Yassy

Quote: Originally Posted by DANIELLE03 on another note. I sent my documents the middle of november. They arrived In Jamaica NOv 26, still havent been delieverd and I havent heard anything. Im kinda freaking out now The same thing happened to me, so I shot Keisha an email and she replied and confirmed that she actually did receive it (despite what the tracking details showed online). So definitely send her an email:) Yassy

Quote: Originally Posted by DANIELLE03 Thanks! and yes just under 2 months. and time is flying. especilally with xmas just around the corner We as well are doing the private reception. She told me the round table would be extra. ( im sure that is something that could be waived if i asked. REally extra for round tables?) lol . I am def doing my own reception decoration ( the prices there are abit outrageous). Thats basically the same quotes we got. She gave me the option of the BBQ meanu or the Plantation menu. The open bar they were quoting us 15. So at this point I am thinking of scraping the open bar, and just going with the drinks included because I read it was Wine, beer, and softdrinks. I figured if anyone wanted anything different they could go down to the bar. ?? Is it close by or is it a far walk?? We are having a DJ for 2 hours. 600$ But my Fi wants it :| I am so glad your wedding turned out amazing and CONGRATS AGAIN ON BEING A MRS! Thanks a lot Danielle:) Good luck with your wedding, I'm sure it will be fab!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by devin007 Hi Yassy! Congratulations! I am going to look for your photos on facebook after I get off of here. I was just wondering how far in advance did you tell Jan's what you wanted? Also, did you have your hair or makeup done by the resort? If so, how was that? Thanks so much!!! Hello Devin007! I actually did my own make-up and my husband's cousin (who is a hairdresser) did my hair. But I did get my nails redone by the spa ($30 USD) and it turned out well and they were very friendly at Renova Spa. One of my bridesmaids had her make-up done by the Renova Spa and it turned out very nice! Soft and natural looking. If you look at my photos, she is the one with the straight hair tied in a low ponytail. Not too sure what she paid though:( Yassy

Quote: Originally Posted by DANIELLE03 Your pics are gorg! love the dress! Hey did you do a private reception at the plantation?? Just trying to figure out if this was the set up I did do the private reception at the Plantation and it was $1000 to rent it out for 4 hours (6:30pm-10:30pm, but they let us stay until 11pm which was nice:) The tables can be round or long and rectangular like mine were. The lanterns, glass votives, dinner menus, table runners, and rose petals were added by me. We had 10 free guests and myself and my husband were free. Then I paid $10.50pp for the steakhouse dinner + another $10.00pp for adults and $5.00pp for children for the open bar. I also rented the dj equipment at $200/hour (yikes) and my brother and his buddy dj'd my wedding. At the end of the day, we paid less than what it would have cost to get married back home, and the memories you will make are priceless!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by DANIELLE03 THANKS YASSY! so glad your wedding was great! I am using Brian as well and so far he has been amazing just in communication. I am just under 2 months out! For your bouquet did you order it before you got there or did you pick it out when you met with keisha? I still have so much to do before I leave and I havent even started! Ill def be checking out Brians pics of your wedding. CONGRATS! Hey Danielle! Wow, only 2 more months until your big day! You must be so anxious and excited, I know I was;) And you will see how quickly these next couple of months go! I actually used Jan's Flowers for my flowers and decor, and I had sent her photos of my wedding colours and the type of bouquet I was looking for. In the end, I went with their "Tropical Bouquet" which she had sent me a photo of and the price was right:) I have to say, the bouquets for myself and my bm's turned out awesome! As well as the flowers for my ceremony (which I also used for my reception). The only disappointment was the lanterns ($20 each!) which were pretty dinky. So Jan's did up the contract and sent it to Keisha and I paid Keisha for it with a credit card when I arrived in JA. By the way, you can pay by Credit Card or U.S cash for the cost of the wedding. Yassy

