Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[STemple]

I got married on October 20th. we had fabulous weather and a great time. what did you want to know?

My main concern is weather, how was it when you were there?

[swtng]

We had our wedding on June 24th at 1pm and it was beautiful! All 40 of our guests described it as magical. We used Luxe Destination Weddings to book from Toronto and had some problems such as having our agent quit without notice 2 weeks before the final balance was due. We were never informed that the agent left and only found out after my sister in law lost her patience with the unanswered messages and contacted the manager. We were assigned a new agent. The biggest disappointment was that when we arrived at the Montego Bay airport we realized that our travel agent did not send us our transport vouchers. Only one person in a group of 8 received the travel voucher. Thank goodness for that! We could at least prove that we were supposed to be transferred to the hotel. I would advise anyone booking with Luxe Destination Weddings to expect some glitches. The name implies that they are more helpful than other agents when booking a destination wedding. Unless you pay extra for their wedding planning services they are just going to book your flights and that's all. Don't even bother paying Luxe for their wedding planning services if you are getting married at the Gran Bahia Jamaica, the wedding team at the resort is exceptional. We arrived on June 21st and met with one of the wedding coordinators, Vinette. She was a pleasure to work with. She was very patient and spent over an hour with us going over every detail of our wedding. Before the meeting, I had prepared programs and a seating list. I also brought photos of how I wanted the table decor to be set up. I had a reception schedule planned with playlists for the DJ. Vinette advised me of things in my plans that would not work and offered alternatives. At that meeting, we settled the costs- 2500 USD to have the reception at the Picasso and 900 USD for the Unforgettable package. We had 10 more guests than the package allowed so that was 35 USD x10 and we had to pay cash for the chair sashes 40x 2.50 USD. Vinette walked us through what to expect on the wedding day and took us to see the reception venue. I had to request that my future mother-in-law and groom get a ride to the gazebo. It's a long walk in heels and they only give the bridal party a ride. After all that was planned, we enjoyed relaxing on the beach for the next couple of days. It was amazing to relax on the beach with family and friends the day before the wedding. I got Rashel Edwards to do makeup and she has a hair stylist who works with her. She charges 70 USD for makeup per person, 70 USD for hair per person and 100 USD travel fee. They did a great job with hair and makeup. They came to the room and that way we didn't have to rush back from the spa and risk bumping into the groom. There was supposed to be a 75 USD fee to get each of them a day pass but Vinette waived that for us. I was told that is not always the case so please beware if you are booking outside vendors. On the morning of the wedding, she and the hair stylist arrived at 10am. They did hair and make up for 4 people and I was ready at 1 pm. The golf cart drove us to the gazebo and the steel band was playing. The procession was beautiful with the steel band music and it was a long walk to the gazebo so I really got to soak it all in. The gazebo is windy but everyone was able to hear the ceremony. The weather was perfect. No rain for the entire week we were there. I brought palm leaf fans for all the guests in case it was too hot but the sun went behind the clouds and it was a very comfortable for the ceremony. It was really beautiful to get married in that gazebo overlooking the ocean. It felt very private although there were some onlookers in bathing suits nearby. I didn't even notice them until I spotted them in a friend's photo. It all part of the fun and we had a good laugh about it. After the ceremony, we had drinks and mingled with our guests. We took a group photo at the gazebo and then photos with our guests. We did not feel rushed to leave the gazebo at all. The wedding team took down the decorations and the band left but we lingered to take photos. The band packed up and left before I knew they were gone. I regret not getting to tip them because they really added a special feel to the setting. We used Merrick Cousley for photography. The package we chose cost 2300 USD but the resort charged us 800 USD as a penalty for not using their services. The shocker came after we paid that and was told that we needed to pay 75 USD for his day pass. Again, Vinette waived that for us. Merrick is amazing! He pays attention to every little detail and has a sharp eye for setting up the perfect shot. His equipment is impressive and the slideshow he presented during the reception really confirmed our belief that he is among the best. He arrived around 11:30am and stayed until the last sky lantern was released. We had 15 free photos from the resort included in our wedding package. The photographer was Christopher Lee. He was able to get great candid photos during the ceremony and if we weren't so picky about photography, I would have no problem using the resort's photo services. I love photography and I love how editing makes photos 'pop'. That's what Merrick offers that is different from the resort. If I didn't have the budget, then the resort's photography would be great for capturing the memories. I didn't order flowers or any extras because photos were more important to us My mother-in-law surprised us with flowers for the ceremony and a bouquet of roses for me. She also paid for the bartender and videographer so I can't comment on those costs. The chair with sashes as well as the flowers were moved to our reception venue. The reception was at 6:30pm at the Picasso. Again, the staff did a wonderful job with setting up the tables and decor. When we walked in, it was so beautiful. For dinner, we had salmon and rice as the entree. It was honestly the best wedding food I've ever had. The wedding cake that came with the package was three tiers and it was delicious. After dinner, we had 2 hrs of dancing. The bartenders helped to keep the party going but I wouldn't have the budget for them if my mother-in-law didn't pay for it. I'm sure that another solution could be found...Vinette was present throughout making sure that everything was going according to our plans. The DJ informed me when it was the last dance. When that was done, the tables were cleared and I asked friends to collect the decor, guest book and flowers I wanted to keep. Make sure that all your guests have their belongings because everything gets thrown out after the reception. We walked to the Gazebo and lit the sky lanterns. It was a perfect way to end the evening. We had such a great day and we were very impressed with the staff who helped at our wedding, from the coordinators to the servers, it was a pleasure to work with everyone. [/img][/img]

