mekanabr

We are doing a welcome excursion and OOT bags for our guests.  I can't wait to surprise everyone with everything!  A few weeks out we are sending a letter and luggage tags that I made to everyone to get them excited.

Our guests are arriving on Thursday and I'm trying to figure out how to get everyone their bags (I asked Bev/Chandlyn about it but haven't heard back yet).  Does anyone know how they are getting them to their guests?  I was hoping I could have the front desk hand them out or something but I'm not sure I trust leaving them at the front desk all day... 

But anyway so far we are have:

-Hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works

-Flip flops from Old Navy

-Flip Flop playing cards (7.99/dozen OT)

-Squirt guns

-Bubble Bath tablets

-Silly Bands in luau shapes (I know kinda dumb but at my bachelorette party we had a 'consultant' who showed us the latest toys..if you know what I mean...and she gave us silly bands in shapes of well...'parts' and it will be funny for them to get the bracelets in their bags)

-first aid kits, pepto, tylenol, etc

-Just started making our "Jamaica Facebook" which is a front and back page of pictures of everyone (thank you facebook!), name, relation to us, and where they traveled from.  I'm going to get them printed out and put one in each bag so everyone knows who is who.

-Passport Covers that I'm going to mae.  I got a sewing machine for xmas..bought super cute material..now it's just learning how to make them and finding time to get it all done!

-I ordered personalized OOT bags from Oriental Trading (24 bags for $29..not bad!)  Here is a pic: I love them!

Still hoping to get:

-Stadium Cups (prob going to order from Ebay)

-aloe

-face clothes or bath puffs

-key card holders (I got my BM's cute Coach ones but everyone is getting plastic ones...as cheap as I can find!)

-chap stick

-pashminas for the girls

-puzzle books & Pens

-also going to get some Jamaican postcards to stick in the bags, addressed to us with a stamp so that when we get home from our honeymoon, we'll have mail

On Friday we are taking everyone on a snorkeling cruise in Ochos Rios then off to Margaritaville for a bit.  We found a great tour from Jaital Tours and it was only $32 p/p, transportation from Resort included   So we also might put a disposable underwater camera in the bags...but not sure are going to be able to find them cheap enough.

Can't wait to hear everyone else's ideas!

I'd always been told there is no fee for outside vendors...when did that start? 
 

Originally Posted by JayKay 

Does anyone know if the $75 charge for bringing in an outside photographer to the resort would still apply if the photographer has a room booked for the night? 

Hi Ladies,

I wanted to share with you all my awesome OOT bag find! I ordered them from Oriental Trading Company and they are MUCH nicer than I expected for the price.  I got 24 personalized tote bags for $29.99!  They are the non-woven type of bag, sort of like a re-usable shopping bag and you can get up to 7 lines of personalization on them.  They come in bright neon colors (green, yellow, orange and pink) and are perfect for OOT bags! 

http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/browse/processRequest.do?demandPrefix=12&sku=47/979&mode=Searching&erec=7&D=neon+bags&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&Ntk=all&requestURI=processProductsCatalog&N=0&Ntt=neon+bags&Dx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&sd=Personalized+Large+Nonwoven+Neon+Color+Tote+Bags#RL7

Plus, if you search around you can prob find a online coupon from OTC to save a few extra bucks

I ordered flip flop cards yesterday, so cute!!  Thanks for the great idea!  I ordered mine from Oriental Trading.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/browse/processRequest.do?demandPrefix=12&sku=34/1214&prodCatId=388934&mode=Browsing&erec=11&sp=true&categoryFromSearch=true&requestURI=processProductsCatalog&tabId=4&rd=playing%20cards&sd=Flip+Flop-Shaped+Playing+Cards#RL11

Have a great time Akua!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!  Can't wait to hear all about your big day!!

Totally understand, we are doing the same thing, it just made sense to go with that package!!
 

Originally Posted by ashley490 

We're going with the blissful love pkg, I think it's $1350.  I picked that one because I wanted a little more flashiness.  I also figured out that if you end up having 30 guests the blissful love pkg actually only ends up being $40 more than the sunshine pkg because the sunshine pkg is only for 24 guests, so once you paid for the extra 6 people there was only a $40 difference.  Hope that makes sense  lol!

