JenniferSS

Heck, I'm not even getting married and I'm addicted! Although I do keep asking my husband if we can get a divorce so we can do a destination wedding- he's not amused nor considering my request! We'll probably do a destination vow renewal in the next year for our 10th..... TA Jennifer

I've had clients tell me that also- that Expedia, Orbitz Travelocity ect were cheaper- each time when we sat down and did the actual comparison the difference was that we weren't comparing apples to apples. Often times the flights were different. Some with bad connections- please keep in mind just because the connect is sold and considered a "legal" connection it still may be impossible to actually make it! Or the itinerary had them traveling all day- 12 plus hours instead of the 4 or 5 hours it normally would take. Or, the price didn't include transfers (these can add alot to the final package)! The other biggie to look out for is if the final price included all taxes and fees. The only time that I can not at the least match an internet price is the cheap hotel ( 2 star type) Vegas packages. Everything else I usually beat in price, at worst match it, add expertise and experience to, and the relationships that I've nurtured with the hotel management. Most importantly my clients have an advocate to call if anything goes wrong while they are traveling. A quick phone call to me and they are back on the beach enjoying their pina coladas while I get the problem solved! TA Jennifer

This is a great resort for those who want a stunning beach and enjoy a laid back fun atmosphere! When you first arrive your provided a cool scented towel and a glass of champagne while the check in formalities are being taken care of. A couple of note worthy points- if you have butler service you are whisked off to a private check- in, in your room! This is great especially if you’ve had a long flight and just want to relax and start your vacation! The second noteworthy option is if you are using a Certified Sandals Specialist they will have your paperwork already filled out with a pre check in, again this makes your arrival a little less stressful and relaxing! The lobby (and all of the public areas) are open air- a feature that I love! The lobby itself is fairly small but with Sandals policy of getting everyone checked in quickly it shouldn't ever be much of an inconvienance. The furnishings are all comfortable and very “Caribbean”. I enjoyed people watching while I gentle swung on the padded swing chairs in the lobby. I was able to see four room categories on my visit- the resort was booked solid! These rooms were actually waiting for guests to arrive so they shuttled us in & out pretty quick as they certainly weren't going to have guests waitng on us! I saw a deluxe, premium, 1 bedroom loft honeymoon oceanfront suite and a Swim up Suite. The general feel of the resort is relaxed fun. Everyone looked like they were doing exactly as they wanted- laughing and talking with staff or other guests, floating in the ocean, reading a book in the shade, playing pool, hanging out at the swim up bar, eating lunch at the buffet while a reggae group played or hanging out with a snack at the beach grill. There are a lot of organized activities at the resort also. If anyone is interested i took a photo of the days activities! As you stroll along the beach path one of the first things you’ll notice is that the buildings in each section have their own flair and look. Add that to the rule that no building in Negril is to be built higher than the tallest palm tree and the resort just looks tucked in and unique- no mega resort, sterile feeling here! IMG]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j286/caboweddingforum/WBviewofthebeach.jpg[/img] Farthest along towards the dive shop and water sports area you’ll see the tropical hued buildings that house the deluxe & premium rooms (these rooms are on the two lowest floors facing the garden, premiums add vanity areas and thus are a little larger.) At this time they still have the regular large televisions but will soon be upgraded to flat screen tv’s which will really open the rooms up! The rooms have the trademark king sized mahogany bed, island wood décor and the soft goods and walls are still decorated in bright Caribbean colors. Once the rooms have been fully renovated the colors will be muted and brought more to a modern luxury look. These rooms do not have a balcony nor patio. The coral pink buildings house the adorable 1 bedroom Loft Oceanfront Honeymoon Suites ( Sandals always gives their rooms such looong names). These suites have an upscale Caribbean cottage-y feel to them. You enter a large living area complete with wet bar, flat screen television, stocked fridge, a couple of comfy couches and an amazing view of the Caribbean through French doors! The balcony has a table and two chairs. Perfect for some alone time in the evenings to gaze at the stars or to sit and sip cocktails while watching the sunset! For you morning birds you can order room service and your butler will set it up on the balcony for your enjoyment and pampering. To reach the second floor and bedroom you ascend a spiral staircase. The second floor is quite large and has another television, a four poster mahogany king size bed, a full bath and for additional light a set of square windows along the far wall. I fell in love with these rooms because they were so unique and just oozed romance! we’ll talk a bit more about the butler service later! TA Jennifer

