~*petals*~

Quote: Originally Posted by turk To all other GP brides....Remember you are in Jamaica and most importantly on JAMAICA TIME. There is absolutely nothing that occurs promptly at the GP. Believe me, I am one impatient person, but you must learn to adapt or you will indeed have a miserable time. This is not like a 5 star hotel in the states. Their rates are super cheap for an all inclusive. You will not find another AI resort of this caliber for this price. Other exciting news....we just booked 4 nights at The Caves in Negril in July since we never got any time to ourselves after the wedding! Turk- you hit the nail right on the head! And congrats on your honeymoon at The Caves! Quote: Originally Posted by zuzelh Hey everyone! Just a few other general questions.... Did you all use the group coordinator to set up your rooms? I'm getting worried now because I decided to tell people to set up their rooms through expedia (because it came out to be cheaper!). Did you guys have suites that were close to each other? I'm not sure how it all works with Expedia, but we had a TA (just for booking help- no group rates) and left the booking up to our guests, since some of them found good deals on bookit, cheapcaribbean, etc. But you can submit a room request to the hotel a week before your scheduled arrival: Room Requests When we were there, the resort was at or near capacity, but except for the late arrivals (those that came in late Friday or early Saturday), we all got rooms in buildings 11, 12, and 24. Here's the resort map so you can see where the buildings are in relation to each other: http://palladiumaddict.net/JP/Docs/ResortMap.jpg Quote: Originally Posted by zuzelh Also - does anyone have suggestions on things to do on the island? I want to create a list of what's available to do/see while in Jamaica for all the guests and make sure they have a great time!! thanks! This website has a lot of info on activities: Visit Jamaica (Click on "What to Do") Quote: Originally Posted by Taylor-6-19 Hi Petals, Quick question for you. I read in your prep thread that you got a groom's cake from a local bakery. My fiance's mom's side of the fam is Jamaican and they would like for him to also have a groom's cake to give out to guests. (I am freaking because the request is kinda in the 11th hour ) Is the bakery close to GP and did they deliver the cake? Would you happen to have the info if they did in fact deliver? BTW, thanks so much for giving insight into the table setup at blue lagoon! Thanks so much!! Nashay Hey Nashay, My cousin in Montego Bay actually arranged for the cake, and brought it with him to GPJ, so I'm not exactly sure who made it... I'll see if my mom knows & if so, I'll share the info! Here are a few threads that might help in the meantime: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t37890 http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t19423

Pretty dress! Perfect for a DW!

Welcome! You'll see that Riu Ocho Rios is by far the most popular Jamaican resort on this board, but a few of us have had nice weddings at GPJ as well. Happy planning! Jamaica: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/f132/

Gorgeous-- awesome ideas!

My advice is to not rush it-- I ended up as a two-dress bride because I bought my first dress too early (it was on sale...) Once it arrived, I knew it wasn't *me* and ended up going out on my own like 5 months before the wedding and finding the dress that was a perfect match for my style! My first dress still hasn't sold, and that money is just gone.

Quote: Originally Posted by DTHSLove Girl you did the dam thing in JA. Now I wish I was doing my wedding in Ja. You both look beeeeeeeautiful. I have not gone through the pic yet but i'm sure going to save this to my list of to do. I think that was a great idea for the groom not to see you until u are next to him. (hint). DH does not know what dress i'm wearing just yet from all the pics he saw from my dress trial, so that sounds like a great idea.. Glad everything went well.... Lovely review.. Thank you! My parents are Jamaican and they were happy we had the wedding down there. My aunt & uncle took a few days and went to Clarendon afterwards to visit even more of the family. It was like a family reunion. DH's family had never been before, and they had a wonderful time too.

