Kristo

We got our guests Bubba Kegs and then had a friend engrave everyone's names on them.  Everyone loved them as the cups they serve the drinks in are so tiny and these keep your drinks nice and cold.  So if you can work it into your budget, I'm sure everyone would love them!

Originally Posted by FutureKeese22 

How many songs do you need for your wedding? Just burn them on a cd and give it to the dj? We are hiring the steel drum band to play as well. Will we need music on a cd if we are having the steel drum band play? We aren't doing a private dinner so can we bring stuff to put on the tables? What do you brides recommend for a guest book? Any recommended websites? My wedding isn't until June 22, 2013 so I have a little over a year, but I just want to be prepared! Any suggestions or websites on what to do for out of town bags? Or should I skip out of town bags? I found someone on etsy who would make custom mugs for the pool for all my guests for around $150. Thanks ladies!

The OOT bags you just pick stuff up along the way... if you look at the main threads to this forum there are amazing ideas on things to put in them, places to buy and people selling off older stuff as well.  Once you know how many people are coming to your wedding you can start gathering everything and putting them all together. 

A friend of ours made our fingerprint tree.. I have the finished copy at home with the fingerprints and signatures but here's what ours looked like bare.  I love it and can't wait to hang it in our house!

Originally Posted by FutureKeese22 

Where did you find your OOT bags and fingerprint tree? Thanks for the great information!

 Thanks Ann!  We had an amazing time!   I did get your text the one time I turned on my phone and really appreciated the sweet message you sent through, so thank you!  Didn't know if I'd see you on here again but wanted to thank you again for the brochures and steel drum music, VERY appreciated!

Eight months already?!  Time flies doesn't it!?  The hubby and I would love to go back to the GBP next year as we loved it so much!

Originally Posted by acw271011 

 Congrats Krista!!  I'm so happy it all worked out for you!!  It sounds like you had a fabulous wedding.  I sent you a text but I think you had already left the country by then, so I hope you still got it!!  Can't wait to see your pics!!  I don't generally stop here anymore, but I knew your wedding was coming up so I wanted to see how things had gone.

 

We're almost 8 months married now and are going back to the resort in October for our first anniversary. I can't wait. I still look back on our pics and love them. Our photographer did a wonderful job. All the reviews about Stacey on this site were great so I'm sure your photos will be fabulous!

 

Oh and if you can, book your a la cartes a week in advance.  If you don't, you might find that they have no availability once you get there or there are really late times available.  You can book those through [email protected]. 

And our room was upgraded to the 5th floor, with a great view of the gazebo so I was able to see exquisite02's  wedding and her pics afterwards!  They looked great and their colours were amazing!  I ran into her the next day, right before I was getting into the golf cart to get married… she was just back from her TTD session and she was wet from head to toe!  But she still looked beautiful!  Glad I got to meet them when we were down there as we've been talking for about a year now. 

Ok here it is.. my review.. FINALLY!!  Sorry for the delay!

Let me first say that no matter what happens while you're down there, or how stressed you might get, you're going to have a perfect day!  Even if something is slightly off, it won't matter, because you're marrying the man of your dreams!

We met with Chandlyn two days after arriving.  Meeting with her was great, but it seemed VERY rushed and a little chaotic.  We were literally sitting in the lobby, going through our suitcase of all the wedding stuff we brought down and pointing out what we wanted done with everything.  She made notes, asked questions when needed but never looked stressed of frazzled (like we did!).  So after a 20-30 minute meeting, we walked away a lil worried and questioning whether it would all work out the way we planned it in our heads.

She did have to look into a couple things and get back to us on some questions and requests we had.  She had the wrong a la carte booked for us in her notes, so she was checking on the Dolce Vita for us.  And she had mentioned the $250 fee that all brides are being charged and we questioned it as we had never received ANY communication from them regarding that.  (We later found out that she had emailed the communication to an incorrect email address, but they wouldn't budge on it, and basically told us that we had to pay it if we wanted to get married). 

