Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[asamoluk]

I am getting married at the same resort on October 31, 2013.  Maybe we can catch up!
 

[DandM2013]

Originally Posted by SarahInNS 

 

Question for the ladies who have had their wedding already! Which cake flavour did you get, and would you choose it again? We cant decide between chocolate, vanilla or coconut!

 

Also, for anyone who rented the gazebo or poolside after dinner, and chose NOT to have a DJ, what was provided, if anything, for you to play music on? Was there a fee?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

 

My wedding cake was 3 layers ( we needed to feed 70 people)  and we choose a different flavour for each layer. Chocolate, Vanilla-Rasberry and Coconut. I got compliments on all 3 flavors. I only tried the Rasberry and it was great.

[DandM2013]

Originally Posted by AngRiggs 

 

Your wedding sounds like it was amazing!! I'm getting married October 29. I also have Tamika now. I am trying to find out about upgraded chairs and she redirects me to TaiFlora who I've been trying to reach since March. How did you deal with your upgrades? Did you just choose them once you got there? thanks

 

 

I never contacted Tai Flora directly, I told Chandlyn originally what I wanted in an email. I told her how many bouquets and extra decor and she contacted tai flora and priced it for me. I have their catalogue somewhere in my old emails I can email it to you if you want. You can look at all the decor options.

 

I finalized everything when I was there. Honestly, do not worry too much about the emails... They can make anything happen in a matter of days...

 

Just come organized and prepared and give clear directions and you will be OK

[CdnBrideJoanne]

Originally Posted by Stay cee1 

 

Now that I’ve had some time to settle in and semi-unpack...i thought I would take the time to post my review.   We arrived Thursday July 4th and stayed until July 16th.  We enjoyed our time to the fullest extent.   Flight: WestJet treated us great. They offered us pre-boarding because of the dress....which helped a lot as it was a full flight. Dont feel bad about making this request...!!  We travelled with our hand held steamer...but I couldn't stomach squishing my dress between luggage bags before the big day...! Since we were the only wedding couple on board and the flight crew kept treating us to snacks, complimentary champagne and rum punch. We arrived in Jamaica with a party mode and all juiced up..LOL.   Check-In: The front desk treated us to a sweet and cool drink as we approached the desk, and our check in was seamless..the staff had our vote from the start.   Resort: We stayed in room 17404 which turned out just fine as we were near the beach, and the pool. The resort is big, so be prepared to do plenty of walking and stairs climbing. After day 2, we started using the elevators as much as possible..our knees were on fire....LOL. There is no complaint about the food...there was certainly a lot of it...the drinks at the lobby bar and patio was always good and I loved how very liberal they were with the rum too!!  We enjoyed the buffet and the variety it offered daily. We even ended up cancelling one of our dinner reservations to one of the restaurants and just ate at the buffet instead. The Piscis snack bar at lunch time was awesome...the staff made sure you had lots to drink, and the jerk chicken was divine!! The pool was awesome. We spent much of our late afternoons there after leaving the beach...its also an excellent gathering spot if you need to catch up with any of your guests. If I can offer you any advice it’s to write down your guests room numbers....we had 42 guests...it was hard to keep track, but once we had a list of everyone’s rooms, we pretty much found it easy to call and book breakfast with one bunch, lunch with another, and dinner with the rest. Once we got around to everyone, we pretty much left them alone to enjoy their vacation...everyone was fine with that!!   Wedding Info: We got a call from Donnalee with the appointed time and place to meet. We went over all the details (she was very thorough and walked us through what the day would be like). She ensured we knew what time to be dressed, where we should be, and took all the information related to our guests (head count on and off the resort), names of each person arriving that were not staying on the resort, noted food allergies, food preferences for our vegetarians, as we made our meal choices. She was sweet, patient, and very accommodating. We handed over our suitcase filled with wedding items and she asked our vision, and assured us she would take care of everything.   Hair & Make Up: I went to a local salon and got my hair did for 1/3 of the cost the resort spa offered. For anyone that needs hair pieces added in, please ensure you bring your own. They couldn’t accommodate me with this, and when out the day prior to the wedding purchasing hair pieces, I came across a salon another local bride just walked out of looking simply divine!! I walked in, got an appointment for 9am on my wedding day, complete with a driver...they guaranteed I would be back on the resort by 11am, and they kept that promise. For the driver, tip for the stylist and driver, my hair, and eyelashes, I spent less than half of the quote I got from the resort spa. Make up for myself an all the girls were done by my friend who travelled with us....we were all very happy with her work!!!!   Our Wedding day was Tuesday July 9th. With my hair done by 11am, I had enough time to get my nails re-polished at the spa on the resort for $20 US, sit down for my make up by 1:30, and was in my dress by 3:15 for my 4pm wedding. A friend of my husband did our photo shoot which included my mom, my sister, and all the girls prior to the start of the wedding in the lobby. Vinnette was the assistant that met me in the lobby, and guided myself first along with everyone else in to the golf cart for our trip down to the gazebo. The décor to match our colors was perfect...The music was queued right on time...the wedding team guided through every step of the ceremony, including the minister who was flawless in his delivery, and personalized everything which suited us just fine. Our guests commented how magical and beautiful the ceremony was...it felt like a dream come true for both of us and was very emotional.   Don't worry about all the little details...it comes together so great..and even if a few small things fall apart...they are so well trained and professional...they will ensure everything comes together smoothly for you!!   Our reception was held at The Grill were we found the staff very easy going and accommodating. With the exception of the soup being way too salty, and the service being a bit too slow...we enjoyed ourselves!! We had the coleslaw, salmon with tequila reduction, apple crumble...everything was delicious. The wedding cake was a hit with everyone too! The left over was delivered to our room along with all of our personal items (centrepieces, candles, flowers...ect).   After this, we all went back to change...some guests sauntered off to the bar...we all met later at the disco for the after party which was good times as well!!   Overall, I would recommend a destination wedding to anyone.  I loved the magical feeling of not having to stress about too much..and even if stress comes your way...its easy to tune it out with the island vibe!!  If I could have changed anything it would have been my seating...not knowing how the set up is in The Grill, and not having a mike, made speeches hard. Other than that...everything was great!   We are still in the process of going through our 1500 photos...but wanted to share just a few with you all.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Stay Cee 1!!  You looked amazing and thanks so much for the review!  Sounds like you had a great time and a beautiful wedding.  Also, your flowers were gorgeous as well. How much pre-planning did you do?  Or did you find a lot of planning can be left til you get there?

