Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[Kristo]

Can anyone post any pictures of the setup for the dinner reception in the Dolce Vita?  I've received pics from the resort months ago, but I'm curious about the layout everyone used, and how they set up their centrepieces.   Also, I'm using candles as my centrepiece.. is it dark in there at all and will the candles show up??

 

Thanks in advance!

[tamandrob]

Hello Ladies

I am back!!! We left Feb 25th and got married on Feb 28th. Our guest came home March 3rd and we stayed an extra week and came home on the 10th. We had a group of 33 guest majority flew out of Ottawa. I am not sure where to start and I will probably miss some things along the way so if you have any questions feel free to ask. I just want to say as many others have that there is absolutely nothing to worry/stress about everything will be amazing. I couldn't have pictured my wedding day any better than what it was, it was everything I have dreamed of and more.

 

The resort: Check in was fairly quick and the resort was well organized. We found the staff at the front desk very helpful and pleasant to deal with. I have travelled quite a bit and found the resort rather large and it was hard for my Grandma to get around easily. I think that was one of the only negative things I found and it is just a personal preference. We stayed on the 4th floor in room 21409 and we had an amazing view of the gazebo, pools and ocean. The pools were very clean and a good temperature, we lounged near the far swim up bar as we found it to be quieter. It is hard to get lounge chairs by the pool most of them had towels on them by 7am. Our fridge was restocked daily and our maid Sharon was so nice and such a hard worker. We rented the safe out for $6 a day. No one in our group had any troubles with their valuables. The lobby bar was a great place to meet up after dinner for a few drinks and the entertainment was great. The shows at night were good too. I liked some more than others but we always had a great time. I really enjoyed watching the steel drum band from Kingston they were amazing. We went to the disco a few nights and it was okay, the DJ was good and he would play any song that you requested. The workers at the resort for the most part were very friendly and kind. Our favourite bartender was Jerome at the lobby bar, ask for a Jerome special they are so good! I did find that we were expected to tip a lot or it seemed that way.

 

The food: The food was great!! I am a very picky eater and I always found something to eat. I liked eating at the smaller buffet as it wasn't as busy as the large one. The A la Cartes were hard to book for early dinner times. If you don’t mind eating late then I wouldn't worry about it but if you like to eat before 8pm I suggest that you book them in advance. I booked the Japanese for the welcome dinner the day we arrived and it was so much fun we had 3 tables were the chiefs cook in front of you and it was so enjoyable and the food was delicious. We also ate at the Don Pablo and the Grill which were great too! The Jerk Centre on the beach had melted in your mouth chicken, we ate lunch there often. If you go to the guy cooking it on the grill he will give you fresh chicken which I found was better.

 

Now on to the wedding!!!!

 

Meeting: There was a note delivered to our room the night we arrived asking us to meet Chandlyn in the lobby at 10am the next day. Chandlyn is such a sweet lady and is very well organized. She had every email and request I sent in our file. We sorted out all the fine details such as menu, cake, decorations, etc. She told us to drop all our decorations off at the front lobby on Monday. Chandlyn and Donnalee are fantastic to work with and I only have great things to say about both of them.

 

Rehearsal: We met Donnalee at the Gazebo on Monday at 5:30pm with the wedding party and she walked us through everything and was happy to answer any questions that we had.

 

Getting ready: I hired Rashel Edwards to do are makeup and her friend Fiona to do our hair. I am so happy that I went with them. I showed Fiona pictures of how I wanted my hair and she did such and amazing job and it was exactly what I wanted. I also told Rashel I wanted a very natural look and that is what I got. I would highly recommend them to any bride. My bridesmaids loved their hair and makeup as well and were very pleased with the results. Rashel came to our room for noon and my ceremony was at 4pm.

 

Flowers: I went with Jan’s Flowers as they were cheaper than Tai Flora. My flowers arrived at the hotel at 2pm and 2 bridesmaids went to the lobby to get them. I did receive all of my order as I have heard other brides have had a few things missing. The only thing is my flowers weren’t exactly what I had asked for but they were still beautiful and it wasn’t that big of a deal to me.

 

Ceremony: I met Chandlyn in the lobby at 3:45pm with my bridesmaids and father, she took us to the beach on the golf cart and cued us when to start walking down the aisle. We hired the steel drum band and they were great. Our guest really enjoyed the ceremony music. After the ceremony everyone enjoyed a glass of champagne and listened to the steel drum band play. Then the pictures started.

 

Photography: We hired Sungold associates and Clayton Foster was our photographer with his assistant Shane. Clayton is such an amazing person and a great photographer I highly recommend him. I have only seen a few teaser pictures and they are beautiful!!! I can’t wait to see the rest. Clayton’s boss Paula was great to work with as well she always replied to email and phone calls very promptly. If you are in need of a photographer I would suggest you hire Clayton. We had him for 8 hours on the wedding day and then he came back the next day and did the TTD. We hired Kevin Morrison to take us and the photographer to our TTD destination, he was a great driver. I would recommend him if you need a taxi. We went to Mohoe Falls for the TTD and again I can’t wait to see the pictures! I can’t say enough great things about him, he is such a wonderful person and his work is truly amazing!!!!!!

