kalolaco

Originally Posted by DANIELLE03 

 

My travel agent tried to get her to wave 1 day so I could have it on the 8th but they said no. Hopefully it works out for you, but im guessing she will says that 2 day rule applies. I wonder why the disco is closed on tuesdays. Why is tuesday a day that it would be closed.. Makes no sense.

 

Right now im trying to figure out if i want to do something for 2 hrs before the disco opens. Waiting to hear back from her on if its available on my day. She responded to one of my emails about the cake. I asked how much to get some deco on it or a different cake and it was 350. THE 350 cake is nice, but really dont wanna spend that. I think im going to keep the cake thats included and just get my SIL to dress it up with flowers and what not and some colour.

 

Anyone know how much it is for white chair covers for dinner?

I asked about chair covers for the ceremony only - I presume it'd be the same/around the same for chair covers for dinner.

Chair covers are $7 per chair, and ribbon is $4 per chair, if you wanted to tie a ribbon around the chair cover.

I opted not to do chair covers - too pricey! I made my own bows out of tulle and tied them on the chairs lining the aisle, just so I had a little something for decoration.

We didn't ask ahead of time, but they upgraded us upon check-in. We didn't have to ask, they offered (we were planning on asking anyway but since they offered we didn't have to).

We booked the gardenview junior suite and were promised an ocean view room junior suite upon check in; when we got there, our papers said ocean view junior suite but they upgraded us to ocean front junior suite.

A bag of loose petals from Tai cost around $30US. I had orchid petals though, might be a different price for roses.

Originally Posted by KDoyle 

 

Hey Danielle03, there really is no "Free" package ....the package is $500 and covers the minister and marriage documents/certificate. That's what I have right now as well

Or you could do what I did and get legally married in your home town at city hall, or wherever, and only pay for the "Renewal of Vows" package. You get everything else you would with the Free Wedding package, but at a cheaper price (about $200 cheaper). 

We did it this way to save a bit of money and the hassle of getting legal documentation to Jamaica (you'll need to send notarized copies of your birth certificates (and possibly drivers licenses) to Keisha before you arrive), then legal documentation back to your home country (which could take months), then you have to bring that documentation to have your wedding officially recognized in your home country. And getting your Jamaican marriage recognized officially in your home country might come with more fees as well!

Too much hassle, in my opinion. If you get legally married at home first, you just have to send Keisha a scan of your marriage certificate. When I did this she even offered to "keep it a secret" so you're guests don't know that you're already legally married.

Originally Posted by KDoyle 

 

kalolaco, I have booked the poolside private dinner and reception...do you happen to know if the entertainment at night is near this location or would be disruptive from what you could see/hear? Thanks!!

If you'll be at the pool on the "standard" side of the resort, then it'll be far enough away. If you're at the pool near the "deluxe" side of the resort where the upgraded suites are, I don't THINK the entertainment would be disruptive. It is a ways away. I know the sound definitely carries to the lobby area of the deluxe side (my room was on the third floor above the lobby of the deluxe side, and I could definitely hear the entertainment from my room)... and the pool is on the other side and down a ways from the deluxe lobby. In theory it's a ways away but I don't know how the sound carries!

If you can confirm it's the pool on the non-deluxe side of the resort then you'll be good to go!

(PS I say "deluxe" and "non-deluxe" for descriptive purposes only... the entire resort is very nice, there's no obvious difference in quality between the 2 sides!)  

Originally Posted by KDoyle 

 

kalolaco, I have booked the poolside private dinner and reception...do you happen to know if the entertainment at night is near this location or would be disruptive from what you could see/hear? Thanks!!

If you'll be at the pool on the "standard" side of the resort, then it'll be far enough away. If you're at the pool near the "deluxe" side of the resort where the upgraded suites are, I don't THINK the entertainment would be disruptive. It is a ways away. I know the sound definitely carries to the lobby area of the deluxe side (my room was on the third floor above the lobby of the deluxe side, and I could definitely hear the entertainment from my room)... and the pool is on the other side and down a ways from the deluxe lobby. In theory it's a ways away but I don't know how the sound carries!

If you can confirm it's the pool on the non-deluxe side of the resort then you'll be good to go!

(PS I say "deluxe" and "non-deluxe" for descriptive purposes only... the entire resort is very nice, there's no obvious difference in quality between the 2 sides!)  

