Wyndham Viva Fortuna, Grand Bahama Island

[LAtravelgirl]

Anyone have experience getting married or attending a wedding at the Wyndham Viva Fortuna? We stayed there last December and have decided to get married there this November. I'd love to see photos and read reviews.

[JoeJoeT]

Originally Posted by LAtravelgirl 

 

Anyone have experience getting married or attending a wedding at the Wyndham Viva Fortuna? We stayed there last December and have decided to get married there this November. I'd love to see photos and read reviews.

Hi my fiancee and i are getting married at the Wyndham Nassau Resort in May of next year. Is that the same place?

[LAtravelgirl]

Unfortunately, no. Vova Fortuna is on Grand Bahama Island. I have heard good things about the Wyndham on Nassau and I think their are threads with information.

[markandlisa]

Wow what are the odds of finding your question.

 

  I am getting married there on November 21, 2012. The wedding planner had said the 22nd was booked so I guess that is you. 

 

Congratulations on your wedding!!

Unfortunately, I have not even been to the resort so you would know more than me about the resort. How are your wedding plans going? Mine are coming along well, all the last minute things to do. Trying to make a photo sharing website that guests can upload pics to after they get back home. Any suggestions? I want to add it the information to the brochures I'm making.

 

Hope to talk to you more about your wedding

Lisa

[LAtravelgirl]

Hi Lisa,

We vacationed at Viva Fortuna last Christmas before we decided to get married, so I have been there, but have not met the wedding staff, except through emails.

How large is your wedding? Ours is very small, only immediate family, so a total of 10 guests. I have most of the items for the welcome bags purchased. I have not booked hair and makeup, yet. Rosalyn at the tourist board recommended someone, I emailed her, but have not heard back. Will you have a local h/m person? Has the resort sent you sample photos? I was suppose to get samples of flowers on Monday, but have not received them, yet.

As far as the photo sharing site, I know there are subscription style sites as I saw at a wedding show, but I didn't pay too much attention. The sticker I picked up from one of them says trycapsule.com. I'm sure there are many services like this, but I have not looked into them, as I figured the family could simply share pictures amongst ourselves. Did you hire an outside photographer or will you use the resort's?

[markandlisa]

Hi, What dates are you in the Bahamas for? We are there Nov 16th -  Nov 23rd.   16 days till we leave!! Ahhh, wow it's getting so close. I figured once we are there, I won't be able to worry about forgetting anything because it will be too late haha.

 

 

 

I have been speaking to Loyda the wedding coordinator mostly. They are very relaxed down there. A little nerve racking on our end but I figured it will all work out in the end.  As for flowers I ordered my own from Australia, so I'm sorry I don't know anything about what they are offering.  

 

 

Our wedding in mostly family as well. We have a total of 22 including us, but 2 of our guests are staying at a different resort and coming on the wedding day only.

 

I don't think I'm going to use a hair/makeup person down there. Actually tomorrow, I'm going to my mom's for a mock hair/makeup, dress, shoes and the whole package to make sure that everything is working, I would rather have " a look" here just to be sure. I did ask about a hair/makeup person but it is really expensive and I have a hard time with going to someone I don't know. I'm very plain, meaning I don't wear makeup or do anything special to my hair so my daughter who is 17 will be doing it.

 

My welcome bags are done and my welcome brochures are finally finished. I am planning on a trip to the Garden of the groves on the Sunday with all of our guests. Here are some pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are going to use the resort's photographer for the ones included in the package and then everyone else can just take pics. My daughter is a very good photographer so she will be taking many of the the photos for us. 

 

It is so nice to speak with someone that is going to the same resort. Every day it gets closer the nerves get to be more 

[LAtravelgirl]

Wow! Your welcome booklet looks great!

What price did they give you for hair/makeup? They didn't give me a price, just that they would need more info? I don't even now what that means, as hair and makeup seems self-describing to me! I mean, do they think I just want someone to comb my hair? Very frustrating! Your plumeria flowers are nice. Are you flying in from Australia?

Definitely try the trapeze, it is so much fun. Very limed hours though, only a few in the afternoon for adults, which is probably long enough if you don't go scuba diving, otherwise it is difficult to get cleaned up from the afternoon dive in time to try the trapeze.

I did received the arbor flower options the other day. There is an orange/yellow/red tropical one, blue, and one with pastels. I am bringing chair sashes and table runners with me just to bring in my own colors. I have not seen the options for the bouquet, yet.

[LAtravelgirl]

I have not been to the Garden of the Groves. On our last visit we went to Rand Nature Center and Lucayan National Park. Of these 2, I enjoyed Lucayan more. Beautiful caves, marshland, racoons, boardwalk, and beautiful beach. Rand is nice, it is fairly small but has a small pond with turtles and some birds of prey in cages.

I am trying to decide if we want to do a sunset cruise for our group.

Did you pick the time schedule? I have tried to get them to tell me more about the ceremony itself and I have received 2 answers, one being 20 minutes, one 30 minutes. Without having a bridal party I would think ours would be shorter.

Are you having music at the ceremony? I tried to ask if it was an option, even if it means an ipod, but they have ignored the question. When I booked the resort, a local guitarist, Nat, was to play the reception, but I have now been told it will be keyboard music, which I am not as excited about.

Are you going to the disco in your wedding dress? We did not go into the disco last time, we are not really dance people and were there with my parents, so it was nice to spend time catching up with them in the evenings as we spent our days scuba diving.

