Looking at Sandals in St. Lucia for my wedding please help!

[hmpinma]

I have been reading some terrible reviews for Sandals St. Lucia weddings. I am very concerned about booking my wedding there. Does anyone have their wedding planned there or has had a wedding there? Any help or suggestions would be wonderful! 

[wilsonj2]

Hi, I'm having my wedding there next month!  We are getting married at the Grande, which seems to have the best reviews (and view).  I have spent a lot of time on Tripadvisor, since there is not much on here.  Through that site, I found couples who were married at the Grande and had nothing but great things to say.  I'll be happy to answer whatever questions I can for you.  When are you planning your wedding?  I will post a review when we get back (end of July).

[stluciabound]

Hi hmpinma! We actually are booked to get married at the Sandals Grande St Lucian on April 14, 2012 for a twilight ceremony. My experience so far has been very good. It will be my third trip to a Sandals resort, so obviously I am a big fan in general. I have not yet been to St Lucia (other 2 trips were to Royal Caribbean Montego Bay and Negril). From what I have read though I am sure they will not disappoint. My only issue I am concerned about is the photography. I have found a local photographer I really want to hire, but understand they are pretty strict about that, but I think it is a bunch of crap and plan on finding a way around it.... any advice from anyone would be great (I am aware I can pay for him to stay in a double occ room for 3 nights,but that is ridiculous at a current minimum of about  $1600). Anyway, I think St Lucia is the PERFECT place to have your wedding and would love to have another fellow bride to get excited with and share advice!! There are a lot of great videos on you tube not only from vendors, but from past guests that have really solidified the choice for me, try to check it out. Anyway, happy planning and keep us posted!!

[KristieSteven]

Hi Stluciabound!!!

 

We are booked and ready to go! Our wedding is on 11.11.11 at the Sandals St. Lucian Grande and I am so excited! I have no idea why they have that silly rule about photographers...it's ridiculous! 

 

I'm curious to hear how wilson's wedding went. I couldn't find a recent review. I have no idea what we are allowed to do or bring...I want to have my own music and bring my own bouquet...I would love to hear what your experiences have been.

 

Congrats!

[stluciabound]

Congrats and welcome!!! I am SO excited we have another St Lucia bride, especially for the Grande!! I think you and I are the only ones on here with upcoming weddings there (the Grande)!! Wilson just posted a review and it renewed my excitement for our choice. I am frustrated with the Sandals photography policy. I am interested in Mikael Lamber who I recently discovered and another bride that just returned said he was wonderful. If anything I think I may book a TTD session with him during the stay (which seems to be very reasonably priced as apposed to a full wedding package) if Sandals is going to really play hardball. What are your thoughts?
 

I know you can definetly bring your own music, but I think you can only bring your own bouquet if it is not fresh (maybe unless you purchase it in St Lucia??). Please don't quote me on that, but I think it is a customs issue,plus let's face it... as awesome as Sandals  is they definetly want to keep as much profit for themselves as possible

Other than the photography issue I have found my experience to go pretty smooth thus far. What theme are you going with? I am thinking BB with upgrades... although we only have 8 months to go the size of the guest list is still way more up in the air than I would like so I need to get a nit closer to really make some of the bigger decisions. I would love to hear about how your experience has been going... the more info we all share the better off we will be!!! Congrats!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KristieSteven 

Hi Stluciabound!!!

 

We are booked and ready to go! Our wedding is on 11.11.11 at the Sandals St. Lucian Grande and I am so excited! I have no idea why they have that silly rule about photographers...it's ridiculous! 

 

I'm curious to hear how wilson's wedding went. I couldn't find a recent review. I have no idea what we are allowed to do or bring...I want to have my own music and bring my own bouquet...I would love to hear what your experiences have been.

 

Congrats!