Originally Posted by alyce1101 

 

Does anyone know which restaurants they hold the semi private dinners at? Keisha is telling my TA that they only use one restaurant for the dinners. How is that possible if its 4 weddings a day? Any help would be appreciated

I thought they also used the Plantation restaurant for semi-private dinners too. I could be wrong but I'd double check on that one. 

Mammee Bay steak house and the main buffet are definitely options though.

Originally Posted by CdnBrideJoanne 

 

Thanks Yassy.  I don't know why TA's are so hard to deal with.  I'm currently working with 3 and none of them have provided me with any pricing for the week we want to go.  It has been the most frustrating experience!  One TA lost my info, one TA won't deal with the Riu because she has heard bad things about them, and the other TA keeps giving me pricing for the wrong weeks!  Do I need to find a 4th TA?!  I will give Sunwing a call today.

I had a great TA through Sell Off Vacations in Barrie (so that's Signature Vacations/Sunwing Airlines). Message me if you want her contact info. She even booked my far-away guests in Calgary and Arizona!

Originally Posted by Yassy 

 

Just curious...I have a few friends who are DJ's and they do have their dj equipment (serato)...do you have any idea if the dj equipment can be directly hooked up to the sound system?  Then I won't need to pay for a DJ and can just use my friends!!!  (Anything to save money!!! lol)  Also, how was the sound quality when you used your ipod/cd's with their sound system? Was it loud enough?

 

Yassy.

I have no idea about bringing your own equipment. Does anyone know if the voltage of electricity is different in Jamaica? The plugs are the same as in Canada, but when my hubby used his electric razor he said it sounded like a chipmunk, lol, so I would make sure it's all the same voltage and such so there's no risk of ruining expensive DJ equipment!

The sound quality with the iPod was fantastic! Nice and loud. It was hooked up to a Macbook and some other DJ-looking devices. I don't know if it was a fluke that the resort provided 2 guys to operate the sound system (because we didn't pay for them!), but it was great that they were there! 

Only suggestion would be to request a spot on the beach at the opposite end of the resort from the area where they have nightly entertainment. That can get a bit loud. We were down by the jerk chicken hut and it was far enough away from the resort's stage that we didn't have any sound interference from them.

For those booking with Sunwing, I suggest requesting a seat close to aisle 7! That way you can monitor the overhead luggage bin where your dress will be kept. I was in row 2 (which is part of the "Elite Plus" upgrade offered thru Sunwing; you get preferential boarding, more leg room, and can bring an extra 10KG of luggage for both the bride and groom) but you can't keep an eye on what happens to your dress! I learned the hard way!

Originally Posted by Yassy 

 

Hello All,

 

I'm new to this site, just signed up today!  I saw this thread and how helpful it has been for so many of you who are getting married at the RIU in Ochos, so I had to join in;)  Here are some questions I've been pondering...any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

1. Do they have a steaming service available for the Wedding Dress/Bridesmaid Dresses/Tuxedos and is it chargeable or complimentary?

2. Does anyone have a pricing list of the group excursions that are available through the resort?  And can we book ahead?

3. Did anyone use the on-site photographer/videographer?  If so, do you happen to have info on the pkgs/pricing avail?  If not, can you recommend any outside photographers?

4. Is or has anyone done the poolside reception?  And can you tell me if there is a good amount of space for dancing?  (I would hate for myself or a guest to end up in the pool due to a mis-step! lol)

 

My wedding day is booked for Nov 18th/2013 and is set for 5pm (I thought a wedding at sunset would be pretty and romantic!).  My "tentative" wedding party is approx. 30-40 people.  I got a group rate quoted to me in the amount of $1438.00...I'm told this is actually a pretty decent rate.  I'm waivering on if I should grab it or take a chance and wait to see if it drops even more:/ 

 

****CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS GOTTEN MARRIED OR WILL BE GETTING MARRIED SOON!!!***

I was just married at the Riu Ocho Rios on Feb 16 I'll try to answer some of your questions!

1. I emailed Keisha the wedding coordinator about a steaming service. Unfortunately, none is available on resort. For $45 there is a vendor that they work with off-resort that will steam the dress. I opted not to do this. I purchased a handheld portable steamer and brought it with me (Rowenta brand from Sears), but unfortunately it wasn't really effective at getting rid of the few wrinkles my dress got during travel.