[leannesmith]

We had our wedding on June 24th at 1pm and it was beautiful! All 40 of our guests described it as magical. We used Luxe Destination Weddings to book from Toronto and had some problems such as having our agent quit without notice 2 weeks before the final balance was due. We were never informed that the agent left and only found out after my sister in law lost her patience with the unanswered messages and contacted the manager. We were assigned a new agent. The biggest disappointment was that when we arrived at the Montego Bay airport we realized that our travel agent did not send us our transport vouchers. Only one person in a group of 8 received the travel voucher. Thank goodness for that! We could at least prove that we were supposed to be transferred to the hotel. I would advise anyone booking with Luxe Destination Weddings to expect some glitches. The name implies that they are more helpful than other agents when booking a destination wedding. Unless you pay extra for their wedding planning services they are just going to book your flights and that's all. Don't even bother paying Luxe for their wedding planning services if you are getting married at the Gran Bahia Jamaica, the wedding team at the resort is exceptional. We arrived on June 21st and met with one of the wedding coordinators, Vinette. She was a pleasure to work with. She was very patient and spent over an hour with us going over every detail of our wedding. Before the meeting, I had prepared programs and a seating list. I also brought photos of how I wanted the table decor to be set up. I had a reception schedule planned with playlists for the DJ. Vinette advised me of things in my plans that would not work and offered alternatives. At that meeting, we settled the costs- 2500 USD to have the reception at the Picasso and 900 USD for the Unforgettable package. We had 10 more guests than the package allowed so that was 35 USD x10 and we had to pay cash for the chair sashes 40x 2.50 USD. Vinette walked us through what to expect on the wedding day and took us to see the reception venue. I had to request that my future mother-in-law and groom get a ride to the gazebo. It's a long walk in heels and they only give the bridal party a ride. After all that was planned, we enjoyed relaxing on the beach for the next couple of days. It was amazing to relax on the beach with family and friends the day before the wedding. I got Rashel Edwards to do makeup and she has a hair stylist who works with her. She charges 70 USD for makeup per person, 70 USD for hair per person and 100 USD travel fee. They did a great job with hair and makeup. They came to the room and that way we didn't have to rush back from the spa and risk bumping into the groom. There was supposed to be a 75 USD fee to get each of them a day pass but Vinette waived that for us. I was told that is not always the case so please beware if you are booking outside vendors. On the morning of the wedding, she and the hair stylist arrived at 10am. They did hair and make up for 4 people and I was ready at 1 pm. The golf cart drove us to the gazebo and the steel band was playing. The procession was beautiful with the steel band music and it was a long walk to the gazebo so I really got to soak it all in. The gazebo is windy but everyone was able to hear the ceremony. The weather was perfect. No rain for the entire week we were there. I brought palm leaf fans for all the guests in case it was too hot but the sun went behind the clouds and it was a very comfortable for the ceremony. It was really beautiful to get married in that gazebo overlooking the ocean. It felt very private although there were some onlookers in bathing suits nearby. I didn't even notice them until I spotted them in a friend's photo. It all part of the fun and we had a good laugh about it. After the ceremony, we had drinks and mingled with our guests. We took a group photo at the gazebo and then photos with our guests. We did not feel rushed to leave the gazebo at all. The wedding team took down the decorations and the band left but we lingered to take photos. The band packed up and left before I knew they were gone. I regret not getting to tip them because they really added a special feel to the setting. We