sherribritt

Does anyone know of any good photographers in Nassau or Freeport who will meet us somewhere to take pictures when we port?

Does anyone know of any photographers in Freeport or Nassau who would be willing to meet us somewhere once we port so we can get some professional pictures taken while we're in the Bahamas in addition to the pictures taken on the ship. I heard the Carnival photographers are not always the best.

Does anyone know of any photographers in Freeport or Nassau who would be willing to meet us somewhere and take pictures once we port? I'd love to get some professional pictures in the Bahamas in addition to the pictures we will have taken on the ship (which I heard were not always so good).

Another thing I just thought about...If you can get the Carnival Capers (the daily newsletters showing the different daily activities/specials) it would be helpful to see that and get an idea of the different things we might want to plan to do as a group on the ship.

We are planning a wedding on the Carnival Fantasy on August 8, 2011. So excited already!

Oh! That's great! Please do take lots of pics and scout out good places for photos It will be helpful to find out, if you can, which locations they typically use for the weddings/receptions. Also, if you see any good restaurants nearby in Charleston, please let me know. I will probably have a Bon Voyage party the night before we cruise since most everyone is staying overnight. I'd also love to know if there's a good hair and makeup person nearby in Charleston. If you can find out if the cabin doors are magnetic, that will be great, too. We are wondering if we should bring magnetic signs for the doors or if we should just use tape. Hope you have a great time!

Hi, CMHoward Looks like I'll be getting off the ship just before you board! I'm getting married on the Fantasy and cruising from Aug 8-13. I agree that the expense is a BARGAIN especially since you don't have to deal with various vendors and making sure everything is set up right. I have been trying to figure out what to do about bridesmaid bouquets, too, since I have 8 bridesmaids and the bouquets through the cruise wedding planner are expensive (especially since they will only be used for the ceremony). Any suggestions you have for putting together bridesmaid bouquets (or tips from your crafty friends) are appreciated!!! I would love to be able to put my own bouquets together but I need some direction/inspiration.

Great pictures! Thanks!

Getting married on the Carnival Fantasy in the Port of Charleston on Aug 8, 2011!

We are getting married on embarkation day on the Carnival Fantasy in August 2011 and we will be sailing to the Bahamas (stopping in Freeport one day and Nassau another day). We considered a destination wedding initially instead of cruise but ended up going with the cruise for several reasons (mainly because it is less stressful planning a wedding in the US and it is more cost efficient and convenient for people to go on the cruise as opposed to traveling to another country via airline.) We are okay with getting married aboard the ship because we will be able to go ahead and get the "wedding jitters" out of the way the first day and relax and party for the entire cruise. Plus, we will plan to take pictures in Freeport and Nassau to add to our wedding album so that we have a good mix of indoor and outdoor wedding pictures.

Since the wedding coordinator strongly suggests everyone arrive the night before the cruise, we are thinking of throwing a Bon Voyage party at a restaurant near our hotel for everyone since there won't be a Rehearsal Party. We are also planning to host a cocktail party (open bar) on the last day at sea to thank our guests for sharing our special day/week. We are going to brink the ipod and dock so that we can play our own music. I read somewhere that they can secure a projector for you, too, if you want to show a slide show with your photos. I may do that since it probably won't take much time to throw a slide show together using a digital camera. I am going to try to snap photos of everybody during the first few days to include in the show. Another idea is to actually burn CDs for everybody once I get home of the slide show and mail them along with the thank you cards. We could also use the slide show at our At Home Reception (AHR). Okay, I think I am talking myself into the slide show idea....Just hope I don't waste too much time in my cabin putting it together!!

I am going with an embarkation day wedding on the Carnival Fantasy in August 2011 mainly to accommodate people who may not want to cruise and also to go ahead and get the "wedding jitters" out of the way so that I can enjoy and celebrate during the entire cruise without worrying about getting sick, hung over, arriving late to a port, etc. I would love to hear about anyone else's experiences with the Carnival weddings. I have a while to go, but I'm already excited and nervous!!

