DougsBride2B

It has been a little over a week since we returned from our wedding in Nassau, Bahamas and I wanted to share our experience on this forum. When I was planning our wedding I poured over these forums looking for any helpful tidbits. I thought it was only right that I return the favor for other brides-to-be who are in the planning process. After we decided on a destination wedding, the hardest part was narrowing down a location. This website really helped me and I spent hours reading through threads. So here is my review! My husband and I got married at Compass Point in Nassau, Bahamas. We actually got legally married at the courthouse in our town a week before we went down to Nassau. This was because we weren’t going to be in the Bahamas long enough to get legally married there. Not a big deal to us. We used “Weddings in the Bahamas†as our wedding coordinator and I couldn’t have been happier with how everything turned out. It was definitely the wedding of my dreams! I will try to make this review easy to follow by using headers. Carnival Pride We took our immediate families on a Carnival cruise (The Pride) out of Baltimore in order to get to Nasssau. This was a great way for our two families to get to know each other well and have a good time along the way. I carried my dress and fiancé’s suit in garment bags as carry-ons. We also brought artificial bouquets and 2 flower pomanders onto the cruise ship for my 2 bridesmaids and 2 flower girls. Our party totaled 13. We booked dinner reservations at the Pride Steakhouse for the night before the wedding. This served as a ‘rehearsal dinner’, and at the dinner we gave our wedding party thank you gifts. On the day of the wedding, when we docked in Nassau, all the girls got their hair done at the salon on the cruise ship. I thought the price was reasonable for an up-do ($55) and the stylist did a beautiful job. We were only in Nassau for a day, which was completely taken up by the wedding, but we went to Freeport the next day so we got to see a little more of the Bahamas. Weddings in the Bahamas I can’t say enough good things about Anne Marie and Linda at Weddings in the Bahamas. From the very first time I spoke with Linda, I felt very confident and comfortable with her. These ladies do such a great job! Whenever I called or emailed with a question, Linda would get back to me almost immediately. She made the wedding planning process a breeze for me. Everything was decided and planned out very clearly; I used the Hibiscus Package as a base. I talked to Linda so much in the 5 months I took to plan the wedding; I will miss speaking with her! She must work all the time, because I spoke with her at all times of the day-7:30am, 10pm-even on weekends. Closer to the wedding I got a call from Anne Marie to go over the plans. Anne Marie was present on the day of the wedding and she was wonderful. Anne Marie was so calm and organized. She had some really great suggestions, too. For example, she suggested that my parents sit on the side of the groom so that they could see my face better during the ceremony, and vice versa for the groom’s family. Such a great tip! In addition, my Mom surprised us with a wedding cake (I wasn’t planning on having one since we are going to have an at-home reception in a couple months). My Mom worked behind the scenes with Anne Marie and Linda, and I had no idea. It was such a touching surprise and I cried when I saw the cake, which was delicious by the way. Compass Point I decided on Compass Point after doing lots of research online and looking at pictures. It is gorgeous in person! Limos took us from the cruise ship dock to Compass Point (the groom went ahead of me in the first limo). Our ceremony was at 1pm and we had a beautiful, sunny day. The beach huts are so colorful and the pier over the water is breathtaking. The water is unbelievably clear. Anita Wheeler, the catering manager, was very helpful ahead of time working out the contract, and she was also helpful on the day of the wedding. We had a luncheon after the ceremony on the patio at the restaurant. We had a great view of the ocean. My mother chose the menu ahead of time, with Anita’s guidance. Everyone really enjoyed their meals. The Cornish Hen got rave reviews. Our server was attentive and prompt. I also felt that overall the staff was very pleasant and accommodating, everyone kept congratulating us and telling us to come back soon. I already want to book our first anniversary at Compass Point! I wished we could have stayed there longer, but we had to get back to the boat. Mario Nixon Mario was our professional photographer and I cannot wait to see the photos. We won’t get them for a few more weeks. Mario was so wonderful to work with. He was very friendly and made me feel comfortable, even though I was nervous before the ceremony. Mario gave easy cues while taking his photos and my husband noted that he appreciated how rapid Mario was. He didn’t make us hold poses forever. Reverend Grant Reverend Grant was very polished and professional. He looked very sharp in his suit. With Linda’s help from Weddings in the Bahamas, we decided on our ceremony and vows ahead of time. We chose a religious ceremony. Reverend Grant followed it exactly, reading from an Ipad. Compass Point is near the airport and twice, airplanes were flying overhead during the ceremony. This didn’t bother me at all though. And Rev. Grant paused for a moment each time. Violinist Honestly, I was in such a zone that I barely noticed the music! But everyone said that the violinist did a good job. I chose Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire for the bridesmaids. Pachelbel’s Canon for my procession, and Ode to Joy for the end of the ceremony. Flowers I loved my bouquet of roses in shades of pink. It was gorgeous! We also got wrist corsages for the moms. The flowers were all very pretty and we didn’t have any trouble taking them back on the cruise ship. Those are the highlights from our wedding. I hope this helps some brides-to-be out there. I smile every time I think about our wedding. It was unique, intimate, and better than I ever imagined. I fully recommend Anne Marie Williams and Linda at “Weddings in the Bahamasâ€, without any hesitation. I am so grateful that I found them. They made the wedding planning process a breeze! If you have any specific questions for me, don't hesitate. I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can! Julie

Hi all, I am in the early stages of planning and trying to figure out a time frame, as well as a resort! I would like to have a Catholic ceremony. Does anyone know if Catholic weddings are easily booked during Easter week? This would be the first week of April in 2013. I have read somewhere on these threads that during some holidays in the DR it's difficult to schedule a wedding because the whole country is on holiday. I look forward to hearing from anyone who has booked a Catholic wedding and has inside info! Happy planning, ladies!

Hi everyone! I am in the early stages of planning and Majestic Elegance is one of my top three choices for resorts. It's been great to read along and get helpful information from you gals. Miss Bubbles, do you mind emailing me the Word Document, too? I wasn't able to open it either. My email address is [email protected] Thanks so much!!!

Thanks so much! This definitely helps. I have seen pictures of the gazebo by the fountain and it looks so pretty. I take it Father Jean performs the ceremony in English? I would prefer that, rather than have a translator present. How far in advance did you book your wedding? The information I got from the resort says that for a Catholic service you should book 6-12 months in advance. I'm just wondering if 6 months would give us enough time. Thanks again and congrats!

Does anyone have any good pictures of the San Salvador Chapel at Barcelo Bavaro Palace??? I haven't been able to find any good images, either on this site or on the resort's website. Has anyone gotten married there or are planning to get married there? I am still in the early stages of planning, but I would like to have a Catholic ceremony. It's so hard to narrow down a resort!! Thanks brides!!

Hi everyone! I am in the early stages of planning and I've found this site super helpful. I finally decided to join. Has anyone had a Catholic service at NOW Larimar? It doesn't look like they have a chapel, so I was wondering if Catholic services could be held in their gazebo. Any information you all can provide would be great! Right now I am trying to narrow down a resort--definitely the hardest part!