wendy5512

Yes, lots of wash clothes, hand towels, bath towels, tub mats. We had a room with a king bed and a trundle bed couch, and they always had four sets of towels on the towel racks, plus extras next to the tub. Also, they serviced our room twice a day, so there were always enough clean, fresh towels even if we showered more than twice a day. Please read the wording about the reception/ bringing your own theme decorations or sand ceremony carefully in the package materials Beaches provides, and ask your sales wedding coordinator questions if you don't understand. We didn't know until we got to Beaches and met with Patricia that our 30 minute reception (includes full bar, champagne toast for all, wedding cake and gourmet cold appetizers) only came with ONE banquet table with 10 chairs per the reception package. We also got one little cake cutting table, and one high but small tall round cocktail table, but not extra chairs. This was fine for our group of 24 since it was more of a reception than a meal. Also, we picked the Schnooners Deck area for our 11am reception, which already had lots of tables, chairs, and benches nearby for our guests to sit if they wanted. Schooners doesn't serve lunch, so it was excellent to take advantage of the unoccupied pre-existing furniture. If we wanted more than one banquet table we would have had to pay something like $100 for each extra table/chair set up, which already includes the linens, china, theme decorations. I don't know if this is waived if you have a sit down dinner or not, but the other brides can advise. Also, they charge something like a $250 upcharge fee for any set up of items that you brought with you, whether table decorations or sand ceremony. We brought favors from home to hand out, but we waited to do this until we were enjoying are pre-arranged group lunch at Barefoot on the Beach - which was totally free since the 16 restaurants are already included in your stay. We saved that extra money to upgrade other wedding stuff, do the "trash the dress" session with Tropical Imaging, plus enjoy a private dinner on the beach for our wedding dinner Also - you really don't have to prepay your upgrades before you arrive. While it seems some things increased in price, other things went down in price. But keep in mind if you have your heart set on upgrading your flowers, you'll want to prepay that so they make sure to have the arrangement from the floral guide on hand specifically for you. I did the Beautiful Beginnings package, but upgraded the bridal bouquet and groom boutonniere to the more expensive Island Paradise flowers. What was cool is that I was able to use the bouquet and boutonniere that came with BB for my maid of honor and best man at no additional cost - all I had to do was let my sales wedding coordinator know that is what we were doing, and have her add it to the Wedding Invoice with $0.00 next to it, so the resort would know to have the flowers ready ;-) Have fun planning!

