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Thank you!

Hi Cherina, Here are a couple of pictures.

Thanks, Erin. So, there was one hidden cost, but it wasn't forced on me. They have a professional decorator come onto the property to set up outdoor parties and dinners. I chose not to use their decorations and saved hundreds of dollars. I did the outdoor beach party and it came with a bartender, our own bar, tiki torches and beach clean up for about $30/person. We brought in our own DJ (jaweddingdj.com), which was still cheaper than the hotel's preferred vendor with the vendor fee. Since we were prepared to to the beach party and DJ it worked out well. That additional vendor fee would have blown the budget and was initially presented like it was required. I thought the beach party was beautiful and we released wish lanterns on the beach. They do have restrictions about how much noise the DJ can make and what time he has to shut down, but that wasn't a problem for us. Dinner takes longer than you think for large groups, ours took two hours. So the party started at 9 and went until 11, that was plenty of time for us with the private DJ. Then we kept the party going in the resort's club with their DJ. I'm in the process of posting my full review of RIU in the Resort Review forum. I think it's under moderation right now. MikesBride, I don't think you'll be disappointed with Riu Negril. Congrats! My advice is to keep asking questions and keep talking to the wedding coordinator if something doesn't sound right. Try to think of her as someone who's on your team, although she represents the hotel's money-grubbing policies. I think Dionne really wants you to leave feeling good about your wedding experience. It's more than a wedding day when you're doing a destination wedding.

I went to Queen Bee for hair styling in Negril and I had a fabulous experience. We did a trial run a couple of days before the wedding so that I could be sure that the style would stay. Debra did not do my hair, a stylist working in her shop did, but Debra was there the entire time. Debra picked me up from my hotel on the day of my wedding and returned me with ample time to get dressed and relax. I have natural curly Black hair and frizzing in the humidity was a major concern of mine. I didn't want to wear braids or a weave, so they did a soft pin-up style for me (my hair was straightened then curled with an iron) and it lasted! Of course, I had a little frizzing but that's no one's fault - it was crazy hot outside and I had to sweat to stay alive. I felt beautiful all day and my hair was secure until I pulled it down.

I ordered a suit for my dad from Studio Suits after reading so many positive posts on this site. Thanks, everyone! We had him measured at a suit store and sent those measurements to studio suits. I ordered a "quick order pre-set" linen suit for $114! Shipping was $20 and it arrived a week after I ordered. My dad tried it on and says it fits with no alterations needed. Aside from the price and fast shipping, I think this site is great because they have so many colors, while stores like Men's Warehouse sell linen in about two colors. I was having a hard time finding a distinctive color for my dad.

Just checking to see if there are any current or recent RIU Negril brides on this board. I'm trying to figure out what alternatives there are to renting out the disco or having an expensive "beach party" after our semi-private reception. I'm open to any recommendations or advice. Ideally, there's a common area that we can take over for a while. Our group is about 45 people, so we can't easily huddle together.

When it comes to choosing between RIU Club Negril and Tropical Bay, the numbers did all of the talking for me. If you have several guests joining you then you'll probably want to go with the cheaper option. I have only been to RIU Club and if I didn't have guests and it was a smaller group and hotel expenses weren't a big deal, I'd probably go with RIU Tropical Bay. I think of Tropical Bay as more of a honeymoon hotel or something you pick for yourself and partner. For our group, we would have lost guests by going with Tropical Bay because of the expense.

Great ideas. We want to do the cruise thing on Saturday as a group activity where people can wear whatever and have fun without watching the clock. But the scavenger hunt isn't a bad idea. Thanks!

I'm just starting my research on this so I don't know how competitive the rates are, but I did find this vendor called Floral Fantasy that will make gift bags or sell just rum and coffee as a set. When I visit I buy my coffee at grocery stores, so that's probably where I'll go for my gifts, just like JA2012 suggests. It just depends on how comfy you are with getting around and shopping and how much time you have before guests arrive.

Thanks for sharing, Sunshinybride. I think we will end up doing something similar since taking pictures with everyone can take a while. Leaving the resort could become a logistical problem. I wonder if there is a list of things to do that are similar to the Chinese lantern activity that you're doing? Something that is fun for a group would be great.

Hi. We booked a 2 p.m. ceremony at RIU Negril and didn't understand that the reception time was already set for 6:30 PM. Now we're looking for ideas of activities that will keep the group together. A cocktail hour is fine, but it can't last for 4 hours. What have other couples done with this time, or what are you planning to do? One idea we've thrown around is a catamaran cruise/cocktail hour. Of course there's wind and the potential of getting wet in nice clothes, so I'm on the fence about that. Any suggestions?

Hi everyone, I'm Sabrina. I'm getting married at RIU Negril in Feb. 16, 2013 and I'm very excited. I think these boards are the most helpful that I've seen. So, thanks to everyone for sharing. I'll try to return the favor.