used Merrick Cousley for photography. The package we chose cost 2300 USD but the resort charged us 800 USD as a penalty for not using their services. The shocker came after we paid that and was told that we needed to pay 75 USD for his day pass. Again, Vinette waived that for us. Merrick is amazing! He pays attention to every little detail and has a sharp eye for setting up the perfect shot. His equipment is impressive and the slideshow he presented during the reception really confirmed our belief that he is among the best. He arrived around 11:30am and stayed until the last sky lantern was released. We had 15 free photos from the resort included in our wedding package. The photographer was Christopher Lee. He was able to get great candid photos during the ceremony and if we weren't so picky about photography, I would have no problem using the resort's photo services. I love photography and I love how editing makes photos 'pop'. That's what Merrick offers that is different from the resort. If I didn't have the budget, then the resort's photography would be great for capturing the memories. I didn't order flowers or any extras because photos were more important to us My mother-in-law surprised us with flowers for the ceremony and a bouquet of roses for me. She also paid for the bartender and videographer so I can't comment on those costs. The chair with sashes as well as the flowers were moved to our reception venue. The reception was at 6:30pm at the Picasso. Again, the staff did a wonderful job with setting up the tables and decor. When we walked in, it was so beautiful. For dinner, we had salmon and rice as the entree. It was honestly the best wedding food I've ever had. The wedding cake that came with the package was three tiers and it was delicious. After dinner, we had 2 hrs of dancing. The bartenders helped to keep the party going but I wouldn't have the budget for them if my mother-in-law didn't pay for it. I'm sure that another solution could be found...Vinette was present throughout making sure that everything was going according to our plans. The DJ informed me when it was the last dance. When that was done, the tables were cleared and I asked friends to collect the decor, guest book and flowers I wanted to keep. Make sure that all your guests have their belongings because everything gets thrown out after the reception. We walked to the Gazebo and lit the sky lanterns. It was a perfect way to end the evening. We had such a great day and we were very impressed with the staff who helped at our wedding, from the coordinators to the servers, it was a pleasure to work with everyone. [/img][/img]

Congrats. Sounds like your wedding was beautiful. Is the Picasso the outdoor private venue? I thought it was called the Piscus but it may have changed or could be totally different . I was quoted 1700 for the outdoor. Can't wait to see merricks photos......he is amazing. Congrats again. 3 months to go for our big day.

[soontobeawalsh]

Originally Posted by swtng 

 

We had our wedding on June 24th at 1pm and it was beautiful! All 40 of our guests described it as magical.

 

We used Luxe Destination Weddings to book from Toronto and had some problems such as having our agent quit without notice 2 weeks before the final balance was due. We were never informed that the agent left and only found out after my sister in law lost her patience with the unanswered messages and contacted the manager. We were assigned a new agent. The biggest disappointment was that when we arrived at the Montego Bay airport we realized that our travel agent did not send us our transport vouchers. Only one person in a group of 8 received the travel voucher. Thank goodness for that! We could at least prove that we were supposed to be transferred to the hotel. I would advise anyone booking with Luxe Destination Weddings to expect some glitches. The name implies that they are more helpful than other agents when booking a destination wedding. Unless you pay extra for their wedding planning services they are just going to book your flights and that's all. Don't even bother paying Luxe for their wedding planning services if you are getting married at the Gran Bahia Jamaica, the wedding team at the resort is exceptional.

