katelynn

When we booked we had to pay $2000 to hold 10 spots as you each have to pay a $200 deposit to hold your spot and then pay the rest 60 days before departure. If you and your FI have $2000 throw it down so it reserves your group (thats what we did until people started boking so we had our date reserved) It all depends also on how many people you are having and what you really want from your package. I was going to go with the Sunshine and then realized that the free package was better for us, as I found you were paying for little things I didnt want like a fruit basket in room. The free package includes things like your boquet, grooms bout, decoration of the site, and dinner for 16 people. The only thing you have to pay for is the minister fee's which is $400 cash, and then its $25 a person for dinner after 16, while I think the sunshine was like $35. With this extra money we paid for all our flowers and the gazebo rental at night. Hope this helps!! There is also a very active Bahia thread and I am sure more girls will have insight there.

My TA / Wedding Planner sent Beverly a copy of our long form birth certificates last month and called her to make sure she recieved them and if that was all she needed and it was fine. These were not notarized but were okay, we still plan on bringing down the originals to Jamaica though just in case!!

We did OOT bags and I have to say they were a lot of fun but also expensive and time consuming. Ill post some pics the next time I go over to my mom's house as they are all there and ready...they actually take over my old room! lol We included: (may have forgot some stuff) *** see attachments below Towel Mug with key card holder Luggage tags First Aid kit* Asprin Gaterade packet bookmark * welcome letter jamaican drinks guide * bath salts (for spa tubs!!!) magnet from vistaprint pen aloe sunscreen lipbalm * hand sanitizer * lint roller for men loofa body wash hand lotion matches * kids brochure decks of cards with label * CHAPSTICK.doc838k .doc file DRINK GUIDE.ppt312k .ppt file FIRST AID KIT.doc827k .doc file HAND SANITIZER.ppt235k .ppt file keycardholder.ppt80k .ppt file TOWEL TAGS.doc28k .doc file SURVIVAL_KIT[1].doc103k .doc file PLAYING CARD LABELS.doc31k .doc file CHAPSTICK.doc DRINK GUIDE.ppt FIRST AID KIT.doc HAND SANITIZER.ppt keycardholder.ppt TOWEL TAGS.doc SURVIVAL_KIT[1].doc PLAYING CARD LABELS.doc

Hey Ladies, I just finished my cake box labels on the weekend and I think they turned out pretty good so I thought I would share...now to do the seating cards... labels-cake-box[2].pdf

thanks for the info Mrs Dow it is deffinately helpful. I also looked at your pics and they are AMAZING! It looks like all of you had such a great time!! Do you remember where you got your TTD as it is so pretty

Have fun akua...cant wait to hear from you when you get back!! I am also very interested to hear about the beach party as I never knew this existed...does anyone know more details like when it starts etc>?

Thanks for sharing...I LOVE you dress and all the little touches that made your day special!

I have a weird question that my mom asked me today that I hope someone can answer. Will drinks be served throughout dinner or do we have to pay a bartender during dinner hour for drinks. I am also wanting to get the bartender for the gazebo now after my mom said that it was a must...lol! I am hoping to strike a deal with Beverly when I am down there as we have 43 people and at $15pp/hour I think it is ridiculous seeing as it is an ALL inclusive resort! A friend at her work went to a wedding in Jamaica and they only had to pay for the bartender for like 2 hours which I think would be more reasonable. Any suggestions??

Here is what I have so far..I am still tweaking it as I am wondering if its too long?! Good afternoon, we meet here today in nature surrounded by the beautiful ocean and blue sky to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite MIKE and KATE in matrimony. On behalf of MIKE and KATE, I welcome you and thank you all for gathering here on this beautiful day in Jamaica to witness their marriage ceremony. The fact that you all have travelled such a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have. Many of you have given them much happiness, love, warmth, and guidance through the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their big day. I have also been asked by MIKE and KATE to thank their parents for the wonderful lives they have given them, for the hard work and guidance they have provided, for their everlasting love, support, and encouragement. It is from them that they have learned the true meaning of love, friendship and family. I now ask Garry Palmateer to come up and lead Mike and Kate in a hand ceremony. HAND CEREMONY Lead by Garry Palmateer As an expression that you are joined together in love – Mike will you please hold up Katee’s hands, so you may feel the gift she is to you. These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch. Kate would you please hold Mike’s hands palms up and take a good long look at the position of his hands, "because this is the last time you will have the upper hand". These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the hands that will massage tension from you neck and back in the evenings after you’ve both had a long hard day. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving. And these are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized. Our wish for you today is that both of you will use these hands to build a marriage where all your dreams come true VOWS The marriage between MIKE and KATE does not mark the beginning of a new relationship; rather, it is an acknowledgement and celebration, of a relationship that has been flourishing since they met. MIKE and KATE you have chosen to walk through life together, and there is no truer statement of love. The choice was not made by any one moment, but by being together you grew to realize that you belonged together and that you fulfilled each other’s needs. You have come to thrive upon each other’s presence, loyalty and wisdom. The foundation of your love is profound friendship. A friendship you have nurtured until at last you realized that you wanted to be together always. The commitment you make today will be the foundation on which you will build your life together. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife." At this time I ask those who are holding on to the rings to please present them (SEAN AND SARAH) Your wedding rings represent the unconditional love that you have for one another and are a symbol of the vows that you will make today. Mike, take this ring, put it on Kate's finger and repeat after me: Today, I, Mike choose you, Kate, to be my wife. This is a symbol of my unending devotion to you, I promise to encourage and comfort you, and to always be by your side through our life’s journey I promise to support you when life seems easy and when it seems hard, You are my best friend and the one I choose to spend my life with, With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours Kate, please place the ring on Mike’s finger and repeat after me:†Today, I, Mike choose you, Kate, to be my wife. This is a symbol of my unending devotion to you, I promise to encourage and comfort you, and to always be by your side through our life’s journey I promise to support you when life seems easy and when it seems hard, You are my best friend and the one I choose to spend my life with, With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours As you stand beside the ocean, may your love always be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea; Your love came softly upon each others heart, just as the foam comes softly upon the sand, and just as there will never be a morning without the ocean's waves, so there will never be a day without love for each other. You have pledged yourselves on this day that your love will be as dependable as the tide; as these waters nourish the earth and sustain life, may your constant devotion nourish and sustain you until the end of time. I now ask Anne Wagar to come up to lead the sand ceremony Sand Ceremony Reading: Anne Wagar KATE and MIKE today you join your separate lives together. The two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you’ll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so your marriage will be. We now ask that the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom step forward for the sand ceremony. We will begin by asking them to each pour a layer of sand. (mothers pour sand). The sand poured by your mothers is the foundation of your lives and marriage. KATE and MIKE please pour your sand now, as your lives are now joined as one. This newly formed union and joining of families is represented by the intertwined pattern of sand created by you and your family "Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand, one representing you KATE and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other representing you, MIKE, and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be." Closing MIKE & KATE, remember to give to one another new experiences of joy. Challenge one another so that you may grow. May the love you hold for each other, now sealed in marriage, continue to mature with the passing years. May you never take each other for granted, but always experience the wonder of your union. Be slow to anger, quick to forgive, leaving no tracks of resentment behind each day. We who are present today, hope that the inspiration of this moment will never be forgotten. May all your days and years to come be filled with vision, joy and passion. May the love you now share continue to grow, and may the happiness you bring to each other be a continuing part of your life together. May you continue to live well, laugh often and love much and enjoy each other every day, believing in yourself and believing in each other. May your love be a sanctuary and a source from which you draw strength to live your lives with enthusiasm and imagination. May the people you touch in your lifetime know how much you love and care for one another and may you love one another forever. With friends and family, along with the sun, the sky, and the sea, I have the pleasure of announcing you as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!

