We stayed at the Grand but married at the Suites. So I will review what I can of both resorts. We had 51 people in total. 47 Adults, 4 children.

Travel Agent: D

We contacted iTravel2000 to help us get a group rate from Toronto for the guest that wanted to fly with us. We left it up to others to find their own way there as we had people from all over the country attending. They were terrible, caused me a lot of stress over the course of the year therefore I will never use them again. I won't post actual details here, but if you want to know please PM me.

 

Tour Operator: A+

We booked with Transat Holidays. They were great from start to finish. They really treat the wedding couple like royalty. You get some perks when you book a large group like free champagne, priority check-in, boarding, baggage with extra weight etc. I have used Transat many times over the years and was always happy with them. We booked 28 adults with them and booked at the Suites Hotel. However, the hotel was overbooked and one week before the wedding they upgraded all of us to the Grand. SCORE! (35 people stayed at the Grand, and 16 at the Suites)

 

HOTEL DETAILS:

 

Check in: A+

We arrived at the hotel in the evening at around 8:00pm. We had a private transfer from the hotel so it was super quick and we unloaded. Staff was waiting to give us our warm cloth and mimosa while they unloaded our luggage. We all checked in fairly quickly, no issues at all.

 

ROOMS:

 

Grand: A+

The rooms at the Grand are amazing. Probably the nicest I have seen in an AI resort, and I have been to a quite a few. They are large, with lots of closet space. The mini-bar was stocked with beers, alcohol, wine, pop, juice and water. The bathroom was huge. There was two sinks on either end of the bathroom, glass enclosed toilet area, as well as shower area with rain head and a Jacuzzi tub in the middle. We had a King bed which was really comfortable. There is a sitting area with desk and chairs, as well as a lounge chase chair. The patio is huge. There was a couch, coffee table, end tables and a two person swing chair. Our room was on the 3^rd floor looking west over the pool and ocean. All rooms come with a Butler that will do as much, or as little as you want. He will delivery gifts to guest, iron your clothes, draw your bath load up the minibar etc.

 

Suites: A

We had guest staying at the Suites as well and we went over there to see their rooms. They too were very nice and the guest seemed happy with them. They weren’t quite as large, but where still big, with a nice patio.

 

 

FOOD/RESTAURANTS/BARS:

 

Grand: A

We ate at two of the A La Cartes at the Grand, the Japanese and the Surf and Turf. The Japanese was good, though compared to authentic Japanese you may be disappointed. However my guest really enjoyed it and the Teppanyaki tables with the chef doing the flare show was amazing. The Surf and Turf is where we did a rehearsal dinner for 13 people. This was really good. The appetizers, steak and lobster and dessert were all very good. There are two buffets, one indoor, one outdoor. We enjoyed both as they had a descent selection of food, always something to eat. Getting reservations here wasn’t too difficult but you still should make them as soon as you can.

 

Suites: B+

We ate at the Steak House once for Lunch (Buffett) it was good, but not as good as the grand. I found it was more geared to families with kids which is what I would expect as it’s a resort for families. This was fine but just in comparison it was slightly under the Grands.

We also ate at the Mexican Restaurant one evening. They start you off with a salad bar which had a ton of food! You could make all your own Mexican dishes if you wanted (tacos, burritos, etc). Then you could order a soup and main from the menu. The menu mostly contained tacos with some fish entrees. We ordered tacos (it’s a Mexican restaurant after all) but I really which I had of ordered the grilled lobster. It looks really good. The tacos were meeeh.

We ate at the Gourmet Calabash for you wedding dinner, see wedding day below for details.

 

Bars: A+

The bars at both hotels were awesome. We spent most of our time on the Suites side as we had guest over there that could not come across to the Grand. We had a get together the first full night at the lobby bar where 50 of us just took the space over. It was great fun. We originally wanted to have this at the Blue Moon Bar as it was more private. I was told it was open at 8:30, but it really did not open until 10:30. So we just used the Lobby Bar. We also held a Bridal Shower here. We just moved chairs around and took over a section of the space. Nobody seemed to mind. Drinks here were good. All types of cocktails, blender drinks, beers and alcohols. During the evenings they would have a piano player here entertaining the crowd. Great fun.

The Lobby bar at the Grand was similar, just with no kids, top shelf booze. They would have different bands playing every night.

The Disco was the best I have seen at a AI resort. It was always hopping! The DJ played great music and everyone was dancing. Everyone seemed to enjoy the nights we spent here.

 

 

BEACH/POOL:

 

Grand: A

The pool at was made up of three infinity tiered that over looked the ocean. It was quiet, not crowded. The pool bar was at the base near the beach and it was always easy to get a drink. The water was a bit cool when the sun wasn’t out which was really the only tiff I had. There were plenty of shaded or sunny spots to sit around the pool. They had lounge chairs as well as large queen beds. There was no limit to towels and you didn’t need a towel card. They also had sunscreen for use.