 

We arrived on June 21st and met with one of the wedding coordinators, Vinette. She was a pleasure to work with. She was very patient and spent over an hour with us going over every detail of our wedding. Before the meeting, I had prepared programs and a seating list. I also brought photos of how I wanted the table decor to be set up. I had a reception schedule planned with playlists for the DJ. Vinette advised me of things in my plans that would not work and offered alternatives. At that meeting, we settled the costs- 2500 USD to have the reception at the Picasso and 900 USD for the Unforgettable package. We had 10 more guests than the package allowed so that was 35 USD x10 and we had to pay cash for the chair sashes 40x 2.50 USD. Vinette walked us through what to expect on the wedding day and took us to see the reception venue. I had to request that my future mother-in-law and groom get a ride to the gazebo. It's a long walk in heels and they only give the bridal party a ride. After all that was planned, we enjoyed relaxing on the beach for the next couple of days. It was amazing to relax on the beach with family and friends the day before the wedding.

 

I got Rashel Edwards to do makeup and she has a hair stylist who works with her. She charges 70 USD for makeup per person, 70 USD for hair per person and 100 USD travel fee. They did a great job with hair and makeup. They came to the room and that way we didn't have to rush back from the spa and risk bumping into the groom. There was supposed to be a 75 USD fee to get each of them a day pass but Vinette waived that for us. I was told that is not always the case so please beware if you are booking outside vendors. On the morning of the wedding, she and the hair stylist arrived at 10am. They did hair and make up for 4 people and I was ready at 1 pm.

 

The golf cart drove us to the gazebo and the steel band was playing. The procession was beautiful with the steel band music and it was a long walk to the gazebo so I really got to soak it all in. The gazebo is windy but everyone was able to hear the ceremony. The weather was perfect. No rain for the entire week we were there. I brought palm leaf fans for all the guests in case it was too hot but the sun went behind the clouds and it was a very comfortable for the ceremony. It was really beautiful to get married in that gazebo overlooking the ocean. It felt very private although there were some onlookers in bathing suits nearby. I didn't even notice them until I spotted them in a friend's photo. It all part of the fun and we had a good laugh about it.

 

After the ceremony, we had drinks and mingled with our guests. We took a group photo at the gazebo and then photos with our guests. We did not feel rushed to leave the gazebo at all. The wedding team took down the decorations and the band left but we lingered to take photos. The band packed up and left before I knew they were gone. I regret not getting to tip them because they really added a special feel to the setting.

 

We used Merrick Cousley for photography. The package we chose cost 2300 USD but the resort charged us 800 USD as a penalty for not using their services. The shocker came after we paid that and was told that we needed to pay 75 USD for his day pass. Again, Vinette waived that for us. Merrick is amazing! He pays attention to every little detail and has a sharp eye for setting up the perfect shot. His equipment is impressive and the slideshow he presented during the reception really confirmed our belief that he is among the best. He arrived around 11:30am and stayed until the last sky lantern was released. We had 15 free photos from the resort included in our wedding package. The photographer was Christopher Lee. He was able to get great candid photos during the ceremony and if we weren't so picky about photography, I would have no problem using the resort's photo services. I love photography and I love how editing makes photos 'pop'. That's what Merrick offers that is different from the resort. If I didn't have the budget, then the resort's photography would be great for capturing the memories. I didn't order flowers or any extras because photos were more important to us

 

My mother-in-law surprised us with flowers for the ceremony and a bouquet of roses for me. She also paid for the bartender and videographer so I can't comment on those costs. The chair with sashes as well as the flowers were moved to our reception venue.

 

The reception was at 6:30pm at the Picasso. Again, the staff did a wonderful job with setting up the tables and decor. When we walked in, it was so beautiful. For dinner, we had salmon and rice as the entree. It was honestly the best wedding food I've ever had. The wedding cake that came with the package was three tiers and it was delicious. After dinner, we had 2 hrs of dancing. The bartenders helped to keep the party going but I wouldn't have the budget for them if my mother-in-law didn't pay for it. I'm sure that another solution could be found...Vinette was present throughout making sure that everything was going according to our plans.

