The bride & groom: Crystal & Steven
The photographer: Ceon, the resort photographer
The resort: Couples Swept Away
Travel Agent: Terrah
The photographer: Ceon, the resort photographer
The resort: Couples Swept Away
Travel Agent: Terrah
"Oh my gosh we loved it soo so much! It was wonderful... it was so much more than we expected. We are already planning to go back."
What made you decide on having a destination wedding?
We had both already had a big wedding before and we felt that our first weddings seemed more for our guests than ourselves, so we decided to make this wedding more for us.
What made you decide on the resort/venue?
It was one of the suggestions provided by Terrah. We wanted to go somewhere tropical, and somewhere a bit more exotic than just Mexico. But, we didn't want to go somewhere that would break our wallets, so we chose Jamaica. We chose our resort - Couples, Swept Away, by doing a lot of research on the different suggested resorts/locations and reading reviews provided by other travelers/couples.
Who was your photographer?
The photographer was Ceon from Couples, Swept Away.
What was the biggest difficulty in planning your destination wedding?
It's just scary because you really don't know what you'll be getting or if you'll really get what you see in the picture. But, we really did get what we wanted and what we saw in the pictures, which was an absolute relief. I'd say the hardest part was picking which location to have the ceremony at. Also, we didn't send out announcements until about 1 month before we were leaving so we didn't have a lot of guests that were able to make it. We should've planned sooner, haha.
What was the highlight of the experience?
How it all turned out and that it took very little effort on my end. They literally made it so simple for me, without leaving me out of decisions.
Biggest surprise?
The "cocktail party" reception. The only attendees were me, my husband, and his parents - just the 4 of us. We really didn't know what to expect for the cocktail party, but we definitely didn't expect them to still go all out for just the 4 of us. They brought out additional greenery, a cocktail table for drinks, a table for the cake, our own personal bartender and bar set up, and they even sectioned off an area of the beach for us!
If your best friend were planning a destination wedding what would your advice be to her? Send out your announcements at least 3 months in advance if you really want guests to be able to make it. Also, just do your own research and read reviews on different websites to get a feel for the resort. However, don't always completely rely on those reviews (some people that leave reviews on those websites are the type of people that just can't be pleased). Lastly, I know you want your "dream dress", but I would strongly suggest not getting a big dress. I had originally gotten a dress that was tight on top and pretty fluffy on the bottom, then changed my mind to a more simple, flowy, beachy dress and I am SOOO glad I did. I don't think I would've survived with that big dress. Simpler was definitely better.
Thanks!!
Crystal
