Danie

ShaeShae18:

  I have been lucky enough to have all 31 of my guest stay at the same resort Ocean Club West for our May 2013 upcoming wedding. I was given great discounts for wedding guests and it is definitely possible to book within your price range. I picked that resort because there are room for everyones budget. The cheapest room is a studio with no view except of the island or the most expensive is the 2 and 3 bedroom ocean views which are beautiful and just perfect for us and our guess. We went for a site visit in April and stayed in a Junior suite and it was definitely big enough for two people. For my reception I am having a beach bbq catered by Kissing Fish and a dj for 4 hours with open bar for 4 hours. We are holding a rehersal dinner at Opus which is located at Ocean Club East (we dined there and the atmosphere was perfect) also with a dj for 4 hours and open bar for 4 hours. The night before that we are renting a catamaran cruise for everyone along with also chartering a private fishing boat for deep sea fishing for the men and we are paying for spa packages for the women. By staying at the resort which is one of the resorts which is not too expensive we have been able to include a ton of event all of which we are paying for for the the guests. All of this has been affordable and withing our budget. Our wedding coordinator is Luise Bayley of Nila Destination and she is wonderful.

If you plan in advance and speak with coordinators and the hotels and find out what deals they can give you for blocking out a certain number of room for a wedding party they normally will work out some type of discount for you and your guest. Good luck with you planning.

Daniella

Yes you can check them out if you want its Ocean Club West but its nothing like seven stars or Grace Bay. Its more like the price of the sands and its not a hotel like i said before so it may not be what you are looking for. I like Tropical Imagaes also and because of all the photos I have seen believe I too will be using them  but I am not going to get into all that until April when I am almost 1 year away. Definitely keep me updated and as I continue to plan I will update you. Its cool to find another bride getting married there because you see so many getting married in jamica and bahamas, punta cana but I have not found any in T & C until I came on this site. Best of luck and congrats again.

Actually Ocean Club West is where I am having the wedding but on the beach and then cocktail hour and then I am thinking of doing cocktail hour on the new deck they just made at the seaside cafe but only cocktail as far as the actual reception I am not sure yet when we go in April we are going to look around and do some tasting and also meet with the flower and cake vendors. The date is May 17, 2013 which is a Friday but we are going to leave May 10th and return on the 19th. I think seven stars is beautiful so is grace bay club its just that my future father-in-law knows the owner of Ocean Club West and we were able to get an awsome deal on the rooms for our guest and it probably is more within our guests budget. I agree with you that if the hotel or resort you are looking at does have a coordinator I would definitely not hire an additional one. Unfortunately as I said before Ocean Club West is not a hotel and they do not have an onsite coordinator so I had to go with one from the island or do it myself which I didn't really feel comfortable with. Although I still have looked at certain vendors and do know of certain things I want like I will get me, my bridesmaids and the mothers' hair and makeup done by Shenique (it is expensive but i beleive well worth it) so there are vendors I new I wanted to use before hiring Nila. Do you have any idea of when you guys are looking to get married? I am so excited and not just because of the wedding but because of it being on the island. I am looking forward to going this April to site see and by then I should definitely know whats going on. I do know that as I was looking through these blogs the other day I seen that the flowers on the island are very pricey and one bride who was married a couple years ago actually bought flowers made of clay from an online store that were beautiful and identical to what she had wanted. I am debating if I would consider that. lol. What kind of things do you want planned for your wedding and how long will guys be staying?

I am getting married in 2013 and am using one of the off site coordinators name Luise Bayley from Nila Destinations. So far I love her. However, I have heard that all 3 wedding coordinating companies on the island are all good. The reason I chose Nila was because I am staying at Ocean Club West (which is not a 5 star luxious resort but rather a 4 star intimate condo resort) and they do not have an onsite coordinator and suggested Nila to me. I looked at their website and received an estimate from them long before I ever hired them as my coordinator. So far everythign is going well in my planning. I do suggest having a coordinator whether your hotel provides one or you hire one because mine has given me many wonderful ideas and has been able to schedule appointment for me with their vendors during my site visit which is schedule in April of this year. My coordinator even informed me that during my stay on site visit she will be coordinating a 60 person wedding at Ocean Club West which is exciting to me because maybe from a distance I will be able to catch a glimpse of the ceremoney decor.  My wedding planner responds to every email I send and is quick with a response. She has even given me ideas for my cocktail hour, welcome bags etc even though its over a year away. I have been very impressed with Nila thusfar. To be honest it was worth hiring a coordinator to me because not only do they know all local vendors and work with them daily, i beleive they also will help your guests book their accomodations and book whatever extracurricular activities or excusions they may be interested in. Plus their able to give you an estimate before you even hire them of what your looking at in expenses for what you want. Hope this helps

