batdo008

My wedding at Sandals Grande Antigua exceeded all expectations. Nasasha (Sasha), our onsite coordinator, took good care of us and did everything she could to make our day perfect. Unexpected surprises: -Red Lane Spa hair and makeup is just average... just do it yourself, you'll probably do a better job and save some $$. -Expected the Steel drum band to be energetic and get people up and dancing. It was more like light background music. -DJ plays hip-hop and R&B. Make a playlist for the reception and/or dinner and put it on a USB or CDs for the DJ with your taste in music. -Wedding coordinator plays the music herself during the ceremony with a CD player. Put all the songs that you want played during the ceremony on a single disk so the coordinator doesn't have to shuffle through looking for the right song. -Marriage officer was awesome-- she was professional. Her ceremony felt quite official yet sentimental, and we opted for a religious ceremony so she also read some passages and meaningful words of advice. -YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY THE PHOTO PACKAGES prior to the wedding. You'll have a photographer there with you no matter what. You can pick and choose from the professional photos the next day and take only the ones you want. -Videographer went above and beyond for us. We ordered a 20-min video of the wedding. When we picked it up it was highly personalized and about 45 minutes long. He captured all the day's events. He even gave us the raw footage and dropped another copy off for us at my mother-in-law's resort on his way home that night. Seriously?! How awesome is that. -There is no ATM on the resort!! You have to go to town to find an ATM, and the banks in town are slowwwwwww. Take out cash before you go but make sure to keep it in your safe in the room. Most places accept US dollars, including taxis. -If guests are traveling to be at your wedding, I recommend they stay at Buccaneer Beach Club (or Halcyon Cove if you're looking for all-inclusive option). It's a short walk on the beach to Sandals and the best of the few that are right there. -They fog the resort every day at 5 or 6pm for mosquitoes. Bring insect repellant for the evenings because I came home covered in big, itchy bites that didn't go away for a week (but my husband didn't get any). -I don't believe the drinks they serve onsite actually have alcohol. The wine and beer is pretty bad too. Bring a bottle of your preferred adult beverage. Yes, you can pack one in your checked baggage. -Taxis can be hard to come by, so plan accordingly. -The beach is open to the public and there are all kinds of vendors selling stuff, jewelry, massages, and even drugs. Only buy from the approved vendors- they have to wear some sort of badge (and report anyone selling drugs!). -You. Need. Sunscreen. Period.