 

[wilsonj2]

Hi ladies, I know you're getting so excited about your weddings!  I read your concerns about photography, and I have a suggestion.  The beach at the Grande is PUBLIC.  Off to one side, you have a small, rocky beach and then the national park, and off to the other, you have a pier and not very much scenery.  The beach is about 1/4 mile long, if that.  If you want to hire an outside photographer, they wouldn't be able to keep you from taking pictures with him on the beach.  The ceremony would be the only difficult thing, but right after, you could meet him to take pictures.  If you're getting married on the beach, I don't know how they could keep him from taking pictures, except he would be on the opposite side (with the ocean) and you would be on the Sandals property facing out toward the ocean.  Either way, definitely go take pictures in the park beside the resort! There are some gorgeous ruins and a very pretty beach. 

 

 

The picture I am posting was actually taken on the little rocky beach right outside the Sandals beach area and before you get into the park.

Please let me know if you have any questions...I would love to help!

 

 

Originally Posted by stluciabound 

Congrats and welcome!!! I am SO excited we have another St Lucia bride, especially for the Grande!! I think you and I are the only ones on here with upcoming weddings there (the Grande)!! Wilson just posted a review and it renewed my excitement for our choice. I am frustrated with the Sandals photography policy. I am interested in Mikael Lamber who I recently discovered and another bride that just returned said he was wonderful. If anything I think I may book a TTD session with him during the stay (which seems to be very reasonably priced as apposed to a full wedding package) if Sandals is going to really play hardball. What are your thoughts?
 

I know you can definetly bring your own music, but I think you can only bring your own bouquet if it is not fresh (maybe unless you purchase it in St Lucia??). Please don't quote me on that, but I think it is a customs issue,plus let's face it... as awesome as Sandals  is they definetly want to keep as much profit for themselves as possible

 

 

[stluciabound]

That is great advice, thank you so much!! I will definetly incorperate it into my planning somehow. I think I am going to do a TTD session, so maybe I could have them meet me on the beach at the resort to get somof that and move over to the park next door, Pigeon Island, right? How uncomfortable do you think it will be to have to hike around in my dress there? I just don't want to looklike a drwned rat byt the time we get up there lol Thanks again for all the great info!!!

 

Originally Posted by wilsonj2 

Hi ladies, I know you're getting so excited about your weddings!  I read your concerns about photography, and I have a suggestion.  The beach at the Grande is PUBLIC.  Off to one side, you have a small, rocky beach and then the national park, and off to the other, you have a pier and not very much scenery.  The beach is about 1/4 mile long, if that.  If you want to hire an outside photographer, they wouldn't be able to keep you from taking pictures with him on the beach.  The ceremony would be the only difficult thing, but right after, you could meet him to take pictures.  If you're getting married on the beach, I don't know how they could keep him from taking pictures, except he would be on the opposite side (with the ocean) and you would be on the Sandals property facing out toward the ocean.  Either way, definitely go take pictures in the park beside the resort! There are some gorgeous ruins and a very pretty beach. 

 

 

The picture I am posting was actually taken on the little rocky beach right outside the Sandals beach area and before you get into the park.

Please let me know if you have any questions...I would love to help!

 

 

 

 

[stluciabound]

Oh! And you and your pictures look absolutely beautiful!! Thank you for sharing with us. Seeing them just makes everything that much more exciting!!!

[jsawedding26]

Hey,

Was your photo taken by a Sandals photographer? Or one you hired yourself? If its an outside photographer what is their name because that is a gorgeous photo!! Also my Fiance and I are starting to lean towards having a wedding in St. Lucia but I can't get over the fact that I will be planning a wedding and not get to see anything until few days before! The photographs are very important to me,so explain me again how did you get an outside photographer on the beach? Or how did you even know that half the beach we public? Did you have a sandals photographer for the wedding and then the outside photographer for all the other photos? what about during the reception..what did you do for that? Hope to hear back soon.  I am not very good at this blog thing so hopefully when you reply it will pop up in my message box? Or do I need to come back and check on this thread? Oh well I guess I will figure this out..

[2thick4u]

Ladies I am also a St. Lucian Bound Bride headed there on May 19, 2012 to get Married at the Grande. Did you contact the Local Photographer & see if they could meet you on the beach?