We had purchased the Unforgettable package.  We chose that package mainly because we were having 31 people so it worked out cheaper.  There were some freebies thrown in that we never received (romantic dinner for two, Jacuzzi at the spa and a couple other small things) because of conflicts and the wedding coordinators not getting back to us or returning phone calls.

I had my hair trial the day before the wedding and took my ipad in with a picture of what I wanted.  She pretty much recreated the style I wanted and I was VERY happy with it.  She did my makeup as well, and I'm very picky but it turned out ok.  I ended up going back to my room and adding to it a bit and was happy with the outcome. 

The day of the wedding, I went down with my bridesmaids and we all got our hair done.  They did the same to my hair again, and added some fresh flowers free of charge.  I had brought a fake flower that I wanted put in my hair but she opted in putting in fresh orchids and they looked amazing!   Also, their hairspray is truly AMAZING!!  Ladies, you'll have nothing to worry about.  I got married on a windy day and it still didn't budge!!!

Went back up to my room and started getting ready.  I was sooo excited, not nervous at all!  I hadn't seen my fiancé since the night before and I was just so excited to see him and tell him everything that I've experienced!    I think the best feeling in the world is walking down from your room to the front lobby where they pick you up with the golf cart!   Everyone stares, wishes you good luck and tells you how pretty you look!  That's such a confidence boost right before your special moment!  So we got taken down to the gazebo (oh and I forgot to mention, they threw in the steel drum band for free for us.  We brought steel drum music to play and to walk down the aisle to but the band played music till we arrived, and then played after while we had champagne and took pictures!) and it was nice and cool and windy.  It was challenging on those stairs, so I would advise you ladies in heels to try it out a couple times in the week before you actually walk down in your dress.  The walk is long but before you know it, you're at the gazebo, with your friends and family looking on and your husband-to-be waiting to take you into the gazebo.

The whole thing was magical!  I just couldn't stop smiling!!!  I don't think I've ever felt love so strong, right in that exact moment!   My fiancé just stood there, holding my hands and smiling, he was giddy!!  All he could say to me was "Wow!"

The ceremony itself was good, the minister read what we asked him to read, and we did the sand ceremony as well.   Right after the sand ceremony my sister told me there was a rainbow in the sky, and it was the first one we saw all week long.  The rainbow was so symbolic for me as my Mom had passed away six years ago and it broke my heart that she wasn't with me on my special day.  But she truly was, as the rainbow appeared and a list misting of rain fell.  It was a magical moment that everyone noticed and my photographers caught on camera! 

Aside from the photographer we hired (Stacey Clarke Photography was AMAZING and I would strongly recommend her to anyone!  Google her…  she is so friendly, and so accommodating!  Her packages were too high for our budget so I told her what we COULD afford and she worked within it.  We got her from 3:30-6pm on the wedding day and 1.5 hours the following morning for TTD - all for $850!!) we also had the resort photographer (which we received 15 photos from - they aren't bad at all, see some of them below) and my bridesmaids husband did the rest of the photography for us.  So we were WELL covered the whole day!    I haven't gotten anything back from Stacey yet, so all the pics I have are from the resort and my friends husband.  And if these pics are any indication on what my professional pics will look like, I can't wait!!!!

After many congrats and pictures we went to the Dolce Vita for our reception dinner.  It was just perfect!  Private room, overlooking the ocean, but there were a few mosquitoes.   Our dinner was lovely, and very yummy and in between courses we did speeches.  It was the perfect sized room for 31 people with a head table and 3 tables full of our guests.    We cut our cake, which was delicious  and looked a lot better than some previous brides cakes, so I was quite happy.  We also set up our fingerprint tree in there and all our guests left behind their fingerprint and their name on the tree.

After the dinner we all headed back down to the gazebo for the party!  We didn't hire the dj, nor did we hire a bartender.    Instead we just paid the $250 for the gazebo rental and brought our ipod full of music with a special playlist for the wedding especially.  Some of our friends had gone into town that morning and picked up lots of rum, vodka, beer and wine and had it all ready to go for us down there.  The only problem was there was no ice (that Donnalee had promised).  So after they ran back a couple times to find out where it was, they came down and delivered it to us.  While we were waiting for that though we set off the sky lanterns that we brought down.  They were a HUGE hit and everyone just loved them!  Some didn't quite make it up in the air and crashed into the ocean, but people still had a lot of fun doing them, taking pictures of them and making wishes. 