Wow! I cant believe how many brides there are on this thread now..it is amazing! I havent been around all week due to clinical and 12 hour shifts at the Hospital so I had a lot to catch up on! We are also going with the free package as it made more sense for us since we have our own photographer, im going with Jan's flowers and I already have a lot of stuff I am bringing down. I already have my $400 american cash for the minister etc, and we are doing the gazebo dance etc. I think with flowers, gazebo and our people over 16 it was still cheaper than the $100 package. I didnt know you needed transportation to the wedding,...I assumed on walking !? lol I talked to my FI about the first look the other night and he wasnt too keen on it even though I think its a great idea...we will see 76 more days to convince him! lol Akua - I cant believe you leave in a week, you must be sooo excited! Good luck with everything, I am sure it will be perfect!!

Hey Ladies, Just wondering if any of you have thought about a neat kissing game to play. I thought it would be neat to include something about Jamaica but dont really have any ideas.

love the map idea...I might have to borrow it! Thanks for sharing

Yayy! Cant wait to get it after you! Good luck with everything...I am sure it will be great

We are planning on getting a private catamaran that picks you up in Ochos and then you go snorkelling for like 1 hr then they take you to Dunns for a couple hours. Further, all the food and drinks are included and its about $68 pp including admission to Dunns. I think the site is budget jamaica tours or something..they have a lot of cool ones on there!

Congrads Mrs Dow! Thanks for your wonderful review...it sounds like everything was amazing and went as planned for you. Looks like we will be asking you lots of questions too, haha. Cant wait to see your pics!

I have already printed out the same thing from Martha as I thought it was so cool. Here is the link I have: http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2009Q4/msw_travel09_sea_lookingforsomeone.pdf

Looking for rafia fans for my May wedding, approximately 25 with reasonable shipping to Ontario, Canada. Thanks ladies! Kate

What about one of these songs: Chrisette Michelle - My Joy Tim McGraw - my little girl Faith Hill - butterfly kisses Rascal Flatts - my wish * love this song - FI and MIL are dancing to this song Heartland - I loved her first Edwin McCain - Walk with you Brad Paisley- All because two people fell in love Phil Vassar - She's on her way I am going to dance with my dad to My Daughter" by Loudin Wainwright III ....it fits our relationship perfectly. I am still undecided on back down the isle, I wanted One love but I think we might go with Jason Mraz Im yours.

Thats awesome! I can see you rockin down the isle now. You deff have to check this link out..I get a smile everytime I watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0 My uncle will be playing the guitar for ours and my sister in law singing with him. I am going to be walking down the isle to Keith Urban - Only you can love me this way, I can see the tears shedding already!! haha

Hey, I have also been in contact with Jans and have everything set but she has never asked me for a deposit...I am assuming I should contact her about this?

Here is the link for the frame from the umbra site. Its where I got it and I think I revieved it like 2 days later after ordering. http://www.umbra.com/ustore/product/306630-410.store Also mixes...I was under the impression and hoping that the bartenders would sell it to us and we would set it up down there. Its what Mike and I did in cuba, just make friends with a bartender and give him like $100 US and you will be gold! Thats what I am doing as I cannot justify paying $15pp when we have 42 people and its an ALL inclusive resort!!!

I got mine off of dghate.com and some other girls have gotten it from lightinthebox.com Here is the one I ordered, it was $140 with shipping included. You just send them your measurements and they make it custom for you.

I dont think it will be a problem as Mike and I are not religious at all either...he isnt even baptised! I wrote our own script...I think I am like 80% done so I will deffinately post it when I am finsihed...I just have to write my vows

Here is the one I love!

Does anyone have any ideas for an orange and aqua color scheme, I love birds of paradise and white orchids but dont know if thats too much,....