 

The DJ informed me when it was the last dance. When that was done, the tables were cleared and I asked friends to collect the decor, guest book and flowers I wanted to keep. Make sure that all your guests have their belongings because everything gets thrown out after the reception.

 

We walked to the Gazebo and lit the sky lanterns. It was a perfect way to end the evening. We had such a great day and we were very impressed with the staff who helped at our wedding, from the coordinators to the servers, it was a pleasure to work with everyone.

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your review!!  It sounds like you had a WONDERFUL wedding!  I am green with envy that you had Merrick Cousley as your photographer...I really wanted him but with the $800 vendor fee he was just too much outside of our budget.  Im sure your pictures will be amazing he is awesome!  

Congrats on your wedding!

[swtng]

The Picasso is an indoor restaurant. It's a new part of the resort that was given to me as an option by Chandlyn. We saw receptions at the Picese venue and they looked really nice as well. The resort has lights wrapped around the poles and it looks really pretty at night.

[MelB2012]

Originally Posted by Stay cee1 

 

Hey Ladies...

I can hardly believe the time is just about here...!  We leave July 4th for our July 9th wedding.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm looking forward to boarding the plane and getting a few days of RnR before the family arrives. There were a few dramatic events during the booking process with my immediate family...but...we are here...lost some of my guest count..but....still have 40 booked....and now with the exception of getting my mani/pedi the day before departure...i do believe I am ready. 

 

I wanted to let you ladies know....all of the tips I have read for over a year has been just amazing.  I learned so much from this site, and I saved over $400 on invitations by opting to DIY which I was able to put towards my dream dress!!!!.....my programs fans (DIY), my wedding tags (DIY), oot bags (bought them at the dollarstore and decorated them DIY).  I'm very happy with the outcome and will post pics of everything when we get back.

To the planning brides-to-be...this site is awesome...I can honestly say I read all previous 485 pages and it was all good!!   Now...with 3 suitcases packed and at the door waiting + 2 carry-ons and my dress...Yayyyyyyyyyy...Jamaica here we come!!

 

Reviews and pics to come.

Congrats Girl! I look forward to your review. Have a great time!

[MelB2012]

I got the call! My dress is in!! I wasn't expecting it unti lthe end of the month!!

 

I'm heading back up the cottage tomorrow. So I guess I will try to make an apt to see it on July 20th? Still so far! But closer than when I thought I would go in August!

 

Yay!!

[Candice37]

Hi There,

Any Brides who got married around April 30th 2013 have you gotten your marriage certificate in the mail yet? I know they said it takes 6-8 weeks -but it has been that. I really wanna change my last name!! SarahJ?? or Koolaide?? have you gotten yours?...thanks!

[FutureKeese22]

Hey Current Brides... I was just wondering...did you have to fax in your identification or did you actually have to courier out notarized copies of your birth certificates, passports, etc.  In the wedding package information, it says fax...but Vinnette (an assistant wedding planner) has told me that I need to courier the documents.  I have to admit, I'm a bit apprehensive to send over these official documents...especially since past brides have said that they never even looked at them when they were brought into the hotel.  I am also wondering if we get these documents back - because, quite frankly, I would want official documents that have all this information back in my possession.  Please let me know! I have been waiting to hear back from the assistant planner for over a week and a half now...and am getting quite antsy - as I don't want my date and time given away AGAIN!  Any info would help! Thanks!

I I emailed copies of my passport and my husbands and copies of our birth certificates. I brought our birth certificates and they never askd to see them. I was there two weeks ago! :-) will post a review soon!