Hello everyone! We had a wonderful wedding & honeymoon at Beaches Turks & Caicos! We were there 10 days, and spent the first 5 days with family & friends, then after everyone left we had 5 more days of honeymoon/ alone time. We had a wonderful experience, and so did our 22 guests! Patricia was our wedding onsite coordinator and she made everything a breeze. It really helped that I read the entire "Beaches Turks & Caicos roll call" string in advance so that I could make the most of our destination wedding prior to arriving, because Roxi (sales wedding coordinator) was not very informative or accessible. The advice of the past brides was invaluable to planning, and I want to know that I credit you all for being the BEST wedding assistants EVER! Everyone loved the welcome gift bags we made up. The "fill in the blank" itinerary of where to meet at what time during our wedding week was very useful in getting everyone where they needed to be. We arranged a few group dinners upon arrival with Patricia as well. The day before the wedding, we received a complimentary dinner, because we had 10 rooms booked in our wedding group. But we wanted to let everyone experience the Friday night Beaches sponsored "island beach party" that takes place on the beach just past the Caribbean Village, by where the management staff is housed. So after my hair/ makeup trials we had a heavy appetizer reception with full open bar, then we headed over to the island beach party with all kinds of different kinds of food, desserts, drinks, plus contests, entertainment, dancing, face painting and a bouncy house for kids - it was perfect! This may sound weird, but I thought the curried goat and conch were delicious. For the ceremony, we used the free Beautiful Beginnings theme and upgraded on the things that meant the most to us: the flowers (Island Paradise), the 4-post wedding arch with orange sheers, the sand ceremony, and a steel pan player. I understand that the wedding packages may have changed a bit and brides can now make more choices, which is great, but I loved every element of what we did. Our ceremony timeslot was 11:00am, so my hair and makeup appointment at the Red Lane Spa took place at 9:00am. Our ceremony took place on "Schnooners Beach", and from the golf cart (Patricia drove my sister, mom and I from our room), I walked down the boardwalk steps to the sand, which was an awesome entrance/ exit. Afterwards, we had a 30 minute reception on Schnooners Deck (where the Caicos Sloop Bar and sail shades are located), which turned into more like an hour reception. And since we didn't finish the delicious chocolate rum cake there, they delivered the rest of the cake to our room, and we snacked on it throughout the rest of the week! Then we did photographs, followed by a large group lunch at Barefoot on the Beach. It was perfect! The photos took a bit longer than we expected, but Barefoot on the Beach was great and didn't mind that we were 30 minutes late. Then everyone was free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day, since we had a private dinner on the beach booked for that evening. A bunch of us played at the water park, some people went on a snorkel trip, some played at the beach, and a few went to watch the Kentucky Derby at Cricketers. My mom even arranged a "good night" tuck-in with Abby Cadabby, one of the Sesame Street characters on site for my niece. Everyone liked that they had some "do whatever you want" down time. We decided to use Beaches for our wedding day photography upon our meeting with Patricia. We were assigned James Bond, who was really good at wrangling all our guests to make sure we got the best group photos. He also suggested and did an excellent job with some of the artistic and fun shots we didn't think of doing ourselves. When we met with Patricia, we bought a 24 photo package on CD for $410, and ended up upgrading to a 32 (?) print package during our photo-selection appointment because we liked so many of the professional ones compared to the amateur ones our family and friends took for us! Three days later we got dressed up again and did a "trash the dress" session with Ileana at Brilliant by Tropical Imaging. Not only is she incredibly talented, but very fun and welcoming, so we were immediately comfortable and relaxed for our shoot. My husband and I both agree it was one of the best choices we made regarding the entire wedding! She put a few photos on her blog, but there were over 200 images to choose from, and we can't wait to get the photo journal we ordered. Some of our photos had our wedding flowers, since we used the fridge in the room to keep them cold/ preserved. The only thing I would NOT do again is use the Beaches Registry. We were gifted some very generous gifts, one of which was an off-site "sail/ snorkel/ lunch on a deserted beach" Provo Cays Exploration, which the onsite Vendor calls "Little Taste of Heaven". Our excursion was cancelled 24 hours before due to lack of participants. The vendor said they had to refund the entire $418 directly to the resort the exact way it was booked, versus letting us rebook different excursions worth the same cost, per their policy. We booked a more popular, less expensive ($99 per person) excursion to take it's place, but could not use any of the registry funds for it, so we used our credit card. What is terrible is that we still don't have our $418 refund from the original cancellation!!! The vendor was supposed to make refund to the Beaches TCI Resort, who in turn was supposed to make refund to the Beaches Registry, who in turn was supposed to refund it to Honeymoon Wishes, who in turn was supposed to contact us to find out whether we wanted the refund via bank draft or check. We received the registry gift in April. Our wedding was 5/5/12, the 5/9 excursion was cancelled on 5/8, and despite numerous calls to the Beaches Registry folks, Honeymoon Wishes, and Customer Service, there is no resolution. Strangely, I didn't have to go through all this to book the tour we were gifted on the registry - all we did was call Sanjay at the Beaches Registry and we got a confirmation number. But when we called to get refunded, we were told by Sanjay that we had to contact their 3rd party vendor, Honeymoon Wishes who would physically refund us. Of course, Honeymoon Wishes can't make the refund until Sanjay sends some email with the authorization from accounting, so it is a total mess and no one will step up and actually DO anything. I have talked to 3 different people at Beaches, and they all promise to call back, but no one does. They are incredibly disorganized, and I have to go through my entire spiel each time I call. I suspect the fact that Beaches TCI has been closed for 3 weeks due to the norovirus outbreak hasn't helped matters, but this is ridiculous and really bad customer service. I have also written to customer service and responded to the survey requests for Beaches Registry and Beaches Weddingmoons. I don't think anyone read anything I sent. Please save yourself the aggrevation and don't use the Beaches Registry!!! I hope this helps

