Calling all BERMUDA brides

How are all our bermuda brides doing? I've tried emailing Barbara about a week ago and still waiting to hear back from her. I really hope she's just busy and I'm just being OCD and a control freak.

 

So far we've hired Barbara, put our deposit on AA for our flowers, have my dress, working on OOT bags, and I'm slowly working on our welcome letter, time line, ect stuff.

 

I am adding bus and ferry schedules in my stuff for everyone. Is there anything you would add to them that is close to the Dockyard for the next day, or anything that you would have as a must see? I'm taking any suggestions!!!

 

I'm anxious to hear how the rest of you are doing with your planning!!

If it's any consolation, this upcoming week is big in Bermuda, their Cupmatch game gets played over the long weekend and is a huge deal. Businesses close up, people go camping all over the island, and there's an all over festive feel. Don't worry, one thing I noticed about Barbara is she's all about efficiency, I'm sure she'll be in touch soon.

As for suggestions for "must see", if you have any flower/garden fans in your group, the Botanical Gardens are a must. It's about twentyish minutes from Dockyard, but worth the visit.

There are great golf courses all over the island, they'd be worth looking into. I'm not a golfer myself, so I can't make any reccommendations, but Port Royal and the Southampton Princess courses come to mind. Port Royal was closed recently for some upgrades, so I'd do some research to see if it's up and running again.

Quite possibly the best thing to do is take a ferry ride around the Sound, it's just gorgeous.

The Maritime Museum at Dockyard is great for any history buffs. Haven't been there myself since I was a child, but friends who went last year enjoyed it immensley.

There is also a place to do helmet dives at the Dockyard, I believe it's called Hartley's Helmet Dives (don't quote me though). Friends also did this and had a great time. It's not quite scuba diving, but you get a similar experience.

A final idea, Bermuda has more churches per square mile than anywhere else in the world. If you have any architecture fans, reccommend doing a tour of the island's churches, there are so many different styles and denominations, and t hey are EVERYWHERE.

That's about all I can come up with for now...

Oh lord! So today I received my site fee quotes back from Barbara!

 

So Coco Reef is $1500 that's the ceremony with chair set up.

9 Beaches is $600 for ceremony and chair set up.

Surf Side is $600 for ceremony and chair set up, however the ceremony would have to be held on a grassy terrace. (not what I want)

 

So, anyone know anything about 9 Beaches? Coco Reef with that price is out of the question. Surf Side is out since we can't get married on the beach. If I wanted to get married in the grass I could have done it at a nice country club here in NJ.

 

So anything you girls can help me with would be terrific! Or if you could recommend a different property that I can have her get me a quote on would rock also!

there are a lot of mixed reviews out there about 9 Beaches, mostly because it is unlike any of the other resorts on the island. It's at the extreme opposite end from St George's and the airport...however, if you're docking at King's Wharf (aka, Dockyard to the locals), it's fairly close by (maybe 15 minutes).

 

The rooms are actually small huts on stilts, some over the water, some over the grassy areas of the resort. Not grassy huts like Tahiti, but more like small replicas of the houses you see on the island (bright colours, white roofs). They are small, but the ones over the water have a glass window in the floor so you can see the water life underneath you.

 

The resort itself is build on the former site of the Canadian Forces Military base, which I spent five years of my life on growing up. The beaches aren't drop dead gorgeous, but they are still very nice (in my opinion). There are really no waves to speak of, the current is too slow, but you can still hear the soft sound of water lapping on the shore. I have heard that the food is PHENOMENAL, from friends who still live on the island...most of the food available on the island is phenomenal though, so you can't really go wrong there.

 

I can't really think of much else...are there any specific questions you had?

I'm guessing what I'm trying to ask is...

 

Since the price of Coco Reef is pretty much out of the question. Would you go with 9 Beaches? Or do you know of another resort we should look into? I really want to get this narrowed down so I can get my invites printed.

I would go with 9 Beaches...it was actually one of the first places we looked at for our wedding, because of the whole nostalgia factor. The location is quite pretty, and private, with a number of different coves and small patches of sand available to use.

 

I'm glad you decided against Surf Side, it's nice but not the best wedding location.

 

Have you taken a look at the website for 9 Beaches yet? They have a photo album of weddings they have performed, and they turned out really nice.

 

I'm trying to think of another resort you could look at, but most of them will be along the same price line as the Coco Reef...as I'm sure you've noticed, Bermuda isn't on the cheap side of things. There is The Reefs, or Pompano Beach, but I know for a fact that Pompano's beach is too small (almost non-existant), and the Reefs might have a similar issue. Worth taking a look at though, but I can't guarantee lower pricing.

 

Have you asked about pricing for the ceremony at one of the beaches (Stonehole Bay, Warwick Long Bay and John Smith's Bay come to mind), then have the cocktail reception at a hotel? I know this means more back and forth for your guests, but it might be an option as well...

I just hung up with Barbara. We actually talked about your wedding Jenn! She remembered you! She's doing a wedding in Oct at Jobson's Cove then cocktails at Surf Side. She is going to let me know how it works out. She's never done anything like that so she's not sure how it's going to work.

 

I also talked it over with my mom, I think we're going to go with 9 Beaches, just because the cabana's on stilts remind us of some homes on the jersey shore here. Also I do like the different rock places to do photos. I already have the photographer for 2 hours, so we're talking about just doing our cake and toast, then spending time doing pictures and not being rushed. Then heading back to the boat.

 

I'm hoping to make reservations for our group at Portofino's on the boat for after the wedding. I know it can be done, its just getting the right person from RCCL on the phone and getting it done.

 

I'm just getting anxious to know where my wedding actually will be held. I've just been telling people on a beach in Bermuda. It would be nice to be able to describe the resort!

Well that's sweet that she remembered me, it's been well over a year and I can imagine she's done a number of weddings in between.

I really think you'll be happy with 9 Beaches. As I said, it's different from the rest of the resorts on the island, but in a good way...it's very laid back, and very secluded. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Tell me about the anxiety! Before we decided to cruise to Bermuda, we were researching everything we could to find an affordable way for people to join us, and it was becoming such a headache! I just wanted to get married barefoot in the sand on the island that I loved, how hard could that be to work out?

oooh, Jobson's Cove is very pretty too, very intimate...right next to Stonehole Bay actually. Not that you need even more ideas to float around in your head!

Hope everything works out for you soon!

please! We finally decided on 9 Beaches. I think we're just going to do cake and champagne instead then try and make reservations on the boat at Portofino's. The pictures Barbara sent me of past weddings where pretty. Plus we already have our photographer for 2 hours, this way we can do ALL the pictures we want instead of being rushed.

 

Wish me luck on hearding the cats, I mean, getting the rest of the people who "say" they're attending but haven't booked yet because it's "to far" away!

 

WOOT!! That's awesome news! Yay for you!

 

It really is the best feeling to finally know where the wedding is going to be.

 

Totally aside from that, I just noticed your wedding day is the day after our anniversary! Yay for May Bermuda Brides!