 

Dinner and Reception: Dinner started at 6:30pm at the Dolce Vita, we had a head table with 8 people and we had 3 circular tables in front for guest. Our guest book was setup as you walked in and our decorations were exactly how I asked for them to be. The food was great we had the caprese salad, squash soup, chicken breast with ricotta and dessert. I did find that everyone was so full from the meal that no one ate the wedding cake. I asked for a very simple wedding cake with no designs on it but that is not what I got lol. Again we are very laid back and that was not a big deal to us. We did have a few speeches through dinner but nothing very formal. We rented out the gazebo and hired a DJ and the bartender. At 8:45pm we headed to the gazebo and had our first dance, the father and daughter dance and groom and mother dance. At first we weren’t going to rent anything after the dinner but when I got thinking about it more and heard the other girls reviews we changed our mind and my husband ( I love saying husband) and I are so happy that we did. I think it was one of the best decisions we made and I have no regrets. The Dj and Bar was open till around 11pm after that some people went to bed and some headed off to the disco.

 

I know I am probably forgetting tons of information so please if you have any question feel free to ask. Check out our teaser pictures http://wpajamaica.com/tammy-rob/

 

 

[Kim Deslippe]

Thanks so much for the review Tammy.  Congrats to you and your new hubby on saying your I do's.  So glad to hear that everything turned out just as you hoped.  It think really helps put to the rest of us brides-to-be at ease (at least it does me anyway), knowing that everything can happen just as you dreamed of if you just have a little faith

I have also booked Rashel and Fiona for hair and makeup and I am sooo excited that I did.  You look absolutely stunning and your picture are wonderful, cannot wait to see more!
 

Originally Posted by tamandrob 

Hello Ladies

I am back!!! We left Feb 25th and got married on Feb 28th. Our guest came home March 3rd and we stayed an extra week and came home on the 10th. We had a group of 33 guest majority flew out of Ottawa. I am not sure where to start and I will probably miss some things along the way so if you have any questions feel free to ask. I just want to say as many others have that there is absolutely nothing to worry/stress about everything will be amazing. I couldn't have pictured my wedding day any better than what it was, it was everything I have dreamed of and more.

 

The resort: Check in was fairly quick and the resort was well organized. We found the staff at the front desk very helpful and pleasant to deal with. I have travelled quite a bit and found the resort rather large and it was hard for my Grandma to get around easily. I think that was one of the only negative things I found and it is just a personal preference. We stayed on the 4th floor in room 21409 and we had an amazing view of the gazebo, pools and ocean. The pools were very clean and a good temperature, we lounged near the far swim up bar as we found it to be quieter. It is hard to get lounge chairs by the pool most of them had towels on them by 7am. Our fridge was restocked daily and our maid Sharon was so nice and such a hard worker. We rented the safe out for $6 a day. No one in our group had any troubles with their valuables. The lobby bar was a great place to meet up after dinner for a few drinks and the entertainment was great. The shows at night were good too. I liked some more than others but we always had a great time. I really enjoyed watching the steel drum band from Kingston they were amazing. We went to the disco a few nights and it was okay, the DJ was good and he would play any song that you requested. The workers at the resort for the most part were very friendly and kind. Our favourite bartender was Jerome at the lobby bar, ask for a Jerome special they are so good! I did find that we were expected to tip a lot or it seemed that way.

 

The food: The food was great!! I am a very picky eater and I always found something to eat. I liked eating at the smaller buffet as it wasn't as busy as the large one. The A la Cartes were hard to book for early dinner times. If you don’t mind eating late then I wouldn't worry about it but if you like to eat before 8pm I suggest that you book them in advance. I booked the Japanese for the welcome dinner the day we arrived and it was so much fun we had 3 tables were the chiefs cook in front of you and it was so enjoyable and the food was delicious. We also ate at the Don Pablo and the Grill which were great too! The Jerk Centre on the beach had melted in your mouth chicken, we ate lunch there often. If you go to the guy cooking it on the grill he will give you fresh chicken which I found was better.

 

Now on to the wedding!!!!

 

Meeting: There was a note delivered to our room the night we arrived asking us to meet Chandlyn in the lobby at 10am the next day. Chandlyn is such a sweet lady and is very well organized. She had every email and request I sent in our file. We sorted out all the fine details such as menu, cake, decorations, etc. She told us to drop all our decorations off at the front lobby on Monday. Chandlyn and Donnalee are fantastic to work with and I only have great things to say about both of them.

 

Rehearsal: We met Donnalee at the Gazebo on Monday at 5:30pm with the wedding party and she walked us through everything and was happy to answer any questions that we had.

 

Getting ready: I hired Rashel Edwards to do are makeup and her friend Fiona to do our hair. I am so happy that I went with them. I showed Fiona pictures of how I wanted my hair and she did such and amazing job and it was exactly what I wanted. I also told Rashel I wanted a very natural look and that is what I got. I would highly recommend them to any bride. My bridesmaids loved their hair and makeup as well and were very pleased with the results. Rashel came to our room for noon and my ceremony was at 4pm.

