acw271011

akua420 - best of luck! have a wonderful, wonderful wedding and make sure we all get a detailed report when you get back!! oh and pictures! lots and lots of pictures!!

the decision got made! we booked for November 17, 2011 at Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica! it looks gorgeous! now we hope that people actually go!!

for those in the toronto area that don't the short road trip (it's only an hour and a bit) there is also a brand new Alfred Angelo signature store very close to the David's bridal in Amherst/Tonawonda. if you go to alfredangelo.com and look up the store locations it provides a map. it's just off the 290 I think on Sheridan Drive. their bridesmaid dresses are great and the prices are better than here in Canada. just an fyi

woohoo! I got through by phone today to Beverly and finally sorted out the question of dates. we're confirmed (at last) for November 17th at 2:30 pm. It isn't perfect and isn't completely what we wanted, but it's close enough I'm happy with it. I wanted Tuesday or Wednesday, but we got Thursday and we wanted later in the day but all of those time slots are already gone for that entire week. thankfully our photographer is also available so we're set. thanks to all the ideas and opinions here we've decided on the free package instead of the $1100 one so it allows us money to spend elsewhere on other extras. the assistant emailed me today the menus and pictures of the free bride's bouquet's that you're allowed.they're actually really pretty. I'm going to make up the other flowers from tai flora. [email protected] this is the direct email address to get prices and information on flowers. because I have my heart set on sunset pictures, we're going to have out wedding at 2:30 (I've been told that will probably be closer to 2:45. it is Jamaica after all) then do most of our pictures. we're then going up to the terrace lobby for hors d'oeuvres and drinks and let people out of the sun for a while, then close to sunset we will go back to the beach and have our sunset pictures and then I've scheduled our dinner for 6:30 pm. I'm on board with ames9782 and ready to gripe about the price of the gazebo and booze in an all inclusive resort. my FI said exactly the same thing as well as "I guess we won't be spending money on that" I also don't know what we're going to do about our first dance together. I'm going to work on figuring it out but right now don't know. someone was asking about spa prices.... [email protected] here's the email address that you can get prices. now I have a question. did anyone use a free wedding website and if so which one? did anyone send out save the date cards electronically and if so where did you find them? now that our date is confirmed I want to get it out to everyone. we have people that have been waiting to book vacation depending on our date so now I can let them know. hope I've given back some information that's useful. please keep your ideas and information coming. sounds crazy to say but 278 days to go!!!

it's so helpful getting all of the different ideas and opinions from this site. I'm in panic mode tonight and will be on the phone to GBPJ tomorrow. After being told we could have our wedding on a certain date at a certain time I'm now being told the time isn't available - again! we've gone from the original wednesday to tuesday now possibly to friday, which is a deal breaker unless we're willing to change the time by 3 hours!! you wanna talk bridezilla.... I'm ready! I have my heart set on sunset wedding pictures. if we get married at 1pm, what the heck do we do with the photographer and everyone else for 4+ hours until the sun sets? and now I'm being told that we can only have dinner at 6. and I definitely don't want to arrive sunday and not get married until friday. has anyone else had any problem dealing with the assistant? obviously the email is a problem and it's time to get on the phone and find out what's real and what isn't. wish me luck! the one thing I havent seen much about on here is music. I would love to rent the steel band but finances just won't allow for it. I know everyone usually has their favourite song picked out to walk downt he aisle to, but in case you're still thinking about what to put on your cd, if you have itunes do a search on reggae wedding music. it should bring up an album called Steel Drum Wedding Music, blue cover. it has some traditional music on it along with a bit of non-traditional but it's the caribbean steel band style. no words, just the music and sounds just like the steel drums. my FI says if we're going to the island he wants island so he picked the colours and he wants some Bob Marley. if anyone wants a giggle, go to youtube and search for jk forever wedding entrance. it's hilarious. a couple's grand wedding entrance to the chris brown song "forever" I can't paste a link here, sorry but watch the version that has had over 61 million hits. they were asked to appear on the today show to repeat what they did. it's fun to watch. thanks ashley490 for the pming tip.

on another note is anyone else going with a "pay" package? we're looking at the $1100 one. I sort of want some extras, but I'm getting some flack on it. also please help me out with why the free package? is it for the savings or is anyone adding other stuff on by choice?