Next was our first dance… it was beautiful!  We had provided everyone with sparklers and while we were dancing we looked around the entire gazebo and saw them all a glow!  It was another magical moment for us! 

When you rent the gazebo you're only supposed to have it for 2 hours… they kept the lights and power on till midnight for us, which was great!  After that, some people called it a night, while others changed and headed to the disco!

Our room was decorated when we got back with rose petals, towel swans in the shapes of heats and another bottle of Moet champagne (we had received one earlier in the week as well).   It was so pretty!   It was an amazing end to a long but amazing day!

The next morning we got all dolled up again for our TTD session with Stacey.  Again, walking from our room down to the lobby was amazing as this time everyone was congratulating us and telling us how great we looked!  I remember a little girl stopping me and just staring with an open mouth and she finally said "You're soo pretty!"   Awww…  it just makes you feel amazing and I wanted to wear my dress every day for the rest of the vacation!  hahaha!

So our TTD session was so fun!  Lots of cute pics with the bright blue sky behind us, and my dress standing out so well on that backdrop.  We took pics around the resort, down by the gazebo and then finally went into the ocean.  She left it up to us to be spontaneious and have some fun with it.   It was just a wonderful experience and if you keep an open mind and run with it, you'll have a blast getting your dress all dirty!

Overall, there were some bumps and hiccups along the way, but the end result was a magical day we'll never forget.   We had a group of 31 with us, and you get pulled in a lot of different directions during the week.  Between friends, family and the wedding, you're VERY busy!  So try to make time for everyone, even if it's for brunch, or a drink at the pool bar, but just reaching out and spending a little bit of time with everyone goes a long way!   Also make sure that you make time for yourselves as it can become very overwhelming!  Just remember that you're in this together and no matter the stress level, you have each other to lean on.

So to end the review, I just wanted to say that I can't tell you how much love I felt that day, and how much more I fell in love with my husband!    It truly was a dream come true and the perfect wedding!    I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I'm sure I've missed some things, so if you have questions, just ask!

Nope, didn't have to pay it.  First, they never questioned me about my photographer when I was there, but my wedding planner here in Canada had already contacted Chandlyn about it and they agreed that I wouldn't be charged the fee as I had booked my wedding last April, BEFORE they new fee came into place. 

And second, my photographer ended up booking a room there for the night, so even if they had questioned me about her, I would have told them my photographer was one of my guests at the resort.  So it all worked out!

Originally Posted by CandaceB 

Kristo,

 

I'm really interested to know what happened to the vendor fee for your photographer. Did you have to pay the $800.00? This fee makes me want to not book at GBP thats crazy.

Sorry guys, I've been slacking since I got back from my honeymoon!  The wedding was incredible and I'm hoping to find some time this weekend to post a review and pictures!! 

But just know that it truly is an amazing place to get married and I wouldn't have changed one thing about my special day!  It was just perfect!!!

Stay tuned.....

 Yep!  4pm... last wedding of the day. 

Originally Posted by exquisite02 

we are getting married at 1pm as far as I know. Hopefully, there isn't any changes to that. Are you getting married at 4pm on friday? I really want to be back in time for your wedding. I'm hoping our room looks onto the gazebo area. if not i'll be lurking around that area during your wedding.

 What time is your wedding at?  I'll have to make sure I go and stalk your wedding!   I'll be snorkleing in the water next to the gazebo with my camera in hand!  hahaha!

Originally Posted by exquisite02 

Yes, Kristo we will be getting married on Thursday may, 24th but my ladies and i are not getting our hair done at the spa. we are doing it ourselves. i'm not a hair person so it's a low on my to do list.

