Mo's Riu Ocho Rios Wedding Review (5 pages long in MS Word!)

[TA Maureen]

We got married at the beach gazebo at Riu Ocho Rios on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 11:00am. The day was beautiful and I could not have asked for anything more. That being said, I will discuss the wedding and wedding related issues here but I will try to post a fuller review of the resort in general after this.

We flew first class on Air Jamaica which I highly recommend. The flight attendants were Jamaican and started mixing Jamaican drinks for us on the flight so we felt like we started our vacation early. First class is allowed to check 3 bags each weighing up to 70 lbs each as compared to coach which allows 2 checked bags at 50 lbs each. This extra baggage allowance came in handy. I carried my dress on the flight. It did not count as my carry on or personal item. I still had a carry on bag and a purse. My dress was hung on a hook on the wall which separates first class and coach. It was actually right behind our seats so I could keep my eye on it. Another bride was on the flight and she complained that the hook was too low but they kind of ignored her and she eventually hung it there and proceeded to her seat. The hook was a little low so the dress did rest on the floor a bit but it was fine. It was in one of those garment bags from the bridal salon.

We checked into the resort on the Sat. before our wedding. We told the front desk that we had booked the Royal Wedding Package and were expecting an upgrade to a full suite. The woman who checked us in, Stacy was not that pleasant and said there was none available but that we would be upgraded before the wedding. We asked to speak to Javier which is a supervisor that our TA had spoken to but she said he wasn’t in yet. So we said we would take the Jr. Suite we had booked until something else was available. This was maybe around 1:00 in the afternoon or a little earlier. Our room was not ready which I knew would probably be the case. I asked where we should put all our stuff she said there was a luggage storage room but that she would not suggest we put our stuff there since so many people go in and out of it and that we should leave our luggage in the lobby so they could keep an eye on it. I thought this was odd and doubted they would look after it. After we insisted they took my wedding gown and the 2 cases of rum we had just purchased as wedding favors and put it in their office. We kept our carry-on bags with us and left the rest of our luggage in the lobby. We went to go check out the rest of the resort. Oh yes, we did get our welcome Rum Punch at this time as well.

We headed to the beach and there was a wedding going on. I sat in a lounge chair to watch for a bit. As I did someone came up to Tim that quickly and tried to sell him weed. We laughed especially since he’s a cop, but they saw us in our sneakers with our bags and knew we were fresh meat. Once they recognize you they stop asking. Soon after this it began to rain. So I think we were a little disappointed since we had no room upgrade, it was raining and we were being harassed to buy smoke. We went back to the front desk at around 2:30 and our room was ready. It was a nice ocean view Jr. Suite on the second floor on the first building.

Day 2, I went back to the front desk and talked to a guy about our room upgrade. He went in the back room and then came back and said there would be a suite available at 3pm. I suggest talking to the men at the front desk rather than the women. They are much more accommodating, especially Otis, he will do just about anything for 20 bucks. When our families arrived on Tuesday we took them to Otis at the front desk and he upgraded 3 of their regular rooms to Jr. Suites. Anyway back to us we went back at 3 and the bellhop helped us change rooms The suite was beautiful. It had a big sitting area with a love seat, chair, and coffee table. Then there was the bureau with TV on top of it and the bed on the other side. Our balcony was great. It wasn’t one of the extra wide ones but it wrapped all the way around the room from the poolside to ocean front. There were 3 different sets of sliding glass doors to get onto the balcony that’s how big it was. The suite had a breath taking ocean front view. You could sit on the bed and see the beautiful Caribbean Sea from there. On the other side of the bed was a Jacuzzi tub. The jr. suite had Jacuzzi tubs in their shower but this one was separate and bigger. On the other side of the Jacuzzi tub was the bathroom with double sinks. It was weird because there was no wall there so you could see right from the bed to the bathroom but the stall shower was off to the side and there was a separate sliding door to block off a little room with the toilet and the be dais. The room was on the second floor of the second building which was awesome because that is the rectangular building that contains the lobby and some restaurants so we were close to everything rather than being in the horseshoe buildings.

I left a few messages at the front desk for Chandlyn. There is no voicemail. I didn’t hear anything so I went to the Sports Bar and used a computer ($9.00 per half hour of internet use, you need to purchase the time at the gift shop before you head to the sports bar). On Day 4 the Tuesday before my Friday wedding she called our room at 9:45 am and said didn’t you get my message to meet at 9:30am today. I said no so she asked if we could come right then which we did. She seemed rushed because she had an 11am wedding which made me nervous but everything was okay. We went over what we had booked; Royal Wedding Package, religious ceremony, beach gazebo, 60 guests, and steel band, rum punch, etc. She showed me a book of flower arrangements and bouquets upgrades to choose from. I went with orange roses and white orchids for my bouquet and a smaller version for my BM’s. I gave her turquoise satin ribbon to have the stems of the bouquet wrapped in. She gave the ribbon to the florist. Our total floral cost was $731.00. This may seem high but we got a lot for it and I was very pleased with everything. Included in this amount was my bouquets of roses and orchids, 4 smaller versions of my bouquet for the BM’s, 7 rose boutonnieres (groom, GM’s and fathers), 2 flower arrangements which were attached to the gazebo, white aisle runner, a bag of rose petals, and white orchids for my hair. The florist wrapped the stem with floral tape do they were easier to secure in my hair. They were dropped off at the salon and the stylist put them in my hair for me.

