Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[lcamer]

Kristo, that's so exciting that you're just about three weeks away! Can't wait to see pics when you get back!!

[Kristo]

 Yes I'm very excited and getting nervous too!!!  It's gonna be a GREAT party!!!!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcamer 

Kristo, that's so exciting that you're just about three weeks away! Can't wait to see pics when you get back!!

[FutureKeese22]

How much for everything? I noticed it was very reasonable on that website! Still waiting to receive my save the dates so I can send them out and figure out how many people are coming! That would be perfect! Congrats! Have so much fun! Can't wait to hear all about it! :-)

[Kristo]

 Not sure yet what I'll be selling them for.  I'll let you know once I get back and get everything sorted in June.

 

Originally Posted by FutureKeese22 

How much for everything? I noticed it was very reasonable on that website! Still waiting to receive my save the dates so I can send them out and figure out how many people are coming! That would be perfect! Congrats! Have so much fun! Can't wait to hear all about it! :-)

[AngelaFraser]

Hey girls!
I just got back from my wedding at Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay, and wanted to share my experiences with you all.
We met with the WC the day before our wedding, since we arrived late on April 28th and got married on April 30th. She is a very lovely person, and whatever you wanted or needed she would take care of. We picked out our cake and flavours, dinner selection (we even changed it up a bit), and had a meeting with the photography company at the resort. We did the $400 wedding package and had about 30 guests, wedding in the gazebo and dinner was at Dolce Vita.

I did my hair trial the day prior to the wedding. I brought photos of the way I wanted my hair, which was down with large curls. This was the only bad experience that I had at the resort. The girls at the spa used old curling irons from Wal-mart it looked like, back-combed my hair so much that I looked insane and put the tightest curls in my hair that it made me look like a poodle. Definitely not what I had asked for. I had to brush it out and basically do it myself. When I went on my wedding day to get my hair done with my MOH and bridesmaid, I felt sick to my stomach because I had no idea how this was going to turn out. My MOH's hair ended up completely falling out due to the humidity, as well as mine. My bridesmaid had the tightest curls (and short hair) and we ended up having to comb water through them to loosen them a bit. I was also burned TWO times with the curling iron, one in the front right on my forehead and the other on the back of my neck. The one on my neck hurt pretty bad, but it subsided... the one on my forehead though blistered and still hurts a week later. The girl didn't even say anything after I pulled away from her and said ouch... she just looked at me like "oh, suck it up." Needless to say, hire out someone to do your hair and make-up. All I wanted was to have large loose curls, and to have my hair down. For the $300 I paid for all three of us to get our hair done, I felt like it was a waste and not even a relaxing or enjoyable experience. We could have done our own hair better in my opinion. I think the spa girls are used to doing wedding hair a certain way with a certain style, and that is all that they know how to do. If you really care about your hair, hire someone off the resort or practice with a girlfriend at home who can do your hair for you on your wedding day.

We decided to use the photographer from the resort to do our wedding photos. I had friends get engagement photos done there a few months ago and they were lovely, so I wasn't too worried about them. The company is "Arrecife" Bahia Principe Jamaica and you can find them on Facebook to few sample photos. We bought the Medium package with included getting ready before the ceremony, the ceremony itself, as well as photos after the ceremony. Our photographer was Emmanuel and he was wonderful. I had brought sample photos of ones that I loved, and he made sure that I got them all. I had included ones that I loved from their Facebook page, and all of the ones I picked were actually taken by him! It was wonderful! He took 400 photos, and we got to choose 50 with our package. After about 120 is got REALLY difficult to pick, so he did a very good job. Everything was done and ready for us to pick up 2 days after our wedding.

My husband and I decided to meet right before we went for our wedding ceremony, and I am SO glad that I did. It was a private meeting, just him and I with the photographer and it was perfect. With the long walk down to the gazebo and the wind, I had no idea how I would look by the time I reached him. Haha. I was so happy that I did this... I was a special moment that allowed us to take a break and have some alone time on a day that is so busy and crazy. I cried like a baby, he cried like a baby... and it was so beautiful.

Our ceremony was lovely. The WC did everything that I had asked, and I was very lucky to be the only wedding on that day. The weather was great for the ceremony at 4pm, although it is breezy out at the gazebo, so if you have a veil get ready! I brought little bags with flower petals in them to put on the chairs, and that was all. We also paid the extra amount for the chair ties.The minister was very kind and had a soothing voice that made everything perfect. He was very sweet and talked to us a bit in private at the end of the ceremony. We had brought our own vows, and this made it even more perfect. I saw over half of the people in our wedding group of 30 crying at some point during the ceremony, which means it was a success! Haha.

