JA. I'm sure your wedding coordinator will give you a copy of the license or some document to take back to the states with you to prove you did get married for name change purposes.

I agree with Karla. Yes, it's a convenience for your family who you want there with you but I think the idea sounds good... up until you get deep into your planning. I guess it all depends on how close you and your cousin are. If you both grew up together and are practically inseperable, it may work. But if not, it could create problems. People could try to hear about your plans, and then let her know (intentionally or not) about them too. You'll be playing the comparison game and even though you may not have wanted it, you could find yourself competing for attention, ideas, input, etc. Like I said, it's different if you two are very close that it wouldn't matter either way. Also, keep in mind she may invite ppl you may not know that well who feel they could come to your wedding too, since it's 2 days apart.

Most Jamaican weddings would be incomplete without rum cake. They're usually sliced and placed in boxes as favors.

Hey everyone, I did notice that there wasn't a June board too! Thanks for creating one... But I think we're all in the invitations/getting our dresses mode. I have my dress but will wait a little longer to get alterations. I'm planning on taking care of getting invitations printed within the next few days.

@spellbound- I also worked out a package with decor. I meant the added items I plan on bringing down to Jamaica. They'll set it up for me but I'm still trying to decide if I even want to go through with the effort of lugging things down, lol. I'm also waiting to tell Rose Hall about my decision. I just want to lock things in as far as the ceremony goes and then let them know the reception there won't be happening. In terms of the marriage license, I think you have to begin this three months in advance. I could be wrong but that's what I've been told. @Mrs. Reed- I couldn't get in touch with my uncle but I'm looking around and asking my cousins as well so I'll get back to you on the venue suggestions. Also, by the way, I'm going to be a Mrs. Reid too... just with an "I" instead of an "E", lol.

Quote: I guess we have a whole sticker shock club! Lol. I feel your pain! neither me nor my guests have ever been to a destination wedding either. I expected a more pain free experience and my girl friends are surpised when I tell them how my planning is going. I think we were all expecting that I would just have to pick a package and show up with my FI and my dress. I guess we were a little wrong. Lol. You know, I don't believe it's so much sticker shock, I think a lot of it is because they don't really disclose things unless you ask the right questions. And obviously you don't know what the right questions are if you've never planned a wedding before. @Mrs. Reed- I didn't even realize there was a bar set up fee for parties of 70 or less ppl. I told my coordinator a long time ago I would probably have 60 ppl and this wasn't even mentioned. Hummm... I mean it's about being up front. In terms of another reception venue, I'm going to call my uncle in JA tomorrow and see if he has any suggestions. I'll see what I can do to help you out. @spellbound- That decision has really made things easier for me too. I'm still trying to figure out decor though. @taruistar- Did you receive the quotes from Grande Garden? If so, are the prices the same as Tai Flora?

Quote: I'm happy to be getting married at RHR but I am SHOCKED at how expensive things are getting. I'm expecting about 70ppl and after choosing what I want I was quoted about $20,000 for ceremony and reception! This cost does not include rehearsal dinner, my dress, invites, programs, gift bags, travel...everything else that you have to pay for when having a wedding. By the time it's all said and done we could be looking at a $28,000+ bill. Which we do not have and was one of the reasons we decided to do a destination wedding. $900 for a DJ for 3 hours?! $2000 for venue (ballroom) rental and set-up when I'm staying at the resort? Come on! Anyway, much negotiation has to be made but ultimately, I may move my reception off site. Yes, I went through the sticker shock too. And yes because of this, I'm going off site for my reception. You can only negotiate so much and FI didn't feel comfortable with doing too much of that because he believes their prices are already set and you can't change things without them treating you a certain way (like a cheapo or something). What really pissed me off was when they quoted the menu price for guests staying at the resort as the same for guests staying off site. I was like "so you mean to say that if they're paying you money to stay at your resort... it doesn't mean anything?? I might as well tell guests to stay somewhere else then." Vent over since it doesn't matter anymore, lol. I'm happier with my new choice in reception venue.

Keep in mind that people will call your bluff throughout your DW planning process. I've gone through this and tried to compromise to accommodate others. If they're still not satisfied... who cares? You try not to be selfish but them you realize that's all you can be, especially if you don't want to be miserable. You'll be surprised who ends up going in the end... that's IF you choose to invite them after they put you through stress, lol.

Yes, having a wedding during hurricane season is a gamble. Jamaica lies in the path where the storms are likely to hit. And yes, August and September can be pretty active months. Ask your resort what their contingency plan is for hurricanes. Chances are they would push events back without it costing you anything (since it's a natural occurance). I live in FL and I've been through a tropical storm... that was nothing to play with and it wasn't even a hurricane at the time. But to be honest, I wouldn't necessarily worry. It's something to keep in mind and prepare for however.

