marleydog

Hey Sarah, we had Marcia. She was fantastic.

Hey, we booked through a travel agent so was really easy. After we booked we had a call from Dania. She's the Sandals Wedding Coordinator & is absolutely useless. She's sporadic at responding & seems only interested in upselling. On the plus side, the wedding coordinators on site are fantastic. Once you get there, you have a meeting with the wedding office where they talk you through your ceremony & ask you to choose the cake. On the day, you can have your hair done in the salon but I chose to have mine done in the villa. Be careful of timings, nothing happens quickly. Our ceremony was at 4pm & I'd booked the hairdresser to be there for 12.00 & she turned up at 1.30. It wasn't a stress because I'd factored in her being late. Once that's done you sit & wait for the wedding coordinator to come & get you. Mine turned up to dress me at 3.40 & told me that they were still waiting for the officiant to turn up. It was a roasting hot day so I said I'd get dressed once I knew the officiant had arrived. She got the call at 3.50 so got dressed & off we went. She walked me round to the gazebo & checked the train etc was ok & that was it. We had no ceremony rehearsal & hadnt met the officiant but she was fantastic. Ps I did my own make up. I was a bit worried that they would make me up too much or that I wouldn't look like me (if that makes sense) You can have this done at the same time as your hair, either in the salon or in your room. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Hi Jennifer, Our wedding cost just over £10,000, not sure what that is in USD though. That price included flights from the UK & we stayed in a private villa with butler service. Not sure if that helps you. Let me know if you need any other info.

Hey, I hope all's good with you. We've been so busy with one thing & another since getting back. We had the most amazing time & loved every second. I'm sure you'll love every second your in St Lucia. How's everything going?

Hi All, We've just come back from our wedding at Sandals Grande Antigua last week. We opted for the gazebo opposite the reflections pool & also had our evening reception there. We had 6 people in total & it was an ideal size. We stayed in the private villa with butler service & couldnt fault it at all. Absolutely loved every second. If you need to know anything, let me know & I'll do my best to help.

Hi Welcome & congratulations. Your ceremony sounds fantastic, as does your suprise helicopter ride. We get married at Sandals Grande Antigua in 17 days, also with the BB theme. We only have 4 guests coming with us. We were going to go with the steel band but thought it may be a bit loud with only 6 of us. How far have you got with your planning? You'll find so much invaluable information on this site.

Thanks Nancy, Viki, OMG get you. You look A..Ma..zing!!!! Bob will be totally gobsmacked. Totally stunning hun.

A few pics from my Hen Night. Sorry they're so big. I couldn't make them any smaller.

Hi Vicki, How did you get on with the wedding dress? I'll bet it was fantastic. I have mine in 2 weeks time....forever to wait! I've been reading your FB posts & you're certainly working out hard. How you getting on with the veil? We're staying in one of the rondovals with a butler. Your suite sounds fantastic. You must be so excited now. I'm sure the weather will be fine, but I hear that they talk to you about an alternative just in case it does. Part of me thinks it would be quite romantic to walk down there with big brollies & have the ceremony in the rain. Have you left yourself enough time to get your hair & make up done? I was really worried that they would over run so I've booked mine for 12.00 & our ceremony's at 4pm. I dont want to have any last minute panics / rushes. It's really unfair that the WC dont just give out a brochure with standard prices for everything. I've learned so much from this site about options I didnt even know were available to me. I know it's hard but try not to worry about your photos. I know this is really easy for me to say but I'm sure it'll all turn out just the way you both want it. Your wedding shower sounds fantastic. Great idea to use the wedding registry. I'm sure you'll have the most fantastic experiences while your there. The new job's starting to settle down but it's very different to what I'm used to. I'm sure it'll all work out just fine, I'm just quite process driven & my new place....isn't. LOL.

Hi Sarah, I think I've got my posts out of sequence. Thanks again for sending the butler info. I hadn't read this post when I said to Viki about forwarding her a copy. You loose track really quickly on here if you dont log in every day. Hope you're having a good evening.