ok. so I need some help. please tell me how to pm somebody on this? i'd really like to see the menu options. my other half is already asking about a seafood restaurant, something we're both nuts about. he'll be pretty upset if we get the italian I think. we're making progess. I sent our request finally for Nov 15 after they confirmed the 16th time we wanted was already gone. I contacted the photog in Jamaica and he is recommending 4pm so that's what we'll do. I want sunset pictures as well as daytime, and in November it shouldn't be too hot. I thought I saw somewhere that the resort can steam your dress. I'll go back and look at all my stuff and pas it on if I can find it.

ooops that was supposed to be my other half. i'm the better half, he's the other half.....

oh boy. this all sounds familiar. my other have looked at the $700 pkg and said he didn't see any value in it!! when I said I was looking at the $1350 one, well. I won't repeat what he said. lol I'm worried too that little hidden costs are going to start coming out of the woodwork.... then I'll really have something to answer for!!

I'm very quickly liking this site!! The info is great! tris - that really does answer questions for me. thanks a bunch!! ok - here's something a bit off topic and I probably could find it somewhere else on this site, but from what I'm seeing all of the GBPJ brides to be have all the info I need. here goes. what the heck are oot bags, what do you do with them, are they legal and can you take them to the resort with you????? keep the info coming ladies!! and thank you again.

User name: acw271011 (we had to change our date lol) Couple: Doug & Ann Date: November 15/16 Where: Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica we're just starting on all of our stuff and still waiting for our trip quote and trying to finalize our date either November 15 or 16. we were originally planned for October 2011 but all of our group were so worried about hurricanes we switched to november instead! I'm getting excited now that we've put a few things together. we're older and doing this for the second time each of us and we have grown children, but this is making me feel so young, I'm having so much fun!!

thank you!! I contacted merrick cousley and checked his website. he sent me his info and you're absolutely right!! his prices are great so I'm almost certain we'll book him. our group will be really small so he recommended a certain package for a smaller group. I had the same issue with air canada and refused to work with them through another TA. now we're trying to deal with Weddings by Oceans here in Toronto so we'll see what they say. if not, then I'll just do the work myself and help everyone else. I cannot justify asking anyone to spend $4,000 to attend our wedding especially if I'm not willing to spend that much myself. it's just not on. I'm also really having a hard time getting any cooperation from GBPJ as far as trying to finalize a date and time, especially now that they've come back and said we can't have the time we want on the date we wanted. I think it may be time for a phone call. all I want now is just to confirm that we're there on a certain date and can get married!!! I'll worry about all the rest later. for november I still have tons of time!

this is great! more info!! I'm trying to get a question answered that the assistant wedding planner hasn't and now I've asked twice. the time we want isn't available on our date. only time is 11am. that's a deal breaker. so I asked if we could go day prior, or day after. we aren't carved in stone for anything yet. website says you must be there 48 hrs before your wedding. has anyone arrived on Sunday and been married on Tuesday???? Our only other option is to wait until Thursday, but then we would have to fly back on Sunday so that cuts down on our "party" time after the wedding. I had so counted on Wednesday, but it doesn't look like it's going to work for us.

hmmm. I posted here earlier and can't see it. does anyone know when is a good time to get Beverly by phone? I heard back (yay) from the 'assistant wedding planner" and it turns out the time we want on nov 16th isn't available which sucks, but they didn't make any suggestions or advise if we could have an earlier time or the next day. I think I want to try Beverly directly. I'm a bit disappointed with the information I got back. I guess I was looking for a bit more. ames9782 - where did you find the photographer - recommendation or on your own? does he have a website? who quoted you for $1213???? that's an awesome price p/p we've been told that low season is right until dec 15th so I'm hoping our quote is a good one for november. sorry to bombard with questions - I'm desperate for info!! lol tris - where did you see pics of a beach wedding? I've only seen the gazebo and love the look of it but would be curious about the beach too especially if they put up an arch and decorate it. I think that's really pretty. I checked out tai flora and the pics are great. I set up an email that is just for all the wedding inquiries so you can send a different link if you have one to [email protected] good luck to all of you that are ahead of me to get married. I so hope everything goes really well for all of you. keep the information coming please....

Yay. I heard back from the "assistant wedding planner", such as it was and which I gather is not Beverly. very short and absolutely nothing extra in the email. bit of a disappointment. the time I wanted (sunset) isn't available on our date, but no offering of another time on the same date, or that it may be available on the following day. no suggestions whatever! she did say we can have an outside photographer - I'm thinking maybe of trying to find one in Jamaica. has anyone done that and if so, any recommends?? tris - where did you see pics on the beach? email is [email protected] I had to create and account just for all the wedding inquiries. everyone does everything now by email and it was messing up all my regular email. I did get onto the tai flora site and they have some really pretty flowers - $200 for the extras isn't bad. does anyone have a suggestion on when is a good time to try and get Beverly on the phone? again - thanks for whatever info anyone can provide!!

