Soon-to-be-Mrs.D

We got married in March and used DJ William from subtronic sound. He was GREAT. We provided a list of songs (8 hours worth) for him to play, and he stuck to it, but played what he thought was good depending on the time of night. We highly recommend him! We didn't have him scheduled for our after party, but he offered to DJ there too (which we did). We got so many compliments on what a great job he did!

Hi Melanie, We had some specific criteria that we used to narrow our wedding destination down to Turks and Caicos: 1) Really nice, clean beaches 2) Easily accessible from the US (most of our guests flew out of the northeast mainly NYC and Boston) 3) US dollar currency and english speaking 4)Cheaper accomodation options for our guests I did a ton of research and it just sounded like T&C would be perfect. After picking the island, I searched hotels/resorts online (I actually used the website Krys suggested above a lot - very helpful) and picked 4 of them that we thought we'd like and actually took a trip down there about a year before the wedding to scout it out. I think the planning trip was the best thing that we could have done. We really knew what we wanted and where to tell people to stay once we met with all of the hotels. We got married at the Somerset, but knew this was going to be way to expensive for our friends to stay at... most of our guests stayed at the Sibonne (realllllly budget friendly and literally right next door to the Somerset) and the Sands (moderately priced and located on the other side of the Sibonne). Then there were a few people who stayed at the Alexandria, and one couple at Point Grace. All were in close proximity (Alexandria was the farthest down the beach). Good luck with your search - T&C will not disappoint AND Diane from Island Harmony is fabulous - you'll love her!

I just got married in T&C a little over a month ago at the Somerset with 85 guests. Originally when we booked the wedding, the hotel employed a coordinator who was to take care of us. She ended up quitting, and for us it was a blessing! Diane from Island Harmony took over as our planner. As soon as we spoke with her all, our nerves subsided. She was FABULOUS. She is originally from NJ but has lived on the island 7 years now and has her own event planning business. She was a GODSEND! She picked right up where the other coordinator left off and had so many connections to vendors on the island and so many great ideas! We inundated her with emails, and she was always so quick to respond, highly organized and was just the sweetest woman ever to work with. She genuinely cares to make your day special and did her best to make it exactly how we envisioned it. For us, she went above and beyond what we could have expected and we would recommend her to anyone!! Her email is: [email protected] Brianna

The catering company Kissing Fish (which is owned and operated by the same people that own Bay Bistro) did our rehearsal dinner/beach BBQ. It was FABULOUS! I can't say enough good things about the food and how nice the staff were. Plus if you are having your wedding at the somerset, it's right next door. We met with Clive, the owner, the day before to go over everything. It started at 6PM, and went until the party ended (after minight!). They provided us with music, microphones, table decorations, did all of the setup/cleanup and provided us with smores to go with the bonfire they made for us! We couldn't have asked for a more fun and delicious BBQ!

Trust me - you will not be disappointed if you go with the Somerset. We got so many compliments from our guests saying it was the most beautiful setting for a wedding they've ever seen, the food was excellent and the hotel staff were fabulous PLUS Diane, the wedding coordinator (who also owns Island Harmony - her own event planning business), is AMAZING. Her attention to details, organization, and overall demeanor you can't beat. She was such a great help to us and eased our minds about everything the whole week we were there. I'll be posting my review soon! BUT overall I give the Somerset and Diane A++++!

The Somerset gave us 20% off any room that was booked and they honored the special that's going on right now - stay 4 nights, get the 5th night free. We only had 7 rooms booked there, the rest of our guests were at the Sands (which didn't give us a group rate, even though we had 16 rooms booked there), and Sibonne (we had 12 rooms there, and they gave us rates that were cheaper than the published ones - my mom worked that deal!).

Hey! We just got married at the Somerset last weekend - I plan on doing a more comprehensive review, but the Somerset was simply AMAZING. We could not have asked for anything better! While our immediately families stayed at the Somerset, 90% of the rest of our 84 guests stayed at the Sibonne (very reasonable prices right next door) and the Sands (fairly reasonable, on the other side of the Sibonne). No matter what, people will want to stay where they want to stay. We had others staying at Point Grace, Coral Gardens and Comfort Inn. We did a beach BBQ for everyone in front of the Sibonne as the rehearsal which was also so good. People were just raving about the food and atmosphere. They put up tents, lanterns on the tables, tiki torches and a huge bonfire. They also provided fun music from their ipods, which kept us dancing late into the night. The bartenders and servers were hilarious too! I definitely recommend them if you are looking to do a more casual reception on the beach.

