Villa Weddings Brides - Jamaica!

[Jacki7896]

What are the LED throwsies? 

[crasht1224]

A quick Google will yield you an instructables for this.

Its a really easy was to light the lanterns with one lithium battery and a LED. They are super bright too. Here is one image http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/06/17/lighting-lanterns-with-led-throwies/  

[Jacki7896]

Great!  Thanks!

[soon2beMrsG]

Hey Crasht1224,

 

I'm definitely loving the led thowies for lights!  As for music, that sounds like a great idea but you have to have a good MC? A friend who isn't scared of public speaking, a particularly well spoken uncle or aunt?  I would suggest a Daddy or something but he's going to be busy doing the dancing with you and all that.  I've enclosed a music spreadsheet that I'm giving to my DJ (my friends said it may be look OCD but my co-worker who is also getting married is using it too) also it can be passed around to your wedding party if you would like them to suggest music.  You could arrange your iPod playlists.  Hope it helps. 

P.S. it only opens on Excel 2007 or higher.

 

All my best wishes,

soon2beMrsG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by crasht1224 

My fiance and I are getting married at a villa in Ocho Rios. We did most of the work ourselves.. found the venue, found a caterer from a local restaurant. Our last big issues will be music and lighting. I'm probably going to bring down paper lanterns and make LED Throwies for lights. As  far as music.. we're having only 50 ppl, so thinking of bringing down a BOSE outdoor speaker and doing it IPOD playlist style.

 

Our budget (for everything..including airfare and rings) is 10,000 and I refuse to go over it.. so, Its DIY time!

 

 

Team Wedding Playlist Suggestions.xlsx

[soon2beMrsG]

Oh Redginger, 

I feel like such a traitor now but we finally decided to release Endless Summer (hey ladies its available April 21, 2012 if you want it) and we're going with Half Moon.

Here are the reasons:

• http://halfmoon.rockresorts.com/guest-rooms/royal-villas.asp - so I'm technically not a traitor because we're still getting villas + the ceremony and reception site is the Royal Pavillion = total privacy
• see them stairs... yah so did we in real life and let me tell ya, I didn't see anything good happening from having a broken neck on the day of my wedding
• although the villa was beautiful it was too compartmentalized
• Paulette my prospective wedding planner was awesome though and took me about 7 more villas and if you're still looking I would suggest Noble House - flat and beautiful and the ocean is right there. 
• We went to Half Moon last and honestly we fell in love all over again.  Up until then we were dead set on Endless summer.  Then we got a tour (by the Endless Summer is on the Half Moon golf course) and honestly it gave us the villa feel with privacy, reasonably affordable and I didn't have to worry about blocking off rooms for the guests attending. 

So even though I started this as a villa bride I am now a "Sort of" villa bride.  

I'm still doing the following things though:

• getting my own DJ & looking for a steel band
• getting my own photographer - Alain Hottat (check him out ladies his site is amazing and very affordable http://www.jamaicashoots.com) 
• Bringing in my own florists 
• Putting our own flavor on the decorations

 

So even though I'm having it at a resort I'm like a hybrid of sorts.  I hope the ladies forgive me b/c I'm still going to give as much info as I can.  Also, I saw this place for tables cutlery and they seemed pretty reasonable http://hireagejamaica.com/

  forgive me 

Soon2beMrsG

Originally Posted by redginger 

Soon2BeMrsG: Endless Summer and Half Moon are both gorgeous. I know how hard it is to pick a venue...so many decision factors. But when my fiance and I finally picked our hotel, it was such a big relief! After that, the wedding planning gets fun. Good luck!
 

 

 

[mzthan6]

hey crasht1224, love this idea. thanks. have to keep this in mind

Originally Posted by crasht1224 

A quick Google will yield you an instructables for this.

Its a really easy was to light the lanterns with one lithium battery and a LED. They are super bright too. Here is one image http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/06/17/lighting-lanterns-with-led-throwies/  

 

[catererbride]

Am I the first out of us to do a test run of this crazy villa wedding idea?!?

 

Soon2be, you are one smart cookie - this is tough!

 

So far, I have my dress, my shoes, my bridesmaids dresses and small man's suit (7yr old son), about 150 lanterns and 'throwsies'  and we have booked the villa (mount pleasant, runaway bay). That's pretty much it and our wedding is on 7th Sept...THIS year.

 

I have a planner coming with me to set up and co-ordinate with vendors...I just need to find & book the vendors!

 

My fiance reckons he has found a guitarist, dj & reggae band for $1000 in total but I am very skeptical of this. He was there last in Feb and randomly started talking to a band in Ochi about our wedding and the rest is history. They do not have any examples of their work so.....? Who knows at this point

 

Enjoy!!!!!

 

[Jacki7896]

Caterer Bride!  Good luck finalizing everything these last few months!  And let us know how the band turns out! 

[crasht1224]

Catererbride - I did some research and found a couple of good vendors (this is from stateside, so I havent tasted the food, but saw good reviews)

One was Miss T's Kitchen (she also rents tables/chairs/etc for much cheaper than some of the hireage places quoted me) and the other was Carribean Island Pantry (they have a website and a whole page with vendors for chairs/tables/flowers/etc). Carribean Island Pantry seems like a bigger operation. I perused their site, got a quote, then went to Miss T's and asked her is she could work with me (she's just starting up her catering business)

 

Lemme know if u need anymore info . I'm not gettin hitched until next July but because Im doing EVERYTHING myself Im allowing for plenty of time. Good luck!

[gingerpeach]

Catererbride,

 

How are plans progressing now, hope the stress levels are under control cos they can derail you if you are not careful.  Great that you are breaking the mould and going with the villa idea and that can involve trial and error but I know for sure that you will be glad you did it this way. Stay with it and if you need support you have past present and future BDW brides to uplift you.

 

GP
 

Originally Posted by catererbride 

Am I the first out of us to do a test run of this crazy villa wedding idea?!?

 

Soon2be, you are one smart cookie - this is tough!

 

So far, I have my dress, my shoes, my bridesmaids dresses and small man's suit (7yr old son), about 150 lanterns and 'throwsies'  and we have booked the villa (mount pleasant, runaway bay). That's pretty much it and our wedding is on 7th Sept...THIS year.

 

I have a planner coming with me to set up and co-ordinate with vendors...I just need to find & book the vendors!

 

My fiance reckons he has found a guitarist, dj & reggae band for $1000 in total but I am very skeptical of this. He was there last in Feb and randomly started talking to a band in Ochi about our wedding and the rest is history. They do not have any examples of their work so.....? Who knows at this point

 

Enjoy!!!!!