Tropical Weddings in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

You've no doubt seen the news accounts of Hurricane Ivan's path across Jamaica in September, 2004. It may have left you wondering: is Jamaica still a great place for a destination wedding? We wondered that ourselves so we decided to check in with an on-island wedding planner, Almarie of Tropical Weddings, based in Ocho Rios. Here's our interview with this experienced wedding planner with the latest on weddings in the Ocho Rios region.

What would you like to say to brides who are concerned about damage from Hurricane Ivan?

The damage to the Ocho Rios region from the hurricane was limited to a five day power outage and fallen trees. The infrastructure which caters for weddings were in no way severely affected, in fact, business is up and running, and things back to normal....

Will they still find many beautiful venues in the Ocho Rios area?

All the venues came through well and this includes the outdoor settings as well. It is safe to say no adverse effects were experienced.

What makes Ocho Rios especially attractive for brides looking for a destination wedding venue?

The Ocho Rios area provides a wide variety of wedding planning services. The creativity and level of professionalism brought in by the major players keeps the product at par with competitors. The area's natural beauty and diverse locations does not limit the occasion to indoors or far inland.

What are some of the most popular wedding sites in the area?

The Cranbrook Flower Forest, The Ruins at The Falls, Almond Tree Restaurant, Laughing Waters Hotel, Shaw Park Botanical Gardens, The Mahogany Beach Club, The Shaw Park Beach Club, Coyaba River Gardens to name a few. A variety of local churches are also available for the traditional ceremony.


For brides who would like to put some local touches in their wedding, what would you suggest?

Indigenous flowers and music as well as tasty local cuisine not limited to jerk chicken

What trends are you seeing in terms of destination weddings in Jamaica?

One of the biggest trends is the incorporation of the candle lighting ceremony and releasing of the doves into the weddings, Jamaica is now listed as one of the top wedding destinations, and mainly because of its warm and friendly people who are always readily available to make brides wedding dreams come true as this is where their lifetime memories begin....SAND** SUN** VOWS**

For more information on Tropical Weddings, contact Almarie in Ocho Rios, Jamaica by info@tropicalweddingsjamaica.com or see www.tropicalweddingsjamaica.com.