**Also, a note to anyone travelling with Sunwing airlines - there is no place to hang your dress on the plane. There is a dedicate overhead baggage compartment around row 7, but this is highly problematic! Both on the flight to and from Jamaica, people placed their luggage in this bin, even though there is a bright orange label that says "dedicated for wedding items". One passenger was downright rude to me. I watched as he forcefully crumpled my garment bag containing my dress, bridesmaid dresses, and fiance's suit into a corner of the baggage compartment before shoving in his own bag. Thankfully there was an amazing flight attendant who saw this and set him straight.**

2. I also tried to find out pricing for excursions before arriving, but couldn't find the info online. They're all really great about accommodating groups though, so if you can give them at least 1.5-2 days notice, you'll have no problem booking an excursion for your group. They're pretty good about giving group rates, and if you mention that you're the bride, there's a good chance that you and your hubby can go for free. We booked a catamaran to Dunn's Falls for $45/person (about 25 people in the group), and my husband and I were complimentary. In the end, high winds prevented the group from going, but those who wanted to were able to get their money back (a few went another day, and they still honoured the group rate even though only around 6 people went). This was booked through the Scuba Caribe hut right on the beach next to the jerk chicken hut (it was about twice the price to book through the Sunwing coordinator located near the lobby).

3. I did book the on-site photographer. I have the price list from 2012 (since I booked in 2012, I was given the 2012 pricing even though my wedding was in 2013. I'll try to attach it here...) 

I booked the head photographer, but he was sick the day of my wedding so 2 of his assistants (Lincoln and Denise) were my photographers. I just got the low-resolution images emailed to me yesterday to look through. For about 4.5 hours of photography (spread out throughout the day) I have close to 1700 shots to choose from and a lot of them are truly fantastic! I'm very impressed. To compensate not having the head photographer (Michael Sondern), my package was upgraded from 100 images to 125.

4. I had the beach party reception, and didn't see any poolside receptions while I was there, so not too sure about this one  

In total 36 people travelled in my group, and our group rate was about $1460 for 7 days in standard ocean view rooms. This was through Sell Off Vacations (Sunwing) for Feb 13-20 flying out of Toronto. It was not much more to upgrade to the ocean view junior suites, which is on the newer side of the resort. (Less than $50 person to upgrade to these rooms).

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions

weddings_2012 pricelist.pdf

Originally Posted by Jessica Correa 

 

Hey does anyone by any chance know what the wedding cakes from ROR look like? 

Our cake was very plain. You get a choice of chocolate or vanilla cake, with white icing being the standard icing. It was 3 tiers. To fancy it up a bit, I ordered a bag of flower petals for $28 from Tai Flora (I upgraded my flowers, didn't use the ones from the free package), and used those to decorate the cake, along with a cake topper. 

I'll try to attach an image to this post....

Originally Posted by SHANNON4 

 

 

I was told that the 15 dollars was for 2 hours, private bar and bartender, table and chairs. Not including music. I'm not sure on what all decorations that will including, or like table cloths or anything. Waiting on a reply email not. And I also asked how many people per table, that way Iknow how many tables Ineed 2 decorate for. Good luck. I'm having a pool reception on september 7th!

I was married at the Riu Ocho Rios on February 16, and I had the beach party reception from 9-11pm. There were plastic chairs, but NO tables. Keisha had said there would be tables, but when I got to the resort on the 13th and asked her about it, she said there would only be very small square plastic tables - basically the size of a night table. So not really meant to be sat at.

In the end, those weren't even set up on the beach, just the chairs. It was $15 per person for 2 hours with a private bar and bartender. We didn't ask for a DJ. We rented out the sound system for $150/hour and brought an iPod and some CDs as backup (we ended up using the iPod). However, there were 2 people there running the sound system the whole time, so that was an unexpected bonus!

One more thing, Kelx44 - hope you don't mind if I ask, but what exactly did Keisha say in her email to you? Was she starting the process of planning your ceremony?

Keisha has already tried contacting you about your ceremony and yours is after mine? That's strange! I wonder if I should email her directly?

I have a good relationship with my travel agent and she hasn't mentioned anything to me about Keisha contacting her.

I accidentally came across this website and thread and I'm glad that I did! 

I'm getting married at ROR on Feb 16, 2013. I've booked my ceremony time (3pm, beach) but haven't emailed Keisha yet for anything; pretty sure when I booked I got an email that said she would contact me 2 months before the wedding. I don't want to wait that long though! I want to know all the details ahead of time.

Anyway, just thought I'd post here in case there are any other brides getting married at ROR in the near future - perhaps we can compare notes on our progress!

For now, I'm going to sort through all the posts in this thread to see if I can answer my own questions - if not, I'll be posting here again!