JoLo908

Congrats! After all of the planning!!! Sorry about your camera, but best of luck!

When you tell people that you are saving so much and still having a beautiful wedding (your close relatives, probably a little tacky to give the price rundown to everyone lol) they will totally understand. We do not want to start our new lives in major debt, and still have a wonderful wedding!

Quote: Originally Posted by Just Martha Weird. What time is your wedding? The mixed grill must be a new option, I have never heard of this before....is it the dinner by the pool? Yes it is by the pool. We were going to have it at one of the restaurants, but I didn't want to make my guests use their only a la carte dinner! It seems so weird that they do it like that. I was just saying, there is no way I am paying for two hours and only getting an hour and a half... I don't think I am being anal by saying that either! Organizing this all drives me crazy!!!

Yeahh! Congrats Martha! I am frustrated, I keep e-mailing back and forth with Jazmin about the dinner, and now she wanted the mix grill to be from 7-9pm and have the reception with the DJ and alcohol from 9-10:30pm ( mind you we are paying for two hours, not an hour and a half, which is not enough time.) Does this make sense? Why would we pay for two hours and then get this e-mail...It's kind of crazy trying to figure all this stuff out!

Welcome and enjoy!!!

It's true... you can't make everyone else happy... As I told my mother jokingly, my friends could ask me to dress up in a clown suit and do the hokey pokey for four hours... wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I wouldn't give them crap about it... if that is what their vision and happiness is, give me the red nose! And if i didn't feel up to donning the suit, I would still wish them the best, not give them a hard time! This forum helps a lot to decide location and other factors of which destination is right for the two of you!

Oh, this thread hits so close to home! We were so excited about having a DW, especially the fact that we will be in a beautiful location with friends and family, and it will be like one big joint vacation as well as a wedding... Then I sat at a relatives house the other day and they said, "So, what can we do to convince you to not have a destination wedding" and began rattling off all of the reasons we shouldn't... I couldn't take it and broke down crying stating, that in New Jersey, it costs soooo much money to have a nice, even moderate wedding and be able to invite our family and large group of friends. My parents do not have the money to help us with the wedding, and his do not either, and I have student loans to top it off....I am blessed to have found my soulmate, and doesn't that deserve a beautiful day that doesn't cost me upwards of $35,000? (In NJ, many people I know have had weddings, buffet style, on Fridays, trying to save, and have spent over $50,000).... Lillie... this is YOUR day... the two of you deserve what you want, and I am sure you would never tell someone else not to do something they've wanted for a long time... At the end of the day, family and friends should be happy that someone they care about found true love and companionship... bottom line...

I am sure if people know it is only close family/friends, then they will be delighted to come to the engagement party. I think with destination weddings in general you have to make some choices or moves that you wouldn't normally make at home... I have to keep reminding myself as well. One of my guests told me that the most important thing is that people want to share the celebration of you getting married, and having them at your at home engagement party is a great way to do that!

Good Luck! Another GBP bride! Yeah!!!

Ahhh! So, no sides for the dinner... We just don't want to pay for a theme dinner if we are going to have less than 50 people. I wonder if anyone knows, are there any ways to purchase sides for the dinner? That seems so weird that you wouldn't be able to...

Another random thing... during the dinner, can people have any All Inclusive drinks? Or do they have to only have beer and soda? Is it possible to have sides at the mixed grill? Random questions...

Thanks for the info... the e-mail I had received from Jazmin had the mixed grill as one of the options, so I am guessing it is, but I will confirm it with her. I thought this would be an option because it was on the list... but who knows! Okay, I am going to e-mail her back today with the up to date requests... thanks so much!

I am sending my invites out very early with traveling information to give people ample time to book and get a group rate. I guess it depends how many people you are having, and booking the trips and all.

Welcome! I just went to the VI a month ago! Your wedding will be amazing!!!

Congrats!!! My friend went to Dreams Tulum for her Honeymoon and said it was awesome! Happy PLanning!

I am going to try to out up the pictures later when I figure out how to do it. They all look really nice for the outside food reception/ pool reception. Okay, I have a question, more of an opinion question. We were thinking of doing the mixed grill for dinner by the pool, and then following it by the "dance, drink" reception by the pool with two hours with the DJ. During the dinner we would most likely just play our Ipod on our sound dock, but we thought this might be fun. So I guess in total, guest would be there for about 3-4 hours. Does this sound like a good idea? I love my friends, but they keep relating everything here to a wedding at home, so it is difficult to get good opinions... What do you guys think??

Ahhh! I love Jason Mraz- I'm yours! I also love this one song called "Daddy" by Kendall Payne... ladies, even if you do not use the song, give it a listen! It always makes me cry!

Welcome to the forum! You will love all the great info and advice!

Hi JennyFTB, in New Jersey at many of the weddings here, they have an hour to two hour period after the ceremony and before the cocktail hour/reception, where people usually relax and go to a bar to grab a drink and do things like that. I think for a destination wedding especially at the Gran Bahia ( since it is all inclusive and they can do that) it would not be rude or wrong to do. I think a lot of times people appreciate that "down time" before the cocktail hour/reception (at least I know we all do here at home.) Do whatever feels right and fits your budget! ***Ladies, I just wanted to let everyone know I just received an email from Jazmin with some pictures of outdoor dinners/receptions, along with the prices which I know are already posted on here, but the pictures might help if anyone wants to see! Thanks again everyone for all of the information!!***

Hey Martha... I think having your first dance on the beach is a beautiful idea too... and your song is beautiful... Ipod+Ipod dock might be a great idea... I think I want to have it on the beach regardless...you have to have your first dance! Don't worry, it will happen!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that my fiance officially proposed while we were in St. Thomas last week! So now we are OFFICIALLY planning our wedding at GBP!!! Thanks everyone for the info, just wanted to let you all know the wonderful news!!!

Angel! I am a singer, and I love Atlantic Starr... What an incredible song... timeless!

Ok, ladies, if you want to hear a song that is absolutely beautiful ( obviously a daddy daughter song) listen to "Daddy" by Kendall Payne... It makes me cry whenever I hear it! So nice, just thought I would share!

Thanks everyone! So glad I joined!

Wow... all of this information is so helpful... It makes me so excited and happy! We were looking in to the Excellence resorts before hand, but the price would mean a lot of people could not attend, and GBP seems to offer so much more that is our style... Thanks again!