Pre-Ceremony -- My fiance proposed to me on my birthday in July of 2006 and right away, like every bride I wanted to start planning the wedding. Our first thought was a destination wedding because we are private people, didn't want a big church wedding, and have only a few people we would truly want to attend. Jamaica came to mind because it's beautiful (duh!) and there seemed like many choices to pick from as far as wedding venues.
Why did I choose Sunset at the Palms? Ultimately I think it was the pictures on the website and a gut feeling. I didn't know anyone who had been there and I didn't know much about the resort, but it just felt right, so I dove in. My first communication with Charm, the wedding coordinator, was very basic. She was difficult to get a hold of on the phone so I did email her as well. I put my deposit down on the wedding (please contact SATP for rates), chose the date (3.19.07), and trusted that when Charm said everything would be taken care of, it would be. I was right to trust her! I also put my deposit down on the dates that we wanted to stay and started to invite friends and family.
I was concerned at first with the difficulty of communicating with the people at the resort. I could barely understand the phone operator and other staff when they answered the phone. I was also concerned that Charm didn't seem to be right on top of MY wedding and what I wanted. But ultimately I decided that SATP does tons of weddings and Charm has done tons of weddings, so I was going to be laid back 'mon.
I also decided to have an outside group come in to take pictures as I could never get samples of SATP pictures taken by their staff. I went with http://www.truecolorsphotos.com/. I found them on the internet, liked their work and was able to negotiate a reasonable price, $500 for 100 pictures and a wedding video. Dwayne, the proprietor was very easy to get on the phone and quite a nice man. I would highly recommend looking into their services.
We had ten people including us. We left individual arrangements to the guests. Most ended up staying at SATP, but a couple stayed at other resorts up the road. Negril has one main road with the resorts lining the street, so transportation is not an issue. There are PLENTY of cabs around. The guests that stayed at other resorts wished they would have stayed at ours. We had some jealous friends!!
The only decisions I made before the wedding were music and ceremony extras. Music -- I chose the opening bars of “Such Great Heights” by Postal Service for the processional, the refrain of “Such Great Heights” for the recessional, and “Songbird” by Eva Cassidy for our first dance. I also chose to not get many of the extras available through the resort. Since the awesome buffet that was offered every evening was so good, we decided to eat there because most of our guests were staying at the resort and that would be free. We paid $45/guest who wasn't staying at the hotel for guest passes that included drinks and the buffet.
I had asked SATP to arrange a driver for us to pick us up from the airport. The gentleman was funny, interesting, and drove like a maniac, but everyone else was too!! When we arrived Charm got us all together and we walked out to the beach where the ceremony was to be held. We were going to get married directly on the beach with the gazebo as a back-up. We did not get to meet with the minister or much of anything other than Charm telling us where we would stand and where the guests would sit.
Ceremony --
Our wedding was around 5:30. The photographers came around 4:30. I got ready in my mother-in-law's room. It was hot getting ready, but damn did I look good when I was all cinched in and pulled together. The photographer did a good job keeping my fiance and I apart so we didn't see each other, but still got a ton of pictures. The photographer's called everyone “mommy,” as in “move to the left mommy” or “smile mommy.” It was a cute sign of respect.
Finally I was picked up in a van and driven across the street to the beach. I popped out, the music started playing and the show was on. The ceremony was quick and painless. The minister was an older Jamaican gentleman and all I remember really (without watching the video) was how wonderful my fiance looked and how happy I was. But I think that's a good thing. After the ceremony we had to sign a giant book to get our official wedding documents mailed to us later at home. It must be a big deal in Jamaica because many people were taking pictures like we were signing the Constitution. After that we headed back across to take more pictures. We were waiting for the sun to set so we could get sunset pictures. So when that started, we ran back across the street to get our sunset pics, which were awesome too. 
We came back across the street and had our first dance in a little alcove that Charm had set up for us and our guests to eat in some privacy all together. As usual, the buffet was awesome, but for me the Jamaican wedding cake left a little to be desired.
Two days after the wedding we went to the Riu resort to choose our pictures. That resort is a mega resort, whereas SATP is more exclusive and private. I hated the Riu, it was like Vegas. We saw a couple getting married and it seemed very cookie-cutter. Dwayne had our pics ready for us to choose from and was finishing up the wedding video. We got both CD's before we left that resort.
Overall, this was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was I marrying my best friend and partner-in-crime, but my family and best friends were there and I looked great and my fiance was super hot and the scenery was amazing. I would strongly recommend SATP to ANYONE looking for a peaceful resort, a beautiful wedding, and a great time.
Problems -- I wouldn't say that we had any real problems with the wedding. It's important to remember that culturally Jamaicans are NOT Americans, and they operate a little differently; namely very very laid back. I think that was my issue with Charm and with the resort staff. I wish that I would have turned up the air in the room in which I was preparing because I got hot quickly. I also would have chosen a different cake, but the rest of my wedding party really liked it, so who knows?
FAQs:
1. Did you have any problems getting your marriage certificate?
No, I didn't. It came in the mail about five weeks after the wedding. Charm will take care of getting your marriage license for you before the wedding.
2. How did I get started?
Lots of research and once I decided, lots of calls to Jamaica.
3. Was the resort kid-friendly?
Not really. There's no special agenda for children and most of the guests are over 25 and not looking for a raucous time.
4. Did it cost extra to get married?
Yes, please contact SATP for pricing.
5. Was getting married an easy process?
Yes. Trust Charm, she will get you through. Be laid back, not a bridezilla. It's a chill place, so chill out!
6. Is there a spa to have your hair done for the wedding?
I don't think so. I got a massage the day after the wedding, but I don't think they have many other services. I would call and check.
7. Is the beach far?
No, it's across the street.
8. How was the bouquet?
It was beautiful -- fresh flowers cut from the SATP gardens, bright and orange. Any other bouquet costs extra.
9. Would I get married there again?
Well, I'm already married so probably not, but I definitely don't regret ANYTHING about the experience. It was AMAZING.
