JenRoseRDH

We saw Bowen Arrow play at a local bar while we were there on our scouting trip. They were great and interacted well with the crowd. We are still undecided on the reception music but I do have their song list if you want a copy. It gives you a good idea of thier range. If we do book a band, we would feel confident using them. Have you booked your ceremony/cocktail music yet? We are using a steel drummer named Kelci Talbot. Are you using a planner at West Bay Club or an outside planner?

Congratulations on your engagement, it's so much fun, right? I am seven months into mine and still can't keep my eyes off my ring. I think you guys would be happy with Turks and Caicos, it is a gorgeous location and definitely family friendly. You really can't go wrong with the resorts there, they are all well maintained and have beautiful landscaping and pools and of course the perfect, calm beaches. We are getting married in October and the island suits us perfectly. It is very laid back and not pushy at all. No one tried to sell us anything while we were there. The resorts, shops, wedding planner, everyone we interacted with had great customer service skills. We got all the information we asked for and never felt any pressure at all to buy, book or put a deposit on anything. Part of our reason for booking is that we wanted our wedding to be the real thing- no visit to the courthouse necessary to legalize it. You have to be on the island 48 hours before filing the paperwork for a license but after that, it is all legal. We signed up with Nila Destinations and that is one of the many things they are handling for us. Nila also set up a site with contact information where our guests could use them to book hotels and activities. We put in links to our resort and some less expensive options around it to point guests in the right direction. We started by running the destination idea by our immediate families. Knowing they were on board set me at ease about it. Honestly, as long as we have our families there I will be happy. Shortly after our engagement I sent out emails to extended family and close friends letting them know we were planning on an October-ish "toes in the sand" wedding and advised them to get their passports up to date. That way, even without details they could start planning. As soon as we had set the location and put a deposit down with Grace Bay Club we sent out save the dates so they could go ahead with research and booking. We included our web site info where guests could get tons of info and answers to their many possible questions. I think it is important to give them as much time as possible to plan. We are in the process of ordering invitations now and will set the RSVP date 2 months before the wedding. I have at least 4 kids coming, it is during the school year so I don't know how many others might make it. The kids are already practicing their swimming and snorkeling, they are so excited! Most of our close friends with kids seem to be making this a getaway for the grown ups. I knew Beaches would be out of the price range for many of my guests so never gave that serious consideration. I think an all inclusive would take a lot of the guesswork out of things but that just wasn't for us. We did look at the Veranda, the other all inclusive in Provo but we didn't feel that it offered much more for the money than other resorts. I do think (hope!) that we will spend less money on the wedding itself by having a destination. At the very least, our guest list will be much smaller so that will save some. My fiance and I should sit down and come up with some real figures but I feel like we are keeping things in the 10-15k range. That does not include accommodations. I could easily spend much, much more if I went all out on flowers, photography and activities for our guests. So far we are keeping things pretty conservative. When are you planning to get married and are you considering any other locations? Best of luck to you!

As great as it would be to have everyone in one place, it might be hard to pull off. In my limited experience, guests have different budgets, interests and expectations. We let everyone know where we will be staying and we featured 4 options on our website and so far our guests are booked at 3 different resorts. None have booked at ours (Grace Bay Club) most likely due to the cost. Leeward is out away from the main strip of resorts. It is a beautiful property but reminded me a lot of the hotel in The Shining- deserted. Apparently they are having some financial difficulties. We didn't see a soul out there other than the guy manning the desk. There are no restaurants open and nothing within walking distance. The beach there is tiny but since you would likely be the only ones using it that might not be a problem. Based on their financial situation, I would not hand over any money far in advance. If you want a last minute good deal though, it might be okay. We narrowed our choices down to Grace Bay Club and Seven Stars based on location. There are several less expensive resorts super close- Comfort Suites (across the street from the beach), Ocean Club West and Villa del Mar (across the street from the beach). There are many restaurants, shops and even a nice grocery store right in the immediate area. There is a cheap little taco bar and the grocery has a nice salad bar so guests have many different options and price ranges when it comes to food. For reception food, we are using items off the GBC regular menus so we picked the pricing we were comfortable with. Our aps are in the $15 range and entrees are $25-45. Our wedding cake will be the only dessert. Keep in mind with catering that the taxes there are steep and will add, I think, 20% to your total food bill. Consider using a restaurant to keep costs down. We are planning to offer and pay for a consumption bar. Many of our guests don't drink at all and those that do drink do so in moderation so I know an open bar would be wasted on our group. We plan to use Smokey's for the welcome/rehersal dinner. When we visited we had melt-in-your mouth jerk chicken and some wonderful plantains, slaw and peas and rice (beans and rice) at Smokey's. It is delicious, local food at a good price. Most resorts have menus available on their websites so you can get an idea of food costs there. Kissing Fish also has their catering menu online. I am using Nila Destinations and I think we are paying them $1700. I'm sure they also earn a commission from the vendors. It has been well worth it for me to have Ashleigh available to answer questions and get information for me from the vendors. Correspondance is unlimited and they have been quick to respond- much quicker than my contact at GBC. I'm not sure what your weather will be late November but I think it is pretty mild there year round so I wouldn't worry. Good luck with your planning. It is a wonderful destination and you and your guests will love it.