The beach was never crowded. There was lots of loungers in the shade and sun. They only thing is, they had all the huts for shade bunched together so if you wanted shade you didn’t get privacy. The beach itself was clean, and the water was nice. A few days there was some rough weather which made the water merky and full of sea grass. Once this calmed down the grass was gone.

 

Suites: B+

The Suites pool was really nice as well, but it was much more crowded. They held a lot of activities here that seems to be a load of fun for everyone. The pool bar was always busy but it didn’t take long. Seating around the pool though was an issue. It was impossible to get a spot after 10 in the morning.

The beach was a little busier here, less shaded spots but some trees which was nice.

Both stretch of beaches they had daily activities like Zumba, Volleyball, horseshoes, etc.

 

 

AMENITIES/FACILITIES:

 

Spa: B

The Spa is really big for a resort. They had pools that I did not use, but they looked really inviting. I used two spa services. First I asked Nicole to make nail appointments for my mother, a bridesmaid and myself. She confirmed this weeks beforehand. When we went to the appointment, they did not have them on file. They scrambled around, but were able to get us in. I had acrylic nails put on which was not fun!. While the finished result was lovely, it hurt! The girl kept filling my skin and not my nail. I still have a scab on one finger. My mother also bled! Unless you have course skin, I would advise against this.

 

We also used the spa for our Couples Massage. This was really relaxing and we both really enjoyed this.

 

 

WEDDING DETAILS:

 

Planning: B

Working up to the wedding the communication with the wedding coordinators was slow. However I was ok with this as I know they are busy and are dealing with the brides of that day. For the most part I dealt with Tiffany during this part. She answered my questions as I needed.

I was told that they would contact me 30 days prior to arrival to work out the final details. This did not happen. At 19 days prior I contacted them asking what was up. At which point I heard from Nicole and we then ironed out the details I wanted. I asked to have a reservation made for our rehearsal dinner, but then about 7 days prior I asked to change this but she never got the email apparently. She set up a meeting for the Monday after we arrived in the morning. She did not show up for this. I met with Tiffany. We went over everything which was fairly straight forward. I asked to have a reservation made for the Surf and Turf and Tiffany was able to accommodate this for us. We made a rehearsal for the Wednesday, the day before the wedding at 2 in the afternoon. This is where I met Nicole. Both Tiffany and Nicole are very sweet. Though, I barely say Nicole and worked mostly with Tiffany.

 

Wedding Day: A

Nothing went as planned… really. However this was not the fault of the resort, or the coordinators.

 

My vision was this:

Ceremony: 4:30 on the Beach.

Champagne Toast right after

Cocktail Hour: 5:00-6:00 on the beach

Steel Pan Band playing from 4:00-6:00

Dinner: Semi Private at the Calabash from 6:30-8:30

Beach Bonfire with Fire Dancer and DJ as well as open bar: 8:30-10:30

 

Thursday morning I’m sitting on the patio, overlooking the beach and it is socked in with fog and rain. The weather was horrible. All day I’m watching and waiting, hoping for it to clear up. It stopped raining in spurts but for the most part, it poured all day. (Whoever says that its good luck to have rain on your wedding day... says that to make you feel better.. but when it happens to you, it sucks!)

 

Ceremony: B+

At 4:20 Nicole calls my room to give us an update. They have set up two locations, one on the beach, one inside at the lobby stairs. She asks what we would like to do but suggest waiting 30 minutes to see if the rain stops. We wait. At about 4:50 she calls and says..let’s go! We are doing it on the beach. We track through the grand, through the suites to the starting location. I see workers running behind me with my flowers for the huppa (as they set up the inside location as well) ahaha. We WHIP through the ceremony which felt like 5 minutes. I think the minister knew the rain was coming and made it quick. The wind was blowing so hard that my hair didn’t stay and my bridesmaids dresses where blowing up! The minister pronounces us man and wife, the sky opens up and it POURS! 51 of us run for the steak house to shelter. I can’t wait to see the pictures of this. Here we do our congrats and take a few group photos while we wait for the rain to pass. It doesn’t. Tiffany asks me what we want to do. We need to get inside the hotel, but unfortunately, to do this, you need to go back outside. So we go, two by two under the two umbrellas back to the Suites. We are all wet, but hey, it will make for a good story.  This whole process was really hectic.

 

They did have the ceremony space set up beautifully. I rented chair sashes, I had flower balls along the Aisle runner, Flowers for the Huppa and I made Ceremony programs on Fans for the chairs. However, the sashes didn’t make it to dinner as they were DRENCHED!

 

Cocktail Hour: A+

Once inside the group breaks off and heads to the Blue Moon Bar where they set up the Cocktail hour on the fly. The brought the steel pan band in, as well as the food. (We went with Menu B. People said it was good) and there is a bar there serving drinks. Guest loved the Steel Pan band. They were worth the money.

While this is happening the wedding party and Photographer run through the hotels getting pictures taken. At 7:00 we head back to the Blue Moon bar to catch the end of the cocktail hour and then our guest head to the Calabash.

