christinkiel

wow i am so glad to read all the encouragement ladies! i have also been intimidated by all the grand DW's out there that we just can't afford unfortunately we're paying cash for our own wedding and we opted for a 2 hr plated dinner with a brief cocktail hour in between the ceremony and reception while we're taking pictures. after looking at theknot.com and all the grand DW's I felt like ours was going to be so disappointing but it's great to see how some people wing it, some do it up, some do a little of both. You're right...it is YOUR wedding. I think we're going to the beach party then night club for an after party after we have dinner. that way, the more traditional family members can enjoy a reception but not feel like they have to watch all us 'kids' doing shots and shaking our tail-feathers all night, haha! I can certainly appreciate any bride that decides to do their own thing and i think that guests would enjoy how casual and breezy things are even if you just enjoy what the resort has to offer. we've got to remember that we're in paradise and that's usually enough

Of course I feel that the best choice is whatever looks best on YOU since you're the bride, the main attraction of the wedding However, I did take into consideration that the light colored sand on the beach may look best with a white. I really don't think it matters either way, but if white looks good on you, it may 'pop' against the light sand a little better? Just a thought. I actually got a casablanca gown in 'diamond white' because I didn't care for how I looked in stark white or the darker ivory....

Oh Ok great! Thanks so much for the quick response and great info

i totally agree with your comment about how much there is to do. If you consider that the wedding is taking up almost a whole week then you would likely spend some days with your guests that are still there, a honeymoon week to do excursions, relax, etc. sounds perfect to me! I usually do week long trips which I feel satisfied with, they're not too short but I'm not necessarily anxious to go home after the 7th day so I could imagine that 2 weeks would not be too long. I think it depends on where you're going - if you have several places to visit you'll need a whole day to explore and then some 'wind down' days just to lounge @ the resort. I've definitely had friends that have gone on 2 week honeymoons and were dying to come home by the middle of the 2nd week but I think the trip will be what you make it. I say enjoy that long vacation girl!!!!

Hello! I've done some searching to see if this topic has been covered but I didn't see any that quite answered this question. I also read through a lot of the 'how to' notes and stickies but unfortunately I am still lost Could someone please help me understand the threads I've posted a bit better? Ok here's my question - I am getting married at SGOR next month and I posted a sort of planning thread but I was asking for advice on several of the items that I was stuck on. I posted it in the Carribbean > Jamaica > Sites & Accommodations section which I have come to realize is the WRONG place!! Oopsie Anyhow, I can't seem to figure out how to edit my own posts? I was thinking that perhaps if I could edit it there'd be a way for me to figure out how to move it to a more appropriate forum/subsection. Thanks in advance for any help you gals can offer! -- ok this is weird now...i saw the 'edit' button after i posted, but when i go back to the thread that i've referenced in the above question, I see it like any other member would - it' doesn't offer me the same 'edit' button/rights. Further, when I hit 'edit', I still don't see a way to move the thread so I just wanted to know if that was possible....!! Thanks so much for the help and the patience with a 'noobie'

Congratulations!! My fiance and I are getting married at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios in 30 days and I will post a review once we get back. I actually found a pretty interesting website about the Sandals resorts that gives some extra info from someone that's been to them all: Best Sandals Resort: Ranking of All the Sandals Resorts My photographer also shot a wedding at Riu Ocho Rios and said it was fantastic! We're definitely really excited to be getting married there and I'd be happy to share any advice with you once we get back

I have this exact setup on my dining room table right now! I have the same concern as the other brides, though, getting this stuff down there! Were the vases you found at wal mart pretty heavy? I've been searching online for some like those but no one ever lists the weight! Some glass can be really solid and heavy but since we'll likely leave most of our decor down there so we don't have to lug it back, I am totally fine with cheap-o glass so it's lighter and we don't feel the need to keep it I'm very interested to hear any creative packing ideas... also, we're getting married in Jamaica and I heard that shipping things there is basically a lost cause. Does anyone have any insight into this? I'm wondering if I can try to ship it early and see if it makes it...if so we're good to go, if not we're in the same place we are now...

thanks for all the notes and good wishes! i wish i found this forum sooner, though! what a great asset in the planning process.