Quote: Hello, Currently I'm getting married in Montego Bay, Jamaica @ Rose Hall Resort & Spa on June 19,2010. If you are having guest attend, please make sure your hotel does not charge for guest attending your wedding if they do not stay @ your hotel. Most hotels charge a fee for a one day pass for guest up to $100. If no one is attending choose a location where the wedding is free if you stay for 5 days on their property. There are so many different factors. After 2 months I finally made a decision. Hopefully this helps. I agree. I'm also getting married at Rose Hall and the no day pass thing was huge on my list. We have a number of guests who live on the island so it works for us to have a resort not charge for folks not staying there. I just feel like that's not fair but it's just my two cents. Also, I don't like policies that called for a certain percentage of guests to stay on property, which also wouldn't work for my group. Me and FI looked for a place that was family friendly and fairly close to the airport. Also, the location gave us a number of venues to choose from for the ceremony. Oh yea, I wanted a place that allowed outside vendors. I was NOT planning on using the hotel photographer so make sure to check the resort's policy about this one.

Quote: Now about your FI's cousin, the DJ. . . you had to know my next question would be, will he do our reception too? If so, is he available on April 3, 2010? I'm not sure if $70US was the "family price," but if it is, what would he charge us? Thanks for everything! With the DJ, we're deciding to go with the one the reception site offers. It comes with our package. I think the DJ honestly gave us such a deal because he heard about our desperation, lol. I don't know if he gave us that price because he knows FI's cousin either. But if you're still interested, I can try and get his info for you.

I know where you're coming from. You would think ppl would be happy for your decision to have a DW but then you hear how ppl REALLY feel after you make the choice. I tried to pick a date to accomodate others but it seemed like every month I chose there was someone who had a problem. After a while, I just made the final decision and stuck to it. Just make sure you plan the wedding for you and FI. Everything else will fall into place, including family members who say they can't make it at first.

Quote: Hi everyone, I am glad to find thris thread. I read through everyone's posts and now I am considering this resort for my wedding which will be in Jan 2011. My biggest concern is the costs as I would likely have like 50 people coming and I heard the reception is $45 pp. Does this include all the table set up/location/service (I'm thinking the pool area looks nice)?? Is there an extra fee for alcohol? I talked to the WC last week to get some pricing info and she said it was $150 charge for outside vendors such as the photographer, not $450 I also really like the Aqua-duct location but it is also very expensive! Do I have to arrange transport for the guests? Could someone please send me any package/pricing info they have [email protected]. Thank you in advance!! Q's Re: the resort itself.... Do I have to get a different AI package for my guests to get all the food choices at the restaurants? Can they go to the A-La-Cartes all the time? Or is there a limit? Thanks girls! The reception can get pretty pricey if you don't watch all the costs. The info I have is from what my coordinator told me. There'll be a set-up fee for the reception site, even if it's on the property and it would be different costs for different spots. But there is no additional cost for the ceremony site if you have it on location (i.e.- gazebo, west lawn gazebo, etc.) The $45 dollar fee is just for food and depends on the menu you choose. Humm... I need to ask about the outside vendor fee because I got a higher price than $150. The aqueduct location IS expensive but it does include transportation and set-up (not sure if that means flowers too). HTH In terms of the resort, I'm not sure about the AI options since I'm not going that route.

Our colors are Purple and Turquoise. It's funny because apparently Turquoise is the Color of the Year for 2010. Didn't realize that until recently so I'm extra happy! And purple (lilac) is my fav color.

Quote: Hmm, its been a while since I read this thread, and I've really only skimmed it. However, my personal thoughts on the matter is that friends stick together even when times are tough. Everybody goes through tough times - obviously you have, and right now your friend is going through something. Even if you are angry with her, if you are still her friend and if you still care about her I believe you should try and at least talk to her. And if she doesn't want to go to the wedding thats fine - but it shouldn't be the end all of your friendship. And maybe you don't want to talk to her right now. But you could at least acknowledge her, let her know you are upset, and that you aren't ready to talk to her right now. But you might want to in a few months or something. I don't know. I just think that people give up on each other too easily these days. Maybe you haven't - maybe it really is time to drop her. But if you still CARE for her - is it really right to just drop her? Especially if she needs you? Good luck. I'm in agreement here. I have a situation with my ex-MOH that's similar in terms of her not coming and it's over the way she handled not being able to come that hurt me. It's an extremely long story and I don't want to necessarily recap. Point is, I've known her for so long (almost 20 years) and let me just say, I plan on talking to her because to me, it's bigger than just a wedding. She's like a sister to me and I wouldn't just drop her like some friend who I just met who did me wrong. Yes it sucks because someone who you expected to be there for you wasn't there. But it's about really making them understand how much they hurt you. Yes, she e-mailed you. But you now have the right to look her in the face and talk to her about your feelings. Tell her it's inconsiderate and unfair to not contact you for so long. Say you'd understand if she couldn't make it but she didn't give you a chance to understand. Her delay in response made the situation worse. Talk to her and explain that you can't count on her like you once did. If the friendship doesn't pick up from there, so be it but at least you handled it correctly.