You guys are so nice! Quote: Originally Posted by TammyB Great review, and contrats on your wedding. However I have to ask, since you didn't mention it... How did hubby react to your BD book? Thanks for reminding me, Tammy! I participated in the Chicago BD marathon with BDW photographers Tammy B, Maura, and Tsleege back in January and made my book on Shutterfly. I gave the BD book to DH the morning after the wedding. He was totally surprised and loved it! He said it was HOT & thumbed through it like 3 times. lol

Quote: Originally Posted by danalauren22 Where did you honeymoon in Negril? We are staying at Sunset at the Palms in Negril following our wedding. 20 days until we leave! We went to Idle Awhile- it's tiny but super cute! Here's the website: Idle Awhile Resort located on the beach in Negril, Jamaica

RECEPTION We held a private reception at the Blue Lagoon restaurant and chose a U-shaped setup. Photo by Monica Z Photography We forgot our placecards at home and had to improvise the day of the wedding, by creating a seating chart and giving it to our ushers. There was some drama with this, but it all worked out in the end. We had the seafood appetizer, the asparagus soup, rum, lime and mint sorbet, and then shrimp (substituted for the lobster tail) and the beef tenderloin for the entrees. The food was very tasty. It took FOREVER to be served these courses. If there are kids at your wedding, you should stop at the buffet on your way to the reception to get them something to eat. We had to do that for my little nephew, and my niece… and she was knocked out by the time her chicken nuggets and fries arrived with everybody else’s dinner. Photo by Monica Z Photography The length of time it took for dinner service is one of the main reasons we decided to nix the DJ ($900) and make a nice long reggae playlist on my iPod and rent the wireless microphone and speaker setup instead ($250). They have an iPod adapter, so you can plug right into the big speakers. This worked out well for us. We skipped most of the wedding traditions (bouquet toss, garter, etc.) and instead did the cutting of the cake (which was decent- whipped frosting), toasts by the Best Man and Maid of Honor and a thank-you to our guests, and everybody went upstairs to Infinity Lounge and across to the Disco for dancing after dinner was over. Photos by Monica Z Photography DAY AFTER Before we left for Negril on Monday, we did some awesome day-after shots around the property. I highly recommend doing this if you’re bringing a photographer with you. It was particularly special since our wedding day was kind of rainy and the wedding started late in the evening. I LOVE these shots. We got some beautiful pictures in the lobby, in the buildings, Infinity Lounge, one of the tiny beaches where the hermit crabs live, and of course in the giant pool. All in all, our guests had a beautiful vacation and lovely time (some are planning a return trip!), and our wedding was special, unique, touching and better than we could’ve imagined. I’m happy to answer any Q’s you have! Tina

CEREMONY We hired the steel drum band to play for 1 hour, and it was the best money we spent! They really set the mood and the feel for the entire evening. They were playing when the guests arrived, and played during the processional, sand ceremony, recessional, and for a while after the ceremony was over. We even had our first dance to them during the mini champagne reception following the ceremony. They were WONDERFUL! The ceremony was short and sweet. We had Vincent McKenzie as our officiant. He wouldn’t let DH turn around until I arrived at the end of the aisle (anticipation!), and when he turned to face me, DH got all choked up and tears filled his eyes. DH is not an emotional person, so this really got everyone… everybody started crying (me too, but I was still grinning so hard). That was something I hadn’t seen before (making the groom face away until the bride is standing by his side) but it definitely had the desired effect. Photos by Monica Z Photography Non-pro photo of crying bridesmaid We also did the sand ceremony (DIY with supplies brought from home!). Jascynthia set everything up at a table at the end of the aisle. We didn’t give Vincent a sand ceremony script, but he said some nice words about how the grains of sand are still the same, but can never again be separated. We were then seated and he called forward the MOH and BM to sign the marriage register. The steel drum band was playing softly throughout this part of the ceremony, which I thought was a nice touch. After the ceremony, Jascynthia & staff distributed glasses of champagne and the steel drum band played on. Post-ceremony champagne reception (Monica Z Photography) First dance to the steel drum band (Monica Z Photography) Two small things to note: my flowergirl pail and ringbearer box were in the suitcase I gave to Jascynthia that contained all of the centerpieces, cake topper, etc. Both items never made it to the ceremony, and I never got them back. So if there’s something you need for your ceremony, bring it with you directly. We weren’t too far from the Blue Lagoon, where the reception was held, but the golf cart Jascynthia called for us never arrived. We stuck around until nearly all of the guests had gone over to the reception, but the ride never came so we gave up. I hiked up my gown and we footed it.