 

Do you remember the name of the shop that did your hair?  I'm sure there are lots of brides-to-be that would love to know.  I was going to ask my TA to hunt down salons in the area as I find the resort and Rashel are too expensive for me.

[CdnBrideJoanne]

Originally Posted by Stay cee1 

 

Now that I’ve had some time to settle in and semi-unpack...i thought I would take the time to post my review.   We arrived Thursday July 4th and stayed until July 16th.  We enjoyed our time to the fullest extent.   Flight: WestJet treated us great. They offered us pre-boarding because of the dress....which helped a lot as it was a full flight. Dont feel bad about making this request...!!  We travelled with our hand held steamer...but I couldn't stomach squishing my dress between luggage bags before the big day...! Since we were the only wedding couple on board and the flight crew kept treating us to snacks, complimentary champagne and rum punch. We arrived in Jamaica with a party mode and all juiced up..LOL.   Check-In: The front desk treated us to a sweet and cool drink as we approached the desk, and our check in was seamless..the staff had our vote from the start.   Resort: We stayed in room 17404 which turned out just fine as we were near the beach, and the pool. The resort is big, so be prepared to do plenty of walking and stairs climbing. After day 2, we started using the elevators as much as possible..our knees were on fire....LOL. There is no complaint about the food...there was certainly a lot of it...the drinks at the lobby bar and patio was always good and I loved how very liberal they were with the rum too!!  We enjoyed the buffet and the variety it offered daily. We even ended up cancelling one of our dinner reservations to one of the restaurants and just ate at the buffet instead. The Piscis snack bar at lunch time was awesome...the staff made sure you had lots to drink, and the jerk chicken was divine!! The pool was awesome. We spent much of our late afternoons there after leaving the beach...its also an excellent gathering spot if you need to catch up with any of your guests. If I can offer you any advice it’s to write down your guests room numbers....we had 42 guests...it was hard to keep track, but once we had a list of everyone’s rooms, we pretty much found it easy to call and book breakfast with one bunch, lunch with another, and dinner with the rest. Once we got around to everyone, we pretty much left them alone to enjoy their vacation...everyone was fine with that!!   Wedding Info: We got a call from Donnalee with the appointed time and place to meet. We went over all the details (she was very thorough and walked us through what the day would be like). She ensured we knew what time to be dressed, where we should be, and took all the information related to our guests (head count on and off the resort), names of each person arriving that were not staying on the resort, noted food allergies, food preferences for our vegetarians, as we made our meal choices. She was sweet, patient, and very accommodating. We handed over our suitcase filled with wedding items and she asked our vision, and assured us she would take care of everything.   Hair & Make Up: I went to a local salon and got my hair did for 1/3 of the cost the resort spa offered. For anyone that needs hair pieces added in, please ensure you bring your own. They couldn’t accommodate me with this, and when out the day prior to the wedding purchasing hair pieces, I came across a salon another local bride just walked out of looking simply divine!! I walked in, got an appointment for 9am on my wedding day, complete with a driver...they guaranteed I would be back on the resort by 11am, and they kept that promise. For the driver, tip for the stylist and driver, my hair, and eyelashes, I spent less than half of the quote I got from the resort spa. Make up for myself an all the girls were done by my friend who travelled with us....we were all very happy with her work!!!!   