Hello everyone! This is my first post so I apologize if this info has already been discussed, I'm new to the forum! Anyway, my wedding is 6.26.2010 and I am dealing with all the final decisions now - 30 days away and I'm kind of a blank slate!!! yikes! I just need some help finalizing finishing touches but most importantly, where to have the ceremony and reception. Here are some details about our wedding: Date: 6.26.10 Time: 4:00 Guests: 50 - 1/2 family 1/2 friends Bridal Party:4 Bridesmaid Dresses (this is not me, it's a google pic I found with the BM dresses we bought): The girls are wearing silver shoes but I haven't decided anything else. I am inspired by the starfish jewelry, favors, and charms I've seen, though. They don't really match my invites but I don't think that matters, no one's going to be holding up our invitations to the wedding saying 'that doesn't match!' Groomsmen: 5 Here are the shirts the groomsmen are wearing - sleeves rolled up with tan slacks and brown leather flops: Theme: we want it to be an intimate, simple event with modern touches of a kind of a garden theme. which really doesn't go with the beach necessarily but i want it to seem simple, elegant and incorporate some traditional feel rather than being all super beachy with things like palm trees and shells that may have more of a casual vibe. Flowers: We've planned boutonnieres made out of white magnolias with sprigs of bear grass and wrapped with a coral ribbon. My bouquet will consist of green fuji mums, various orchids, and white magnolias So, as you can see our colors are coral and pistachio. VERY hard to find the right colors in everything from flowers to wedding favors so we are throwing in a little fuscia in the reception to help coordinate us out in coordinating various shades together. BM bouquets will be green fuji mums and kermit (mini) mums. this was an inspiration: Ceremony: I am really torn as to where to have the ceremony. I want to have it on the riviera side in order to take some beach shots before the reception, but I'm not sure I'm crazy about the reef terrace. I love that it shows the beach in the background because I don't want to spend too much or lug a bunch of decor down there, but I'm not sure how I feel about the terra cotta and the giant empty gazebo behind us? Just not sure if it's our 'style' although I have seen some beautiful wedding photos there. Anyway, my dream would be to have it on the beach but I did hear that the beach was rather disappointing and very small. Does anyone have any photos or insight as to where we should have the ceremony? I would LOVE to see some 'real life' photos of SGOR's beach. Reception: We have selected the 2 hour dinner reception which includes a 30 minute cocktail reception prior to the dinner. After that, we are going to head to the nightclub (Nicole's) at the resort for cocktails and dancing. I haven't been to any destination weddings, well, I haven't been to that many weddings for that matter and here are the things I need help figuring out: 1) Timeline: what is the order of "to do's" for a destination wedding reception? we don't have a ton of time and we're going to do all the fun partying afterward so all I can think of is the cocktail reception while we're doing photos, then dinner, cake cutting, toasts (while everyone's eating the cake), toss the bouquet...am I missing anything? 2) Decor. I am so indecisive and I need to put orders in for anything extra I'm doing NOW! So, we've already paid for string lights but are wondering, should we do these pink ones or stick with plain white?: Our reception will likely be in the gardens with 6 plain white resort tables with white chivari chairs kind of like in the picture. I'm not sure what to do for centerpieces? I want it to be very simple and easy to travel. I was thinking perhaps green beaded round chargers in the center with paper lanterns in the center? But I don't want them to clash with the current centerpieces. Any suggestions? I need something not too expensive as we'll likely be leaving them there... 3) Wedding Favors: no clue. any ideas are welcome!!! -Is it tacky not to do a welcome bag? We're going to do a welcome letter but with 50 people it is going to be next to impossible to do a whole welcome bag. Is there any type of "goody" that would be easy to distribute and a cute welcome item that you gals can think of? -Groomsmen gifts: we have no idea what to give them. what have you destination brides given in the past? Thanks in advance for all your help!!!! -Christin

As requested, 1. Christin 2. 6.26.10 3. Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, Jamaica!