 

Flowers: I went with Jan’s Flowers as they were cheaper than Tai Flora. My flowers arrived at the hotel at 2pm and 2 bridesmaids went to the lobby to get them. I did receive all of my order as I have heard other brides have had a few things missing. The only thing is my flowers weren’t exactly what I had asked for but they were still beautiful and it wasn’t that big of a deal to me.

 

Ceremony: I met Chandlyn in the lobby at 3:45pm with my bridesmaids and father, she took us to the beach on the golf cart and cued us when to start walking down the aisle. We hired the steel drum band and they were great. Our guest really enjoyed the ceremony music. After the ceremony everyone enjoyed a glass of champagne and listened to the steel drum band play. Then the pictures started.

 

Photography: We hired Sungold associates and Clayton Foster was our photographer with his assistant Shane. Clayton is such an amazing person and a great photographer I highly recommend him. I have only seen a few teaser pictures and they are beautiful!!! I can’t wait to see the rest. Clayton’s boss Paula was great to work with as well she always replied to email and phone calls very promptly. If you are in need of a photographer I would suggest you hire Clayton. We had him for 8 hours on the wedding day and then he came back the next day and did the TTD. We hired Kevin Morrison to take us and the photographer to our TTD destination, he was a great driver. I would recommend him if you need a taxi. We went to Mohoe Falls for the TTD and again I can’t wait to see the pictures! I can’t say enough great things about him, he is such a wonderful person and his work is truly amazing!!!!!!

 

Dinner and Reception: Dinner started at 6:30pm at the Dolce Vita, we had a head table with 8 people and we had 3 circular tables in front for guest. Our guest book was setup as you walked in and our decorations were exactly how I asked for them to be. The food was great we had the caprese salad, squash soup, chicken breast with ricotta and dessert. I did find that everyone was so full from the meal that no one ate the wedding cake. I asked for a very simple wedding cake with no designs on it but that is not what I got lol. Again we are very laid back and that was not a big deal to us. We did have a few speeches through dinner but nothing very formal. We rented out the gazebo and hired a DJ and the bartender. At 8:45pm we headed to the gazebo and had our first dance, the father and daughter dance and groom and mother dance. At first we weren’t going to rent anything after the dinner but when I got thinking about it more and heard the other girls reviews we changed our mind and my husband ( I love saying husband) and I are so happy that we did. I think it was one of the best decisions we made and I have no regrets. The Dj and Bar was open till around 11pm after that some people went to bed and some headed off to the disco.

 

I know I am probably forgetting tons of information so please if you have any question feel free to ask. Check out our teaser pictures http://wpajamaica.com/tammy-rob/

 

 

 

[lenyblair]

I love this website! It is so helpful! I will definitely post a review/pics when I get back from my wedding.

 

I'm getting married April 26th...anyone else?

[sbelland]

THanks for all the reviews ladies they have been more than helpful in the past year and have definitely calmed my nerves lately! You all looked beautiful!!!! I cannot wait until June! 78 days and counting until the big day  

 

[bedrockbride]

Hi We are getting married April 28 and arriving april 24. What have you guys decided on for reception at night?

[Kristo]

Is Rashel and Fiona for hair and makeup through the hotel spa? Or is it an outside vendor?  How far in advance did you book them?  And can I be nosey and ask how much they charge?

 

Thanks!

[Kim Deslippe]

The make artist is Rashel Edwards and Fiona is her assistant that does hair.  They are not through the resort, so it would be an outside vendor.  I booked Rashel in December; she is very popular and does amazing work, so I wanted to make sure she had my date available as early as possible.   You can see more of her work on Facebook, just search Rashel Edwards Makeup Artistry.  Your best bet for pricing would be to contact her because I believe her pricing may have went up slighty for 2012, but it was really reasonable (about $625 for hair and makeup for myself and 3 BM).  Her email is [email protected].

 

Originally Posted by Kristo 

Is Rashel and Fiona for hair and makeup through the hotel spa? Or is it an outside vendor?  How far in advance did you book them?  And can I be nosey and ask how much they charge?

 

Thanks!

 

[pask454]

Does anyone know a place/website to buy sandals for the wedding? Id like something white and sparkly!! Any help would be great!!!

 

Thanks

[lenyblair]

Hey, not sure what kind you are looking for...victoriassecret has a few. I bought a sparkly white wedge flip flop and they are pretty cheap.

If you are looking for something a bit more formal, davids bridal has a couple and DSW has a wedding shop. Also zappos.com has tons of shoes and a great filtering system, you can search by colour, price, style, theme, accents and more. All of these sites have international shopping too so you can get them in Canada.

If all of those fail, my favorite sight for shopping for anything is www.froogle.com you type in whatever you want "white sparkly sandals" and it will do the searching for you and show the results with prices. I don't by anything without "froogling" it first lol

Good Luck!

Originally Posted by pask454 

Does anyone know a place/website to buy sandals for the wedding? Id like something white and sparkly!! Any help would be great!!!

 

Thanks