 

@ Imjoseph/kristo, I believe our group we will be in the new block 23000 due to the fact that we paid for it when we booked our trip. this reason and the fact that we are leaving on saturday may 19 is the reasons why our flight and hotel package is more expensive than yours if I remember correctly in emails we sent eachother. Maybe we can meet up before my wedding. really hope i can see yours but we have the trash the dress on the friday. we are not sure if we are doing the trash the dress in the morning or in the afternoon because of the other couple that is getting married on the wednesday and using the same photographer. I'm sure everything will work out and we will meet up. I'm not stressing at all right now and kinda just want to get the wedding over and done with since we have been planning this wedding for over a year and half. lol I'm only a little, little bit worried about the weather. The weather network says thunder storms all week long! lol

Wondered where you went to!  Got your email this morning... can't believe it's sooooo soon!   One of our guests was flying in today as he's there for two weeks so I'm excited for an update any day now! 

Remind me again what time you're getting married on Thursday?  I have my hair trial that morning (10am) so if you're in the spa at all, I'll see you there!

Originally Posted by exquisite02 

So very sorry I have been M.I.A for the past couple of months or so but I do want to say congrats to all the new brides and thank you for keeping this thread alive. it has been much help and I will do my part to continue post on this thread.

 

Kristo, so very sorry I did not respond to your last email a couple months ago. I hope all your planning has turned out and can't wait to catch a glimps at your wedding and meet you in person next week hopefully.

 

I'm leaving for Jamaica on Saturday May 19th and getting married on May 24th the day before Kristo. We will be staying at the resort until June 2nd. so i think I leave on sbelland's wedding day. when i get back I will write a tell all for all you future brides that need your wedding fix! lol 

Oh dear, this doesn't sound promising at all!  I'm down there getting married in two weeks and I've booked the spa!!  DOH!

What was it that you had asked for and what is it that they gave you?  I too, am afraid of what the humidity will do to my hair, so I think I'm wearing it up.  Will decide on the first day I'm down there and what happens with my fuzziness!

Originally Posted by AngelaCollins 

Just got back from getting married on April 30th! It was lovely! I brought my own flowers, and was given a table floral arrangement in place of them.
Dolce Vita was lovely. We had a whole section to ourselves that was far away from everyone (in the circular part of the restaurant if you look at photos of it). The food was delicious (We got the squash thyme soup and chicken with walnuts option), and everyone raved about the food for the following days.
The ladies at the spa did not follow how I wanted my hair done, and I even brought photos and had a trial. My hair ended up falling due to the humidity, as well as my MOH's hairstyle. I was also burned by the hairstylist twice, once in the back of my neck and the other right on my forehead. The one on my forehead blistered and looked horrible... and the girls at the spa didn't even care. That was my only bad experience throughout the trip.
The photographer we hired was through the resort. It was $550 for the medium package which included pre-wedding, wedding ceremony, and after the wedding shots. He was very good and I would recommend him.
Any questions about my wedding, just ask!

Originally Posted by sbelland 

 

Hey Kristo, 

 

Good luck for your wedding! We will miss you by a few days, we arrive on the 30th and get married June 2. Hope everything goes as you planned! 

 

 

Awww thanks!!  I'm sure both of our special days will be perfect!!  Enjoy!!

Did any of the recent brides tip the wedding planners at all?  If so, how did you do it and what did you give?  Just trying to figure out my budget down there and didn't know how it all worked..

Thanks!

 Not sure yet what I'll be selling them for.  I'll let you know once I get back and get everything sorted in June.

Originally Posted by FutureKeese22 

How much for everything? I noticed it was very reasonable on that website! Still waiting to receive my save the dates so I can send them out and figure out how many people are coming! That would be perfect! Congrats! Have so much fun! Can't wait to hear all about it! :-)

 Yes I'm very excited and getting nervous too!!!  It's gonna be a GREAT party!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcamer 

Kristo, that's so exciting that you're just about three weeks away! Can't wait to see pics when you get back!!

Hey, I'm actually getting married this month (23 more days!!!!) and I'm using coral chair sashes from that site.  I picked up 35 (I think??) of the satin coral sashes so if you want to buy them off me when I get back, let me know.  I also have tables runners as well. 