Hi! I just got married last weekend at the Somerset and we had not one, but two different bands booked at one point or another before we completely changed our mind and went with DJ William of Subtronic Sound as recommended by our wedding coordinator Diane. We had 84 people with about 90 percent of our guests being under 35 and ready to party. We were SO happy with our choice, even after reading a terrible review of him not too long ago. We provided him with a list of about 8 hrs worth of music for him to choose from along with a few "must plays". He stuck to only the music that was in the list and played all of our "must plays." He read the crowd so well - everyone at the hotel told us it was the most fun, beautiful wedding they had seen there at the Somerset. For days after, the staff AND hotel guests kept coming up to us saying the music was SO MUCH FUN and they had never seen a group of people have such a good time. After the wedding reception was over, he even offered to stay and to do our "after party" at the Zen garden for a few hours!! We had the same problem as you finding ANY sort of music from the bands we had originally booked... and music was a huge deal to us so we were very nervous booking a band we had never heard (especially at twice the price). We were so happy with our choice to go with the DJ... but again, I haven't heard any of the bands out there either. Hope this helps!!

Thanks so much for the suggestions! The wine bar is right up my alley and I'm sure the guests will appreciate a good Irish bar to go to on St. Patty's Day So excited! We leave one week from today!!

Of course - it was $50 per person for a 4-5 hours excursion. He provides light snacks, water and rum punch too! We are so excited

I'm getting married at the Somerset in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there were any bars around that can handle a group like ours! We have 80 people coming, most under age 35. Most are coming in on Wed/Thurs nights and we don't have anything planned (we have a snorkling excursion and beach BBQ Friday). Just wondering if there were any nice bars we could meet up at (besides hotel bars).

I'm getting married two weeks from tomorrow We have a snorkling excursion planned for 70 people. We booked on the Atabeyra, but exceeded the amount the boat could hold (max capacity is 50). David worked with us to find another boat that could ride along side to hold the extra people. We are so excited and have heard such great things about him and the boat!

Thanks Krys, I actually did contact David - we have 72 people and he told us that his boat fits 50 comfortably. Since we are doing a 5 hour tour, we want everyone to be comfortable and not jammed in. It stinks that we'll have to spilt up, but I'm glad we could still be accomodated somehow. He asked around and found another new boat operator (Island Vibes) to sail with us. It's not a sail boat, and it's more expensive than what David was charging us, but we are thankful that David found it for us! We will have 50 on the sail boat, and 22 on the other boat. We are very much looking forward to our excursion!

We are actually booked on the Atabeyra for a snorkeling excusion for all of our weddings guests in March. I'm getting worried though because we have more "yes" responses than originally anticipated. We are told the boat can hold up to 65, but it's looking like we will have closer to 70, maybe even a bit more! Diane, my wedding coordinator, said it should be OK but I'm still worried that our guests will be uncomfortable. Does anyone know what he does if we go over the max capacity? it says that on their website that they would arrange for another vessel to come if this happens. Just wondering if it's going to be crowded and if it's a better idea to arrange for two boats regardless. I'm thinking maybe I hsould contact him directly. All of my responses are due this Saturday so we'll have a very accurate # by then I should hope.

This is probably a dumb question to ask at this point since my wedding is two months from now down in T&C, but does anyone know what we have to do to make our marriage legal in the US (if anything)? I've tried to search the internet for what we need to do to make sure our marriage will be valid, but can't find anything. I live in upstate NY, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference as I know the laws differ from state to state. Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Hi Kerry - I don't blame you for wanting to save vacation days for the wedding... whichever place you choose will be beautiful, I'm sure. That's funny about you not really wanting to get married because you are from Somerset, lol. It's a really nice place though! Seven Stars was one that we came across when we were down there. I had seen it in doing my research, but wasn't really interested because I wanted more of a Caribbean feel, while this seemed more Miami-ish to me online, kinda like Gansevoort. We didn't actually meet with anyone when we were down there, we sort of just strolled around the hotel and gave ourselves a tour just to see. It was more of like a higher-rise hotel from what I can remember, while all of the other hotels were only a few stories tall. It seemed like they had a nice pool area and bar outside though. I think I remember someone telling us that they were under new management and were trying to get more people in there. Sorry I can't be of more help with that one. Another thing to consider is the Kissing Fish catering company if you wanted your reception on the beach - we are actually doing a beach BBQ through them for the rehearsal dinner, which we are inviting all of our guests to. It will be casual buffet style, but set up on the beach under tents with a bon fire. We ate at their restaurant Bay Bistro at the Sibonne and it was SO GOOD! They can also do more formal meals too, not just BBQ. Let me know if you have any more questions! Brianna

