Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[BusyBee123]

Hey Ladies....

 

I know a lot of you have been asking about the steel drum music, and Chadlyn seems to have promised that it would be sent.  According to my email from Donnalee today, no such list exists! Just wondering if anyone has heard back regarding this?

 

Also, have any of you been able to reserve the gazebo in advance for your receptions? I know they often have more than one wedding per day and I'm just worried that I'm going to meet her 48hrs before hand and she'll tell me its already booked by someone else!  Does anyone have it booked?

 

 

Thank you for creating my file and confirming the gazebo for our reception from 8:30pm-10:30pm on January 11. Again to confirm, you do not need a deposit to secure this? We do not need a deposit to secure the Gazebo. Please note that once we meet with you 48 hours prior to the wedding, we will be able to confirm the Gazebo Rental.

 

Could we also please request the steel drum band for the hour of our reception and champagne toast (3pm-4pm)? If possible could you send me a list of the songs they are able to play so I can choose one for the procession and exit? I have noted your request. We do not have the songs they play, but closer to your wedding date, you can send us songs of your choice and we will be able to ask them if they can play these songs.

[ashley490]

I was able to book the gazebo in advance for my reception.  Chandlyn confirmed it for me in addition to the hat field dancers and steel drum band.  Maybe just send Chandlyn an email and ask her to confirm if you have the gazebo booked for your reception, she usually answers with "confirmed" if it's been done.

 

Originally Posted by BusyBee123 

Hey Ladies....

 

I know a lot of you have been asking about the steel drum music, and Chadlyn seems to have promised that it would be sent.  According to my email from Donnalee today, no such list exists! Just wondering if anyone has heard back regarding this?

 

Also, have any of you been able to reserve the gazebo in advance for your receptions? I know they often have more than one wedding per day and I'm just worried that I'm going to meet her 48hrs before hand and she'll tell me its already booked by someone else!  Does anyone have it booked?

 

 

Thank you for creating my file and confirming the gazebo for our reception from 8:30pm-10:30pm on January 11. Again to confirm, you do not need a deposit to secure this? We do not need a deposit to secure the Gazebo. Please note that once we meet with you 48 hours prior to the wedding, we will be able to confirm the Gazebo Rental.

 

Could we also please request the steel drum band for the hour of our reception and champagne toast (3pm-4pm)? If possible could you send me a list of the songs they are able to play so I can choose one for the procession and exit? I have noted your request. We do not have the songs they play, but closer to your wedding date, you can send us songs of your choice and we will be able to ask them if they can play these songs.

 

[BusyBee123]

Thanks for letting me know Ashley! I emailed her back regarding the gazebo booking and she explained that it is because they often have two weddings per day and didn't like to reserve things as many brides cancel at the last minute.  All that being said, she agreed to place it on hold for me, and that if any other bride requested it that she would tell them it was taken.  Not sure what the difference between that and confirmed is, but at least I feel better about the whole thing. 
 

Originally Posted by ashley490 

I was able to book the gazebo in advance for my reception.  Chandlyn confirmed it for me in addition to the hat field dancers and steel drum band.  Maybe just send Chandlyn an email and ask her to confirm if you have the gazebo booked for your reception, she usually answers with "confirmed" if it's been done.
 

Question for you ladies...once you have your date, restaurant and reception booked, then what?  I'm working on the side to get a photographer and think about OOT bags, but what else needs to be confirmed/organized by the resort?  I'm assuming that there's no point confirming flowers or decor until at least 2-4 months in advance?  Any tips for other things I need to clarify with Chandlyn/Donnalee in advance? Feels like all the big excitement is over! lol!

 

Happy Planning!

 

 

 

[FleetMac bride]

Just got a quote for 1250 including tax but not fuel surcharge I am gonna jump on it. Only problem is my wedding is on the friday and they would all be laving the next day saturday. Emailed Chandlyn to see if she has other dates and times available . I am stressing large and have developed an eye twitch. Urrrgh here's to hoping I can switch my wedding date eeekkkk .
 

Originally Posted by acw271011 

I talked to our agent again just a while ago and she said she is seeing the rates steadily climbing, so they are up again today. she said we got our rate just in time or we would have been much higher. as it is, our single rate is $1725 so I know of a couple of people in our group that won't like that number. they'll either have to find a roommate or put up and shut up. that's a $500 difference just to be alone in the room!!

 

 

 

[mekanabr]

BusyBee-  When is your wedding?  I started contacting Jan's Flowers about 8 mos in advance to work out what exactly I wanted.  I've been emailing back and forth with them since then to pin point what I wanted and what they can do.  It's been kind've nice bc I've been so indecisive about what I wanted.  So they have been patient with me and now, finally I am going to send in my deposit to confirm everything this wknd (3.5 mos out).  If you are considering the steel drum band or other music you may want to confirm that.

 

Other than that there wasn't much to confirm with the resort, but I was just like you thinking what do I do now??  So here's what I've done leading up to this point: I spent a lot of time working on our wedding website to make sure it had a ton of info for our guests (about the resort, travel arrangements, our TA, and Jamaica in general), found a reliable travel agent to work with that everyone could book through from all around the country, nailed down a photographer, made and designed our passport save the dates, searched for invitations and got them orderd, started planning our OOT bags and began buying stuff for them, designed our monogram, designed luggage tags for everyone that will be sent out a few weeks prior to departure.   Currently, I'm trying to nail down the guys outfits (I think that is almost done with...thank goodness) and getting the bridesmaids dresses ordered.  And my latest DIY is sewing passport covers for everyone which will be sent out with the luggage tags and pre-trip letter.  I need things to keep me busy or I start to worry that I'm forgetting stuff!  Oh and for the past year I have spent way to much time and $$ on ideeli buying amazingly cute dresses and shoes etc for Jamaica lol. I am obsessed with that site and keep thinking...well I NEED that dress for Jamaica! Even though I now have a closet full and my fiance is starting to catch on to my addiction haha!!  (if you've never been on there here's an invitation link: www.ideeli.com/invite/mekanabr)

 

Did I miss anything major that you other ladies have been doing?  I am starting to reach the semi freak out OMG its only a few months away stage...and I'm worried I am forgetting stuff! Eek!