Our Wedding day was Tuesday July 9th. With my hair done by 11am, I had enough time to get my nails re-polished at the spa on the resort for $20 US, sit down for my make up by 1:30, and was in my dress by 3:15 for my 4pm wedding. A friend of my husband did our photo shoot which included my mom, my sister, and all the girls prior to the start of the wedding in the lobby. Vinnette was the assistant that met me in the lobby, and guided myself first along with everyone else in to the golf cart for our trip down to the gazebo. The décor to match our colors was perfect...The music was queued right on time...the wedding team guided through every step of the ceremony, including the minister who was flawless in his delivery, and personalized everything which suited us just fine. Our guests commented how magical and beautiful the ceremony was...it felt like a dream come true for both of us and was very emotional.   Don't worry about all the little details...it comes together so great..and even if a few small things fall apart...they are so well trained and professional...they will ensure everything comes together smoothly for you!!   Our reception was held at The Grill were we found the staff very easy going and accommodating. With the exception of the soup being way too salty, and the service being a bit too slow...we enjoyed ourselves!! We had the coleslaw, salmon with tequila reduction, apple crumble...everything was delicious. The wedding cake was a hit with everyone too! The left over was delivered to our room along with all of our personal items (centrepieces, candles, flowers...ect).   After this, we all went back to change...some guests sauntered off to the bar...we all met later at the disco for the after party which was good times as well!!   Overall, I would recommend a destination wedding to anyone.  I loved the magical feeling of not having to stress about too much..and even if stress comes your way...its easy to tune it out with the island vibe!!  If I could have changed anything it would have been my seating...not knowing how the set up is in The Grill, and not having a mike, made speeches hard. Other than that...everything was great!   We are still in the process of going through our 1500 photos...but wanted to share just a few with you all.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Stay Cee 1!!  You looked amazing and thanks so much for the review!  Sounds like you had a great time and a beautiful wedding.  Also, your flowers were gorgeous as well. How much pre-planning did you do?  Or did you find a lot of planning can be left til you get there?

 

Do you remember the name of the shop that did your hair?  I'm sure there are lots of brides-to-be that would love to know.  I was going to ask my TA to hunt down salons in the area as I find the resort and Rashel are too expensive for me.

[CdnBrideJoanne]

I'm so sorry everyone for this double posting problem.... 

[Jennelle]

Hi Girls!

 

Can any of the past brides give me information or a link to a sample of the videos that the Arrecife Studio does for $400. Is it an actual video or just a slideshow of your images?

 

Thank  you
 

[Stay cee1]

CdnBride - I will be happy to give you the contact information for the off-resort salon...inbox me if you would like the details!!  Just note that the staff on the resort is not able to give you referrals anywhere else...it goes against their policy...they will instead refer you to the onsite spa services.  Leaving the resort becomes your responsibility to get information and travel on your own.  I would recommend that you communicate with this stylist closer to your wedding date, to ensure the timing and availability.  One tip i can offer is to speak to the security desk in the lobby about the taxi drivers bringing you into town...and they will give you a quote.  Usually to travel there it would be roughly $3000Jamaican dollars which is $30 US (taxi driver takes you and waits for you to bring you back)...not bad.  The salon is located in Brown's Town which was about a 20 minutes drive.
 

[Stay cee1]

We didn't go with the video, but they did capture some really great pix.  I went with the free pics and purchased an additional 10 once we reviewed everything.

Try their website...i do believe they may have videos there.

[Stay cee1]

Originally Posted by SarahInNS 

 

Question for the ladies who have had their wedding already! Which cake flavour did you get, and would you choose it again? We cant decide between chocolate, vanilla or coconut!

 

Also, for anyone who rented the gazebo or poolside after dinner, and chose NOT to have a DJ, what was provided, if anything, for you to play music on? Was there a fee?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Sarah

 

I did the top layer of Vanilla and the bottom Vanilla-Raspberry.  It was delicious and I would choose it again!!