Why Have a Wedding When You Can Have a Weddingmoon?

(thank you to Beaches Resort and BSM Media for my invitation to Social Media on the Sand)

Ever wondered what it would be like to hop on a plane and get married at one the most romantic places on the planet while leaving all the hassles of organizing to the professionals?  I will be honest, when I was planning our wedding I would have done this in a heartbeat but pressure from family to stay in town did not allow for that to happen.  So we had the big church wedding with every bell and whistle possible and a guest list that was larger than what the largest hall in town could accommodate.

Then last weekend we were invited to a reception for a friend of Mike's who recently got married at Sandals and having just returned from a Beaches Resort we asked he and his new bride to share their experience with us. They were actually getting married one week before we traveled to Sandals Beaches Turks and Caicos for the Social Media on the Sand Conference.

Since this is one aspect of Beaches that we did not get to experience first hand here are their thoughts and pictures:

A large reason that we first chose Sandals for our wedding/honeymoon destination was because of the pricing for their Weddingmoons package. We could get a beautiful free wedding if a stay of 6 nights was purchased. We booked our October 2014 trip in January 2014 and had our first phone conversation with the wedding planner in March. She was very helpful and full of ideas and explanations. We were encouraged to plan for a morning wedding in hopes of avoiding the afternoon pop-up showers and it worked out perfectly. Our 11am wedding was beautiful, sunny, and dry. The day after arriving at the resort, we met with an on-site wedding planner to discuss locations, music, cakes, reception, and wedding meal. She was quite helpful in helping us plan our special day. 

The resort could not have provided a better minister. Two of our favorite people were the wedding photographer and videographer. The photos and videos were absolutely amazing and well worth the expense. Lisa had the Bridal Bliss hair, make-up, and nail package before the wedding, and we were quite pleased with the results.

 We chose Whitehouse after carefully looking at all of the Sandals Resorts in Jamaica. The fact that all rooms had an ocean view was a huge sell along with the fact that the resort was located far from the big, noisy city of Montego Bay. The atmosphere at Whitehouse was more relaxed and serene than others seemed to be. We were looking for a crowd that was fun but not too rowdy. The grounds were immaculate and well-tended. It was so wonderful being surrounded by lush, colorful plants and flowers. Our room was in the French Village area and was nice. We really spent very little time in the room. The balcony overlooking the pool and ocean was a big plus. We actually had our honeymoon "breakfast in bed" out on the balcony.

The service was outstanding from the moment we arrived at the airport. We were greeted with many warm smiles that never wavered throughout our entire stay. Everyone was so friendly, polite, and helpful. We ate in every restaurant and enjoyed them all. Our favorite places for dinner were Jasmine's and Eleanor's. The breakfast buffet at Bayside was very nice. For lunch we enjoyed Neptune's and Giuseppe’s. The treats at Café de Paris were yummy. The frozen drinks at all of the bars were just as delightful as those who were serving them. Our favorite bar was the swim-up bar at the French Village Pool. We never had to wait for any of our meals. We were always seated promptly and the staff made us feel very welcome. We utilized the water sports area and the dive shop often.  The snorkeling and SCUBA lessons were a lot of fun. Once SCUBA certified (a cost) one could dive 2 times every day for free. Will got certified, and now when we go back to Whitehouse or any other resort he won’t have to do any lessons. He can just schedule a dive and go. The Red Lane Spa was very tranquil and the ladies really pampered us. We did a couples massage that was very romantic. 

 

We hope to return to beautiful Sandals Whitehouse in the next year or so. The promise of a free wedding may have started us thinking about going to Sandals, but it was the staff and perfect atmosphere that have made us want to go back. We are truly hoping to see some of our favorite staff members again as they were part of what made our trip so memorable. Thanks to Monique, Reverend Hall, Trevon, Oneal, Keon, Garth, Natoya, Stacia and many many more.

A big travel tip: Use Club MoBay at the airport on your way home. It was well worth the $30/person. You get express service through customs/immigration, a private lounge with open bar, buffet, and free wifi. It made the couple hour wait at the airport so much less stressful.

Thanks to Will and Lisa S. for sharing their experiences and their photos. Photos may not be used without written permission.  

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Diamond Bridal Tiaras

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Every bride dreams of the perfect dress, pair of shoes, flower bouquet, and a fancy yellowdiamonds piece of jewel, but that’s every bride. For those who want something extra special for their big day, a tiara is the perfect touch. Tiaras have been worn by royalty for centuries, and are still worn by them today. Many feel they are old fashioned because of how far back they date, but tiaras are essentially timeless. Little girls dream of being princesses and grown women still hold onto that dream on their wedding day. A tiara, especially a diamond tiara, says, “today is like no other day. Today, I am more special than anyone else here.” A tiara is more than a white dress, and more than fancy makeup and hair. It’s royalty.

Celebrities have made quite the statement by wearing tiaras to their weddings, or even on the red carpet. Some famous tiara-wearing celebrities include Madonna, who wed Guy Ritchie in 2000.

Madonna wore an amazing diamond tiara at her wedding to Guy Ritchie in 2000

Her choice for a tiara was an antique headpiece, which was later donated to charity. Another celebrity to don a diamond tiara is Keira Knightley. Though she was not a bride, the actress chose to accessorize with a Bulgari Vintage Collection diamond

necklace, worn as a tiara. Knightley sported the tiara look to the London premier of the movie Atonement.

Diamond tiaras are making a comeback in a huge way, breaking away from the ritually worn royal and pageant tiaras and entering a new era of headpieces, where the head is as much a part to adorn with diamonds as any other body part. Hairpieces are also becoming popular as they are seen as important accessorizes instead of pointless feminine items.

Tiaras are being used in ad campaigns for jewelers and photographers, such as the 2003 ads featuring Stella Tenant, a model for French jeweler Chaumet, where the tiara was worn in a relaxed fashion on the back of the head like a headband. Other campaigns include one starring Scarlett Johansson, who posed for Annie Leibovitz in a Disney ad wearing a 62-carat Harry Winston Tiara worth $325,000.

 
Keira Knightley with a Bulgari Vintage Collection colored diamond necklace as a tiara at the London premiere of Atonement and Scarlett Johansson, as Cinderella in the Annie Leibovitz photographed Disney ad, with a 62-carat, $325,000 Harry Winston diamond tiara.

Most brides today who are adopting the tradition of wearing a tiara make do with one showcasing semi-precious gems. A diamond tiara, boasting many stones, can cost millions of dollars. The Argyle Pink Tiara, which was recently sold, features rare pink diamonds and is worth $2 million.

The Argyle Pink Diamond Tiara with a removable pink diamond pear shaped ring

Colored diamonds, such as Pink or Champagne diamonds, are always an option for tiaras, especially if the headpiece is made in such a way that the gems can be removed and worn differently. Doing this though ads to the price tag of the tiara.

Diamond tiaras instantly transform a bride into a princess and are items that can be cherished and passed on as a heirloom from generation to generation. It is a bold yet sophisticated statement that is becoming more and more acceptable. Once considered outdated, diamond tiaras are now back and here to stay.

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