Which reminds me, Sunday morning I went for a trial of my updo. I had pictures with me and I liked the way she did it the first time so there was no need to play around with it but I highly recommend getting the trial done beforehand if you can. It was one les thing for me to stress about on the wedding day because I knew she knew what she was doing. Nicole did my hair and make which I loved. I brought all my own makeup from Sephora. It’s a good idea to bring her own because she pulled out some drawer of nasty old makeup that I’m sure would look fine once applied but I wouldn’t really want it on my face. Nicole actually did my make up exactly the way the girl at Sephora did it so I was very happy. Audrey did some of BM’s hair. They were all happy with their hair as well. I went the day before the wedding for my mani and pedi since my wedding started at 11am I knew there wouldn’t be much time for that the morning of. I really suggest making your appointments online ahead of time. There are literally only 2 chairs in this tiny little room at the spa. So only 2 girls can get their hair done at once so if you and your BM’s need their hair done you would be surprised how early you need to start.

We met with Michael, the photographer. He is from Germany and we joked that he sounded like the terminator and that he was the photo Nazi (not that Nazi’s are funny but you know the soup Nazi is). The Royal package we had booked included 45 minutes of photography we told him we needed an additional 45 minutes and then the buses were picking us up to head to our reception at Evita’s. He asked if we wanted him to come to Evita’s. I said I didn’t think that was an option because of other weddings that day. To my surprise he told me there were no other weddings that day. Part of me was pissed because I was told that day was booked except for 11 am and that was the time I was stuck with, but I got over it real quick. We decided to book Michael to come to the reception as well. He was very familiar with Evita’s and said it was one of his favorite restaurants. He took a ton of pictures (800 actually) and was really nice. He told us at 3:00 he was stopping the clock but he stayed with us till close to 6. His pictures are nice. They are typical wedding pictures, nothing really creative or artistic but that was fine for us. He was so nice I think Tim made a friend for life. He offered to fly back to Berlin when Tim and his friends take their trip there so that he can show them around. He came running out to the van the day we were going home so that he could say goodbye to me and give me the very European kiss on both cheeks. We gave him a huge bottle of Jagermeister that we had brought from home and his eyes lit up. He gave us 34 5x7’s which were ready before we left. He is sending us a low res DVD with all 800 pics in case we want to order more, along with a CD of 224 full resolution pics with permission to reprint, post and basically do whatever we want with (it’s in writing and it actually says we are “allowed to print, email, allows any kind of reproduction, and use in all different ways”). So we got 6 hours of photography, 34 5x7’s, a low resolution DVD of 800 pictures, a full resolution CD of 224 full resolution pictures with permission to reproduce for $1000.00. Oh he also dangled from a 4th story balcony to try to get an aerial view shot of all of our guests which was pretty cool. I got annoyed with him once because it was so hot and I didn’t want nay more pictures but he was kind and apologized and gave me a break.

We had a rehearsal the night before the wedding which really wasn’t necessary but I guess it was nice to have a quick run through. I gave Chandlyn the vows I wanted the minister to read and during our sand ceremony and Rev. Anderson read them perfectly the next day. He remembered our names better than the Catholic priest that married my sister and was our pastor for years, so don’t worry about not meeting him ahead of time. He did pronounce man and wife in this no problem island of Jamaica. He also called Morgan over so Tim could present her with a ring and kept everything flowing nicely with that the sand ceremony and the signing of the marriage certificate. Warning: the legal term for an unmarried woman is a spinster so don’t be upset when you see that on your certificate.