I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom- that must be really hard. Just let us know what you need help with and we'll be glad to assist. TA Jennifer

Great find Tammy! My husband loves those biscuits- I'll suprise him & make them for dinner tonight! I knew that they had to be drenched in butter and cheese. TA Jennifer

My pleasure! TA Jennifer

Contact TA Dina- she'll have some great recommendations! TA Jennifer

I thought that this was a pretty nice promo so I wanted to share! SANDALS RESORTS INTRODUCES THE 'EVERLASTING HONEYMOON' ~ Honeymoon at Sandals & Receive Free Anniversary Stay for Life~ Sandals Resorts is recreating the honeymoon experience for anniversary couples with the introduction of the Everlasting Honeymoon. Newlyweds who celebrate their honeymoon at Sandals Resorts, are rewarded one free night - their anniversary night - at any resort location in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, or The Bahamas for the rest of their lives together. "This new program makes it possible for couples to recreate the magic of their honeymoon year after year. We take pride in treating honeymooners like the very special guests they are," chief romance officer for Sandals Resorts said. The Everlasting Honeymoon offer is available to couples who book a seven-night honeymoon stay in a concierge-level room or higher at any Sandals Resort by March 31, 2008. To redeem their free night every year thereafter, travel must take place within 30 days of the guests' anniversary date. This offer is also valid at Beaches Resorts. TA Jennifer

If you are flexible on dates- and have a bit of time before the wedding I'd contact a TA with the resorts that you are interested in and have them set up the meetings for you. They may also be able to steer you to resorts that fit what you are looking for that you haven't even thought of! If you are set on a date- contact the resorts that your TA recommended ) and make sure that the date is available and then get everything scheduled. Keep in mind though that some of the dates and time slots fill quickly and that most resorts will not hold a specific wedding slot without a non refundable deposit. HTH TA Jennifer

Hi Beaches! You'll love the wedding coordinator there- Andrea Luckoo-Edwards! She is so excited about the weddings and does a fantastic job! I have some photo's coming from her that will show some of the bouquets and locations that they set up- the florist they use was fantastic! As soon as I receivbe them I'll post! If your not already using a TA & need help with the travel arrangments just PM me and I will be glad to assist! TA Jennifer

Hello & Welcome to the forum! What part of Mexico would you prefer? What amenities would you like for the hotel to offer? Beach side or doesn't that matter? Will some of the guest be children ? Do you want a childrens program to assist in entertaining them? How many rooms ? We may be able to provide some suggestions after we know a bit more about what you envision! TA Jennifer

Hello Lisa! Feel free to ask away! I was just at the resort a few weeks ago doing a site inspection and hanging out on the beach! I took a bunch of photo's so if you need any- just pm me your email addy- it's way easier to send them that way! I look forward to helping you out! Warmest Regards- TA Jennifer

Welcome to the forum & congrats on your engagement! When picking a location keep in mind travel time -who your guests will be- and most importantly what kind of wedding experience that you want! Their are so many ideas and different styles on this board I'm sure something will pop out at you! If you have any questions on Jamaica, St. Lucia, Sandals or Beaches resorts feel free to pm me! TA Dina is the resident expert on DR, Caribbean & Cruises. Tammy all things Mexico! We're here to help! Have fun looking around! Warmest Regards- TA Jennifer

The main differences between Cancun & Riviera Maya is that the hotels in Cancun tend to be right on top of each other and most attractions are within a short hop, skip & jump - RM hotels tend to be spread out but larger complexes (usually two or more hotel "blocks"- such as Grand Palladium, Iberostars, Riu's- sharing beach, restaurants, water sports), unless you are right in the town of Playa Del Carman there isn't anything within walking distance but the hotels tend to offer more activities. Cancun in January shouldn't be packed with spring breakers but if you are thinking about a beach wedding it'll be tough to get photo's without a few strangers in them! Riveria Maya hotels usually have bigger & nicer pools. Hope that helped a bit! TA Jennifer