We are getting married on embarkation day on the Carnival Fantasy on Aug 8, 2011; but we would love to have some pictures taken while visiting in Freeport and Nassau to include in our wedding album. Does anybody know of any places that are close enough to the port so that we won't get lost? I would love to have some pretty wedding vacation pictures in the Bahamas to go along with the actual ceremony/reception pictures on the ship.

We are planning an embarkation day wedding, too, for the same reasons. I'll be getting married on the Carnival Fantasy on August 8, 2011. We have cruised before and it was a lot of fun, so I know that once the stress of ceremony is out of the way, I will have a blast!

Trixiebaby!! Am I glad to meet you!!! Even though my wedding is several months off, I am already nervous about the unknowns! I will probably have about 50 guests, but my bridal party is large (8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen) so I am a little nervous about how everybody will know where to walk/stand, etc. It will be helpful to hear how much detail is shared with you as your wedding date gets closer. I would also love to see "real" pictures of the wedding and ceremony sites once they are all set up. I'm also curious about the videographer's work... I am going with the pianist for the reception since we will only have an hour, and I am thinking we can all meet up later that night in the disco and dance the night away without worrying about a time limit. I think the hour will fly by. Have you heard of any picturesque places in the Bahamas? I would love to get some great pictures of my "new" husband and me in the Bahamas for our wedding album. If you hear of any good spots for pictures nearby the port, please let me know!! I'll be sure to keep posting information as I get it, too. Congratulations and best of luck to you!!

We are arriving in Charleston a couple of nights before the cruise since the ship leaves on a Monday. I got this link from a local in Charleston which shows which hotels provide a free shuttle to the cruise port and free parking at the hotel for the duration of your cruise. Great deal when you compare to what they will charge you for parking at the cruise port! http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitor...ages_stay.html

Hi, Ladies, Just thought I'd also include the questions I sent to the wedding coordinator along with her answers. I am pretty impressed with how quickly she is replying to my emails. 1) Do you have any pictures of the ceremony site and also the reception site? I am trying to get an idea about what the color scheme will be like. I am hoping to choose my bridesmaids' colors so that they do not clash with the colors of the ceremony site. We have attached some photos of possible locations, the actual location will be confirmed about 3 weeks prior to your cruise. (2) Are there any options for buying a small bouquet for each bridesmaid? I did receive the list with prices, but they were all over $100. I have 8 bridesmaids, so I don't want to spend that much on their bouquets (especially since they will probably just have to throw them away). Any ideas? Please contact our vendor A wedding for you at 1-800-929-4198 for additional flowers. (3) I chose the pianist for the live entertainment. Will he/she play requests or is there a playlist that he/she sticks to? Are there songs we can choose from? If you would like certain songs place , please email us the sheet music. Normally they play classical music and show tunes. (4) Do you have any sample pictures from actual weddings on the Fantasy taken by the photographer who will be working during my wedding? I would like to get an idea of where everybody will be standing/sitting. Also, do you have any sample video clips from the videographer? We are considering hiring him for a package, but we would like to see his work first to get an idea of what we are paying for. We have attached pictures of the ceremony setup and reception setup. We do not video or photos of people with the setup for the Fantasy. (5) Will you/the pianist be announcing the wedding party and/or bride and groom or the first dance (if we have one) when we enter the reception site? Will you/the pianist be announcing the cutting of the cake/toast? Just wondering if that is included or if we need to try to designate someone to do all of that. The Pianist will announce the couple and the toast. If you have any other announcements you will need to assign someone from your party. (6) If we have selected songs for the ceremony, in what format do you prefer to have that (cd, ipod playlist, etc.)? Will someone be available to play the songs for the ceremony? If you bring music for the ceremony your coordinator will play the music for you , you can bring 3 songs no more than 3 mins. each on a CD format. (7) Can we bring our own cake topper? Yes ( Does the photographer come in to take pictures of the bride while I am getting ready? How long does it take him/her to take pictures between the ceremony and reception? Is there some time between the ceremony and reception so that guests who are in the wedding don't miss part of the reception while they are taking pictures? Also, does the photographer take time after the reception to take the various pictures of the bride and groom on board so that doesn't cut into the reception time as well? The photographer takes photo throughout your ceremony and reception posed and candid shots and after your reception he takes photos of you and your fiancé around the ship. (9) Is it okay for our friends to take pictures/video during the wedding and reception, too? Yes (10) Instead of a poem, I would like for one of my family members to say a prayer during the ceremony. Is it okay to do that instead of having someone read a poem? Yes (11) We would like to host a private cocktail party for our last day at sea for our guests to thank them for coming. You sent me the price lists already. I am wondering if you can tell me ahead of time which room we will have the party in so I can add an invite to my sailing guests' welcome aboard bag I am planning to give them when we board. This party setup on the last night will be handled through our group event planning team you may reach them at 1-800-438-6744 x70006, they can give you lounge information at the time of booking your party. (12) Is the Disco open the first night on the ship? I am also thinking of adding a note to my guests' welcome aboard bags letting them know we want everyone to meet in the Disco to celebrate (especially since there won't be much time for dancing and partying during the one hour reception). The Disco will be open to the public on the 1st night of the cruise. (13) Also, when will you be able to let me know the actual site of the ceremony and reception? I would like to add those to the invitations if I am able to get the information early enough. Also, can you give me approximate start times for the wedding ceremony and also the reception so that I can provide that information on my invitations I send out? The actual times and locations of your ceremony and reception will be confirmed about 2-3 weeks prior to your cruise. Weddings normally start around 1pm. (14) Will at least 2 cabins be available before the ceremony so my fiance and I can get ready in separate rooms? Yes, when we finalize your details you can provide the second cabin number.