[FutureKeese22]

 

Hi ladies! I am finally back from my June 22nd wedding! We arrived on June 19th and stayed until June 26th! I met with the wedding planners the next day for about an hour to go over all details of the wedding! There were supposed to be two other brides getting married on June 22nd before me, but they never checked in or showed up (which the wedding planners said that can happen and they can cancel without them knowing) So our wedding was the only one that day scheduled at 3 pm! We paid for the chair sashes with cash and went with the free package. We had 30 guests and ate at the Dolce Vita at 6 pm, was amazing! We had our own private room and although they were having problems with the air conditioning and mosquitoes it was a great time! I will probably jump around a lot so bare with me! ;-) We switched up the menu a bit...we went with the ceasar salad with chicken, tomato soup, chicken and tiramisu. Our wedding cake was two layers...vanilla and chocolate and it was amazing! We rented out the gazebo for after dinner, but we did not have a DJ or a bartender. We decided to use an ipod and an ipod docking station. It was perfect. We asked to have rum punch, ice and cups down at the gazebo at 8:30 (this was no extra cost) (we rented the gazebo from 8:30 to 10:30 pm) The rum punch not there when we got there at 8:30 so one of my guests had to walk all the way to the front desk to ask where it was. (It is a long walk and I was very disappointed). It finally arrived and our guests all enjoyed it. During our wedding review with the wedding planner I told her what I was disappointed with and she said she told them to have the rum punch down there and was very sorry and set my husband and I up with a dinner outside at the Dolce Vita on the deck overlooking the ocean. It was very romantic, but the mosquitoes drove me nuts! The chairs at the gazebo after dinner were also stacked and our guests had to unstack them and set their chairs down where they wanted. When all my guests and I checked in when we got to the hotel we were all walked past the front desk and into the Don Pablo Luxury Collection room. Little did we know that my entire wedding party was upgraded to the Don Pablo wing for FREE which WAS AMAZING! Check in was a breeze, we all got champagne and whatever drinks you wanted with top shelf liquor. They explained everything to us about how this upgrade worked. We had our own private pool with cabanas, we could go into the lounge for top shelf liquor, breakfast pastries, appetizers, etc, free wifi and any problems you had with your room or the resort, you went to the Don Pablo lounge and they would take care of it. My guests all loved it and it was a great start to the trip! The rooms were amazing as well! This part of the resort was built in December of 2012. Anyway, my wedding day was perfect all in all! The weather was hot and sunny! I flew in my own photographer from Iowa with me. I was harrassed by Arrifice studio a few times to pay the $800 vendor fee. (neither I or my photographer had to pay it) and I went into the Don Pablo collection and expressed my concern and they said YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $800 FEE THEY ARE AN OUTSIDE VENDOR FROM THE RESORT!!!!! Neither of us paid the fee. I thought it was ridiculous anyway because her and her husband were a paying guest and they stayed for over a week! We did pick out our five free pictures from the resort photographer. Anyway, we got the steel drum band, which was great as well...they played while my sister and Eric's best man walked down the aisle and then I had a cd of a song I wanted played when my mom, dad and I walked down the aisle. Ceremony was a breeze...we said our own vows, I did not like how we had to sign the marriage certificate in the middle of the ceremony...wish that was after it was all said and done, but oh well. We all had champagne after the ceremony and listened to the steel drum band, took pictures and enjoyed ourselves! After the ceremony our guests went to change or get more comfortable shoes on and went to the lobby bar. I went back to my room to have my hair put up because it was hot having it down! I had it down for the ceremony and up for the rest of the night. My hair stylist was my friend who came with and I did my own makeup. We did sky lanterns at the gazebo after dinner, danced and had fun. After the gazebo a lot of us went into the shopping area where all the shops/disco/sports bar and stage are and danced, danced, danced! The wedding planners do know what they are doing and set everything up the way I asked. I gave them a few decorations, our sand ceremony, etc and they took care of everything for me! I did pay an extra $80 US to get my OFFICIAL marriage certificate delivered to me in less than 2 weeks rather than 6-8 weeks. You do get a copy of you marriage certificate before you leave as well. The minister gave it to my Dad after the wedding! I'm sorry my review is all over the place, if you have any more questions or want more details about certain things please don't hesitate to ask! Your day will go perfect even if there are a few little mishaps! I don't regret anything about my day at all! There were so many signs that I made the right choice and we were meant to get married there! :-) I wish I could relive it everyday because it honestly was such a great time and I am so glad I didn't have to plan much and the wedding planners took care of everything for me! I did have a bouquet which was beautiful from Tai Flora! I will post more pics as I get them! :-)