18 February, 2014

The Couple

Arthur & Laura from Toronto, Canada, married in Jamaica on the 6th April, 2013.

The Destination

We got Married at Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa. We attended a wedding at this location 3 years prior. We had such a good time and loved Jamaica so much that we agreed then that when we got married we would do it in Jamaica. Of course, we didn't intend on choosing the same resort that our friends got married in. We had actually taken a trip down to Jamaica to look at a few resorts for the wedding. Grand Palladium came out on top so we decided to go there. The ceremony and reception locations were just what we had wanted. The resort staff was prompt and professional at getting back to us. Their rates were reasonable for both the wedding and travel for our guests. It just all made perfect sense. Also having been there before was an advantage to us because we were familiar with every aspect of the resort and could inform our guests of everything they would need to consider.

The Vision

Our vision for the wedding was to have a fun, intimate, and memorable wedding. This was the first time our entire families had met and spent time together. The bride is from Mexico and my family is from Toronto. The goal was to make the wedding inclusive. That is why we had one large table for our reception. I (the groom) am a professional wedding and event planner so for me it was also important to create a design for the wedding that captures how I feel about my wife....and that's heavenly! Our wedding ceremony was held under a beautiful Gazebo atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. It felt like we couldn't have been any closer to heaven!

Program of Events

In lieu of a rehearsal dinner we decided to have a bonfire and beach party the night before the wedding. We chose to not have a bridal party so we really didn't see the need for a rehearsal. This turned out to be a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. It was right on the beach. There was a large spread of authentic Jamaican cuisine, a live Mento Band, open bar, and a gigantic bonfire. We danced the night away...and even took an unplanned dip in the ocean (with clothes on and all). It was so much fun and had exceeded our expectations so much that we actually said to each other that "this could have been the wedding and we would have been happy".

The Wedding Ceremony

The ceremony was held under a gazebo at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. We decided to have our wedding in the morning when it was the least hot. The ceremony was at 10am, followed by a private cocktail reception in the Infinity Bar. Also it tends to get a little rainy in the afternoons and we really wanted an outdoor ceremony so we decided on a morning ceremony followed by cocktails, then a break until the reception. It was really nice for everyone to have that break in the afternoon when it can get hot. The ceremony was short and sweet. The bride is Mexican and the Groom Jewish. Neither are religious however the entire ceremony was written by the groom. It was very touching and everyone was in tears and laughter. The bride basically left every aspect of wedding planning to her wedding planner groom (me:). I asked her what flowers she wanted and the answer was "Baby's Breath". The baby's breath is what inspired me to use "Heaven" as my inspiration for the wedding theme. We had the Baby's Breath throughout all aspects of the wedding including pew markers, boutonnières, Corsages, and table-scape.

The Wedding Reception

Our reception was held in one the resorts open air a la carte restaurants, the Blue Lagoon. The restaurant overlooks the gorgeous pool (the largest in Jamaica) as well as the ocean. The architecture of the entire resort is very grand and greco-roman. Lots of white pillars and grand ceilings. This also fit in perfectly with our theme. Since all of our guests have such different pallets the food we chose was a fusion of world and Jamaican cuisine.

What was great about your destination?

First of all. Jamaica is a beautiful place. The people there are so friendly and welcoming. The climate is incredible (of course don't go during hurricane season). The Grand Palladium definitely has certain specific areas that made the decision for us. First of all the rooms are great. Very large, each room has a jacuzzi and balcony, amazing views and sunsets. Also we felt the Palladium had so many great locations for both ceremony and reception and each location was completely unique to the next. It was actually a very hard decision deciding which location to choose for both ceremony and reception. We also really liked that the resort was so big with so many restaurants, beaches, and pools. We didn't want our guests to feel obliged to spend every minute with us and the wedding party. We wanted them to be able to enjoy their vacations and be able to enjoy some private time.

Best memory of the wedding

In addition to being a wedding planner I was and still am a professional musician (saxophone). I played at both of my wife's siblings weddings in Mexico, so I thought it would be fitting that I serenade my wife on our wedding day. I wanted it to be a surprise so I rented a saxophone from a local musician who brought it to the resort for me. During our cocktail hour we had an amazing jazz band. I disappeared for a moment from our cocktail reception and walked back in playing the sax (which turned out to be a gorgeous silver saxophone). I played "One Love" by Bob Marley and couple jazz standards.

Advice for other considering this destination for their own wedding?

Being a wedding planner myself I am always over prepared for any situation. I took with me the essentials from my wedding planning emergency kit but even still learned about some new things to think of for destination weddings!

First Piece of Advice: Hire a Wedding Planner. Why? So that things go smoothly and you don't have to spend your wedding week/day dealing with details. Also it is a lot of work communicating with a foreign entity. It is not the same as planning a local wedding at all.

Second piece of advice: Do you tend to retain water in humid temperatures? Not sure? Never been? Well let me tell you. It happens. So much so that my poor bride couldn't get her wedding shoes on! It was too bad because she loved the shoes. They fit perfectly back home. As soon as she got to Jamaica...her feet swelled up. She didn't have a back up pair and had to wear flats. Something to think about when buying shoes. I'd at least advise having a back up pair that are a half size bigger. On the same note, Gents, Bring extra shirts. I sweat through 3 shirts the day of the wedding!

Final Piece of Advice: Mark your luggage with something that makes it easily identifiable! Upon arriving in Jamaica my mother in-law picked up someone else's suitcase that looked identical to hers. Thankfully we realized before leaving the airport, however it was a very stressful situation to deal with when we first landed. Thankfully, that was the biggest hiccup we had the whole trip.

Did you face any obstacles in planning your destination wedding?

By now you know that I am a wedding and event planner. I have never planned a destination wedding so that was a new experience. I did work with a wonderful Travel Agent who was instrumental in helping with booking all of our travel and accommodations and whose experience in Jamaica proved to be very useful. Her name is Jennifer Borgh from Travel Only. We didn't face any major hurdles in the planning process. In retrospect, we wouldn't have changed a thing. The little things like the shoes not fitting and the MIL grabbing the wrong suitcase at the airport only gives us stories to tell. It was our dream wedding.

Photography: Jamieson Dean Photography

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa - Montego Bay, Jamaica

Wedding Planner: ArthurK - Fusion Events

Travel: Jennifer Borgh for Travel Only

Entertainment: Local Mento Band (bonfire), Ijah Jazz Trio (Cocktails), DJ Damane - Irie Jamz (Reception)

Bride's Attire: Galina White Collection

Groom's Attire: Versace, Borsalino (Fedora)

Hair and Make Up: Zentropia Spa