LOL. I didn't mean 'this Brandy', but Brandy. That looks SO wrong. You rock Brandy! Thank you for everything :-) ~Wendy

Welcome & congratulations 'mmb13111'! It looks like 'Jsquared 2012' and I have the same wedding date of 5/5/12, just a day after yours! My ceremony is 11am, on the beach. I am doing beautiful beginnings, but upgrading my flowers, adding the steel pan player, a beach arch, and we're doing the 30 minute reception after the wedding. I have a group of 24, and it finally looks like 10 rooms total (yay!), so we'll get the complimentary welcome dinner and other stuff that goes along with that. We'll just do a group lunch in one of the restaurants after the reception, then play the rest of the day without setting a time that everyone has to get back together. Too many of my guests arrive Friday and depart Sunday, so I want them to feel like they are getting to do as much as they want at the resort. Then, 3 days after the ceremony we get to get all dressed up again! We're booked with Ileana from TI for a "trash the dress" photography session, followed by a private romantic dinner on the beach. Woohoo! Roxy, my BTC wedding coordinator, is back from maternity leave. She called yesterday to go over everything, ask if I had any questions. LOL, if it weren't for this awesome website and this Brandy starting this Beaches T&C roll call, I would have been a basket case the last few months trying to figure out where to start or what to do.

Lizzdee, Great info about the welcome bags! I had some of those things on my list, but forgot the very important Tums and Gold Bond powder. I will also be sure to up my snacks and choices, and definitely have to check out the Turquoise and Caicos nailpolish! Essie is formaldehyde free, so even my allergy sensitive lil' sis can wear it. Yay! Our next are all the copies of notarized official documents and having them FedExed to Beaches. Or maybe that should be worded as notarized copies of official documents. Whee! This is when it starts feeling official ;-) Wendy

I hit reply too soon... Melissa43, We are also booked for a Trash the Dress session with Ileana. I am so excited! What were your favorite locations around the island during your photo shoot? Thanks! Wendy

Melissa43, You look beautiful! It sounds like you had a great time too Thanks for sharing about your wedding. I have to say I've been obsessed with Barefoot By the Sea since I ran across it on the Beaches T&C site, and your confirmation helps me make some easy choices Wendy

Lizzdee, Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your advice and how things went. It sounds like you had a great time, and your photos are terrific. Wendy

I am bumping this old list so that the newer ladies can add their info to it and repost... It is fun to see who is "next" :-) Trimalusta: 9/24/2011 HandCinTandC: 10/7/2011 KimTerrance-10/13/2011 Michelle-2: 10/21/2011 Nicb1rd: 12/2/2011 Mrszahakos: 12/3/2011 Melissa43: 1/18/2012 Lizzdee: 1/21/2012 Avelyad-1/21/2012 CandM2012: 2/2012 Jillvella: 3/10/2012 Soxi-5/4/2012 Wendy5512 - 5/5/2012 Jessimd - 5/5/2012 genleblanc - 5/9/2012 Beachbride0519: 5/19/2012 MTruvillio - 6/4/2012 Urmysunshine: 6/22/2012 Kirsten: 7/7/2012

Mdcoug, I asked about upgrading the BB flowers to the Island Paradise ones (pinks, oranges, yellows). I was told the bouquet is $450, and the boutonniere is $25. I am guessing most of the upgrades run about the same, but I remember reading someone else just added some more stems to the existing bouquet or did a round one instead of long, and it was about an $85 upgrade. Let us know what you hear when you have your call with Roxi

Trimalusta!!! Saturday is your day! I am so excited for you! I know you're now going to Jamaica instead of T&C due to the storm, but let us know all about it when you get back

