Sunset Beach Resort & Spa - past and future brides, please post here!

[PurpleUnicorn]

Hi Sunset brides,

 

I wanted to share my budget breakdown with you in case anyone finds it helpful!  I spent $15K total - that includes wedding, travel, accommodations, honeymoon at a different resort, and my at-home reception + extra photo shoot!  I am pretty happy with how i did. I definitely could have done better in some areas, but overall, I think my budget and everything i got for it (including some splurges) came out to be reasonable and I got to have my ultimate dream wedding!

 

So here is my breakdown! (I rounded off the numbers, but its pretty accurate to what i actually spent).  I included just about everything down to cleaning my dress when i got back and stamps for thank you cards!

 

 

JAMAICA WEDDING COSTS

 

TRAVEL + ACCOMMODATIONS

$1390 – 6 nights at Sunset Beach Resort & Spa (wedding resort)

$1365 – 4 nights at Couples Negril (honeymoon)

$1300 – Flights for both of us

$100 – luggage fees at airport

TOTAL = $4155

 

CEREMONY + PRIVATE RECEPTION

$400 – Resort wedding package (officiant, license, bouquet + bout, cake, champagne)

$550 – Canopy bamboo arch (splurge, simple arch was included but I didn’t like it)

$1220 – bonfire on beach

$350 – labor charge

$635 – food + corkage fee

$100 – 1 extra tier of cake

$500 – DJ for 3 hours

$330 – Bilingual interpreter for ceremony

$90 – Wine box

$115 – tips

TOTAL = $4290

 

ATTIRE

$2100 – Dress (Maggie $1160 + Alterations $650 + pressed $40 + cleaning $250) (splurge!)

$15 – hair flower

$170 – hair + make up + manicure + pedicure + tips

$120 – Groom’s beige linen suit from studiosuits.com

$15 – Lavender Dessy tie for groom

$0 – veil (sold it for exactly what I paid)

$0 – Shoes (gift from sister)

$0 – TTD dress (gift from sister)

TOTAL = $2420

 

PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO

$1500 – Wedding day photography

$350 – Trash the Dress photo shoot (splurge, totally worth it!)

$0 – Ceremony video (friend used my camera – I asked for a one-minute video to have a snap shot, he surprised me with a complete 30 minute video of our entire ceremony!)

TOTAL = $1850

 

BRIDAL PARTY COSTS WE COVERED

$120 – Groomsman suit

$115 – Bridesmaid dress (for DH’s nieces, the other BMs bought their own)

$120 – Bridesmaid jewelry

$50 – Bridesmaid gifts

$45 – Lavender Dessy ties for groomsman + fathers

TOTAL = $430

 

PAPER

$200 – Invitations + Thank you cards

$85 – stamps

$20 – photos for TY cards

$15 – bridal shower thank you cards

$20 – Purple paper to print programs, vows, poems, etc

$10 – paper for menu cards

TOTAL = $350

 

WELCOME BAGS

$180 – 20 mini canvas welcome bags (I definitely could have done cheaper here!)

$34 – Jamaica post cards

$16 – Travel sunscreen

$45 – Welcome bag contents from Dollar store

$70 – personalized decks of cards

TOTAL = $345

 

FLOWERS

$20 – crystal hearts stems to insert in my bouquet

$65 – Bridesmaid bouquets

$140 – silk petals (for aisle + table décor)

$15 – boutonnieres for GM + fathers

TOTAL = $240

 

DECORATIONS

$85 – The Knot décor (personalized napkins, candle holder centerpieces, bubbles)

$45 – Lavender votive & tea lights candles + tea light holders (for centerpieces)

$60 – Guest book, pen, knife set, toasting flutes

$40 – Linen napkins + chair ties

$30 – Sea shell place card holder

$0 – Cake topper (gift from mother)

$0 – Ring Pillow (gift from mother)

TOTAL = $260

 

FAVORS

$40 – Leather luggage tags for Bridal Shower favors

$20 – Sandalwood fans for ceremony favors

TOTAL = $60

 

JAMAICA TOTAL = $14 400

 

 

MONTREAL BBQ RECEPTION

$68– vistaprint invitations (I paid extra for last minute shipping!)