Quote: I just wanted to say that I have found Rose Hall Resort's banquet, catering, and wedding prices to be a lot higher than other resorts in Jamaica. I think 2 of you looking for outside venues may be staying there. It is possible to have a less expensive resort reception. Just thought I would mention it. Evitas and The Ruins are popular reception venues in Ocho Rios. By "staying there" did you mean staying at the resort? I wasn't sure what you meant. I am planning on staying at Rose Hall and having the ceremony there. I just wanted to post this since I never noticed this topic being brought up before. I have actually negotiated with the resort to have a less expensive reception and got it but I told them I would still shop around. I did and then chose not to have the reception there anymore.

Quote: Pandabride6, I must say that you have single-handedly kept me from going crazy. I thought that I was the only one who had issue with the resort pricing! I am also looking into have my reception at Day O. Thanks for the post (and for my sanity). I'm glad I was able to help! The prices ARE ridiculous at the resort... $900 for a DJ? Lemme tell you something, FI's cousin has a DJ friend in MoBay who was willing to play at our wedding for $70 U.S...all night... No Joke!!! This goes to show how strong the dollar can be there. Luckily we're not held to having the reception there! Me and FI's families are both from Jamaica so they already know how pricey the Rose Hall resorts can get. They basically said to stop wasting the money and go to a place that will provide the true Jamaican experience for guests, the experience me and FI already know and love. I posted in the first place to reach out to other brides having a ceremony at a resort. I mean if you were planning to have your ceremony off-site, then it's pretty much implied that you would need an independent site for a reception. So I'm glad to I'm able to help and possibly give an independent Jamaican-family owned restaurant some business. Now, as a disclaimer, I haven't had my reception yet so I can't give any reviews just yet. But my contact with the owner has been nothing but pleasant and forthcoming. Here's the link with a few pics that made me contact them in the first place... http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...-2009-a-46964/

I'm expecting about 60 guests but I think the venue said they've handled weddings for 200. Their website is dayorestaurant.com . Honestly, I realized that resorts know that if you've never really been to Jamaica, then you're willing to shell out whatever to have a great reception but there are lots of sites that offer way more for the same price since the American/Canadian dollar is already strong there. After getting these crazy quotes for the reception at the resort (like $4 for one cocktail beef patty), I knew I needed to look around. To put that in perspective, I can get a dozen cocktail patties for $4 in the states.

The reception is at Day O Plantation Restaurant & Bar. They provide everything including transportation for guests. I was a bit skeptical at first but my uncle lives in MoBay and knows the owners. He's also been there before and said the place is a very popular reception site for Jamaica brides and that's all the confirmation I needed.

Quote: How are you getting more bang for your buck.? Cheaper per head, better location ? I have struggled with this too and have been persusded to stay at the resort for now so I'd like to know what I may be missing. Our reception site is throwing in entertainment (steel pan, DJ), food (buffet style), open bar for cocktail hour, flowers and decor for the same price (actually less) than the cost for just food at the resort. Both locations are nice but the new site is just outside the city so it's away from hotel guests. It also has a pool so that's an added bonus I guess. If you're looking for outside venues, BDW has helped me look around. The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce can also help.

So we've decided to have our ceremony at the resort we chose but we'll move off site, about 15 minutes away for the reception. A couple of reasons for this... getting way more bang for our buck was the biggest one. I was wondering if anyone else was planning on doing this?

Quote: Pandabride6 - I was at our resort in October and I am happy to tell you that all of the staff in the salon are black girls too. I am newly natural and one girl was telling me all about cute twisted styles for the wedding. There are both natural and relax sisters in the salon, I think you will be fine if you bring a picture of what you want and what ever products you tried and trust. If you are worried, I would schedule a trial a couple days before to have time to try a few styles just to be sure...but I'm sure you'll be fine. This plan is my back up if my stylist doesn't make it down...and if my hair doesn't grow out some, I'll really have a challenge on my head! Good luck, but i'm sure you'll look beauiful! Tauristar- Thanks for the reassurance. I think I'll first do what daniepps suggested and go to my hairdresser and find out what I'll need to do at home (get extensions, etc.). Then, I'll set up a trial at the salon once I get down to JA and show them the style I want. My cousin actually lives in JA and is originally from MoBay. I asked her for a recommendation too and she said she may know a place. So we'll see... hopefully I can pass that info on to fellow brides also. Who knew hair care would become such an issue? lol.