Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[Tekeya Thompson]

Hi BusyBee,

I gave Chandlyn a gift onsite, it was a custom made wine bag, and one of the welcome bags we put together for the friends.  I was waiting on my thank you cards, but plan to mail her $50.  Not giving Donnalee anything because I only worked with Donnalee at the last minutes (the night before and a few minutes on the day of the wedding), and can't say she put in much work.

[cupcake1382]

After all the crap I went through with my missing items and them feeling like they didn't care, I'm glad I gave them both 2 of our wedding cups.

 

I personally wouldn't give them $200 but that's just me. If they give you that level of service then great but I doubt you are going to get that. I prefer you give that money to the bartenders and waiters who actually do something and work very hard.
 

Originally Posted by BusyBee123 

I'm in the process of going over my budget and accounting for tipping, etc.  I was just curious as to what past brides have given the wedding coordinators?  I want to be fair and tip them for their services, and was originally going to give them $100 each.  Now, after hearing so many bad things about Donnalee, I don't know that she deserves $100 tip. And I'm not sure about Chandyln either, as all of my communication has been via Donnalee.  I recognize that they have been doing behind the scenes organization for several months and that they'll be doing all of the decor and whatnot on the big day so I want to recognize them, but I don't want to go overboard.  Has anyone else thought to give them a gift instead?  If you tipped them, how much did you give them?  

 

ACW - I'm so glad that you're having an amazing time!!! It makes me SO excited to go...counting down the days!  Can't wait to hear more when you get home!

 

[Tekeya Thompson]

Totally agree with cupcake!!!  Technically, my guests helped them out with putting the reception decor together, and they weren't there to actually coordinate much of anything.  If you do give them a monetary tip, I wouldn't give them much.

 

 

 

Originally Posted by cupcake1382 

After all the crap I went through with my missing items and them feeling like they didn't care, I'm glad I gave them both 2 of our wedding cups.

 

I personally wouldn't give them $200 but that's just me. If they give you that level of service then great but I doubt you are going to get that. I prefer you give that money to the bartenders and waiters who actually do something and work very hard. 

 

 

[BusyBee123]

Thanks so much Tekeya and Cupcake!  I really appreciate that you guys are still around on the forum post nuptials to still answer all of our questions!  Love it!

 

After reading about the quality of the service you both received on your weddings, I was really starting to second guess giving them generous tips!  I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't being too cheap by cutting back on the tips.  I think I'll still bring that amount, then decide what they each deserve following the wedding.  That way we have it just in case.  

 

I agree with what Cupcake said about waiters and bartenders!  Absolutely, they make SUCH a difference!  We're planning to make some envelopes with $5, $10 and $20 to hand out throughout the day as well!  I've been reading on other forums about tipping the officiant.  Did anyone do that?  I really wasn't planning to, as he already gets $200 for about 20min!  And what about the band?  They're getting $400 for an hour and to give them even $10 each on top of that is another $50.  I don't want to sound cheap, but things are starting to really add up last minute!
 

Originally Posted by Tekeya Thompson 

Hi BusyBee,

I gave Chandlyn a gift onsite, it was a custom made wine bag, and one of the welcome bags we put together for the friends.  I was waiting on my thank you cards, but plan to mail her $50.  Not giving Donnalee anything because I only worked with Donnalee at the last minutes (the night before and a few minutes on the day of the wedding), and can't say she put in much work.

Originally Posted by cupcake1382 

After all the crap I went through with my missing items and them feeling like they didn't care, I'm glad I gave them both 2 of our wedding cups.

 

I personally wouldn't give them $200 but that's just me. If they give you that level of service then great but I doubt you are going to get that. I prefer you give that money to the bartenders and waiters who actually do something and work very hard. 

 

 

[Tekeya Thompson]

I didn't give their minister anything, like you said, I just paid him $200 to only pronounce us and do our sand ceremony.  It wasn't even 10 minutes.  I purchased my cousin who officiated most of the wedding Tiffany earrings.

 

We tipped the waiters, bartenders, cab drivers as we used them.  We gave the housekeeper some leftover welcome bag stuff and $20.  We gave Antoinette (photographer) $20 and my trash the dress dress.  She could easily sell that for $$$.  We gave the videographer $200 because he stayed overtime 4 hours.

 

Originally Posted by BusyBee123 

Thanks so much Tekeya and Cupcake!  I really appreciate that you guys are still around on the forum post nuptials to still answer all of our questions!  Love it!

 

After reading about the quality of the service you both received on your weddings, I was really starting to second guess giving them generous tips!  I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't being too cheap by cutting back on the tips.  I think I'll still bring that amount, then decide what they each deserve following the wedding.  That way we have it just in case.  

 

I agree with what Cupcake said about waiters and bartenders!  Absolutely, they make SUCH a difference!  We're planning to make some envelopes with $5, $10 and $20 to hand out throughout the day as well!  I've been reading on other forums about tipping the officiant.  Did anyone do that?  I really wasn't planning to, as he already gets $200 for about 20min!  And what about the band?  They're getting $400 for an hour and to give them even $10 each on top of that is another $50.  I don't want to sound cheap, but things are starting to really add up last minute! 

 

 

[Tekeya Thompson]

Here's one of the inside pages.  I didn't want to post the wedding party page to have respect for other's privacy.  The last page was modified but I don't have a pic of it, just the finalized wording.  We shortened it.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by belledame 

Hi Tekeya....your order of service is really nice, can you post a pic of the inside?

 

[tamandrob]

Tekeya- not sure if you have already mentioned this but did you do your own menu's or did the resort print them for you?
 

Originally Posted by Tekeya Thompson 

Hope this helps, these are pics others took at the reception.  I am convinced Gran Bahia kept some of my freeze dried rose petals for their usage ;-( because it was supposed to cover the tables more. 

 

my table numbers were printed the wrong way accidently ;-( .  All good.  No one noticed ;-)

 

This is a pic of the menu card Gran Bahia provides. 

 

 

 

 

[Tekeya Thompson]

The resort created the menu cards being that we didn't finalize the menu until Thursday before the wedding.  You have the option to switch up items on the menu.  Once that is finalized, Chandlyn creates the menu cards and it's personalized with your wedding (has your names in it). 

[tamandrob]

Great thanks for the info! One less thing for me to do!
 

Originally Posted by Tekeya Thompson 

The resort created the menu cards being that we didn't finalize the menu until Thursday before the wedding.  You have the option to switch up items on the menu.  Once that is finalized, Chandlyn creates the menu cards and it's personalized with your wedding (has your names in it). 

 

[belledame]

Hey Tekeya

Thank you so much for all the pics! I really appreciate it : )