are there any uk grand palladium lady hamalton brides out there?

[mrs p 2 be]

hi ladies hows it all going i go and get measured up for my dress next week were looking into bands for our party at home at the min anyone else got any suggestions on what else i should be doing at the min xx

[Ywilliams315]

Hi Ladies

 

Hope you are all well?

 

Im getting married on the 20th May 2014, Flying out 9 months to day....soooooooooo excited

 

Just been looking at options / extras and like you i was looking at steel drums and photography and finding it expensive.

 

Were trying to go for a laid back and chilled wedding and i really dont want to stand around having loads of pictures espically as there is only 16 of us going lol. Plus im buying a bridge camera and my friend is going to be taking pictures

 

xx

[bands]

Awww Congrats! Have you visited the hotel before? 

 

I wonder if the extras at this hotel are more than others in Jamaica. Know how you feel about the photos - I'm the same don't like the thought of all the pics...trying to negotiate costs with true colours for the 2hour package to see if they will give a little discount. I'm not going to bother having them for reception going to put disposable cameras on the table for guests to have fun with so we get some surprise photos. 

 

 

Vic- how did the dress fitting/bridesmaids go? bet it was exciting seeing your dress again! Have mine end of september so next job is to look for shoes flats vs heels!

 

How is the rest of everyones planning going?

 

xxx

[Ywilliams315]

Thank you :-) No never, never even visit Lucea before lol. Yeah I email true colours and they offered an 1.5 hrs package as the ceremony is only meant to be 15 mins. So probably take that but also emailed other photographers too. Also I'm debating on doing trash the dress, but they come back the next day and do it and takes 1.5hrs. Not sure why as only planning to trash it the once lol. Yeah I'm buying a bridge camera or an SLR and going to let people use that for taking photos in the evening, works out cheaper. Plus everyone has camera phones these days too. I've decided if I get my bonus I'm getting the steel drums lol. As everyone on here has been raving about them Xx

[bands]

lol don't worry I've never visited Jamaica before!!! BUT cant wait!!!

 

I know we would love the steel drum band for the ceremony, trying to save save save then book extras at the end when we know more about what our budget is. Sooo Jamaican to have them though, and who else would be able to say they had a steel drum band pay for their ceremony!! Have you picked your dress and colour scheme etc? what are you thinking of doing for your reception?

 

xxx 

[Ywilliams315]

Oh your love it!! I've been 5 times and the first time I was there for 6 weeks. My partner had never been before and I cant wait to show him everything and take him on a bit of an island tour :-) Yeah I know and everywhere I have read people have being saying that they were amazing & totally worth the money and the pople who never got them when they saw them at other weddings they regretted not booking them, so like you save save. With have booked to have the reception meal in Xyamaica restaurant as I real want to have Jamaican food. Plus I can't really see why we have to pay an $45 per person when everyone has already paid for 2 weeks all inclusive. I know you get the privacy but I read that you put in a semi secluded bit anyway and I think by that point I won't care as will deliriously happy lol. I've read that you can have a drinks reception too for $30 per head but again I justify it in my head we can walk to any bar & grab a drink or cocktail for free. The theme is laid back & chilled but I know to others they might think we're being tight with money and it not that at all. One of the reasons for doing it abroad is I didn't want all formalities of the wedding breakfast, hours posing for photos etc. Have you decided what you are doing? Yes I've got my dress :-) and our colour scheme is yellow and grey. Bridesmaids in Yellow & men in grey. My sisters are my bridesmaids and they don't want any flowers, as they don't want to be holding them all day. Which saves me a few ££ or $$ but not sure if they would look silly without them or may have corsages instead. Have you got your dress & theme picked? What's your wedding date btw? Xx

[bands]

Couldn't agree more about all the formalities! Thats also why we wanted to go away to get married- plus I'm not one for attention so its nice to think that we are just having a small wedding without all the freeloaders you get at a big english wedding

 

We have booked the blue lagoon for the food as we wanted something private where we could have entertainment after the food but its working out so costly we are considering changing to an a la carte dinner instead and having the cocktails / appetisers hour before as other brides have said that they got so much food they were all full and it was only $15 pp. 

 

you have right idea about it being laid back and chilled out! love the sound of your colours! We have gone for Coral bridesmaids and the men in Beige. Thats lucky that your sisters didn't want flowers as they are so expensive at the hotel- I have ordered fake flowers online and they look amazing but just need to figure out how i'm going to get them over to Jamaica lol!