Yay!  So excited to finally hear some ideas!  You ladies are so creative, thanks so much for sharing!  can't wait to hear from other brides

I've received two different quotes from Jan's:

bridal bouquet- pink and orange dendrobium orchids - $50

Matching boutonnaire with orchids - $10

3 bridesmaids bouquets- pink/white/orange chrysanthemum, carnations - 3 @ $35=$105

3 boutonnieres to match for groomsmen - 3 @ $8= $24

Flowers for hair with orchids - Bride $15, bridesmaids 3 @ $10= $30
 
2 corsages for mothers with orchids - 2 @$12=$24

 cake topper with orchids (pink & orange) - $15

Pink & orange centerpieces - low floral arrangements with candle centered - $40ea (client to provide own candle)

Delivery to Grand Bahia - $20

Then I asked for a few changes and this is what I received (mostly bc I didn't want mums and carnations)

Bridal Bouquet   - bouquet using a combination of white mini calla with                          $120.00

                             white cymbidium, pink dendrobium and orange mokara orchids

                              (bouquet to be done using mainly white with a hint of color)

GROOM              - matching boutonniere with calla lilly                                                      $  15.00 

Bridesmaid          - 1 bouquets using pink & orange roses with white         2@$50             $100.00

                                dendrobium orchids       

Bridesmaid         - 1 bouquet using orange roses, pink & white orchids with

                              Rolled tropical leaves

                           (BM bouquets to be done using mainly orange & pink with a hint of white)

Boutonniere        - 4 boutonniere for groomsmen & fathers using orchids4@$8               $  32.00

• Orchids for brides hair @ $15 plus four @ $10ea                                                      $  55.00

• Pink & orange orchids cascading on cake                                                                $  25.00

• Centrepieces using bunches of orange & pink dendrobium orchids                       $50.00ea

in small cylinder vase.                        

                                                            DELIVERY FEE                                              $20.00

Hope this helps   Btw: here is Jan's contact info-

Jan's Bridal & Flowers
Shop#25, Ocean Village Shopping Centre
Main Street Ocho Rios

St. Ann, J.W.I.

[email protected]
Tel:  1876-974-9638 or 1876-850-9155

oh and ps- it was from Jaital Tours!

We are doing a snorkeling excursion for our guests. It's $32 p/p and includes your transportation to/from resort, about an hour on the boat/snorkeling and sailing along the Ochos Rios Coastline and then it drops you off in Margaritaville and you can stay as long as you want and then they take you back to your resort.  We wanted to do something to thank our guests for coming the whole way to Jamaica to celebrate with us and since we aren't doing a rehearsal dinner, we thought this would be a fun alternative!

Thanks for the contact info for reservations and webcasting, I'm interested to see what you find out about the webcasting, hadn't thought of it but it would definitely be a neat option! 

We are going to Honeymoon in Negril as well.  Not sure how we are getting there as we haven't made any reservations yet but if I find out anything I'll let you know.  We are hoping to stay at Tensing Pen, it is a cute little cliff side resort, not AI which we wanted but near restaurants that you can walk to if you want, or there are some restaurants on site. It's beautiful and I can't wait to be there!

I love love love this thread, it makes me sooo happy everytime I look at it, unfortuantely noone has posted anything since November.  I know there are new brides out there with happy pics to post, please keep em coming ladies!!!!  I can't wait to contribute mine in less than 6 months!!!

beautiful wedding, you looked fabulous!  left my comment, hope you get your discounted prints

Originally Posted by missy&eric2011 

 

Anyone know what bar location might be a good place to have a welcome party/bachelor/bachelorette party at?!  I'd rather keep it a bit low key at first...then perhaps move to the disco to amp it up a bit later...would the piano bar be appropriate?!  There's going to be about 30+ people, but I don't want to be the only people partying?!

I'm not sure but I hope someone can come up with a good suggestion bc I am wondering the same thing.  Our guests are arriving on a Thursday and we are planning to do bachelor/bachelorette parties that night and just send the guys and girls to separate bars...then eventually meet up later that night.  We are going to make tshirts for everyone to wear (as long as I can find cheap t's) and put fun sayings on them with iron on print outs.  I highly doubt you would be the only people partying, but with that many ppl, who cares?  You guys will start the party!!   

Very Cute!!!  Love the towels, might have to order some of them for our wedding

Didn't actually finish writing about that tour.... oops!  The snorkeling part of the tour is only an hour, and then they take you to Margaritaville in Ochos Rios and you can stay as long as you want.  Just thought I would add that!