WEDDING DAY The morning of the wedding, we ate breakfast and I hit the beach with the girls. It was beautiful and relaxing… then the clouds rolled in… It POURED at midday, and then the sun broke through again around 2pm, when I had my appointment at the salon. Renova Spa did an EXCELLENT job on my hair. Inpiration picture: Wedding day hair: Photos by Monica Z Photography I had a friend (who worked at the Fashion Fair and NARS makeup counters) do my makeup and she did a beautiful job! Happy to recommend her to any Chicago-area brides. WEDDING LOCATION/SETUP We originally selected the garden gazebo as our wedding location. Photo by Caroline However, it rained pretty hard the afternoon of our wedding, and although they pushed back the wedding an hour and a half to see if it would let up, the gazebo area was soaked, and full of mud. So they moved us to the Spa, which is their rain location. I thought it was beautiful! Photo by Monica Z Photography Non-pro photos:

RESORT: Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort, in Lucea, Jamaica. # GUESTS: 55 adults, 2 children PHOTOGRAPHER: Monica & Chris Zibutis (Monica Z Wedding Photography) Grand Palladium Jamaica AIRLINE- AIR JAMAICA: We flew on Air Jamaica, direct from Chicago. We were originally scheduled to fly down on Wednesday before our Saturday wedding, but Air Jamaica cancelled that flight. They also canceled the return flight for most of our guests, which was Memorial Day Monday. Returning home, Air Jamaica bumped 60 passengers, including my parents and our photographers. They put them up in a hotel for the night, but it was very inconvenient. The reason for bumping them was very strange too—the exit doors in the middle of the plane apparently weren’t working (!) so they emptied all of the seats in the middle of the plane…. Hmm… Well, we all made it home safely. But the good thing about Air Jamaica is that we each got to check 2 bags with no additional charge, which was great because we brought centerpieces, OOT bags and our bouquets. When we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica - we went straight to the Apple Vacations counter and were directed to our bus for transportation. We waited on the bus for a really long time, then finally drove out to Lucea. Along the way we stopped for cold drinks. THE RESORT (GRAND PALLADIUM JAMAICA): Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa.Jamaika. Description, information and reservations. All inclusive, beach, nature, luxury. Fiesta Hotel Group We were greeted with rum punch and check-in was relatively easy, except that nobody’s rooms were ready until at least 3:00pm (This is their standard check-in time, so be prepared to kill some time if you arrive in the morning). DH and my dress waiting in the lobby We’ve traveled to Jamaica quite a bit and typically stay at standard hotels, and everybody in our group thought this resort was gorgeous! The property is huge, but all of us got rooms in buildings near to each other on the Jamaica side of the resort, and it was easy to meet up. There are also golf-carts available- you call for them and they will pick you up and drive you to your destination. We were upgraded to an oceanview room in Building 11, and although it was a Junior Suite, it was huge and we really loved it. They greeted us with a fruit plate in our room too. View from our room We spent most of our time at the Sunset Cove Beach, which is the furthest away from the Jamaica side of the resort. It was clean and nice (plus they have the jerk chicken hut over there), and we loooved hanging out there. PLANNING PROCESS/WEDDING COORDINATOR: One of the most frustrating things about planning a DW is communication (or lack thereof). GPJ was no exception. It was difficult to get responses from the resort, and we spent our first afternoon and the next morning trying to meet with Jascynthia once we arrived. Once we met with her (the day before the wedding), we gave her all the details, all of our decorations, etc. and it worked out fine. It doesn't seem like much is arranged in advance of your arrival, so I wouldn't waste too much time and energy trying to coordinate everything before you get there-- just the basics (ceremony & reception location, # people, etc.) She wrote everything down on a sheet as we told it to her, and made arrangements accordingly. Everything worked out beautifully in the end, but as brides-to-be, it is hard to have lots of questions and to be unable to get answers. I think Jascynthia might need more staff to help- seems like she’s doing everything by herself and seemed exhausted by the end of the night, although I believe she has an assistant now. REHEARSAL DINNER Jascynthia helped us make a reservation for 20 (bridal party & immediate family) at the Xaymaica Restaurant on property. She told us we’d have to do a set menu (one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert) but when we arrived, thankfully this was not the case! We got to order whatever we wanted from the menu. Due to word-of-mouth, we ended up with 32 people showing up for the rehearsal dinner, but they were accommodating and placed the rest at all the tables surrounding our huge table for 20.

I'm like teacherbride and Calia with the metal allergies. My rings and earring posts are platinum and they don't bother me.... but almost all gold gives me a reaction, especially in earrings. You might try a different type of metal to see if it's any better.