 

Our date is 11th April 2014 at the Gazebo

 

Do you know what sort of time frame they will allow the wedding party to stay in the restaurant if we opt for the a la carte wedding meal?

 

Hope the rest of your planning is going wedding- I just finished my invites and favors so on to table decorations next xx

[Ywilliams315]

Lol... And I know what you mean about the freeloaders!! It's also 2nd & 3rd cousins you never talk to, your friends latest boyfriend or girlfriend etc. Where are you from? Im from London, but now live in Newcastle. Oh if it's only $15pp I might just do that as the wedding is at 2pm so a bit of a delay between that & the meal. This is what they emailed me back regarding the a la carte....Alternatively, a non-private reception dinner can be hosted in any one of the 7 a la carte restaurants; this is at no additional cost, however you will be dining among other guests of the hotel and there is no option for your own entertainment (background music is provided for the entire restaurant). The restaurants open at 5:30pm. We cannot accommodate a non-private dinner if you have more than 30 guests. Someone here said they saw someone having a reception and it was lovely and private. Thanks hunni!! :-) Yellow is my favourite colour lol Yours sound lovely too, I never thought of Coral. Those colours will be amazing against the back drop and over there in the sun. I know but at the same time i think there look a bit bare or silly? What about in your hand luggage? Oh god your so good & organised!! I was going to make our invites but could not work out to do them so got a company in Edinburgh to do them and they've been dispatched so I can not wait to see the. I'm doing gift bags for everyone and they all have different presents (Vistaprint has been my best friend lol) but giving them to them at the start of there holiday as I'm putting information about Jamaica & the wedding in there. I've brought yellow organza bags so may put some packs of love hearts in them for favours. What. Are you doing for table decorations? Never thought of them xx

[bands]

I'm from Plymouth so we are flying out from Gatwick (gonna stay up at the airport the night before we fly and have a meal or the drive would be so long lol)

 

Thanks for the info that they emailed you about the a la carte reception, we have less than 30 attending so we may change our reception to a non-private dinner if the extras mount up too much i'm going to contact the wedding coordinator and see if they have much available. I love the sound of all of their restaurants at the hotel and going by the reviews it sounds like all of the food it pretty awesome!

 

haha I'm trying to be organised but I start doing one thing and then I think of something else that distracts me lol! Your bags sound like a great idea sure your guests will love them! - have you looked at the planning journal section on this website? thats where I have been getting all my inspiration from! Other brides have posted pics of their DIY wedding stuff and its amazing! 

 

so far table decorations I have ordered some coral organza chair sashes on ebay (£15 bargain!!!), I have little seashell place card holders and message in bottle favours that I made... I have to have a think about my centrepieces yet - need something that transports easily and not to heavy as I think with Thomson we only get 20KG pp luggage allowance. Def think hand luggage is great idea for the flowers they have little pins in them so I will just take them out and put them back in when we get there.

 

I'm sure your bridesmaids will look lovely without flowers and plus it is a pain for them to carry them all day - you could always give them fans for the ceremony? How many b.maids you have going? What sort of thing you putting inside the gift bags? love that idea xx

[Ywilliams315]

That's what we're going to do but at Manchester airport. I know I can wait, however I can over indulge for the 6 days before the wedding 😢😢 Oh I'll need to have a nosy at the wedding planner section. Yes you get 20kg or if you upgrade your seat to premier it's 23kg and also if your a bride (which you are lol) you get an extra 5kg. In your wedding pack you get off the travel agent there is a letter in there which states this & you need to take to check in. I'm getting 28kg Whooo hoo can pack loads lol. Yeah just do that with the pins. Funny I have been looking at fans & parasols lol. I'm have 3. How about you? So far In the gift bags I'm putting vest tops that say bridesmaids, mother of the bride etc for my Jamaican hen day (a day of being in the spa, drinking cocktails & champagne and food lol), a information guide to the hotel, resort & Jamaica. Gonna get T-shirts for the men. Invite to a welcome dinner (saw another bride on here had a welcome dinner & thought its a good idea as half of us are fly on the 14th & the other half on the 15th), its just gonna be in one of the buffet restaurants, thank you card, yellow candles (citrus smell), I've got caps done & colouring books & pencils for the little ones. Not sure what else?? Not sure whether to put the favours in there & bridal parties presents in them??? Xx