Hey Ladies!!! I got married at the RIU, Ocho Rios on the 18th of November and it was amazing and wonderful:) The weather held out for us and Keisha moved the ceremony to 4:30pm (instead of 5pm) as she was worried about the sun setting too soon. My only complaints were with the size of the lanterns used at my ceremony and reception...they were much smaller than those in the pictures that Jans' Flowers sent me, and the amount of petals used for the decor was sad. For what I paid, there really should have been more. We also had some rooming issues on the first day of arrival, but I guess that is tough to avoid when you arrive with over 30 of your own guests (not including other guests arriving at the same time). Other than those few small issues, the rest was pretty seamless! My bouquets were absolutely gorgeous, the reception was very romantic and nice (private reception in the Plantation restaurant), and the food was yummy:) If you would like to view some of our wedding photos, check out "Brian Nejedly Photography" on Facebook. He did an amazing job on our wedding photos and there are other weddings he also did at the same resort. If you need a photographer based out of Jamaica, he is your man...and his prices are very reasonable for the service he provides. He'll even stay longer than contracted to make sure you get the shots you want:) He is awesome! Cheers! Yassy

Have you ever tried shellac on your nails? If can last 1-2 weeks if you take care of it;)

Hey Jessica! So, I didn't know you could do a private booking of the Plantation restaurant for only 2 hours at $500, so I'm not certain how the pp pricing works for dinner and open bar, etc. Since I am doing the private dinner/reception for the full 4 hours at the Plantation restaurant, I am paying the $1000 for the venue plus an additional $10.50 pp for the steakhouse dinner and another $10.00 pp for the Open Bar with Bartender. Once you decide to do a private reception, the amount of people attending does not affect the cost per person. I am having roughly 40-50 guests myself. Where did you get the $55 price point from? I know there is a $67 pp charge if you book a private reception either poolside or on the beach + the $600 set up fee..and this does include an open bar with bartender for your guests. And if you are doing the dinner and dancing (full 4 hour duration) then this $67 pp is still charged regardless of how many people attend as you are opting for a private reception. At least, this is how I understand it...It can start to get pretty pricey!!!

Hey There MrsBrowntoBe, I ended up going with Sunwing for my group rate, and my guests and I are paying $1436 each including taxes (Adult rate based on Double Occupancy). Kids under 12 and Triple occupancy are less. I'm not too sure if you have a Sunwing in AB, but it doesn't hurt to call to find out;) I am getting married on Nov 14th/2013 and I had to wait until Jan-Feb 2013 before they could give me a proper quote. The kicker is that the price has since dropped, but I'm already locked in so I can't take advantage of the new price...boo! Good luck, I hope you find a great deal!!! Yassy.

Hey Jessica, We had similar issues and my TA was able to simply put the extra children (over and above the 2 per room) and place them into some of the other rooms that only had 2 adults occupying it. It is really only for paperwork purposes and for when you arrive and check in. After that, I highly doubt the hotel will follow your Father-in-law around to make sure he only has two kids staying in his room with him, lol. So that's an option you can do:) Yassy.

My wedding date is scheduled for: November 18th/2013. Here is what I've selected for my wedding dinner/reception: *$1000.00 for the private rental of the Plantation Restaurant for 4 hours *$10.50 pp for the dinner + $10.00 pp for the Open Bar with Bartender *$200/hour x3 hours for the rental of the DJ Equipment (my brother will be djing with his ipod/lap top) NOTES: I went with Jan's Flowers for my florals and decor as I found their pricing to be quite reasonable in comparison to Tai Flora's. She only charges $1 per chair bow (as opposed to the $4 each that the RIU charges) and she is contracted to the RIU so there will be no Vendor Fee to use her services. I hope you find this information helpful! Yassy.

