Destination Weddings Discussions

Welcome party/cocktails?

We are getting married in Jamaica next year at an all inclusive resort. Our guest will be flying in on a Saturday and our wedding will be Monday. I'm thinking about having a welcome party or cocktail hour or activity planned for Sunday. The resort won't hand out the OOT bags and I thought it would be nice to have a little welcome party to give everyone their bags, thank them in person for coming, and let them mingle and get to know other guests. Is anyone else doing this? I'm not sure how to go about it since its an all-inclusive place. We can't really reserve a resteraunt or anything. There is a very nice and open bar area in the lobby I was thinking of just having everyone meet us there around 11ish and we can have bloody Mary's and hand out bags, socialize. Or do you think I need an actual activity planned for us to do? Any ideas are welcome!

Re: Welcome party/cocktails?

  • Depending upon the all inclusive resort I would think that you could reserve tables at restaurants. Have you checked with your resort to see if this idea is possible? I know at Sandals we will have to reserve all of our dinner slots when we arrive, but our butler will do this for us. If not, I think that meeting anywhere such as the bar should be fine just to give everyone their bags and catch up. It might be a nice option to find some sort of activity that you could do later and if guests are interested they can attend but if not that is fine too.
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  • We get to reserve tables for our reception dinner after the ceremony on Monday. It will be a semi-private dinner, as in there will be other people in the restaurant but we will have a section reserved just for us. this is part of the wedding package. We will also have a "rehersal" dinner on Sunday evening before the wedding on Monday for just the wedding party and family which will be the same kind of thing but at a different restaurant. My understanding is they only allow us 2 reservation slots, one as part of the wedding package, and then we get one for bringing a group of 20+. I'm hoping it will work out to just meet in the bar area. But I am thinking of reserving a catamaran cruise for a couple hours in between the welcome party and the rehersal dinner. We will be paying for the wedding party and their guests, and we could make it optional for other guests to attend? Is that a bad idea?
  • I wonder why your resort won't deliver welcome bags for you! :( Secrets does it however they do charge a small fee for it. As far as our welcome party Secrets Maroma Beach offers a bonfire welcome party so we are doing that on Wednesday night and reserving tables in one of the restaurants for Thursday night for our rehearsal dinner. Our wedding is Friday
  • I've tossed around the idea of having a welcome party (possibly on Thursday night as the wedding is Saturday) but I'm not sure because we don't have alot left in the budget.  I would like to go to a restaurant and do a few drinks and apps but if everyone shows up that could get really pricey. Would it be bad to add something in the welcome bag informing people to come on Thursday for a few drinks and apps but not do a full dinner?
  • Not at all! That's a great idea. Ours is not a dinner, it's just a bonfire with apps and cocktails. See if your resort offers anything reasonable. The bonfire welcome party is only $200 which I thought was a great deal! Check into it and if not I think inviting guests out for drinks and apps is a great idea!
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