Originally Posted by FutureKeese22 

Thank you! Found coral ones I am going to order once I know how many people are coming! :-)

Can anyone post a picture of what their Dad wore for the wedding? My Dad is stressing about it and I really don't know what to put him in. The groom will be wearing a tan suit. The groomsmen will be wearing tan pants and white shirts. Should my Dad be wearing something similar to the groom or groomsmen? Help! Opinions/suggestions/pictures wanted!

I'm getting married at the end of May, so none of my guests have started booking theirs yet.  I did email the resort last week though to see if I could book my welcome dinner and they emailed me back saying it was fine and booked it for me. 

Who is it that you are trying to reserve through?  I have been emailing [email protected]

Anyone know approximately how long the hair trail takes at the spa?  Do they do a makeup trail as well?

Hey so Donnnalee told me the chair covers don't cost any extra. I don't know if this is because of the wedding package we chose (Unforgettable) or if they include it now for free. The only thing that will cost you money is the chair sashes. We are bringing our own so we are set. And I sent off our notarized birth certificates WITHOUT notarized copies of our id's or a deposit (even though we are doing the unforgettable package) and told Donnalee to let me know if there was anything else she needed. She got back to me and didn't mention anything about the id's or deposit. Just told me she put them in our file. These people seem all over the place with what they require. I'm trying not to stress about it though.

Perfect!  Thank you!  That's very helpful!  They got back to me so quickly from the spa.. prices for hair are $95 and makeup is $85.

Does anyone know about the notarized copies of the birth certificates?  We got those notarized which was fine, but then I just noticed that Donnalee has requested that we get our  ID's (drivers licence or passport) notarized as well.  Is that the case?  Now I've gotta go and pay another $50 to get that done??

 

Originally Posted by JayKay 

I did take pictures with me.  I actually had a hair trial done here in Canada (my best friend is a hair stylist, so she did it for free) so I took a bunch of those photos.  They did it pretty close to the original.  I was really happy with my hair.  As for the makeup I told her I wanted something really natural and thats what she did.  I beleive it was $90 for hair and $60 for makeup, but I cant quite remember.  Anything from the spa gets charged right to your room, so don't bother taking cash.  Both of the hair and makeup do include trials, which I didnt use, and was told when I booked the prices would be cheaper if not using the trial, but once I got there they said the price is the same whether or not you do the trial.  My wedding was at 4pm and we went to the spa at 1pm to get our stuff done.  We didnt get done until 330 and had to rush to the room and get into our dresses and rush down to the lobby.  I would suggest going to the spa at least by 12 to give yourself enough time.

 

 

Thanks, I just sent them an email.. It will be me and my two bridesmaids.  Did you take pictures down with you or did you let them do their own thing?  What were the prices like?  And I remember reading your review a while back but can't remember what time you said your wedding was at.  My wedding is at 4pm and I want to ensure that me and my girls have plenty of time to get ready beforehand.
 

I did have my hair and makeup done at the spa.  I booked my appointment about 4 months in advance just to make sure we had the time we wanted.  There was just myself and my MOH getting our hair done so they were able to easily accomodate.  However, if you are having more then that I would book well in advance to make sure they have enough stylists on that day. The contact info for them is  [email protected]  And just a note that we were scheduled for two hours for hair and makeup and they ended up taking about 2 1/2 hours so just make sure you allow enough time.

 

Did anyone use the spa to get their hair and makeup done?  How much did you pay?  When did you book your appointment?  Do you have contact info for them?  Thx!

Thanks Kim.  Has anyone else used the spa for hair and makeup?  How far in advance do you have to book? If someone has their email address, can you please pass it along?  Much appreciated!

Krista

 

Originally Posted by Kim Deslippe 

The make artist is Rashel Edwards and Fiona is her assistant that does hair.  They are not through the resort, so it would be an outside vendor.  I booked Rashel in December; she is very popular and does amazing work, so I wanted to make sure she had my date available as early as possible.   You can see more of her work on Facebook, just search Rashel Edwards Makeup Artistry.  Your best bet for pricing would be to contact her because I believe her pricing may have went up slighty for 2012, but it was really reasonable (about $625 for hair and makeup for myself and 3 BM).  Her email is [email protected].