Evening Ladies, I hope you're all well. Sorry I haven't been on for a couple of days. Things have been so hectic over the past 3 weeks. I've just started a new job & it's a pretty steep learning curve. I also hate being the 'new girl'. By the time I've got my head round things I'll be off to Antigua for 2 weeks & probably forget it all. LOL. So glad to hear you had a great weekend Viki, we did something similar here for Father's day. OMG you get the dress soon. How exciting, I'll bet you cant wait. I'm sure it'll fit perfectly. I know exactly where you're coming from with the countdowns. If you're anything like me, you cant help yourself. I lay in bed on a night, absolutely shattered but cant stop going through the wedding step by step. Good call about the veil. I couldn't make my mind up at first but I know Mike really wanted me to have one. If it gets too hot, which I'm sure it will, I'll take it off after the ceremony. Viki, are you also in a butler suite? We've got one too & we're not sure how the whole thing worked. Thanks Sarah for the sheet you sent. Viki, If Sarah hasn't sent you this, let me know & I'll send you a copy. I wish I could work out but I'm so lazy when it comes to things like that. I'm just being careful with what I eat. Did I tell you all that I had a call saying my dress is in? I've left my fitting until 9th July so that I dont have to worry too much about losing / gaining weight. It's also my hen night on Friday. I know it's a bit early as there's still 6 weeks to go but there are a few people who cant make the hen night so I've got a few more quieter nights out. I'll be sure to post lots of pics on Sunday....Or when I get over the inevitable hangover. How's everyone else doing? I hope you all have a great week.

Hey ladies, I didn't know your get a special dinner at Mario's or Bayside. That sounds great. We've also booked the beach candlelit dinner for our last night. I know it was expensive but we thought it would be such a lovely way to end our 'weddingmoon'. Sarah, I did chuckle when I read your post about them trying to sell you things whilst you're still naked.

Hi Viki, We went for the cheap photo package. $375 for 19 images on a cd. We thought we'd print our own off once we got home. I'm pretty sure our guests will also be snapping away. We decided against having a video. Mike's dad is bringing a video camera but I'd rather he enjoyed the service rather than being busy filming. Also it might be a bit difficult given that he's walking me down the 'aisle'. LOL I'm not really using the spa. I'm going to do my own make up & I'm having my hair down in the villa / bungalow (or whatever it's called). I will be going in there for my hair rehearsal but that's about it. The couples massage sounds good. We may end up booking that once we get there.

Hey Sarah, Loving the pics of the conga line. You all look like you're having the most amazing time. Thanks for the info re the reception set up & so glad to hear the photographers know exactly what they're doing. I worry about the photos although I'm sure they'll be just perfect.

Hey Sarah, Thank you so much for taking the time to post your review. It’s a great help. From the pictures of your wedding on FB, it looks like that was the site we were thinking about because it looked a little more private (and shaded). We also liked the idea of having the reception in there. Do you think that with just 6 of us it would be too large & look silly? You said you also had your reception in there, how did that work? Once the ceremony is over do you then go off & have pics taken whilst they set up the table etc? We’re having the 30 min hors d’eourves & then the 2 hour reception but that’s not scheduled until 5.30, From the photos I’ve seen both on here & FB they look really good. What did you think of the photographers, did you have to direct them or where they pretty good at getting good shots? Glad to hear that the Officiant kept things light. I’m pretty sure I’ll tear up too. Sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the Flower Ceremony. You had such high hopes for that too. I’m sure both mum’s loved the sentiment behind it though. Your conga line sounds wicked. Do you have any pics? Would love to see them. Thanks for the heads up about meals etc. Will certainly bear that in mind. You’re so lucky having been there. The anticipation is killing me & I know that Viki is wishing time away too. Once again, congratulation & thanks for the review. I’m sure I’ll think of many more questions so will drop you a line. Take care

http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=sandals%20weddings&init=quick&tas=0.11059036168520803&ref=ts#!/exclusivelyhoneymoonsweddings?sk=info Try the above link. Not sure if it's what you're looking for though. Add me on FB if you fancy : Alex Nichol. (Same profile pic as on here)

Congratulations & welcome back Sarah. Your photos look amazing & you both look fantastic. Cant wait to hear your review. Were there any negatives at all? How you feeling now you're back?

