Any Grand Palladium Brides out there?

[JPro]

Hi Brides!

I am getting married at the Grand Palladium Dec, 28th, 2012 as was wondering if there are any brides who have gotten married there recently or are getting married in this year. My main interest is the actual wedding rather than the resort. So far I have been dealing with Carolina and she has been wonderful. I just don't want to stalk her with a million questions! If anyone has any info regarding weddings there, please feel free to respond. I will take what I can get!

 

I basically want to know what the order of events are for the wedding. My biggest fear is that people are going to have to wait around for everything. If anyone has any input about the following, I'd love to hear it! I appreciate details. I know we will hammer out most of the decoration details when we get there, I just have questions about the big details.

 

-Do you get to decide on what your day will look like? We want to take pictures before the wedding. Then have cocktail hour following the ceremony. Then go to dinner and have the beach party right after. We don't really want any down time and want to keep our guests entertained (with drinks in their hands!) without having to travel all over the hotel.

 

- Our ceremony is on the beach at sunset (4:30) and I am worried that it won't be private and feel like a wedding with a bunch of people in swim suits standing all around us. Is the gazebo a better option?

 

- Is it better to use the hotel photographer? We want to have our wedding party pictures before the ceremony so we don't miss part of our wedding. Did anyone do that?

 

- We are thinking of doing a cocktail hour? Did anyone do this and have any details?

 

- We are also having a semi-private dinner in one of the restaurants and are worried that dinner will drag and people will start to get restless if dinner lasts 2 hours. 

 

I know I sound like a crazy bride, but I have never even been to a destination wedding so I have nothing to compare it to. I appreciate any advice or input! Thanks so much!! And sorry for the long thread.

Jamie