Wow - all the info here is great. I'm like 2drswed. relatively new to the site but have been lurking. we've finally decided on GBPJ for nov 16, 2011. I sent Beverly an email last tuesday (feb 1st) and still haven't had a reply. an opinion on whether I should re-email? I'm getting a little worried. who has had to make a deposit and who hasn't??? I've seen mixed notes here. we're just waiting on our travel rates from Weddings by Oceans here in Toronto. our group will only be about 10 or 12 - second time around for both of us but I'm perfectly happy with a small group. I'm still real early planning stages but my big question is photography. the resort uses Digipix and I'm not sure I like what I see on their website. I saw soontobemrsdow say something about photography and taking their own. HELP????? cost, charges, fees, from where?? why did they give you a credit for bringing your own photographer - I heard something about paying a vendor's fee if you don't use the resort photographer??? any info would be super appreciated. we aren't looking to spend a ton of money because we've done this before, but I still want something nice. we're looking at the blissful love pkg, I think $1350. I've looked at the taiflora website and they have some nice stuff. does anyone know what style gets included with the resort pkg? I really want to "walk down the aisle" in flip flops so that's my plan. I love the gazebo but has anyone done the beach instead and how did it go???? thanks for whatever gets passed along!!

I've talked to Weddings By Oceans too. They're great!! Our decision is still ours so as much as they were helpful, we still don't have a final "that's what we want", but they have loads of great information. And if anyone is looking at Mayan Riviera they have deals with some beautiful hotels there..... Azul, Karisma, like the bride & groom free, free upgrades, etc. I'm with JR14 - definitely check them out. And if you're in Toronto, they're at the bridal show that's on this weekend in Mississauga at the International Centre then at the Metro Convention Centre downtown on Sep 25/26!!

we love Mexico and have gone there every year for about the last 6 years, but it's too much work to have everything translated and do the necessary documentation. plus we're both divorced and are just mssing the one year wait time required. at my age, believe me, for the purposes of the marriage licence I could very easily guarantee I'm not pregnant!!!! but it's just too much headache. we're trying to stay with a place where all our documents in English are ok to use and also where there is no wait time, or blood tests. but thank you for the recommendation! if anything changes, we could definitely take another look at Mexico. at this time, we aren't considering it. Â at this point I think it will be Bahamas or Jamaica, now to just nail down where..... thanks for the vote on Rose Hall. I like the RIUs as well. I need to investigate this site some more and see if I can drum up the recs, or the negatives. thanks all for the input. you can keep it coming. I'm always open to suggestions, comments or recommendations.

thanks for the comments so far.... Bahamas is where I'm leaning but we have 2 of our children that are on tight budgets thus thinking within the U.S. I've checked on the RIU but I've also heard a few scary things about having a wedding there. yes - budget is definitely a consideration since our children will also be bringing our grandchildren. just TOO many things to consider and also to try and consider everyone else. I'm still all ears if anyone else wants to suggest, comment or recommend

another Canuck here. good luck with the planning. you're brave to be doing it with only 31/2 mths to go. I have a more than a year and I'm terrified...... I agree about the reviews. that's what scared me off too. but the comment about TripAdvisor.... didn't think of that before. the reviews here definitely seem to be much more positive! I will say this - all the work for Mexico has put us off it even though we go nearly every year and love it. they're too complicated to get married at tho.... we're trying to find somewhere that's no waiting and everything is in English! Â good luck!

This site is pretty cool, but I feel like TMI. We can't decide where to have out DW. It's down to 5 places: Bahamas, Jamaica, Las Vegas, Walt Disney World or Myrtle Beach. Some of the things I've read here are scary. Any one want to comment or recommend? I'm all ears. We have a small group - about 20. We've both done this before so it's going around again, and we're older, not young thirty-somethings. I want a little bit classy, a little bit elegant because of my age, but I still want our group to have fun. Help??

I'm soliciting opinions. Our destination is narrowed down to 5, but can't make the final decision. They all seem to have pros and cons and some of the reviews I've read are really worrysome! So we have: Bahamas, Jamaica, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach SC and Walt Disney World. It will be October 2011 and a group of about 20. Any comments???? Oh yes, and we've both done this before so it's around again and we're older, not just young thirty-somethings.