[JayKay]

Same thing happened to me.  The flight dates changed so we had to change our wedding date.  I would just call them and ask what available dates they have.  Thats what I did and it really helped putting my mind at ease rather then waiting for an email!
 

Originally Posted by FleetMac bride 

Just got a quote for 1250 including tax but not fuel surcharge I am gonna jump on it. Only problem is my wedding is on the friday and they would all be laving the next day saturday. Emailed Chandlyn to see if she has other dates and times available . I am stressing large and have developed an eye twitch. Urrrgh here's to hoping I can switch my wedding date eeekkkk .
 

 

 

[mekanabr]

We are using a travel agent who works with Apple Vacations.  We searched on their website for someone local to us so that it would be easier to  meet with her about our guests needs.  Instead of only allowing our guests to come for one week, we have given them the option to book as many or as little nights as they would like.  Then they book their flights separatly (through our TA if they choose).  This way we were able to have more ppl join us for our wedding bc not everyone was able to stay for an entire week.  We have guests coming for as little as 3 nts up to a full week.  People are flying from all over the east coast, so the flights have ranged from around $400-550 p/p depending on where they are flying from.  Here are the most recent room rates:

 

3 nts: $393p/p, $420p/p sea view

4 nts: $510p/p, $546p/p sea view

5 nts: $625p/p, $670p/p sea view

7 nts: $849p/p, $912p/p sea view

 

Also, all the resort prices above included a $30 p/p Best Price Supplement offered by Apple Vacations that guarantees that everyone receives the lowest price offered by Apple.  Our rates so far have dropped around $50 p/p.  We added this to everyones package and it has definitely been worth it, esp since we should see more siginificant drops as our date approaches.  Also, we are getting credit towards our room for every person booked, so far almost $600!  For my fiance and I are flights out of Detroit were around $550p/p, so our total was a little under $1500 for the week (sea view) - not including the room credit.  My parents got flights for $415 out of Baltimore and are staying for 5 nts, so only $1085p/p (sea view)...so the prices ranged a little bit but were definitley a good deal.  It was also really convenient for our guests to reserve their rooms through our TA bc all they had to do was reserve a room for $50p/p and then they had the option of paying off their trip over several months which a lot of people took advantage of.  We paid the deposits in advance to hold the rooms and then the money we put down, once reserved by someone else, we get back.  Plus, since we purchased our flights separately, we don't have to deal with fuel surcharges. 

 

If anyone is looking for an awesome travel agent, I would definitely recommend Denise McCain with International Tours of Lansing.  She is amazing to work with and has been able to accomodate all of our guests (so far around 35!) and we are the only ones that are local to her, everyone else has dealt with her by phone and email but it has worked out perfectly.  Her contact info is [email protected] or (517) 349-4664.  Let her know Megan Reightler referred you and you re interested in reserving the same resort for your guests and she will hook you up!

 

Hope this info helps someone, I know how tough it was for me to find a travel agent!

[cupcake1382]

Ok so I'm a little freaked out. The wedding times they have available are 1130 and 130 and a dinner time of 630.... Are they crazy? Why would they book so many weddings or events in one day and have them spaced out all over the place? Uggggggggggggggh... Not to mention I have called and emailed for two weeks straight and no answer. Does anyone know of a manager? Someone over Chandalyn? This is getting ridiculous.

 

 

 

[acw271011]

 

Originally Posted by BusyBee123 

Thanks for letting me know Ashley! I emailed her back regarding the gazebo booking and she explained that it is because they often have two weddings per day and didn't like to reserve things as many brides cancel at the last minute.  All that being said, she agreed to place it on hold for me, and that if any other bride requested it that she would tell them it was taken.  Not sure what the difference between that and confirmed is, but at least I feel better about the whole thing. 
 

Question for you ladies...once you have your date, restaurant and reception booked, then what?  I'm working on the side to get a photographer and think about OOT bags, but what else needs to be confirmed/organized by the resort?  I'm assuming that there's no point confirming flowers or decor until at least 2-4 months in advance?  Any tips for other things I need to clarify with Chandlyn/Donnalee in advance? Feels like all the big excitement is over! lol!

 

Happy Planning!

 

 

 

Ha ha - that's the way I feel too, and my wedding isn't until November!!  soooooo..... what's next?????

 

 

[acw271011]

push to find out what the fuel surcharge is!!  I was told that it can be as high as another $100 per person, so the $1250 might not actually be $1250.  make sure you get all your info up front.  even if its $1350 because of the fuel surcharge, that's still damn good if the rates are up to $1500 or $1600 now.

 

we're in the almost the same boat with the departure. we got stuck getting married on Thursday, then we have to fly home on saturday. it's not great, but at this point it isnt' a deal breaker for me because we're going away at Christmas, which is just a month later.

 

Originally Posted by FleetMac bride 

Just got a quote for 1250 including tax but not fuel surcharge I am gonna jump on it. Only problem is my wedding is on the friday and they would all be laving the next day saturday. Emailed Chandlyn to see if she has other dates and times available . I am stressing large and have developed an eye twitch. Urrrgh here's to hoping I can switch my wedding date eeekkkk .