We are thinking of doing something for our guests too.  Instead of a rehearsal dinner, we want to do a welcome event that includes everyone the afternoon before the wedding.  We really wanted to take everyone on an afternoon snorkeling cruise but who knew it was going to be so fricking expensive!! (average price was $70 per person!!)  Since we might have upwards of 40-50 ppl coming, that was definitely out of the question.  But I did find a snorkeling cruise that is only $32 p/p from Jaital tours (www.jaitel.com), and I think that included transportation from the resort to Ochos Rios.  This was one of the cheaper tours they offered but they have a bunch of fun tours that I'm sure guests would love, just depends on how much you want to spend.

Thanks for all of you input ladies.  I really appreciate all the advice and was much more confident about contacting her after I had heard from several of you.  Thankfully, everything has been worked out now.  I contacted her and she explained why she had been MIA and apologized for not being in contact.  We are finalizing our contract and getting our engagement pics taken in 2 weeks, so excited!!  Hopefully from now on we will recieve the client treatment we deserve, and since the emails and phone call, so far so good    Hopefully the info you all have added to the thread will help other brides if they are ever in the situation (although I hope no one is!!)  Thanks again!!!! 

Did you girls have to order 100?  Every item I click on keeps telling me it has a minimum order of 100...

Hi Ladies-

I know there are a lot of threads on here about OOT bag contents but I searched and couldn't find anything about special or unique items that brides included in their OOT bags.  I would like to find out what sort of things you are including/included in your OOT bags that was not the usual suncare, hangover kits, and mugs.  I am interested in finding out if anyone included anything special that your guests really loved or something that maybe the rest of us didn't think to include. 

For example, I read about a bride who is including mini ipod speakers in her OOT bags...I think that is an awesome idea (and only $2 on amazon.com) and I would have never thought of that!  So share your unique OOT bag ideas please!!  Thanks!!!

I am doing OOT bags that are going to be given out the day our guests arrive (I'm hoping the resort will either hand them out at the front desk or deliver them to their rooms...but we'll see)  And then for favors at the actual weddding, I think we are going to make a donation either to a local Jamaican charity (since we are getting married in Jamaica) or a US charity that means something to us.  I am almost positive that 95% of our guests will lose their favor by the end of the night because we have dinner one place and reception at a different location.  So this way, they will get their mugs and other stuff in their OOT bags which they can take home and remember the wedding and they won't have to worry about carrying anything around the whole night (since it will just be a piece of paper explaining the donation in honor of our wedding guests). 

I agree with all these ladies!  I would be offended if someone told me how I needed to wrap my gift or tell me I couldn't wrap it at all.  I love seeing people unwrap gifts that I have given them, I think it's half the fun of giving someone a gift is the surprise when they finally see what is under all that wrap.  Plus, although I don't love it, but every bridal shower I've been to there is always some sort of game associated with the ribbons from the gifts...ie- the number of ribbons you have to cut is how many kids you and hubby will have.  You definitely need to let her know you are not comfortable with that idea!

I am the MOH in my best friends wedding a month after mine and since I live 600 miles from my hometown now...we are doing bridal shower/bach party all in one weekend.  We are planning a Friday evening Cocktail style "Stock the Bar" Bridal Shower.  We are going to have a few sig cocktails to serve throughout the evening and we are asking people to bring items to stock the happy couples bar.  Since her and her fiance live together they have a lot of stuff for their house already, so we thought this would be a little more fun.  This is what we are putting on the invites:

A bottle of red or a bottle of white

Maybe tequila & Salt for a mararita delight

Glasses, napkins, or an ice bucket too.

We'll stock their bar before they say "I Do"

Obviously, the stock the bar party is only if you are comfortable and able to serve drinks at your shower but there are a ton of great ideas from this invitation site for bridal showers:  http://www.myexpression.com/bridal-shower-invitations.cfm

Hope this helps!

I know I post groupon specials all the time but this is another good one I figured I should share!

$10 for $20 or $15 for $30 worth of products from Bath and Body Works!!

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1369754

The groupon is for Baltimore, Lansing, MI and DC (possibly other cities too but these are the 3 places I check!)

It expires at the end of April and is valid only online.  Enjoy!

Mrs Dow- another question for you   I'm trying to figure out what to wear for shoes... heels or sandals.  I really want to wear heels... but I'm not sure if it will make sense.  So... what did you wear?  Is it paved everywhere that we need to walk (minus pics on the beach?)  I can't really tell from the pics if the walkway to the gazebo is paved or not so any info would be great! Thanks!!!!

Congrats brides!  We are getting married July 26, 2011 at the Gran Bahia Principe Resort.  Staying there for a week, then heading to Tensing Pen in Negril for 3 nights...can't wait!!!