We arrive on Sunday Nov 18 and depart on Nov 25

[markandlisa]

Hi, Wow, they haven't been very helpful for you at all, I have bugged and bugged this is the info I have received from Loyda ( wedding Coordinator).....Her answers are in red

 

 

Ceremony Time: I have decided on 5:00pm she said that will leave enough time for photos and if photos run later she will start the guests with appetizers and drinks

 

Regarding your question the time will be up to you after you meet with the minister and let me know- Normally we suggest 5 or 5:30 so you can go to dinner right after the ceremony and picture time. 

 

Hair Salon: My daughter is going to do my hair and I will do my makeup, just had a trial run and it turned out great 

 

Regarding the hair salon, we do provide assistance booking the service: the hair dresser will be on call and she can come to assist you in the room ( the cost is estimated between 80 and 100 us$) 

 

 

Some questions I asked  on the wedding:( her answers are in red)   How much does the transportation cost to get to and back from the Registers Office? 40 US$ round trip  Am I allowed a cake topper? no included but you can bring your own Do I need to assign seating for the dinner? that's up to you -- Am I allowed to bring extra decorations or things of that nature for the ceremony and/or reception? if you want so-- our decoration are very basic -- nice but basic and are only for the ceremony gazevo --- i can help you wirth the decaoratyion for the recepction are if you bring it /    

In the picture (attached) off the website, there are sashes on the chairs for the ceremony, do I supply these? Do you or I set them up? is not included and those where brougth by the couple in that ocassion - i guest I still have somes around but if you wanted you can bring it -- they are not included in the decoracion- If you have any idea like that or similar please feel free to let m,e know and i can assit you to place them . ( I am bringing my own)     Do you have any suggestions or no what others brides have done in regards to Ceremony Music? Like walking down the aisle music etc... we provide that -- we have an small case when we play the music while you will be walking down The song that we use is: Canon in D - Johann Pachelbel and If you want to bring your own Cd is ok -- not a problem at all      Do you have a steamroom for wedding dresses? Is there a charge? we do no have that but in freeport city t they are available (at your own expenses) ; I can help you to arrange a taxi to tkae them and bringing them back - The you can pay him directly    I actually bought a hand held steamer that works perfectly to bring with me. I am actually thankful because I have no idea where on the plane my dress will be  possibly stuffed in overhead bin   I am leaving from Ottawa, ON Canada   I haven't heard anything about Nat not being there. I actually email Loyda last week to make sure everything was ok with the resort after Hurricane Sandy, but never heard back yet. I will email her again tomorrow. She is usually very quick about emailing me back so I think my email got lost in cyber space. I have spoken with my travel agent and she said that it didn't get hit to hard and they are very fast at cleanup so I'm sure they are just busy.   Yes, I am planning on going to the disco in my wedding dress. I figure for the price of it I'm going to get as much wear out of it as possible haha   Do you mind posting the pics they sent you for the arbor flowers? They only decorations I have for the ceremony is the chair sashes.    Did you receive the Animation Program 2012, I still haven't heard what week we will be there (week 1 or 2) so not sure of what shows will be on.If you didn't get it I can send it to you.   By the way what is your name? It is really nice to talk to someone that is going to the same resort.   Did you decide if your hiring a photographer down there?      Talk to you soon Lisa            

[LAtravelgirl]

THANK YOU! Great info!

Good to know about how to choose the ceremony time. I had read in the Bahamas you must be married before the sun hits the horizon, which I think is a neat way of measuring the end of the day. It also, however, makes it odd that on the Viva Fortuna website, it offers a torchlight ceremony. Looks like I will be a 5 o'clock bride, too.

I think I will do my own makeup, but am still going to try and price out hair. You are right, their prices seem high, but I think everything on the island is more than it should be, especially when you don't know the quality. I had found a makeup artist on modelwire.com that should be somewhat decent if she says she does commercial photography work. I think she quoted me $50, which seemed reasonable, but I thought I might as well take that $50 and invest in decent makeup (although, lets face it, decent makeup costs a heck of a lot more). I have not made contact with a hair person, which has me worried, but I do have a lead on one.

You can rent a car at the hotel for about $40 or $50 for the day. I took a picture of the rental rates when I was there last December. I will find the picture and post it. Depending on when you wanted to go to the registrar's it might be possible for us to share a ride, if you would like??

Glad to hear they answered you on ceremony music. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked. In fact, we just returned from shopping and bought a wireless speaker because I didn't want to get there and there be nothing. It sounds like they might only play for the bride entering? I think it would be nice to have prelude music, too, while everyone waits. Of course my everyone will be 9 people, as my 10th is my dad walking me in. Did Loyda happen to say where you walk from or at least how long the walk is? I am trying to picture where the bride would wait while waiting to walk down the aisle so the groom and guests don't see her.

A friend we met last December will be photographing the wedding along with her husband. He is a photographer, but not a wedding one, so although we are paying them, it will be more of a favor. Some of the wedding photographer quoted me thousands of dollars. Ridiculous! I will also take the free ones from the resort. I know the photographer that shoots the wedding is the same guy that goes around the resort taking photos hoping to sell prints to the guests. Which is also why I think it is odd they could not give me prices, but continually say "you will have time before hand to discuss your needs and pricing." On the last email it said that it is a vendor that operates out of the resort. To me, they should still be able to provide pricing ahead of time. I think they want you to get there and not have any other options.I

I  haven't seen any animation schedule, yet? Did they send you one or both? could you post them?

I will download the arbor decorations next and post them.

- Marisa