RachelBride and Melissa43, I think you both were wondering about Roxi, the new WC in Miami since Monica now has a different position. I had my call with her last month, and suspect she is as helpful as any person who reads a script and works on a sales commission. I was excited and tried to go off script and she asked me to wait until the end to ask any questions. I asked her some questions at the end, such as whether the Beaches Island BBQ Party is still on Friday evenings since it looks like I will only have a group of 9 rooms and won't get the "free" welcome/ reception dinner, and she said she'd have to call the resort directly to find out about that; I asked her to do so, but I never heard back from her. I really wish I had used a travel agent versus calling the Beaches 800 number to make my initial booking, but I know it will all turn out fine. I am really grateful for all the good advice, suggestions and inspiration from everyone on this site. YAY! I asked about the floral upgrades, and she said she could look into it if I gave her a code from the floral brochure, acting like it was a hassle. Try not to get frustrated, and don't pay for anything during your consultation call. Let her draw up an invoice and email it to you to think about. Then you can see how much all the extras add up to so you can weigh the pros and cons of the add-ons before calling back to finalize anything. I think I remember reading in earlier posts that you really don't have to finalize anything until you arrive unless you are upgrading flowers, but I defer to the past Beaches brides who can definitely guide us better

Melissa43, I attached the floral brochure to this post... I hope I did this correctly! If not, just PM your private email and I'll resend. Wendy Beaches_Floral_Brochure.pdf

Thanks KristaKates! It sounds like it was a blast, and perfect for a welcome/ farewell dinner!

I am glad everyone weathered the storm down in T&C! I was wondering if anyone could tell me if the Beaches "Island Party" BBQ dinner is still on Friday evenings, and whether this is a good alternative to a welcome dinner for about 20 - 25 folks in a restaurant. I think we are going to be a room short for the extra perks, such as the "free" welcome dinner the night before the ceremony...

Mdcoug, I sent the sales kit I received in June, as well as the floral upgrade document I was sent Friday. I hope this helps! Wendy

@Trimalusta, Oh my! Those don't sound like fun dreams! I'm sure I'll get the same jitters in the weeks before my wedding too, but try to focus on how beautiful the water looks, what the waves will sound like, and how no matter what little things may not go exactly as planned, you won't be any less married. I am excited for you :-) Hmmm. Everything I remember seeing says that tipping is prohibited while on property at Beaches T&C, except for your butler (if you have one), spa services (except remember that they may already automatically tack on a "service charge" for some of the tip, it just depends on if you want to supplement a tip over the 12% - 14% they already charge - just pay attention to your receipt), and then the cost/ tip of the after 6pm "after hours" babysitting/ nannies... Also, I remember reading that some folks get confused at the airport and PAY for a taxi or shuttle to Beaches, but that the resort provides that at no charge on their official shuttle bus. I hope some of the others that have been there can add or clarify :-) Also, I called to find out what was going on with my WC and spoke to Monica. She is still there, just isn't a WC anymore. I am not sure what she does now. But my new WC is Roxy, and I am supposed to talk to her on Friday afternoon. Yay! Wendy

Kendall, how much did you all tip the skipper & his crew for the private snorkel trip? This really is a GREAT option to the KATT cruise!

Those of you that have already been to Beaches... Are the room keys similar to what you get on a cruise? Do you have suggestions on how to carry your room keys? I was wondering because on past cruises, we have made a "hole punch" in an area of the room key that doesn't destroy the magnetic strip or other info, then attach to a lanyard. I was thinking of having lanyards made for everyone in my group, and providing the "hole punch" with my puncher at our first get-together. Let me know what you think! Thanks, Wendy

Great info "caroleandchad"! We will be sure to bee-line to sign up for the scuba roster. I am also thrilled to hear your dress cleaned up well from the trash the dress session. We are booked with Ileana to do that a few days after the wedding

We just got the save the date postcards we designed back from the printer today! Yay!!! I struggled with the wording as well, but including the following underneath the announcement and other info. I hope it helps "To RSVP and for more information, please visit: www.enter_your_wedding_website_here.com Formal invitations to follow Please RSVP online to receive yours!"