Hi Ladies! I just came across this forum...I already posted the following price list on another ROR Brides forum, but will post it here for any other brides that haven't seen it. This list was provided to me by Keshia (wedding planner at the RIU in Ocho Rios): EXTRAS OR OPTIONAL SERVICES (NOT INCLUDED IN PACKAGES) LIVE BANDS: REGGAE BAND - MENTO BAND - STEEL BAND US$800.00 p/h US$350.00 p/h US$500.00 p/h OR FIRE DANCING & LIMBO – US$650 - Saxophonist $450 p/h DJ WITH SOUND SYSTEM US$ 300.00 p/h SOUND SYSTEM with microphone US$200 p/h Make up / Hair Styles vendor fee $250 ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & VIDEO Check out the Website at WWW.PHOTOSHOPJAMAICA.COM Also email Michael at [email protected] OWN OUTSIDE PHOTOGRAPHER VENDOR FEE $350 UP TO 2 PERSONS (if photographer is staying on property for at least 3 nights, vendor fee does not apply) WEDDING DAY PASS COST US$75 PER PERSON Tai Flora FOR ADDITIONAL FLOWERS (YOU MAY VISIT THE WEB-SITE WWW.TAIFLORA.COM. Email [email protected] OR MAKE SELECTION DURING PRE-WEDDING MEETING WITH WEDDING PLANNER OWN FLORIST VENDOR FEE $250 ADDITIONAL SPARKLING WINE US$25.00 Per Bottle( serves 6 glasses) LARGER WEDDING CAKE $350 & UP PRIVATE RENTAL OF THE DISCO from 10.00 am up to 10:30pm (1 –20 persons only US$500.00, 20 – 50 persons US$650.00 & 50 – 100 persons $ 1000.00) includes open bar, bartender and a DJ at 11:00 disco is open to the hotel public PRIVATE DINNER ON THE BEACH, POOL DECK Set up cost$600.00 and US$67 per person include Open Bar Plantation Restaurant – NO SET UP FEE US$1000.00 for 4hrs plus $10.50 for additional guests booked on the package. LED Lights-$52 each (For Dancing) COCKTAIL HOUR US$30 per person, which includes Open Bar & Hors’douvres Smoke Salmon, Three Cheeses Canapes, Tomato Canapes, Ham and Cheese Canapes, Barbeque Chicken Brochettes. JAMAICAN COCKTAIL US10.00 per person (incl. Rum punch, non alcoholic cocktails, beer and sodas) DANCE FLOOR RENTAL 20X20 US$1000.00 $10.50 for additional persons on package booked for semi private dinners. PAYMENT FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES WILL BE COLLECTED IN CASH OR CREDIT CARD AT THE RESORT DURING PRE-WEDDING MEETING WITH THE MICE MANAGERS / WEDDING PLANNER. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT PRICES MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE. Chair covers $7 each Chair Ribbons $4 each Table overlays $28 each Table runners $18 each Rose petals $40 per bag Aisle runner $51 Dove Release $260 Sand Ceremony $150 – we provide vase & 2 different sands Own Sand $70 for ceremony

I think Turquoise pair well with the following colours: Canary Yellow, Fuschia, Lime Green, Electric Blue, and Purples. Or even a combination of these. Hope this helps a bit:) Yassy.

Hello, It sounds like you are asking how much it would cost to rent out the Disco for a private reception/dancing...Here are the prices I was quoted for the Private Rentals: PRIVATE RENTAL OF THE DISCO from 10.00 am up to 10:30pm (1 –20 persons only US$500.00, 20 – 50 persons US$650.00 & 50 – 100 persons $ 1000.00) includes open bar, bartender and a DJ at 11:00 disco is open to the hotel public PRIVATE DINNER ON THE BEACH, POOL DECK Set up cost$600.00 and US$67 per person include Open Bar Plantation Restaurant – NO SET UP FEE US$1000.00 for 4hrs plus $10.50 for additional guests booked on the package. Additional charge for DJ and Open Bar. I was quoted $10pp extra for the Open Bar with a Bartender, but I know others have been quoted a different price, so you should probably send them an email to confirm:)

Hey Kerry, So sorry, one more question for you: Since you did the "free" pkg, did they give you 10 free dinners x 10.50 each towards your total number of guests? Or did you have to pay the 10.50 pp for everyone? I'm just curious as to how that works as any money saved is great:) Yassy.

