JamaicaBride010908

My friend is getting married in the Mayan in Dec. They’re doing the legal wedding here first. They were planning on going to the Gran Bahia Akumal. However, both she and her TA have had trouble getting responses from the WC there, so they are thinking of picking another resort. What they want is an all ages, 4.5/5 star in the Bahia price range, with a reasonably priced package for their "vow renewal" wedding, and most important - a WC that will return their calls/emails and confirm a date with them!! She`s actually a very laid back bride, so she`s not unreasonable or ultra fussy! Her TA suggested a RIU for the free wedding package, but when I look at the RIU site (She is busy with other things right now, so I am trying to help with research) they don't look free to me Plus the RIUs appear to be quite a bit more expensive? That’s all the TA suggested. She`s getting anxious to pick and book. Her TA is her cousin so she won’t be changing TAs... KWIM? Did anyone get married at a Gran Bahia in the Mayan? Do they all use the same WC? What was your experience? It seems a nice resort, so it’s a shame she’s having no luck. I suggested maybe the Palladium since I know that’s a popular one, but I didn’t get married there, so what do I know. There are lots of great resorts, but of course for a DW there's more to it than that. Can anyone recommend their Mayan resort as having a good WC and wedding package choices? TIA!

Have you tried asking your WC which florist they use? There can't be that many in Negril, so maybe they use Floral Fantasy too and you can get the flowers you want from them, through Sandals. That's what I did. I found what I wanted on the website, but got them through Couples and paid the resort for the upgrade. Good luck!

I requested and got a whole detailed list of excursions from a company called Talk of the Town. They came highly recommended, but we didn't do any of them! If anyone wants it, PM me with your email addy and I'll send it to you.... or contact them directly, as my prices may be out of date now!? But it would still give you an idea of all your options.

Quote: Originally Posted by currier73 You didn't hijack the post. You actually helped me quite a bit when I was trying to decide. Thanks for all the great advice. It mostly came down to price for me. Heather No problem, mon ...and I totally understand about the price thing. We would've loved to get a better deal like that! Look forward to reading your review and seeing your pictures when you return.

Quote: Originally Posted by currier73 Misohapi, I will say that I did a lot of research. I was originally going to go with couples but it was actually this forum that got me to change my mind. Couples is great if you are looking for a resort that is less "hotel" like. Many of the rooms do not even have windows or tv's. Many people like the fact that you can here the ocean and and other night sounds through the shutters. My only concern with this is what if got really hot? Would the AC work while I was getting ready for the wedding. I will say that the costs at Couples are much better than Sandals with flowers, hair styling, ect.. but the trip was cheaper at Sandals. Sandals is having a huge sale right now (I got 45% off our room). I just wanted a resort that was more spa like. I did not get that feeling from Couples (I could be wrong b/c I have never been there). I also heard that Sandals is a little more fun while Couples is a little more secluded. The final decision came down to the price (we are on a strict budget) and the fact that sandals waived the wedding fee ($200). If you want more information on Couples, they have a great message board on their website and the people really answer all your questions. Let me know if I can help you any further. Heather I think people are still responding to your earlier posts on the Couples MB... hehe. I haven't been to Sandals, but like you, I did a lot of research (on many resorts) before I picked Couples Swept Away. The rooms are definitely less "hotel like" in the older section, but the new section has tvs and mini-bars and glass on the windows. We just took a standard room in the older section and loved the nuetral toned decor (I hate bright or flowery rooms, what can I say... hehe). The A/C worked fine and I cranked it when I was getting ready... lol. I'd recommend that to everyone!!! Both resorts have pros and cons for sure. I'm sure both have great food. Both include a ton of activities (like diving). Both have "free" wedding packages. I'm sure they're quite similar. A big price discount could be a make or break factor for sure! Reasons we picked CSA were the room decor (no tv, natural, huge verandahs), that there were no differences in services between room types (i.e every room can have breakfast room service and flag service on the beach), that the grounds were lush, tropical, secluded... and as far as the wedding... free cat cruise on our wedding day, and a big, big, big deciding factor for us... they allow outside vendors (like Sungold) whereas Sandals does not.... and Paula and Damian are so awesome! Anyway... sorry... not to hijack the post! Just that she asked why one over the other! You will love Negril and have a fabulous wedding at Sandals.

Congrats! So Sandals won out over Couples did it? I can't give advice, since I went to Couples, but they are on the same absolutely stunning beach with the most amazing sunsets. You will love it there!

Quote: Originally Posted by Juniorbaby01 do you know if the caves let people have a wedding w/o staying there? Good question. We stayed at Couples Swept Away and I was investigating off-resort options for a reception (since all they had was the beach with no music or a completely closed in/big/stark banquet room). I contacted pretty much all of them (sent out a ton of emails) with no luck. The resorts with restaurants (like the Rockhouse) were willing to book us a few tables, but couldn't do anything private. Other resorts (like Blue Cave Castle), told us that they could only do weddings and/or receptions for their own guests. The only place I found that did weddings/private receptions for non-guests was Negril Escape and SeaSplash (private receptions anyway - that's were we ended up going). It doesn't hurt to send them an email and ask though. You never know.

Just a few minutes down from Couples Swept Away, right on 7 mile beach is the Sea Splash resort. We didn't stay there (as we stayed at Couples) but we had our reception in their banquet area at their Norma's restaurant. It was a fabulous, private, tropical wedding venue, and the food and service was great. We walked through it and the grounds are nice. It's definitely more the small intimate type of resort, and they do allow children for sure, and even have 2 bedroom suites. Check it out! Beach Negril Jamaica | Sea Splash Resort Beaches and Pool

Quote: Originally Posted by 2bmosley What Did You Do After The Dinner? Our dinner was at 7:30, and we had our own private area, so we had a steel drum band, and danced a little. I think we left around 10:15 or so. Lots of resorts have a night club, but ours was closed that night. But they had a bonfire on the beach, so we grabbed a drink and snuggled into some lounger chairs by the fire and listened to the guitarist. It was nice

We only had 14 guests, and we found it to be a really nice number. As for costs, we took everyone off resort for dinner. We couldn't have done that with a huge group, nor could we have given all the favours and post-wedding thank you packages if we'd had a large group. We only had 1 person stand up for us on each side. Money savings aside, we really enjoyed a smaller number. We had more time to actually spend with everyone.

I did have trouble hearing back from the WC too, at least until a few weeks before the wedding. They're just very busy, but once you're there they're awesome.

We were married at Couples Swept Away. It was amazing. Jamaica's an incredible country. As everyone's said, you have to be careful everywhere, but we loved the country and found the people very nice and friendly. I have a review on our wedding and the resort.

I'm a Couples Swept Away bride, but Couples Negril looks great too. Couples is a great chain!

oh hey... just looked at your screen name. I think we've already talked through the Couples message board!

hi, and welcome I'm new here too, but I'm already married. We went to Couples Swept Away and it was amazing! I have a review in the review section, plus a bit of a resort review in the Sandals Couples section, and more in the Jamaica section. I love seeing brides helping brides. PM me if you have any questions.