Oh WOW Kendall! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing MTruvillio, the flights out of Knoxville tend to start at $700 including taxes and fees, but we used miles for one of the tickets. If I had planned better I would have used my miles credit card to rack up more miles by making purchases and then pay off the card each month, oh well. If you don't want to buy your tickets yet, I have an idea. You can receive notifications on flight rates as they happen from MKC to PLS. Just go to Fare Compare's website and enter in your travel dates and choose "watch this flight", then sign up with your email address and password of your choice. Then once you purchase your flights, just go in and remove the "trip" you're watching and they will stop notifying you. I hope this helps

There are so many choices I was wondering if anyone did the private Katt Cruise catarmaran party cruise instead of the formal reception. The description says it includes 2 hours of entertainment, open bar, and catering. By the time I add all of these elements, it ends up being a pretty good deal. Especially since I have an 11 AM ceremony. Also, is anyone else a scuba diver? I was wondering what people thought of the diving Thanks!!!

Thanks Brandy! That is really good info

Hey Lizzdee! It sounds like you've had a great, relaxing summer. Thanks for the heads up about Monica! She was assigned to me as my WC, but she kept rescheduling via email for the last couple months and we were scheduled to finally speak two weeks from now. Hmm. Before I call Beaches to be assigned a new WC, is there really any benefit to do this, or is there anything that the "Monica' would do for me besides pre-sell upgrades I probably don't want? Jillvella, I hope this helps with your question: My fiance Dennis works for the USPS and said that as far as he knows the USPS still accepts letters with the hand stamped wax seal. The issue is the automated machinery in the "postal plants" that now sort the mail in the departure and receiving cities may pull the wax seals off the envelopes either completely or in parts. Everyone, it has been so fun to read what everyone else has planned and is planning! I am so thankful that the Beaches Turks & Caicos brides are sharing so much great information, especially when Beaches hasn't been communicating with me at all. It's been almost 2 months since my engagement and I am amazed how much we've already completed! There are still a lot of little touches and details to handle, such as the, "fun passport invitations or more traditional" debate, but I have over 8 months yet. My mom and I were at the bridal shop less than 24 hours from the proposal. I chose the second dress I tried on - you just KNOW when it's right - and they have already completed it for me! On another sentimental note, we incorporated the diamonds in my grandmother's bridal set into a more modern wedding band to match the engagement ring, and we are just waiting to get it back, plus we have all the other rings plus the veil, shoes, and my options for jewelry. My sister ordered her MOH dress, plus we scored at some end of summer sales and have the outfits for the best man, my parents, and BIL. Dennis has two shirt options, and we just need to find some nice linen pants for him. Oh! I am really excited about the STD cards we designed in Adobe Illustrator/ Photoshop! I saw another bride's idea for "vacation sign postcards" in the DIY section a while back and became obsessed with the idea. My fiance's brother in law (best man) helped us get it done. He was very patient when I kept changing "font picture" piece in Illustrator, and he created and recreated the final layered project in Photoshop about 3 times to get them just right. We should get the postcards back from the local printer by the end of the week, and I will try to upload a sample of what we did! I am so glad we went with a local print business - they are only charging us $18 for 50 finshed postcards with full color on both sides! Also, I went to my first bridal show last weekend which was fun even though I already either have what I want, or know what I want to do already. I had hoped to see some options for sand ceremonies, but no one had anything, but the cupcake sampling was worth it alone! I signed up to "win" a few of the vendor's contests, and while I didn't really win anything, I am now getting crazy emails and phone calls saying I have been selected to win this or that, but upon digging deeper they really just want me and my fiance to come to various sales presentations where I am eligible to receive hotel vouchers that I must pay for to use. One of them offers tungsten wedding bands if we show up, but we already have that covered. In any case, I have found this aspect a bit annoying, so I have an idea I would like to pass on to others to consider who haven't been to a bridal show yet: Create a NEW email address that you will use just for bridal shows or wedding stuff, and don't give out your phone number unless you mean to do business with that vendor. Once your wedding planning is complete and the honeymoon is over, disable the email account you used specifically for the wedding and you don't have to worry about "unsubscribing" to every email. I hope it helps someone Those of you that had a sand ceremony, did you use a container that was able to transport the "wedding sand" back home in one piece? I'd love to add this to the decor of our master bath "tropical oasis", but haven't found a good container yet. I appreciate any ideas! Wendy