Any other October brides making plans? We are getting married at Grace Bay Club October 20, 2012. After visiting Provo in February, we decided that you really can't go wrong with any of the oceanfront resorts. They are all lovely, well kept and on the same fantastic stretch of beach. We chose Grace Bay Club based on its proximity to many shopping and dining options for our guests, we wanted them to have everything they need within easy walking distance. During and just after our visit we had pretty much settled on Seven Stars. We had an amazing dinner there and the staff was wonderful to us. Unfortunately they scheduled their "owners weekend" the weekend of our wedding and we were told they would not be doing any additional events. Luckily, we were able to get a "3rd night free" booking at GBC making it within our budget. It is a fabulous resort with a ton of amenities. During our February visit, Luise and Ashleigh from Nila Destinations picked us up at our hotel in Turtle Cove and drove us to all the resorts we requested as well as some they thought were along the lines of what we were looking for. They also arranged a cake tasting (yum, yes we will be using Diane!) and offered to set up a meeting with a florist. There was absolutely no pressure from them to sign up with Nila while we were there. They simply answered all our questions, made suggestions and gave us all the information we requested. It didn't take long after getting home for us to sign up with them as our wedding planner. We have been working mainly with Ashleigh ever since. Nila will be coordinating our wedding ceremony on the beach and Shameka with Grace Bay Club is coordinating our reception. We are planning to use a steel drummer named Kelci Talbot for the ceremony and possibly during dinner. Originally we planned on a band but I'm worried that with a smaller group it may not be worth it. There is a 3 hour minimum for Bowen Arrow, the band suggested to us. We went to a local bar where they were playing while we were there and they were great. They interacted well with the audience and I believe they would be a hit at a wedding. I am on the fence when it comes to the reception music. Anyone out there want to share their experiences with band, DJ, guitar soloist, or just having a friend man an Ipod? What is the best place to go for a gel mani/pedi the day before the wedding without breaking the bank? I'd like to treat my bridesmaids and both mothers but I'm worried that the GBC spa might be more than I want to spend for the 7 of us. I need a good local salon that might be willing to offer a group discount. I booked flights for my family last week, rates seem to be on the low end right now and it is a relief to have it done. We are in the middle of ordering invitations and I can't wait to get the RSVPs back and see who is going to be able to make it. I feel like having a final headcount is going to make some decisions much easier. We have 20 guests already booked. They are booked at the Comfort Suites and the Sands and my family is booked at a villa in Turtle Cove. I still need inspiration for welcome bags and wedding favors. Any suggestions on what would be a hit? Sunset is scheduled for 6:20 that day and we are having the ceremony at 4:30. I am anxious about having enough time for tons of great pictures but not leaving my guests waiting around too long before dinner. I am also wondering if it will still be too hot at 4:30? My fiance absolutely refuses to see me before the ceremony so no pics together ahead of time. I have been in touch with Shenique about hair and makeup- pricy but probably worth it. I like the idea of doing my own but I think that is too ambitious for my wedding day. I want to wear my hair down but I am concerned about wind and frizz with it being on the beach. Anyone have any experience with that? Is it possible to wear my hair long without looking like a disaster by the end of the ceremony? I am hoping that other brides will start posting more on here, I am down to my final 4 months and I need inspiration! I would love to hear what everyone reading this is thinking and planning. I feel like the board has been too quiet lately. It got me to feeling guilty since I hadn't posted anything before now.