Hi Viki, No problem about the dress box. I'm using one for mine. There is no way I'd put it in the hold & risk losing it. I'd be devastated. Re the veil, yes I'm wearing one. I debated for a while about it but I know Mike would love me to wear one. I've gone elbow length with diamante droppers on it. Hopefully the sun will catch them & make them glisten. Then again, maybe I'm just romantisizing. lol. Yes, definitely chase up your passport. I'd also heard your could have your dress steamed for the big day. Dania did tell me this was chargeable though so perhaps check on that front. Quote: Originally Posted by viki6069 QUESTION TO ALL ANTIGUA BRIDES ... DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY WILL STEAM YOUR WEDDING DRESS UPON ARRIVAL? HAS ANYONE HAD ANY ISSUES WITH TRAVELING ON THE PLANE WITH THE DRESS IN THE GARMENT BAG? Alex thanks for the heads up. I researched on line the dress box you mentioned and found a site that said in the old days you could hang your dress up but not all airlines let you do that anymore. Didn't even think about it. Are you boxing your dress? There is no way I am checking it with my checked luggage cuz I just know it will get lost and then what

Welcome Cbrewster, Not long until your big day. I'm soooo jealous. I cant wait to get there. Like you we had to pay 45 days prior to the wedding date. Alex

Hey Nancy, Which consultant did you have? That sounds a little strange. Like CBrewster we were also told we didn't have to pay until 45 days before the wedding. I would certainly question the requirement to pay now. I would definitely pre book your reception just in case for whatever reason they cant arrange location / food for that day but there is no way you should be paying now. Let me know how you get on. Alex.

Nancy WOW, that dress it out of this world. I absolutely love it. Things are pretty quiet this end. There's not too much left to do other than the music, which I keep putting off. I might try to get it out the way this weekend. I'm just trying, and failing, to be patient. I just want to be there now!! Quote: Originally Posted by nmw134 Alex - Your dress is beautiful! I know what you mean about keeping an open mind on dresses, the one I love (and will probably get after checking out a few other stores) is a mermaid style, which I had no interest in even trying on, but my sister made me, and I fell in love. I don't know how to post pics, so here is the link to the dress: http://www.morilee.com/bridals/voyage/6603 We are getting ready to send out our save the dates, and are including a letter detailing our decision to have a destination wedding since it will cost guests money (my FH and I met at a destination wedding in Jamaica). Saturday I am going to look for bridesmaid dresses with my bridesmaids, and then go look at more wedding gowns. How are things coming on your end? Nancy

Hi Viki, Yes, the job's got much better thanks. I'm starting to feel a little less like the newbie. Glad to hear you're still having good weather. Unfortunately the same cant be said over here. Rain & wind almost every day. I did chuckle when I read about your son staying out all night & was grounded. Good on you. They do like to push their luck. How exciting getting your dress. Are you having it packed in one of those travel boxes you can take on the aircraft with you? We haven't done any wedding stuff for what seems ages. We really need to sort out music out. I'm hoping it wont take too long. Re Sarah, me too. I cant wait to hear how it all went & see the pics. I do hope she comes back onto the site. Well, bedtime for me. Have a great weekend. Talk soon. Alex

Hi nmw134, I would definitely have a look at a few more. Try styles that you've disregarded. My dress is nothing like I initially wanted. I wasnt going to have strapless or a corset back but that's exactly what I've ended up with. lol. Hmmm wedding coordinators are a nightmare at trying to upsell. Mine didn't seem at all interested in us one we said we didn't want to buy any add ons. I've heard you can make all these selections once your at the resort anyway. Sorry the picture is so big. I do know how to reduce the size. Let me know how you go with everything. Talk soon Alex

nmw134 It's an exciting & busy time for you at the moment then. I had a bit of a drama trying to find the right dress. I wanted one that was suitable for a destination wedding but also made me feel special. I didn't get it right until the 3rd dress I bought. Let me know if you want to see pics. I know everyone says it, but you'll know when you find 'the one'. Good luck with your call on Tuesday. I'm sure it'll go perfectly. If you get chance post some pics of your save the dates, would love to see them. Have a good weekend. Alex.

Hi Viki, That will go soooo quickly. Not quick enough I know. We still have a whopping 59 !! Not long til you can pick up your dress. I'm sure they'll let you take pics now. Mine wouldn't let me either. Mine isn't due in until 1st July which is worrying me a little just in case it's late for some reason. It only leaves me one month to have 2 fittings & for them to make any alterations. Your girls day / night sounds brilliant. You'll have a great time. I'm feeling absolutely shattered at the moment. Just started a new job with a massive learning curve & they have me on a pretty intense induction week. I'm really going to need the break. Only problem is that because I havent been there long enough to accrue much holiday & when we get back I will only have half a day left to take until the end of the year. Hopefully the high of the whole thing will see me through to January! We finally have had 2 days of good weather so I'm hoping the sun stays out for the weekend. Have a great one whatever you're up to. Talk soon.