Quote: Originally Posted by danalauren22 Where did you honeymoon in Negril? We are staying at Sunset at the Palms in Negril following our wedding. 20 days until we leave! We went to Idle Awhile in Negril. It's tiny but super-cute! Idle Awhile Resort located on the beach in Negril, Jamaica

Quote: Originally Posted by avb1983 petals- what did you do for music during your reception? (if you had one) Did you continue to use the steel band or DJ or IPOD? I am getting married in Jamaica as well and I am a litlle lost on this one! We only had the steel drum band for 1 hour which included pre-ceremony, ceremony, and champagne toast/mingling afterwards. The reception was pretty much just dinner, toasts, and cake cutting, so I made a reggae iPod playlist and rented the speaker/microphone setup from the resort.

Hair Inspiration: Actual wedding hair:

Quote: Originally Posted by blushingbride Petals, your birdcage veil is so pretty on you! Congrats on becoming a Mrs.! Quote: Originally Posted by Debbi803 Petals -- love your birdcage! What a great job you did as DIY! Quote: Originally Posted by islandbride317 Petals, you look stunning! Not everyone can pull off a birdcage veil, IMO, and you totally wore it with class and elegance! You remind me of an old-Hollywood glam movie star... And I can't believe it was a DIY, either! I've seen veils like that costing into the hundreds of dollars -- awesome job! Thank you!! I am really really happy with the way it turned out!

Here are a few threads you might find helpful: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t35967 http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t33627 http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t41750 Maybe some of these brides can help.

So beautiful! SunGold is amazing!

Oooh oohh!!! So pretty!

Quote: Originally Posted by LadyD Bumping up... March Bride, Petals...how was the wedding? It was beautiful! We had the steel drum band for the ceremony and I ended up canceling the DJ and made my own iPod playlist! When I get a chance, I'll post all my songs- it was a nice reggae mix.

Awww, Linda, I'm so sorry you had such a horrible experience! The chicken situation is completely unacceptable. And that's terrible about the shower... I would've been upset too. My group stayed on the Jamaica side of the resort and didn't have those complaints. My cousins, some friends, and friends of our parents are even planning a return trip! They had a wonderful time & can't stop talking about it. The most aggravation they suffered was waiting until 3pm to check in. You're right, the resort is definitely not perfect (I think some of the construction was rushed- hence the pool tiles coming undone in less than a year), but overall our guests were happy with their accomodations, the resort grounds, and the wedding. (Maybe our different groups have different expectations of travel to Jamaica? Most of us usually stay at basic hotels when we go to JA, and we thought GPJ was nice.) We were in a Junior Suite on the Jamaica side (Building 11) and our shower and jacuzzi tub were fine. Our ceiling fan and AC worked fine too. No mold either. We did see the tiny sugar ants, but only if we left fruit or food sitting out. Otherwise they weren't apparent. I've been going to Jamaica since I was little, and you really do see them anywhere you go if fruit & food are out. Monica said that one of the days, she had a ceiling leak, but I didn't hear that complaint from anybody else in our group (we were 57 total). The breakfast buffet was good, the lunch buffet was okay, but we mostly ate jerk chicken at the Sunset Cove, and our wedding meal was good. I saw some of the missing pool tiles, and I remember power going down around 6am one of the mornings after the storm, but those things weren't enough to ruin our trip, or leave us with a bad feeling about the resort. The only negatives on my trip were: the wedding coordinator lost my flowergirl basket & ringbearer box, the ride from the ceremony to the reception took too long to arrive so we walked across on our own, lobster was offered as a menu choice although it wasn't going to be available, and that it seems standard for the wedding meal service to take nearly the entire time slot. (not much time left for dancing) But overall, I had a positive experience. Most days we went to the Sunset Cove beach (the farthest beach) and it was clean and nice. I'm sorry you had such a bad time... I can only speak from my own experience, and from what my guests have told me... and based on that, our guests were laid back, relaxed and happy during their trip. (Getting bumped by Air Jamaica on the way back was a totally different story!)

Nice- I love the colors you picked!

Checking in on the married lady page! It's been nearly 2 weeks and I'm starting to come off of the wedding-high and get back into real life... MIL is having an informal AHR for us in about 6 weeks so I expect that'll take over soon.

Cute pics! I love that bright blue and your tropical flowers!