Hey Kerry, Thanks for responding:) I'm not sure if you've already mentioned this, but did you have your reception poolside? Or at the Plantation restaurant? I think you said you did the Private Poolside reception, but I just want to make sure, as I love how your reception looked:) Thanks!!! Yassy

Yes, I agree with KDoyle...you still have plenty of time:) Just make sure you've booked your flight/hotel and the wedding day/time (with the resort) and get your documents together (passports and Long Form Birth Certificates), and the rest should all fall into place! I am also approx. 5-6 months away from my wedding date, so I understand your nervousness! I like the colours schemes that you are considering, but I guess it will depend on what look you are going for...modern/edgy and chic would be the silvery purple and light grey and vibrant and tropical would be the pink, fuschia, and white....both looks would be gorgeous!

Well, four of my bridesmaids are wearing a smokey grey colour and then my MOH is wearing blush pink...so the tie backs for the chairs will be grey and then the rose petals will be mostly blush pink with some fuschia and then I'll have the same colour scheme for the bouquets and flower arrangements. I'm contemplating doing an arch with flowers and drapings instead of using the gazebo as it's only $180 for that option with Jan's Flowers. How about yourself??? Yassy

When I read your post I had to double check to see if I had written it as I'm doing the same thing as you for my decor!!! LOL

When I read your post I had to double check to see if I had written it as I'm doing the same thing as you for my decor!!! LOL

Hey Atrack, It did take a few weeks to get a response back from them, but once they did, the replies were pretty quick afterwards. Maybe try sending them a follow-up email in case your initial one got lost in the shuffle? I've already sent about 4 emails to them and each time they have responded. They are now just waiting on me to finalize my selections so they can forward the invoice to the RIU for billing purposes. Yassy.

Sorry KDoyle, another question for you...did you end up hiring the DJ for the full 4 hour duration of your dinner/reception? I plan to rent the sound system from 8:30pm-10:30pm and am not sure what to do about music for the first 2 hours (during the dinner). I wonder if I should just bring a boombox since I'll just use it for background music while we eat...lol. Anyway, any advise you can provide would be much appreciated (as always!). Yassy

Hey Danielle03, What I was quoted for the Private Reception at the Plantation Restaurant is $1000 plus $10.50pp for the dinner and then an additional $10.00pp for Bartender and Open Bar...and I'm positive about this as I saved the email and just double checked it again to be sure;) So definitely push for this pricing if you can!!! The more money saved the better for our pockets, lol. P.S - I am definitely going with Jan's Flowers myself after comparing the price differences. Jan's also offers a cheaper rate for the chair ties too ($1 each). Yassy.

KDoyle!!! Welcome Back! It was so nice to see all of your amazing wedding photos when I popped back on here to check it out! Looks like you had a beautiful wedding day, CONGRATS!!! I'm getting excited for my own big day after seeing your pics;) I had a couple of quick questions for you (if you don't mind)...I was wondering when the beach party started and ended? My wedding falls on a Monday and the reception portion will be over at 10:30pm and I was hoping we could all head over to the beach party right afterwards... Also, was your reception poolside? Or at the Plantation restaurant? Thanks so much, Yassy.

OMG!!! Keisha is gone now??? Wow, that is a bit disheartening...I REALLY hope the new person is aware of everything and will be on the ball. I'm so glad I kept all of my correspondence with Keisha!!! Will be printing them all out and bringing them down when I go so there is no issues with pricing, etc. I also noticed that you mentioned that the Plantation Restaurant booking is an additional $13 pp for open bar + bartender...but I was quoted only $10! I would check into that if I were you as the $3pp does make a difference once you add it up!