Iberostar Rose Hall Brides - Post all info/questions here!

[sunshine2413]

Good question... My FI was saying he is going to find a good barber but I think it would be best to bring someone you trust! You know how men are with their hair (the little bit that they do have)
 

Originally Posted by BridetwoBe 

Hello ladies

Does anyone know if the spa has good barbers to edge up the groom/men? any word or reviews fro
The male point of view?

 

[scraver25]

Has anyone looked into having items mailed to the hotel?  Or if you are planning on bringing in OOT bags or wedding favors can you be charged duty at the airort??

[sunshine2413]

The WC advised me not to mail anything to the hotel, as they would not hold it and the parcel services are not very reliable. I would play it safe and divide the good for the OOT bags and favors between family and friend to put into there luggage. You should not have to pay duty at the airport.
 

Originally Posted by scraver25 

Has anyone looked into having items mailed to the hotel?  Or if you are planning on bringing in OOT bags or wedding favors can you be charged duty at the airort??

 

[atalanta]

First, let me make a disclaimer: having professional pictures and videography is not as important to us as staying within our budget.

 

Every bride and groom I've checked with rarely to never looks at their wedding photo albums or their videos, with facebook and the like this might be changing, though. My parents didn't have pictures taken of their ceremony but a few of their friends have taken pictures at their AHR. My mom and dad can tell me verbatim how the ceremony went and what each other wore. I like that I have to imagine what happened. I've also heard countless examples of when the pictures taken by friends and family are better than the ones taken by a low-cost professional. I wonder whether that happens because of the price point or whether the people who know you also know to capture what moments are truly special to you.

 

Maybe these are the reasons that professional photography and videography aren't as important to us. Maybe they don't matter because we value experiences over the documentation of the experiences. Maybe we are just too frugal. Whatever the reason, we have decided to ask a couple of friends who like to take pictures to take bridal party and family pictures at our wedding and to ask that everyone else share their pictures with us by uploading them to our computer during the cocktail hours and reception, our reception is 6 hours.

 

For videography, we have been considering going without or having two still cameras capture whatever they capture during our ceremony. In the end, you have to decide what you can afford and need. If your aunt and good friend can take lots of pics and you are comfortable with that, choose that and spend your money on videography. Great still shots can be captured from a professional videographer if you choose to go that way.

 

Good luck deciding. I know it will be hard since pictures are really important to you.

 

Originally Posted by Islandgirl910 

 I think you should definitely hire a photographer and a videographer because after the wedding is over, food is eaten and guests go home all you have left are your pictures. I know you wouldn't want to be disappointed with pictures that don't display just how beautiful your day truly was. If anything get in contact with Marcia Roberts. Her packages are very reasonable and she also provides video. Don't settle for regular pics from family, get pictures that you deserve from a professional girlie.

 

 

Originally Posted by Jamaica2012 

Hi ladies, so I need some advise.

Pictures and a video are pretty important to me. With that being said I'm trying to keep my budget as low as possible.  I have an aunt and good friend of mine who will be going to the wedding and they both have said that they will take lots of pics for me.  My question is should I just have them take pics and hire someone to do the video or should I hire out both? I was wanting to keep the pics and video budget under $1000, is this even possible? And does anyone know how Digipix works their packages?

Thanks for any advise in advance!

 

 

[futuremrstgun]

atalanta...

 

i too have a budget and consider it to be pretty strict..but i really wanted to capture the big day professionally...however, i didn't want to spend an outrageous chunk of change on a photographer or a videographer..at this rate, i'm not too sure the technology we have now will even be used in the future so i knew video was out..however, i do want professional photos.

 

so i searched far and wide.  luckily, i found an incredibly cost efficient, young photographer whose going to capture my big day.  his name is roan robinson and he came highly recommended by another jamaica bride on FB..his prices are so good, i booked him immediately.  i believe he's so cost efficient because he's building his portfolio so i like to think that one day is going to be among the IN DEMAND jamaica photographers and i got him at dirt cheap pricing because he was just starting out. 

 

check him out...let him know Ms. Davis recommended him should you choose to contact him. 

 

good luck and as always, happy planning!!!

 

R~

[eholt]

I packed a sweperate bags for all my OOT bags and other wedding stuff.  I declared it as gifts on the customs form.  I went through a seperate line, they looked in it and I let them know it contained gifts for my wedding.  They said okay and I passed on through with no issues.    I actually packed my OOT bags and rolled them up in the suitcase to have everything in one place.  It worked well.

