Beaches ~ Turks & Caicos Roll Call!

[Brandy]

Welcome and congrats!!!!!

[Lizzdee]

Date twins!!! What time is your ceremony?

Ok we are officially booked!! Kelly and Wilson Jan 21, 2012 still working on the details... So happy to have found this thread - full of very useful info - thanks ladies!

[Avelyad]

haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards 3 or 4..  The 3 was booked when last we checked - is that you?  I noticed that you were looking for 4 in one of your posts 0 they told us it was open.  just fyi if you had your heart set.

[urmysunshine]

How are yall picking your ceremony times?

 

We chose to do 11AM, but I'm wondering if we should change it?  Ideally I'd love to do something at sunset, but that's out because I'm not doing that package...  So, I really just picked a time, no reasoning behind it.  LOL  Now I'm second guessing myself, of course!

[Tropical Imaging]

Everything here is less than 5 minutes away from anything else LOL (okay sometimes it's 10-15 minutes), it's a small island, no traffic problems, no stoplights....

There are a few places to get cigars on island (and you can get Cuban cigars here as well).  FYI They will probably be more expensive here than in the states, You shouldn't have a problem bringing them into customs (if you want to bring them), if you are heading to beaches just go through the nothing to declare line and they'll wave you through.  They are looking for items that are coming here to stay or be resold so no worries there. 

 

The retail shops on island are mainly located about 1-2 miles from Beaches, You could walk along the beach (looking at the ocean turn right) and go towards the Regent Grand and then catch a cab home or take a cab to and from there.  (about 1/2 way, you could stop at Bay Bistro or Hemingways on the beach for lunch or a drink) There are some cute little shops and galleries if you want to check them out.   I know the Goldsmiths in the Caicos Cafe plaza carries cigars and I can check with my personal training buddy about other places (her hubby smokes cigars, mine doesn't).    I am at home with 2 girls with the flu, so it will probably be next week b/4 I get the shop names for cigars (we are self quaranteened here right now LOL).  I do know that tourists who like cigars do make a point to buy them here on island.  We also have a new local shop in the Regent village that carries T&C made products including our locally distilled Bambarra Rum, and special rum reserve which is nice as well. 

 

Cool shops to go to if you go off property all of these are withing walking distance of each other (Salt mills and regent plaza are right next to each other and Ports of call and caicos plaza are next to each other):

 

Salt Mills Plaza: 

Anna's Gallery: cool art, fabulous jewelry, and lots of very nice up market items, many created by turks and caicos artists: (disclaimer: prints of my paintings are sold there and Anna's a great friend, love her things)  The owner Anna, makes gorgeous silk paintings that you can roll up and take home!  Her jewelry inspired me to finally get into jewelry making which I love and sell at art shows as well. 

Paradise Arts: Brenda Luddington is a wonderful ceramic artist who has lived on island for years and makes yummy tiles, small pots and paintings.  Her work is great and it's a working shop with all of her paints/clay etc, if you love art it's a fun place to visit. 

Inter Decor: has some fun home decorating touches

There are also some great clothing shops there.

 

Regent Plaza:  Lots of fun shops here

Taste of the Turks and Caicos:  Bambarra Rum, and lots of locally made goods on island

Goldsmiths Jewelry and Jai's Jewelry: fine jewelry that people love to go to. (I think jai's still gives you complimentary champagne while you shop)

Art Provo: a little bit of everything/ jewelry, paintings, bags, souveniers

Making Waves art gallery:  Lots of canvas prints there as well

Caicos adventures: t shirts and goodies from a local dive shop

 

Pizza Pizza Plaza:

Restore:  organic and natural souveniers

Island Scoop: locally made ice cream for a nice break

 

Ports of Call: Lots of little locally owned shops with little nick nacks

Caicos Cafe Plaza:  Goldsmith (I believe this is where they have the cigars), Caicos Bakery (lovely bread), Rumors (cool clothes and home/jewelry items), Caicos Cafe

 

The Regent Palms also has a lovely gift shop as well

 

Beaches has fabulous shops, very nice and lots to choose from, but they don't carry much that is made by local artists etc  They do have a straw market one day a week where you can get some other things.

 

I'll get back to you on exact locations from cigars.  I do encourage all of the Beaches Bound Brides to take a morning or afternoon to see the island off property.  It's really lovely and fun to check out and pretty friendly!

 

hope that helps!

Krys

 

Originally Posted by hockeymom97 

Krys - if you are around I have a question for you.

 

We are doing OOT bags and I wanted to include cigars for the men, but I don't want to travel with them and would prefer to buy them once on the island (I actually don't even know if I could bring them from the states if  wanted to? Not sure how customs works with that stuff). Is there anywhere either at the resort (Beaches) or close to the resort , where I'd be able to buy a few cigars?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Tropical Imaging]

Lauren Marie,

 

We usually have a nice breeze coming from off shore all year round.  End of May shouldn't be a problem but we have been known to have heat waves.  I always think Florida feels a lot hotter to me than here (we don't even have a/c in our house, just open screened windows, no glass).  I am also pretty sure your reception will be in a shaded area, we are always thinking shade here where it feels 10 degrees cooler than in the sun.  On the other hand, I think it's your wedding, why not wear two dresses!!!    I like the idea of 2!

 

Krys

Originally Posted by LaurenMarie 

Question for my fellow brides, and Krys!

 

My wedding is at 11am on 5/21, and we're having a 1 hour cocktail reception afterwards.  I am thinking about bringing a small white dress for the reception to avoid getting too hot in my wedding dress.  Is anyone else bringing a "reception dress"?  Will it get THAT hot, considering it's an island and I am sure there's a constant breeze??  I know the temps are typically in the mid to upper 80's in May in T&C, but I live in Florida and it's always humid in the summer and I cannot imagine wearing a wedding dress in the heat for more than 30-45 minutes. 

 

Comments??  Suggestions??  Thanks!!

[Brandy]

Krys wow, thank you for all of that helpful information!!!!!!!

[mistibuard]

Thanks Krys! I've already planned to do the ATV Tour with Froggies ATV and go to the Conch Shack. I'll be sure to stop by the places you named as well.

 

I do have one question Krys, how is the casino out there? Just curious.

 

I hope your girls and Ileana feel better. Is the flu going around out there?

 

I leave in exactly 12 days!!!

[Tropical Imaging]

I am not a casino person, so I can't give you a personal experience.  I do know it's a small casino, but I do have friends that love to go there; it's a more "happening" spot on the weekends. It's only 3 years old and I know the manager and his wife (their kids go to my school) who are quite lovely. 

 

Flu is going around.  All of you tourists (LOL) bring all of the germs down and we then spread them amongst ourselves.  For some reason it's going around all of the schools right now.  But it was mid term break this week so hopefully everyone is resting and getting healthy.  My kids haven't been sick at all (not even colds) in about 3 years, so we were due!   It never seems to affect the tourist population, as I guess you guys are all adapted to the "big city" viruses.    Ileana just got back from the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) World convention in Vegas so I am sure she got exposed to a lot of bugs off island.  My husband is filling in for her until she gets better (one nice thing about our studio, we have back up!)

 

Very exciting, 12 days, not long now.  Very Sunny and perfect temperature right now, not too hot, not too cold, just right!!!

 

Krys

[mistibuard]

Thanks Krys!