Community Forum

milacik21 · 01-30-2011, 04:36 PM

I am wondering how many wedding events you all think is the right amount.
We were thinking about doing some welcome get together/barbeque. Is that enough? or would all out of country guests expect more. if so, what kind of events have you all done/experienced? I thought maybe tour of the island would be cool but with 75 guests, some with kids of various ages, not sure what would make sense.
Please let me know what you think.

*Andrea J.* · 01-30-2011, 05:52 PM

2
the wedding itself
and
maybe a welcome cocktail hour or dinner.
a good place for the dinner could be MOOMBAS beach bar/grill.
money is usually an issue/concern.
if it is not a concern, i would add a sunset sail .......contact jolly pirates.
ok i am in la la land by even thinking if "money were no concern".

i have my thinking cap on.

Sheree10 · 01-30-2011, 06:36 PM

For our wedding the only events we had were a welcome mixer, the wedding and reception. I didn;t want to do too much since most guests would only be in Aruba for a long weekend. They went out in smaller groups to do tours, beach, shopping, restaurants.

I thought about a catamaran sail or post wedding breakfast/brunch but then I started calculating $$$. ( we had 64 people including us and we paid for it all ourselves.) I think your guests will be okay with at least one major group event. Then you can have other meet ups like maybe a beach day where everyone meets by the pool or beach just to hang.

There's plenty to do on the island for guests but don;t feel like you have to plan every minute. remember you have last minute planning to do and spend time with hubby before the big day!

cindyo · 01-30-2011, 07:10 PM

Things I would enjoy doing if going to a wedding in Aruba and I had never been before..

1. Jolly Pirate cruise
2. Sunset Cruise on Palm Pleasure ( Depalm tours)
3. Kukukanuko ( sp?) bus/booze ride in the evening
4. Private happy hour at the resort
5. Private tour of the island stopping at Balashi Beer factory
Ohhhh, I could go on forever...

milacik21 · 01-30-2011, 08:09 PM

thank you all very much for your input! Money, unfortunately is a concern, and I'd love to do all of them, but probably won't be able to. I love the hang out on the beach idea and I'll make sure guests are aware of all the other things they can do by themselves. I did not know you can tour the beer factory!

cindyo · 01-31-2011, 07:29 PM

Beer factory by reservation only if you are interested.

Karen Lutzker · 02-04-2011, 10:43 AM

Wedding budget should certainly be a concern when planning your destination wedding. Depending upon the amount of guests that you plan to invite and actually attend your wedding there are many ways to save on your expenses. There is no rule of thumb as to how many events to have. It is nice to have some type of a welcome gathering for your guests the day of their arrival or the day after their arrival. If you do plan a welcome gathering on the day of arrival, make sure that the gathering does not start earlier then 7 or 7:30 p.m. as your guests will be exhausted from traveling and will need a some time to relax after their flight. Some couples like to have a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding which would include the bridal party and again that would depend upon your budget. There are some very lovely inexpensive locations in Aruba with a wide variety of menus to have your welcome and rehearsal dinner.

rmheartsaruba · 03-15-2011, 01:13 AM

hi! i attended a wedding this past may & here's how it went...
the wedding was on a friday, so most people made a vacation out of it & spent the week. home base was the radisson. they hosted a lovely 'meet & greet' event on monday at the pool with cocktails & light food. we all received welcome bags that included a list of activities/events for the week - tuesday: golf for the guys/beach for the ladies & kukoo kunuku party bus (we had such a large party, we had the bus all to ourselves - it was a BLAST!) - wednesday: sunset cruise - thursday: the rehearsal dinner (at an off-property restaurant) - friday: the BIG day! - saturday: brunch. the lucky bride & groom were staying for a second week for their honeymoon & most people left sat/sun. btw...golf, bus, cruise were pay your own way. i would consider this an over-the-top wedding, especially as there were around 70 people! that being said, i have to say it was one of the loveliest weddings i've attended - if i had to do it all over again, you know what i'd do

the BEST of luck to you - i'm sure whatever you decide, it will be just fantastic!

luv2teech7 · 03-19-2011, 04:21 AM

As of now, we're planning on just a few "events" for our group, but have also considered offering to organize a few for people to just opt in--if they so desire. My fiancé's family has only been to Aruba a few times and most of our guests have traveled to the island at least once. However, nothing beats the experiences you will have with a special group of people. I've been to the island at least 14 or 15 times since I started going in 2006--and every visit has been different--most notably because of the people who traveled with me. I loved the private tours I've taken, set up by a few local friends. Here's hoping your big day is all that you want it to be....and so much more. I've dreamed of an Aruba wedding since my very first visit to the island and can't WAIT for this to finally happen......finally starting my countdown!!

*Andrea J.* · 03-19-2011, 07:23 AM

woo hoo!!!
let that countdown begin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv2teech7

As of now, we're planning on just a few "events" for our group, but have also considered offering to organize a few for people to just opt in--if they so desire. My fiancé's family has only been to Aruba a few times and most of our guests have traveled to the island at least once. However, nothing beats the experiences you will have with a special group of people. I've been to the island at least 14 or 15 times since I started going in 2006--and every visit has been different--most notably because of the people who traveled with me. I loved the private tours I've taken, set up by a few local friends. Here's hoping your big day is all that you want it to be....and so much more. I've dreamed of an Aruba wedding since my very first visit to the island and can't WAIT for this to finally happen......finally starting my countdown!!