I am getting married in Turks in Caicos in 2013. I began researching the island back in 2011 and looked at many resorts, vendors and coordinators. I think as far as what you can get on your budget your best best is to narrow down where you are thinking about staying during your wedding. Once you narrow down your locations you should call them and ask if they have on site wedding coordinator and if not who they may use. I know those that do not have onsite coordinators usually recommend 1 of the 3 coordinators on the island and if they do not have an onsite ask if you can use any one of the 3 coordinators. I say that because once you know where you are staying and whether a coordinator is on site you will be able to know more about what you can get for you money. If they do not have an onsite coordinator and you can use any of the 3 you should go to their websites and look at their pricing. I know that Nila Destinations, Island Harmony and I forget the third all have pricing on their websites and will give you a free estimate. In the estimate you tell them what you want and they tell you what an estimate of the price is that way you'll know at least an estimate of where you stand within your budget. I am staying at Ocean Club West which is not a 5 star resort but a 4 star and it is not a hotel rather it is condos. I am also using Nila Destinations as my coordinator and I have approximately 30 guest and have been able to get an estimate. Granted the estimate if not a definite and can be higher or lower depending on what you want. I know so far including ceremoney decor, flowers, 2 tier cake, hair and makeup for me and bridsmaid, coordinator, rehearsal catamaran crusie with drinks prior to a bbq on beach with band and open bar, reception with open bar and dj I have an estimate for 18,500. Now my budget is 22,000 but it gave me something to go by and of course that estimate will go up for other things I have realized I have wanted and then those I may do without. So I really would suggest starting there in order to find outwhat you can get for your money. Also you need to thinik about if your hotel stay is included in your budget and how long you will stay. I do know that in March is is more expensive anywhere there and I know Grace Bay which is right next door to where I am staying is expensive. So if that is included in your budget you'll need to deduct that price. I was able to get a great group rate for my guest and money is due in September and it was very reasonable like I said it is not luxurious like Grace Bay but its intimate and homey and just what me and my guests will be looking for. Hope that helps and please let me know what you choose as I love talking to Turks & Caicos brides because I couldn't find any until I joined this site.

OMG! I am so happy to have found bride getting married in Turks & Caicos. I am getting married there in 2013 also. We will stay for 8 night 9 days however the date of the wedding is May 17, 2013 which is a Friday that way guests who only come for the wedding itself can leave on Sunday and relax the day after the wedding. I know that it is definitely cheaper to go in the end of April than March. I do have a wedding coordinator and I used Nila Destinations not for any other reason other than where I am staying does not have a coordinator as it is not an all inclusive resort and it was who they recommended. To date I have been extremelly happy with my coordinator and will be meeting her for the first time in April at our site visit. We are staying at the Ocean Club West which is not a 5 start luxury resort rather it is a 4 star and is not a hotel but rather condos. I got a great deal there for a group rate and all 25-30 of my guest can afford it. My budget is 22,000 for 30 guest and I have already paid the Nila. I can tell you this I do believe it is worth hiring a coordinator because no matter which of the three you choose they all are familiar with the island and the vendors, have been around for years and have done many weddings. Mostly all of them use the same island vendors and they can give you alot of insight on what is normal there such as what the island flowers are, pricing etc. I also know that unfortunately Nila Destinations does not have a package deal for a wedding party of over 12 guest therefore you do have to pay al la carte for everything. However, all of them will give you an estimate as to what cost you are looking at for what you want. For instance, On the rehersal day I am taking all 30 guests on a catamaran crusie with snack and alcohol and then returning to the beach for a BBQ with open bar and the day of the wedding having my wedding on the beach with cocktail hour served on a beautiful deck before the reception at a seperate location close by. The reception will also have open bar along with a DJ and so far my estimate is still 5000 below my budget. That also includes ceremony decorations etc so I suggest hiring a coordinator whoever you choose and having them give you an estimate of the cost for what you are looking at. Personally I don't think Beaches is worth it because its overly expensive, you have to use their photographer and its like kiddie city and I believe thats the all inclusive resort. I do have children and still would not get married there. Let me know what you do choose because I would love to hear what other brides getting married there are doing.  

I am going tomorrow to the Great Bridal Expo in Philly at Lowes Hotel on 12th & Market Streets. I will let you know but I am not planning on finding vendors there as my wedding will be in Turks & Caicos and my vendors are from the island. However, I do plan on watching the fashion to view dresses for me and my girls and I plan on signing up for whatever I can. So I'll let you know soon.