stessa82

Hi All - I'm booked at BRB for April 18th. I agree with much of whats been posted previously. BRB is a more affordable resort. It is also much smaller than the RIU's. That actually appealed to me as I wanted to be sure that I bumped into my guests in the days leading up to the ceremony. There are 3 pools, a lovely beach, 4 restaurants - Reggae Cafe for lunch, Main Terrace for B, L & D, Pastafari (Italian) for D and a Japanese hibatchi restaurant also for D. Breezes is also fairly simple by way of room accomodations unless you upgrade to one of the higher room categories. That really didn't influence my decision because we don't spend much time in the room anyways! The reason I decided on Breezes was because it was by far the best value for my guests and I wanted to be sure money and expenses weren't an issue for them. Keisha is the wedding coordinator and she is fantastic. She was out on maternity leave for several months and I had a rather tough time trying to work with their office when she was gone. She knows everything there is to know about planning a wedding. Because I'm expecting more than 100 guests, I'm hosting a private reception. Keisha helped to find vendors, prices, etc. I went down to JA a few weeks back to iron out all the details. I took the pictures below while I was there. Hopefully this will help you visualize the property a little more. Good luck! http://picasaweb.google.com/stesswal...nawayBayVisit#

Congratulations! That sounds fabulous! Best of luck with your planning ... you're off to a strong start!

CONGRATULATIONS!! Welcome to the forum! I'm getting married at Breezes Runaway Bay on April 18th! Good luck with your planning. If you have any questions feel free to pm me. I made a trip down to BRB a few weeks back to finalize some details before the big day. I had the opportunity to meet much of the staff and tour the property - I can certainly fill you in if you've never been. Enjoy the forum ... there is an amazing exchange of information, ideas and tips!

Quote: Originally Posted by OROBride1008 We are giving the Jamaican Handmade photo albums that are made out of banana leafs. We thought that would be a nice touch and the guests could use it to hold the pictures of their vacation. What is this? And where did you find it? I love the idea! Could you share your source or a picture? Thanks!

Thanks for sharing! I haven't started to pull my brochures together yet but this will certainly get me off to a good start!

Hi ladies! I am planning to bring most of my OOT bag goodies with me but I did ask a friend (my fiance is originally from JA) to find out what it would cost to buy nips of Appleton rum down there (I'm putting together 50 bags for 120 guests so my budget is limited) and he said I can get them at a local liquor store for $1 a piece. I didn't inquire about the coffee but there must be places you can purchase. The only down side to the coffee is that most Jamaicans don't drink a lot so you're best bet is tourist spots ... which of course means a higher price! Good luck!

I don't have a poem for you but was thinking it may be easier for you to find a poem you like in English and ask someone to re-write it in Patois rather than going straight for the Jamaican version. Just an idea! Good luck!

Quote: Originally Posted by divadivine25 Thanks Steph, do you have any pricing information or pictures of her work? You can pm me the information. I have a picture of the cake Alecie made for my friends wedding last year (square). I do not know how much it cost but I've also attached a picture of the cake I'm using for inspiration (round). She quoted me $650 and said the price was higher because I requested fondant rather than frosting. I actually ended up getting the best price from my resort. The pastry chef will be making the cake (the one I'd like isn't too complicated). Ah! I can't figure out how to add pics. If you PM me your email I can send both images. Sorry!

I emailed a while back too ... with no answer. I also have been in touch with Alecie Woodin. A friend of ours got married in Jamaica last summer and used her. She loved her cake. So far Alecie has been much more responsive. chefli@hotmail.com My name is Stephanie if you'd like to tell her where you got her contact info. Good luck!

The way Keisha explained it to me is that the photographer will take as many photos, for as long as you want, but that if you do the 48 photos package you're paying for the prints of 48 photos. If you want to pay 100 more for the CD you'll get the 48 photos digitally as well (who wouldn't want that??) and that if you wanted additional photos - you'd "negotiate" with the photographer on the price. Definitely a strange way to do it. If someone in your group is a photographer and you trust that individual to capture the special moments on your big day - I would definitely do that. We saw several wedding while we were there - no large groups. Mostly just couples there by themselves although I did speak with a couple of newlyweds who had been married a few days prior. She said they had about 35 guests and although she was quite nervous about what the resort would look like or how the wedding would come out (she hadn't done a site visit) she was pleased with the way everything came out. They got married in the chapel and had dinner with their guests at the japanese restaurant. Are you using a local florist for your flowers or are the wedding coordinators pulling that together for you? I'm in the process of collecting quotes from several florists for both the ceremony and reception but haven't made a selection just yet. Let me know if you've had a good experience with one!