 

Originally Posted by sunshine2413 

The WC advised me not to mail anything to the hotel, as they would not hold it and the parcel services are not very reliable. I would play it safe and divide the good for the OOT bags and favors between family and friend to put into there luggage. You should not have to pay duty at the airport.
 

 

 

[futuremrstgun]

i love eholt's idea..lucky for me, i'm making a trek back home and plan to hand delivery our OOT bags to our traveling guests a month before travel date.  those that don't live in the area will get them via mail.

 

i have included pre-travel boarding passes with the wedding itinerary, etc..plus a few other tidbits...like the wedding survival kit.  i'm always overpacking so i can't even THINK about lugging more stuff down..i think my fiance would literally ring my neck if he had to carry one more bag..he's such a gentlemen like that.. 

 

as always, happy planning!

 

R~

[bjcs21]

Regarding the photographers...we are in the same boat about having a strict budget. We initially weren't even going to hire a photographer at all and were going to rely on our family and friends taking pictures. Having a photo album and video of our wedding wasn't as important to us as long as we had a couple good ones just to be able to frame or something like that. I know a lot of brides feel differently though. We then realized that one of our friends is an amazing photographer and decided to invite him as a guest/photographer and pay him about $300-400, which we got away with by agreeing that he would be a guest, but play the photographer role during the ceremony. Half and half I suppose...and that worked out well. If we didn't do that, I don't think we'd have hired a photographer at all. And certainly not a videographer.

[atalanta]

Thanks futuremrstgun. I'll let you know if we decide to go through him.
 

Originally Posted by futuremrstgun 

atalanta...

 

i too have a budget and consider it to be pretty strict..but i really wanted to capture the big day professionally...however, i didn't want to spend an outrageous chunk of change on a photographer or a videographer..at this rate, i'm not too sure the technology we have now will even be used in the future so i knew video was out..however, i do want professional photos.

 

so i searched far and wide.  luckily, i found an incredibly cost efficient, young photographer whose going to capture my big day.  his name is roan robinson and he came highly recommended by another jamaica bride on FB..his prices are so good, i booked him immediately.  i believe he's so cost efficient because he's building his portfolio so i like to think that one day is going to be among the IN DEMAND jamaica photographers and i got him at dirt cheap pricing because he was just starting out. 

 

check him out...let him know Ms. Davis recommended him should you choose to contact him. 

 

good luck and as always, happy planning!!!

 

R~

 

[daizyduke]

RE: Outside vendors

 

I think there is a lot of confusion about what the vendor fee is going to be (ie day pass and vendor fee 100 v 175 dollars) and whether outside florists are allowed.

 

 

I just looked at the Wedding Agreement and it says

 

VENDORS OFF PROPERTY: 

• FLOWER SHOP: the hotel works with an outside flower shop called “Tai Floraâ€. All flowers services should be hired through this flower shop.

If the couple will choose to use another vendor, a vendor fee will apply. The current fee is $100 per person.

• PHOTOGRAPHER: the hotel has an exclusivity agreement with the Photoshop on property “Digipix Ltd.â€.

If the couple desires to hire the services of any other photo shop or photographer they should pay for a day pass fee in order to allow the photographer on property. The current fee is $100 per person.

• WEDDING PLANNERS: The hotel does not allow any outside wedding coordinators.

 

 

Therefore:

 

The fee ought to be $100 per person for each outside vendor, and they seem to allow outside florists.  The only person/vendor they specifically exclude in the agreement are wedding planners. 

I am going to use this agreement in the event any issues come up.  It certainly does not say that they have to pay $175 per person for each outside vendor. 

 

I have already paid a deposit for an outside florist.  So I am not going to lose the deposit in the event that they changed their policy without explicitly letting me know. 

 

 

I don't know if this will work - but I am certainly going to use the documentation they provided me in order to estaiblish what the cost should be, and what vendors they can/cannot exclude.   I know previous brides have used Floral Fantasies or Godfrey Guy.  So it has been done before.  However, there seems to be a lack of consistency in what they tell people.  Which makes planning especially challenging. 

 

If past brides can share some light on their experiences that would be great. 

 

 

Food for thought anyway.