Albianstar- Have a fantastic time- I sure did! Don't miss the African drums show (get there early though to get a seat without a post in your way!)- the show was intense! I don't know how they drum like that & for that long! As soon as you arrive go straight to the conceirge and make your reservations for Feathers and also for the Thai restaurant ( these are the only two that require reservations!) then you can try again for later in the week. The vendors that they have come in are only there for that day- so if you see something you like grab it! The wood carver guy that comes the night of the Beach party -Friday- has some of the best wood carving work! Also if your planning on getting the entwined palm trees get them from the family that goes there on (if I remember correctly) Wednesday or Thursday. The ones at the gift shop were waaaay more money! Let us know how you liked it when you come back- also if you wouldn't mind snapping a pic of your room and posting it- I totally forgot! Ta Jennifer

Sandals resorts are only on the islands of Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia & Bahamas. There is a Beaches (Sandals family resort) resort in Turks & Caicos. I was just talking to my Sandals sales rep and she was telling me that she considers the water in Turks & Caicos to be the most stunning out of any that she has seen anywhere! However depending on time of year (May & September are pretty quiet) there will be quite a few kids running around! Plus you'll need passorts. TA Jennifer

AI in St. Thomas is fairly limited- 4.5 star Marriott Frenchmans Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort (optional AI) 4 star Wyndham Sugar Bay (optional AI) 3 star Bolongo Bay (under going rennovations) I believe Caneel Bay in St. John also has an optional AI! If you are looking for a beautiful location & private this is a good choice). What kind of things are you interested in? Water activities, hikes ect? TA Jennifer

Ok just a couple more pics- I have so many but I can't seem to get them any smaller ( if anyone has any ideas how to do that please let me know- I use Adobe Photoshop- and I am not proficient in it at all) One of the pools- this is where they have the dive class in the morning and then water volleyball in the afternoon. This is one of two beach bars- TA Jennifer

Sunset pics- every night the sunset was breathtaking!

Ok- this is my first attempt at sharing photo's! Let's see how this goes..... Wedding Locations

Welcome to the forum! The ladies ( and guys!) are great here- you'll really enjoy getting to know everyone! TA Jennifer

Welcome to the forum! Check out Barcelo Maya Beach- great beach, good food & beverage, childrens program, lots of complimentary activities for your guests to enjoy and prices out pretty reasonable. Where else did you check out? TA Jennifer

Philly Gal- Beaches won't let you have a wedding there unless your staying there- they do have a great beach and area for weddings! Plus the way they set it up it's at the end of their beach towards Couples Swept Away (where CSA dive shack is and virtually no one lays out in that area) so it's pretty private! All beaches in Jamaica are public so there is no way to find one that's totally private. That being said Beaches is pretty strict about people walking through-more so than I observed at other properties in Negril. People are questioned when they approach and are only allowed to walk very close to the water. TA Jennifer

Great advice ! That is something I tell my clietns to do all of the time! A few other things I advise- Cross pack- if your traveling with a companion split up your clothes and put half in each others suitcases. That way if one piece of luggage gets lost nobody is completely out! Provide a full itinerary & your travel agents contact info to someone at home (along with photo copies of your passports). On the contact docs inside your luggage provide your TA's contact info also! That way if you can't be tracked down by the airlines they have another point of contact and we can provide additional assistance - heck that's what we're here for ! The medication, car keys and important documents advice was head on- never pack those into checked luggage! Always carry with you- and be careful not to place them in the seart pocket in front of you on the plane! Before giving your checked luggage to security be sure that your white slip states the correct arrival destination! Our friends that we went to Negril with were incorrectly tagged but we caught it before they sent their luggage on! It was tagged with BOS instead of MBJ- when we pointed it out the agent said, "Oops-wrong Millers!" I think the other Millers would have been more disappointed- going to Boston with only shorts, swimsuits and warm weather clothing! Our friends had their carry on with a few shorts & swimsuits but they could have gotten by! Happy flying! TA Jennifer

Naga0066- Welcome to the forum! I tend to caution the brides I work with away from resorts during their soft openings. The resorts are still working out the kinks, there is a strong likelihood that there will be some construction still going on and the landscaping will not have had time to get established. For a moderate resort in Mobay you may want to look into Rose Hall Resort & Country Club, Sunset (they are currently undergoing rennovations) or maybe by then the Iberostar will have it's kinks all worked out. It looks like the others hve you covered as far as activities go! I hope I helped! TA Jennifer