Destination Wedding Jamaica Recap

I've been on hiatus from blogging since October because preparing for a destination wedding took up a lot of my time. But I'm back. I'm married. And I'm starting to get back on the "real life" track.
Here's our experience, in a nutshell:

On November 5 we were married on one of Jamaica's beautiful beaches. The resort was Secret's St. James Resort and Spa in Montego Bay. If you like good food, happy people, beach time and beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, this is the place for you.

When we arrived, we met with the wedding coordinators who I had been emailing with over the past year. We picked out what we wanted from the options they provided - which were all lovely - and they took care of everything. We didn't have to worry about doing much of anything other than showing up (and paying the bill).

In fact, the day of the wedding, I relaxed on the beach reading magazines until it was time for my hair appointment. My husband went snorkeing with his brother all afternoon. I'm fairly certain that if we had a wedding at home, our "day of" would have been a tad more stressful.

The (non-denominational) minister was wonderful. He made us laugh when we cried during our vows because we couldn't have my makeup running.

At sunset, we cut the cake and danced our first dance. The photos were spectacular.

(Our first dance to "At Last" by Etta James)

Since we bought the Ultimate Wedding Package for 20 guests, we had a cocktail hour with hors d'ourves and a steel drum band, followed by a reception with a delicious five course dinner.

We hired a DJ and danced. Then we hit the Piano Bar, then the resort's nightclub. We left just before the club closed at 2 a.m., when my feet could no longer stand the pain of my gorgeous something blue Badgley Mischkas.

(My purse, orchid bouquet and my something blue shoes)

When we arrived back to our suite, it was decorated with rose petals and towels shaped into swans on the bed. The jacuzzi tub was filled and topped with rose petals and candles.


Some perks of the wedding package we bought included my hair and makeup (which I had to wash off and redo myself. I looked like a hooker), a couples massage and an enourmous champagne breakfast in bed the morning after our wedding. It also included 50 5X7 photos and a 30 minute video of the ceremony as well as free nights for our anniversary stay. (We can't wait to take advantage of that one).

Thankfully, the party didn't end when the wedding was over. We organized a group Zipline and Canopy Tour excursion (through Chukka) for our guests the afternoon after our wedding. We flew through the trees, over rivers and hiked the Jamaican forest. Our guests loved it -- even the ones who said they were somewhat afraid of heights!

After a week at Secrets, my husband and I went to Negril for a private honeymoon experience. We stayed at the acclaimed RockHouse Hotel - a green boutique hotel and spa that ranks among the top hotels in the world -- and for good reason. It was breathtaking -- the cliffs, the ocean views, the food, the cocktails -- everything we experienced during our four days there exceeded our expectations.

(Sitting on the patio wall of our private waterfront villa)

Especially the sunsets.