I just got a reply....Here are the pictures I got as "samples of possible ceremony locations":

I emailed my wedding coordinator yesterday and asked her if she had any pictures of the ceremony and reception sites so that I could get a feel for the decor and the color scheme. I will let you know if she sends me any.

Hi, All  I haven't seen anyone else post that they have booked a wedding on the Fantasy in the Port of Charleston, so if you have or are planning to, please post!!  I just booked a wedding on Carnival Fantasy for August 8, 2011. We will be sailing to the Bahamas. I'm having my wedding in the Port of Charleston so that guests who are not interested in cruising can also attend. I was originally planning a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico and even had my Save the Dates ordered when I finally decided to go with the cruise. I was getting so anxious about the violence going on in Mexico, especially the recent reports of things happening in/near the popular resort areas (like Cancun). I found myself googling Mexico every other day so I finally decided not to put myself through the stress of doing that every day for the next 11 months and just go with a cruise It is actually cheaper for my guests that way, so I am happy with the decision.  I just got my wedding info from my personal wedding coordinator and there are so many options. I am especially curious about the ceremony and receptions sites, as I have no idea what the colors/decor are like. We won't know which option will be chosen until we have a final count for guests because the sites are chosen based partly on how many guests you have.  If anybody has any experience with a wedding on board the Fantasy (in recent years...I understand things were updated a couple of years ago), please comment! I am really excited and would love to see pictures  Thanks, Sherri

I am now in the same boat with you! My travel agent introduced me to Dreams Riviera Cancun and now I am having trouble deciding between the two. Both are on Facebook, by the way, and I like that people have posted their own pictures of these resorts on the facebook pages. It kind of gives you reassurance that, yes, these places are as beautiful as the commercial pictures on the website. There is also a wedding discussion thread on both of the facebook pages that is informative. Â I guess it will come down to which is most affordable for my guests. Do any of you have any tips on how the guests can get the best rates?

Oh, that's great, FutureMrsH! I can't wait to hear what they have to say! Â

Beautiful dress, Lisa! I know you are excited!!

Perfect! I think it's very well written! Thank you! Â

If anyone finds a similar link that is more current, please let us know! I think this one was from over a year ago...but the map is still very helpful. I am going to try to copy/paste it onto my website.