Hi Kerry! First of all - CONGRATS! The hardest part is narrowing down the island, and then the resort to have the wedding. We did tons of research and found that Turks and Caicos sounded like our best fit for us. We actually took a planning trip down to scout out places back in February (we are getting married March 19 and couldn't be more excited)... I did a ton of research on the hotels before I came down and narrowed it down to 5 places. Palms, Grace Bay Club, Somerset, Point Grace and Seven Stars. We went and saw the Somerset first, and I fell in love instantly. I told my fiance I didn't even need to look anywhere else. Of course, we did though, and by the end Somerset was still number one in my eyes. The Regent Palms was a close second as the food is awesome, hotel rooms are amazing and the pool area is fabulous. And don't even get me started on the spa! incredible! However, we wanted to have an outdoor reception and the only space they had to accomodate our 75 guests was the lawn, and they can't do sit down meals out there - only buffet, which we didn't want to do. It was also across the parking lot from the rest of the resort, and right next to the road. They do have a nice ballroom if you aren't opposed to having it indoors. We are having our ceremony on the beach, cocktail hour on the pool deck and wedding on the croquet lawn at the Somerset. The croquet lawn is right next to the restaurant and DOES accomodate sit down meals. Diane, the new coordinator there, is FABULOUS and been instrumental part of our planning process. She literally getes back to you in minutes when you email her and is so detailed oriented. The woman at the Regent Palms had completely forgotten that we were meeting with her on our planning trip, just seemed disorganized and distracted, which turned me off instantly. She was actually on her phone most of the time when giving us a tour of the Palms Will you be doing a planning trip at all? I highly recommend it if you can! I'm sure you will be 100% satisfied with whichever place you pick - the beaches are gorgeous and the hotels are so nice. Most of our guests are staying at the Sands and the Sibonne as more economical options. Good luck with planning - if have any questions let me know! Happy Planning! Brianna

Janine, welcome back - I saw your pictures on Brilliants website - you looked beautiful Congrats! I'm anxious to hear your reviews as well. I'm basically having the same wedding weekend as you! Snorkeling cruise on the Atabeyra, Rehearsal with Bay Bistro (on the beach) and ceremony and reception at the Somerset! Can't wait to hear all about it! Brianna

Hello All! I'm currently planning a wedding in Turks and Caicos, but we are looking into having our honey moon in Costa Rica in March 2011. We plan on going to two differet parts of the country but are having trouble with picking hotels to stay at. In the Arenal volcano region we were thinking either the Springs Resort or the Tabacon. For the beach, we were thinking Paradisus Playa Conchal OR the Four Seasons. Does anyone have any info on any of these? My travel agent did inform us that Paradisus was changing ownership and that it probably wouldn't be the best time to go there. I've heard you can't beat the Four Seasons, but I'm nervous about lots of corporate events and families being there. Our wedding is March 19, but we were thinking of maybe postponing the honeymoon til April in hopes that some of the room rates might come down since it won't really be peak season anymore - does any one know if rates even go down in April? If not, we'll probably just fly right from T&C. Thanks for your help!

Mine call is on Monday with her too - I'm sure it will go well for you

Hey - I'd call the place where you got your dress from and ask! Or maybe you can contact the designers store? To me, I wouldn't think tulle would be affected too much by the salt water, but I have no idea. The TTD pictures are always GORGEOUS! you're going to have a great time!

Hey - well it's good to know that she will be there to focus only on my wedding for that weekend. I have a conference call set up with Monique and Diane this coming Monday. I'm wondering if we are going to have to pay an additional fee to have her coordinate the wedding - having a WC included in the package that we bought through the Somerset was a major reason why we picked them in the first place, so I'll be disappointed if there are more costs involved.... Janine, I'm sure Monique would have contacted you if she wasn't going to be there, especially if it's only a month or so away. I wouldn't worry!

Hi Ladies- thanks for your honest words about the new wedding coordinator. I'm sure we will be in good hands, and it sounds like it might be an even better scenario having her. Hopefully she can put up with ME and all of my questions! lol.

Janine, Did you get an email that Monique is leaving the Somerset? She emailed me this morning and let me know that she and her husband are moving back to Toronto and a new coordinator, Diane (looks like her email is from Island Harmony, a wedding coordinator company in T&C) will be taking over. YIKES - I'm nervous. She wants to set up a call next week to ensure a seamless transition. Just wondering if Monique is going to be around for your wedding or if you will have the new coordinator as well. Island Harmony sounds like a prety legit company though. Here is the link: http://islandharmony.com/ So hopefully will have as much, if not more, experience in wedding planning! Brianna

Hey Nicole! We are inviting 150 and expecting 75 based on the conversations we've had with people and who's booked so far. My fiance's dad is thinking about having a reception for us when we return so that all of the people who couldn't come plus more that weren't even invited can come and celebrate. It's definitely bigger than I expected for a destination wedding, but it will be great to have our families and friends together for a full weekend! Some are staying at Sibonne and Beaches, but most are staying at the Sands... we are just meeting our minimum at the Somerset. Janine, no we haven't sent out invites yet as the wedding isn't until March. Actually I just met with the woman about them last week, so I'm really just getting started with that! I definitely won't be disappointed if less than 75 show. Originally, I didn't really even want more than 50! I'm awful!