 

Dinner: A

We head to the Calabash and get all seated at around 7:30.

I had 7 tables in total, 6 where round and then the head table were rectangular. We had Table runners (to match the chair sashes) and centerpieces for each table. I had my guest choose from 3 Adult entrees plus a vegetarian and the kid entrees. I made place cards with the entrée of their choice which the guest picked up on the way in and placed it at their seating.

We were served quickly. We didn’t have a DJ set up, just had the background music. We used the podium for speeches which we did right away as we only had the restaurant private until 8:30. Though, we could stay later as we didn’t get there until later. The only thing was, we didn’t have a microphone so some of the people with lower voices were hard to hear.

The food was really good. We all had the smoked salmon appetizer, followed by the Asparagus soup which was good. The Entrée choices were Tenderloin Steak, Lamb, Snapper or Vegetarian Lasagna. I had the steak and enjoyed it. Others said theirs was very good as well. The Chocolate Dessert was fantastic. Tiffany overlooked the dinner and asked us when we would want to cut the cake. At this point we asked if we could have the cake brought upstairs to the blue moon bar as this is where we are no holding the dance part of the night. She did so.

 

Dancing: A+

At about 9:15 we head up to the Blue Moon Bar. They have the DJ set up and he was fantastic. He announces the fire dancer and he comes in and does a show. I was shocked they actually allowed this inside but I was happy as I really wanted him. He put on a good show. He did some breathing fire stuff, but for that he opened the doors and did it on the patio. The DJ was good at playing music to fit the crowd. Everyone was up dancing the night away.

At 10:30 the space became public so at this point we all branched off and hit the lobby bar of the disco.

 

 

OTHER DETAILS:

 

 

Hair/Makeup: A

I have my Makeup done by Rashel Edwards and Hair by her assistant. They did a great job. They come to your room and do it all there. She did 2 bridesmaids, myself and one of the mothers. The makeup goes on really light so you don’t feel it. It’s lasted all day/night. One bridesmaid went to bed with it on and said it was the same when she woke up! The eyelashes she uses are really natural looking. I was originally worried about this, but it makes your eyes really pop. Her assistant did a great job on all our hair. The only downfall is the cost. For 3 people for hair and makeup the whole cost was $710. That was their fees, plus a $200 vendor fee I had to pay for them. Really pricey once you add that Vendor Fee.

 

Photographer:

 

Misha Earle: A+

We hired Misha Earle for our wedding photographer. She was a lot of fun with a big personality. We went with the 5 hour package but I now wish I had of went with the 10 and split if over two days as our wedding day was rained out. She took pictures before, during the ceremony and then inside the hotels after. I have yet to the see the pictures yet but I’m sure they will be fantastic, or at least hope so.

 

DigiPix: C

We hired DigiPix for a second shoot as I wanted pictures of us on the Beach. The photographer himself was great. Really fun to work with and had some great ideas. However, he was using an entry level camera with a kit lens! When we looked at the pictures, I would say about 85% of them were not in focus. I was so bummed about this. We paid $315 for 40 pictures that were mediocre. I’m not sure if it was the camera, or if he just had it on the wrong settings.

 

 

Flowers: A+

We used Tai Flora for our flowers. I contacted them about 8 months out. Response was a little slow, but I was able to get a full quote about 5 months out for what I wanted. I ended up changing it about 2 weeks before without issue. Jodi-Anne did a good job of working with my Color Scheme. My colors were green and blue. I had a bouquet with white roses and green dendrobium orchids, bridesmaids has green dendrobium orchids only. We had centerpieces made of Roses, Green Spider Mums and Blue Orchids which were beautiful. We also had other flowers for the ceremony space. We also rented chair sashes and table runners. Everything looked beautiful. They are a little pricey, especially seeing you can’t take any of it back with you, but I really wanted to have flowers and décor.

 

 

Gift Bags: A+

I contacted Jo-Anne Wedding Belles in Jamaica and had them make up gift bags containing Jamaican things (Rum, sauces, snacks, etc) and have these delivered to the coordinators a few days before we arrived and then had them delivered to the rooms. Great money spent! Our guest really enjoyed them. I highly recommend contacting them if this is something you are looking for something different to give your guests.

 

 

Tour: A

We also chartered out a Catamaran – Dreamers Catamaran – to go out on an afternoon cruise. The bus picked us up about 45 minutes before sail and drove us to the beach. We loaded onto the boat (35 of us went, there was lots of space) and sailed to a snorkel site. Then we went to Margaritaville for some shopping, then cast of for a cruise, music, dancing and cocktails. Guests loved it!

 

 

OVERALL:

Overall, our stay was amazing. All the guests had a blast which was the important thing to us. The people of Jamaica are so kind and made it all the better. I will admit I was disappointed that my vision of the wedding day that I have been planning for a year did not go as planned, but the coordinators worked their hardest to have everything go as smoothly as possible so it all worked out in the end.