We had a rehearsal dinner for the bridal party, their spouses, and our parents (21 people in all) at Mammee bay. It was very nice although service was a little slow but it’s Jamaica, Mon! We saw small wedding parties celebrating in there but unfortunately in all 11 days we were there were no large weddings except for ours so I didn’t get a chance to see the Plantation set up for a reception. Following our rehearsal dinner we had a Welcome Cocktail Party for all of our 60 guests at the beach bar, Seagrape. It was a great time. When I first looked at that bar when we got to the resort I was like I can’t believe we’re paying $600.00 for this, but when we met with Chandlyn we asked that more tables and chairs be moved down there. There are 2 small patio areas on either side of the bar and the beach in front of it. They put a ton of chairs in the sand in front of the bar, 4 tables and chairs on the one patio, and then as Tim specially requested they moved the ping pong table down on the other patio so we could play beer pong. We had a banner made at home that said Mo and Tim Welcome you to Jamaica with palm trees on it. That was hung in the center on front of the bar. We put candles on the tables and Tim brought his iPod and speakers for music. It worked out great. We were there from 8-11pm. Well actually some hang out later than that but I went to bed at 11. We had 3 bartenders for the 60 of us so there was no wait for drinks. At one point the bartender came out with a bottle of rum mixed with fruit juice and started telling people to lean their head back and they poured shots into their mouth. It was fun! There are lights down there and they brought an extra light over to the steps leading down to it. I was happy with it. I know some of you were thinking about doing this as your after dinner reception instead of the disco. I would say definitely do it or if you’re renting the plantation do you r dancing there. The disco is dark. We even wet in during the daytime with the door open to try to take some pics to post here and it was too dark then. The walls are covered black carpeting with a different colored confetti print on this carpet kind of like the roller skating rink when I was growing up. There are mirrors everywhere and only bar stools no tables and chairs. Then again to each their own it is a disco so that maybe the atmosphere you want. Definitely bring your own music though. I was only in there one night and I recall hearing Brick House, Baby’s Got Back, and the Electric Slide!

There is just too much info to go on but feel free to ask questions and I will answer and I will try to post a more general resort review too. Oh I just remembered another helpful thing. The craft vendors make fans out of palm leaves and sell them. Instead of bringing fans with us I went to the vendors that are at the end of Riu’s beach by the beach wedding gazebo. None of them had the fans for sale but this one lady Pam kept trying to sell me her t shirts. I told her I needed fans and she said she would go into town and get them for me. I told her I needed 30 of them and I only wanted Jamaica written on them. I had seen ones with butterflies and flowers and stuff on them but I didn’t want that. She brought them back the next day and each one had Jamaica written on it in different colored thread. They were prefect. I gave them to Chandlyn at the rehearsal and she put them on every other chair for me like I asked. Guests kept them as souvenirs of Jamaica.

And one more thing popped in my head before I give up on this endless review. I know some of you were interested in that bamboo huppah with the white cloth covering it. It seems that they have one that gets used for each wedding this is requested for so I don’t understand why the $75.00 charge. It was sitting out on the beach during rain and everything and started to look pretty ratty. If you really want it I would make them recover it with new cloth or something. Again just my opinion.

Let me know if you have any questions because I could go on and on.

[Lizz]

Mo, thank you soooooooooo much for your review! It makes me feel a million times better about having my wedding there. I'm glad you liked Michael, that's a huge relief. I'm also having my welcome party at Seagrapes. Beer pong is such a great idea, I'm definitely going to have to steal that from you! I'm sure I'll have more questions as it gets closer. You're the best...thank you thank you thank you!

[DLyteful]

Hey Mo!

Thanks so much! I've been waiting and waiting to hear about your wedding day and experience. I’m so glad your day turned out just as you wanted. I was becoming kinda worried when you hadn’t heard from Chandlyn. But I forgot you were in the place of “no problem mon”. I’ve heard to speak with Otis at the front desk before, so I’m going to try to speak with him when asking for my room upgrade. How much DIY did you end up bringing with you? It sounds like you bought a lot of things in Jamaica as gifts to your guests (which is a wonderful idea).

I cant wait to hear your next review about your overall experience. THANKS SO MUCH MO!

Oh, I have a question about the beach bar Seagrape. Ok, I’m thinking of having my reception (after dinner) there, any suggestions? When you have time (I know your busy, just getting back and your classes) can you post some pictures of your welcome party there? If I’m going to do my reception there what do you think I will need to dress things up?

[JUSTUSTWO]

Hi Mo,
Thanks for your review!!! As always, its good to hear firsthand experiences.
I had planned on renting out the disco but I keep hearing how dark it is. I may have to think about this again.
Anyway, I'm glad that all went well and I CANT WAIT to see your pics.

Thanks again & CONGRATS!

[Heidi]

awesome review Mo!!! Thanks so much for giving us all of those details!!!

[march1508]

wow..thanks so much mo for your review..

i have just a few questions..

How much did they charge in jamaica for you and your bridesmaids hair?

I think i read in an old review that u had a photo sharing letter..

i would love to see it, if u dont mind can u email it to me please..
sariah129@aol.com

Did u get any of the upgrades for the beach gazebo( i think its around $682)
if so, do they have many colors to choose from or just a few..

thanks mo..

[carly]

Mo, can you go to Beaches Boscobel and then come back and right as detailed a review?

I would be so confident with the Riu after reading that!

[jmhein]

Thanks so much Mo for taking the time to write such a detailed review! I am sure you put all our minds at ease! It sounds like Chandlyn is great and it's such a relief to hear how happy you were with Michael! THANK YOU!

[Msklee]

Thanks Mo, The review was great. It makes me feel so much better. Your review gives something to look forward to. Congrats and Best Wishes.

[chicago88]

Thanks for the great review Mo!!

I know you said there were no large weddings set up in the plantation when you were there but did you get any pic's of the inside?