01-30-2011, 04:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
milacik21 Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: baby beach, the amazing rock formations, but pretty much everything else too Posts: 54	wedding events - how many? I am wondering how many wedding events you all think is the right amount. We were thinking about doing some welcome get together/barbeque. Is that enough? or would all out of country guests expect more. if so, what kind of events have you all done/experienced? I thought maybe tour of the island would be cool but with 75 guests, some with kids of various ages, not sure what would make sense. Please let me know what you think. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook

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01-30-2011, 05:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Andrea J. Aruba since 1979 Moderator Join Date: May 2007 Location: renaissance island, eagle beach, amsterdam manor/passions beach bar, Hung Paradis, alto vista chapel, madam janettes, big porch at B55 Posts: 13,254 Images: 80	2 the wedding itself and maybe a welcome cocktail hour or dinner. a good place for the dinner could be MOOMBAS beach bar/grill. money is usually an issue/concern. if it is not a concern, i would add a sunset sail .......contact jolly pirates. ok i am in la la land by even thinking if "money were no concern". i have my thinking cap on. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook __________________ Please, I'll have a Grande' decaf Mocha Latte' with a shot of liquid tranquilizer.

01-30-2011, 06:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sheree10 Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 81	For our wedding the only events we had were a welcome mixer, the wedding and reception. I didn;t want to do too much since most guests would only be in Aruba for a long weekend. They went out in smaller groups to do tours, beach, shopping, restaurants. I thought about a catamaran sail or post wedding breakfast/brunch but then I started calculating $$$. ( we had 64 people including us and we paid for it all ourselves.) I think your guests will be okay with at least one major group event. Then you can have other meet ups like maybe a beach day where everyone meets by the pool or beach just to hang. There's plenty to do on the island for guests but don;t feel like you have to plan every minute. remember you have last minute planning to do and spend time with hubby before the big day! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook __________________

01-30-2011, 07:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
cindyo Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Reniassance Island Posts: 3,691 Images: 138	Things I would enjoy doing if going to a wedding in Aruba and I had never been before.. 1. Jolly Pirate cruise 2. Sunset Cruise on Palm Pleasure ( Depalm tours) 3. Kukukanuko ( sp?) bus/booze ride in the evening 4. Private happy hour at the resort 5. Private tour of the island stopping at Balashi Beer factory Ohhhh, I could go on forever... Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook __________________ Cindyo Family Poolside at the Rennaissance suites April 2010 Family with Bully, arubalisa & family Next Aruba trip in

01-30-2011, 08:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
milacik21 Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: baby beach, the amazing rock formations, but pretty much everything else too Posts: 54	thank you all very much for your input! Money, unfortunately is a concern, and I'd love to do all of them, but probably won't be able to. I love the hang out on the beach idea and I'll make sure guests are aware of all the other things they can do by themselves. I did not know you can tour the beer factory! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook

01-31-2011, 07:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
cindyo Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Reniassance Island Posts: 3,691 Images: 138	Beer factory by reservation only if you are interested. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook __________________ Cindyo Family Poolside at the Rennaissance suites April 2010 Family with Bully, arubalisa & family Next Aruba trip in

02-04-2011, 10:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
Karen Lutzker Banned Join Date: May 2007 Location: The beaches and the sea Posts: 381 Images: 9	How many events Wedding budget should certainly be a concern when planning your destination wedding. Depending upon the amount of guests that you plan to invite and actually attend your wedding there are many ways to save on your expenses. There is no rule of thumb as to how many events to have. It is nice to have some type of a welcome gathering for your guests the day of their arrival or the day after their arrival. If you do plan a welcome gathering on the day of arrival, make sure that the gathering does not start earlier then 7 or 7:30 p.m. as your guests will be exhausted from traveling and will need a some time to relax after their flight. Some couples like to have a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding which would include the bridal party and again that would depend upon your budget. There are some very lovely inexpensive locations in Aruba with a wide variety of menus to have your welcome and rehearsal dinner. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook

03-15-2011, 01:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
rmheartsaruba Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: eagle beach arashi & boca catalina la cabana pool bar Posts: 12	aruba wedding...lucky you! hi! i attended a wedding this past may & here's how it went... the wedding was on a friday, so most people made a vacation out of it & spent the week. home base was the radisson. they hosted a lovely 'meet & greet' event on monday at the pool with cocktails & light food. we all received welcome bags that included a list of activities/events for the week - tuesday: golf for the guys/beach for the ladies & kukoo kunuku party bus (we had such a large party, we had the bus all to ourselves - it was a BLAST!) - wednesday: sunset cruise - thursday: the rehearsal dinner (at an off-property restaurant) - friday: the BIG day! - saturday: brunch. the lucky bride & groom were staying for a second week for their honeymoon & most people left sat/sun. btw...golf, bus, cruise were pay your own way. i would consider this an over-the-top wedding, especially as there were around 70 people! that being said, i have to say it was one of the loveliest weddings i've attended - if i had to do it all over again, you know what i'd do the BEST of luck to you - i'm sure whatever you decide, it will be just fantastic! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook

03-19-2011, 04:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
luv2teech7 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 21	As of now, we're planning on just a few "events" for our group, but have also considered offering to organize a few for people to just opt in--if they so desire. My fiancé's family has only been to Aruba a few times and most of our guests have traveled to the island at least once. However, nothing beats the experiences you will have with a special group of people. I've been to the island at least 14 or 15 times since I started going in 2006--and every visit has been different--most notably because of the people who traveled with me. I loved the private tours I've taken, set up by a few local friends. Here's hoping your big day is all that you want it to be....and so much more. I've dreamed of an Aruba wedding since my very first visit to the island and can't WAIT for this to finally happen......finally starting my countdown!! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Share Post on Facebook