Quote: Originally Posted by J2K Thanks for the pictures... I think we're going to opt for the beach chapel for our wedding, since there will only be about 25 guests Did you get to speak with anyone about photography? On their wedding info sheet, they say there is a $1000 fee to bring in an outside photographer, but I'm wondering if that applies to a photographer who is a registered guest at the hotel? That's currently are biggest hang up, as we can't seem to get the resort to send us sample pictures of weddings either. I did speak with them regarding the photography options. The way they quote prices is so odd! I didn't get into whether or not a guest could e the photographer but if I were you, I wouldn't even ask. They're a guest and they carry a camera. In my mind, the rule applies to hiring an outside vendor - a Jamaican photographer. They started to be a little more reasonable when I got down there. They quoted me prices for the bottles of champagne ... bottom of the line champagne ... that seemed quite high to me. We have a number of guests coming that live in Jamaica so I said I would have a guest bring them on property (for 1/3 the price) and they were fine with that.

even easier ... Picasa Web Albums - Stephanie - Breezes Runaw...

Hello BRB Brides! I'm back from my visit!! And VERY happy to report that the trip was a success. Not only did I get to spend two days with the wedding coordinator (now back from maternity leave) but also met with the Food and Beverage Manager, Guest Relations Manager and Resort Manager. I also had the opportunity to meet the minister who will be performing our ceremony! We finally got prices for the cocktail hour and private reception (6 months later ...) and I was able to select the locations for each while touring the property with the wedding coordinator. As far as the resort is concerned, the property is relatively small but nicely maintained. They claim to have spent billions in renovations although I can't say I noticed all the differences. The rooms were clean, bathrooms had been updated and the furnishings were basic. There are 3 pools, 4 bars (including a swim up bar) and 4 options for dinner (although they are open on a rotational basis ... not all are open daily). There is a full time entertainment staff which coordinates daily beach volleyball and other various games. Additionally, they provide nightly entertainment from talent shows to toga parties. I took about 40 photos on the property but I'm not sure how to add them to the forum - still a newbie ; ) but I'd be happy to email them if anyone is interested. Thanks all!

Hello BRB Brides! I'm back!! And VERY happy to report that the trip was a success. Not only did I get to spend two days with the wedding coordinator (now back from maternity leave) but also met with the Food and Beverage Manager, Guest Relations Manager and Resort Manager. I also had the opportunity to meet the minister who will be performing our ceremony! We finally got prices for the cocktail hour and private reception (6 months later ...) and I was able to select the locations for each while touring the property with the wedding coordinator. As far as the resort is concerned, the property is relatively small but nicely maintained. They claim to have spent billions in renovations although I can't say I noticed all the differences. The rooms were clean, bathrooms had been updated and the furnishings were basic. There are 3 pools, 4 bars (including a swim up bar) and 4 options for dinner (although they are open on a rotational basis ... not all are open daily). There is a full time entertainment staff which coordinates daily beach volleyball and other various games. Additionally, they provide nightly entertainment from talent shows to toga parties. I took about 40 photos on the property but I'm not sure how to add them to the forum - still a newbie ; ) but I'd be happy to email them if anyone is interested. Thanks all!

You could do so many different things! I've been to a couple ... all ends of the spectrum. One gf had a weekend trip to the Atlantis in the Bahamas ... another did a winery tour locally. My girls and I are headed back to NYC - we all lived there right after college and 4 out of the 5 have moved to new cities. It'll be fun to be back in our old stomping grounds for a couple of nights! We found EXCELLENT rates ... less than $100 each for two nights in a fab neighborhood. I'm sure they'll come up with something wonderful for you ... just let them know you're not really into the strippers ; )