$40 – stamps for invitations

$5 – Michaels water bottle labels

$80 – Bride party photo shoot

$68 – Hair style + manicure

$0 – Make up (I did it myself)

$60 – food

$20 – Dollar store

$64 – Silk bouquets for me + 2 BMs not in Jamaica (other BMs still had their bouquets)

$175 – cake

$20 – wine

$0 – more food and alcohol (friends and family helped out)

$0 – Decorations (used whatever I had leftover from Jamaica)

 

AHR TOTAL = $600

 

 

GRAND TOTAL = $15 000

[Goin2ThaChapel]

WOW!!! My fiancee and I are planning to go to Jamaica for our wedding in 5/12. I was going to go with the Couples Swept Away resort, but I'm still researching other places as well.

 

I hate to ask you, but where did you find your dress?!?! I love your dress and maybe you don't want to share that... but I asked anyway LOL! Maybe you can point me in a direction to find nice custom bridal gowns.

Thanks!!!
 

[agwright1986]

Yes i am NOT paying vendor fee but again is on the discretion of the hotel and wedding planner... Not everybody have the same luck!!!!but try...The name of the guy i booked is gary...his website is www.weddinggigglesja.com...his price is on there as well as if you contact him you could work out a price..I have extensive things like all day service and next day so i am a little pricey...but my original pacakage i went with was 1250 and it including more than what the hotel was offering for their big package...if you do decide to use him let me kno what he says i could tell him i referred you and maybe  it will work out in both our favors ;-)

[agwright1986]

i replied but they have to review what i said so u should get the reply in a day

 

[mrlddst]

I am working with Kathy right now to firm my wedding date at this resort.  What made you choose her?  I emailed her off of your recommendation. 

[PurpleUnicorn]

Hey again, i just replied to your PM and then saw you posted your question here as well.  So i will copy my reply for other brides to see as well!  

 

 

I chose Kathy because she became highly recommended to me from another bride i knew from school who got married at Sunset Beach.  Also, i found she was much more than a travel agent.  She had a preset wedding website that she set me up with and so it was easy to put together my own website.  she has a list of recommendations on her site, so for example, rather than randomly picking a site to order invitations from, I trusted choosing one of her selections.

 

If you have spoke to her on the phone, she will tell you how she used to live in Jamaica and has been to many of the resorts so i trusted her reviews and opinions of them - particularly their wedding departments since she has booked and worked with so many of them.

 

Basically, she got me super organized in the beginning of my planning. I didn't know what to or where to start and she helped me a lot in that regard.   Also, she was VERY prompt at replying thoroughly to my emails.

 

Finally, she preferred to do individual bookings rather than insisting i do a group package (as a previous travel agent i had been in contact with was pushing for).  This was my personal preference since i was living away on internship, and both my fiance and I had family and friends from all over, so we did not have enough people travelling from one location to do a group package.  She was happy to put in the time to book everyone individually for the dates they wanted.

 

Oh, last great thing is that the resorts she recommends know her as she has been working with them for so long and has established relationships (well i can vouch this at least for the Sunset resorts).  And so she set me up with to be in contact with their wedding department in a very professional manner which was a great start for communicating with them regarding my wedding.  And when communication issues arrived (Sunset Beach switched wedding coordinators twice during my planning and i stopped receiving replies at one point), she intervened and got me back in contact with them.  She also asks that you CC her on every email so she can follow what is going on.  And at one point, she took the time to call me to personally discuss one of the decisions i was making (re - wedding officiant) and i was grateful for her to jump in then and offer her opinion and assistance.

 

Originally Posted by mrlddst 

I am working with Kathy right now to firm my wedding date at this resort.  What made you choose her?  I emailed her off of your recommendation. 

 

[mrlddst]

Thanks again!  I spoke with her earlier today and she put me at ease about alot of things. 

[Maygan81]

When is your wedding? I'm getting married there 11-11-11!

[morgan7]

so i have read some stuff about the resort needing your birth certificates ahead of time and some times even a long form of it. my wedding co ordinator has not mentioned anything to me about this and im getting married this december. should i be worried?

[mrlddst]

 

Originally Posted by Maygan81 

When is your wedding? I'm getting married there 11-11-11!

What a number!! LOL...we just confirmed for August 4, 2012.