ROR Help Needed - Getting Married in 3 Weeks

[hiccups]

That's great!

[Spanky]

You ladies are great!! I have just started putting everything together for my wedding at ROR on November 18. (we are there from Nov 13-20, 2010) It is also a 2pm wedding (trying to get 4pm..there is a hold on it right now). I have had all these questions as well. I have not heard about the hotel doing a beach party..but that is great, it is what I wanted. Does it really make a difference from the Free to the Royal package?? I have the Royal Package right now and wondering if I should change??

After your weddings in April..please let me know how it went and what I really need to do!

[hiccups]

Spanky - From what I've read, most brides opt for the free package then upgrade as they feel needed. It seems to save them some money as the other packages includes things like massages, t-shirts, etc that most people don't really need/want.

[sweetluna]

TA Maureen, thank you so much!!! We must seriously drive you crazy when we get so worked up about things but the tone of your replies are full of patience and you always make me feel better. Thank you, I know you've been doing this for a while and how you've remained so calm, I'll never know.

 

You're the best and I really appreciate the time you put into helping us brides organize and plan these weddings. Thank you.

[Future Mrs. Coleman]

Thank you so much TA Maureen for the clarification on pricing. This was what the sales department in Mexico e-mailed to me so that is why I thought there was an extra $300 minister and documentation fee on top of the $350. I thought the $350 was for the wedding coordinator, dinner, cake, etc. I am always happy to hear that we can save more money! I thought it was kind of weird to call it a "free" package, but then charge $350.

 

Kindly inform you that Free Package does not include the minister fees (around 300usd).

 

On the other hand please note that the Free Wedding Package is up to 20 guests, after 20 guests you only need to pay the extras for those services (cake around 5usd per piece and wine around 15-20usd per bottle).(*Prices subject to change without prior notice).

[Future Mrs. Coleman]

I will post a long wedding review with some pictures once we get back. We are honeymooning in Ireland until the end of April so I will try to get to the review posted by May.

[hiccups]

That would be great! Have a wonderful time!

[jawedding]

1. We are doing the Royal Package for 40 guests (we have 35 booked so far), but I have noticed a lot of people doing the Free Package and then upgrading. What is the advantage to doing the Free Package?

THE free package with upgrades is better.. you get more of what you want for cheaper when all is said and done. (I found)

 

2. We are getting married at 2 pm. Do we have the option of going right to the dinner/late lunch after the wedding ceremony? It seems like a lot of people didn't eat until 6:30. I really don't want to have a 4-hour gap between the ceremony and dinner because I think our guests will go off on their own and not come back for dinner.

 

DINNER has to be at 630.. but i think most people found that this was ok.. gave people some time to do pictures, freshen up, have a rest etc.. i had mine at 4 and it was nice because people got to enjoy the day.. but i felt like the pictures were a bit rushed etc.

 

3. Is the free cake they provide really that bad that we need to upgrade? I don't want to spend extra for a cake when we are supposed to get one with the package we purchased.

I BOUGHT the upgrade, because i "dreamt" about a big cake etc.. but honestly if you don't care, don t bother.. it wasn't an amazing cake, and i have heard that the non upgraded one tastes totally fine.

 

4. Is paying for a private reception really necessary or is there an area by one of the bars that we could just set up our iPod and dance and drink? It seems a little weird to pay extra money for drinks and dancing when we are at an all-inclusive with six bars where our guests can drink for free and a disco where they can dance for free.

MY personal opinion is definitely worth it to pay for the private reception.. i had a private dinner and reception at the poolside, and it was AMAZING.. beautiful location, totally private, nobody around (surprisingly), really fun, and a lot like a reception at home, just with a better view. I thought it made it feel like a "wedding" and not just a night out.. although the disco was fun too and we went there afterward (we had the poolside until midnight)

5. If we do a reception, do we need to bring our own decorations? I don't know how we would get decorations to the resort since the airline we are flying on has weight restrictions on luggage. If we don't bring decorations, is there something standard they can provide at no additional cost or do they charge you extra for everything?

You can buy decorations from tai flora.. i brought mine on the plane and it worked out great.. but you can get them there too, for less pain and comparable cost (if you are flexible about what you get)

6. Can we pick out our flowers when we get there? I haven't even thought about what I want. I thought we could see some samples when we get to Ocho Rios and choose what we want then. Did anyone use the free bridal bouquet and boutonniere? If you did, were they nice? If not, why didn't you use them?

I didn't use them, because i had a specific idea of what i wanted, and i wanted more flowers than the free package provided... i saw some though, and again, if you don't care, they really are beautiful.

 

It's going to be GREAT.. you sound so laid back, i think you'll really like it.. my guests LOVED the resort, and i had a lot of seasoned travellers and super picky people. Congrats!

[Future Mrs. Coleman]

Thank you for all the great answers jawedding! I really appreciate it.

[sgathercole]

Hi, Wow this is all good information and advice. I am looking into this resort for my wedding in January 2011. If all of you that are getting married in the next month or two could give a review about your experience, I would greatly appreciate it. I hope your specials days are wonderful!!!! I have no doubt they will be! Good luck.

 

Sandy