After photos we walked back to our room to change (we were a disaster because we chose to take photos in the ocean, and I had a 2nd dress), and while we were walking throughout the resort everyone stops and cheers, yells, claps, congrats, whistles, cries, give you compliments. I swear it was one of the nicest things that people have ever done, and it made us feel like rockstars! It was the whole way back to our room, which was a solid 10 minutes. So fun, and EVERYONE seemed to know who we were and remember us for the rest of the week. It was great!

We had our reception at Dolce Vita, and it was PERFECT. Right by the ocean, you look out the windows and you are so close all you see it blue water. We had a head table with 4 people, and then 3 circulal tables that seat a max of 8 people. We were in our own room (the circular part that you see in photos right on the water) that was perfect for our wedding reception. They cover the tables in white table clothes, and then I had brought table runners and some vases with orchids and floating candle for the centre pieces. I had also made a whole bunch of candle holders with white lace around them... when lite with a candle in the dim lighting they had it looked lovely! The food was SO good. The best meal I had there, and everyone loved it and kept talking about their favorite throughout the week. We chose the chicken with walnuts, squash and thyme soup, etc. We subbed out the desert for another that we liked better and it was served along with the wedding cake. I brought my own purple orchids to decorate the cake as well. We also had a seperate table at the front to sign our guestbook tree, and another table to the side to write guests wishes on paper lanters that we released after dinner. I asked my mom to go check in on the reception set-up before everyone got there... just to make sure everything was the way I had wanted it. Donnalee was there taking care of everything, and to my mom's amazement everything was perfect! Just as I had described. Donnalee just smiled at my mom and told her that she would take care of everything and not to worry. The room in Dolce Vita was so private that we did speeches and toasts with no problem at all, and without worry of bothering other guests. I had pre-booked this location 5 months before, not knowing that we were the only ones getting married on this day. Heehee.

We had dinner at the Grill on our last night, and there were two wedding receptions going on while we were there. Both on opposite sides of eachother, but definitely not as private as at the Dolce Vita... and it was HOT. I felt sick by the end of dinner because of the heat, and I could only imagine how hot the wedding party must have been. Also, with this restaurant the set up for table is just one LONG table. If you have a smaller group it would be fine, but with a large group it makes it difficult to talk to people. At Dolce Vita people were walking around moving from table to table and talking to eachother easily. I really did prefer it a thousand times more than the Grill. (Just my opinion)

The maids decorated our room for the night, and my mother-in-law had paid extra from our room to be covered in real rose petals and had candle lit everywhere in our room. We had champagne as well as a fuit basket waiting for us as well. The cleaning staff was lovely, and so fun. They decorated our door even, and joked around with us whenever we passed them in the hallway.

For our wedding guests I made OOT bags, and it was wonderful because then everyone recognized us as being "the wedding group". They were bright yellow and white striped beach bags from Ardene, and they were great for reserving beach chairs and letting other wedding group members that "this was our spot". We used them on the beach as well as for shopping, and the little things inside came it handle quite often throughout the week. I'm glad I did it!

All in all, it was a lovely week. Everyone was wonderful and friendly (aside from the spa stylists), and I could not have asked for a more perfect wedding. You will all LOVE it! Again, I would hire out another hair stylist, reserve the Dolce Vita for the reception, do a "pre-ceremony" meet with your fiance, and definitely consider the resort photographers and BRING PHOTOS OF WHAT YOU WANT.
 

[Kristo]

Did any of the recent brides tip the wedding planners at all?  If so, how did you do it and what did you give?  Just trying to figure out my budget down there and didn't know how it all worked..

 

Thanks!

[AngelaFraser]

Hey!
I tipped them $20 each. Both of them helped me over the past few months, so I just brought a card for each and wrote a thank you along with the money. The people at the front desk just put it in their office for you, or you can just request to meet with them to give them your card and pick up your marriage licence papers you take home!

[JayKay]

We got them a card and brought some nice body lotion/wash with us and gave that to them instead of money.

Originally Posted by Kristo 

Did any of the recent brides tip the wedding planners at all?  If so, how did you do it and what did you give?  Just trying to figure out my budget down there and didn't know how it all worked..

 

Thanks!

[AngelaFraser]

Hey Girls!
I just got back from my wedding at the Gran Bahia Prinicpe Runaway Bay and posted my wedding photos on Facebook. I made the album public, so you guys can check them out! I wrote out a review this morning but the mediators are reviewing it because I don't usually post anything... so I'm not sure when it will show up!
Our photographer was Emmanuel from Arrecife Studios on the resort, and we loved him!

[FutureKeese22]

I can't find you on facebook! :-( I want to look at your pictures! :-)