Elite
Travel DESTINATION WEDDING CLIENTS
Tammy, Heather, and the Elite Travel Team,
We're back and we're married!! Thanks to Elite Travel and
their dedicated services, our "Leap Day" wedding
went off beautifully. I've been working intimately with Tammy
since the beginning of 2007 and have found in her not only
a trusted and valuable travel agent, but a very dear friend.
From start to finish she was there for me and my guests 100%
and even now after our wedding is said and done I look forward
to keeping in close contact.
We booked our wedding at the Riu Ocho Rios in Jamaica, around
May of last year. Tammy organized everything for me; all I
did was put in a request and *POOF* my wish was granted. The
wedding coordinator, florist and bakery on site at the Riu
were terrible in the communication department, but thanks
to Tammy and her Elite Travel Team, everything was taken care
of.
We arrived in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Wednesday, February 27th.
We had a very pleasant flight (fly Air Jamaica and you get
a meal!!) and got through immigration and customs easily.
The ride to the resort wasn't the best or the safest, but
none of the natives seem very keen on following driving laws
anyway! It certainly was an experience and since we arrived
intact, I really can't complain. Upon unloading our luggage
we were immediately greeted with a smile and given cool rum
punch to sip on while we checked in. If that wasn't enough
to make you relax, walking into the open air, exquisite marble
lobby would certainly do the trick. Our room wasn't quite
ready when we arrived, but that gave us a good twenty minutes
to walk around and check out our home for the next week, and
what a nice home it was!
We were so excited to get to our room but when we got upstairs
I was sorely disappointed. Our "ocean view" was
a view of an off property souvenir shack with a glimpse of
the beach if you stretched your neck to the right when peering
over the balcony. The room itself was just fine, equipped
with a king size bed, small seating area and bath. A little
distraught I called Tammy and she immediately took care of
it. By noon the next day after another room became available
we were moved into a suite unlike none I'd ever stayed in
before. I was expecting the same room we had just with a better
view, but instead we were given the royal treatment. The resort
learned quickly that you don't mess with Tammy's VIP guests!!
Our view was AMAZING, the bathroom had a huge shower and separate
jacuzzi tub, and plenty of sitting room for when we invited
some people up. When I called Tammy to thank her I was close
to being speechless. Thinking back on that room puts a smile
on my face right now.
Due to the "problems" we'd had with the florist
and bakery, Tammy went out of her way to contact a florist
from another resort she trusted and put us in contact with
each other. We met the following morning and she was fabulous!
She worked with me to create a unique display of arrangements
and bouquets at a very reasonable price. The bakery was also
from off-site and was great. At first they were hesitant to
do the cake exactly how we wanted for fear of it looking "tacky"
but ultimately they gave into our request and we were overjoyed
with the outcome. The on-site photographer, Michael, was very
friendly and willing to mix in his creative measures with
my photography background to create and capture our glorious
memories on film.
The wait staff as a whole was awesome at the resort, but
they outdid themselves by far at our reception at Mammee Bay.
Everything was organized beautifully by the time we arrived
from our photo shoot. I stood in awe at the first sight of
my floral arrangements and cake. The food was great too -
but our cake was the tastiest!! They served us on cue with
the glasses we brought especially for the toast with the drink
we'd requested. We had planned on the Seagrapes bar for after
dinner, but after learning that the nights show was Latin-themed,
we decided to just congregate near the stage for drinks and
dancing. And to our surprise, at the end of the show we were
called up on stage by name as the newest Riu newlyweds and
learned a dance and performed with the dancers for the resort.
It really was a great time!
The rest of the stay was very pleasant as well and we only
had a day and a half of poor weather. The meals were unbelievably
good, but we learned our first day to not eat towards the
end of the session if you prefer fresh, hot meals. We tried
two of the restaurants that require reservations: Sir John's
and Tushima. While Tushima was an experience and I am happy
we tried it, Japanese food isn't a favorite we learned, but
Sir John's was delicious!! The Plantation had the best lunches
and we liked St. Ann's the best for breakfast. Piccola Italia
was open from noon until midnight, so there was never a problem
finding a decent meal if other restaurants closed between
servings. And I highly recommend the Jerk Hut for lunch as
well - it's served right on the beach, but get there quick
if you don't want to stand in line for 30 minutes!! It really
is that good! The bars served awesome drinks (you certainly
get your money's worth with the liquor content!) and the discoteque
was a blast!
At the Riu there was never a loss of things to do. The gift
shops were stocked with average souvenirs at above average
prices, but every other night there were local craft tables
set up throughout the resort with great, authentic gifts.
Don't forget to haggle though! You really can get awesome
deals if you push hard enough or threaten to walk away. The
Sports Bar, open 24-7, has a little casino too which I luckily
doubled up in so that gets a thumbs-up from me as well. Snorkling
at the resort was free but for a mere $16 (we talked them
down to $10 pp) you can have a boat take you out to the reef
and really experience the Caribbean sea life. The only real
disappointment we had was learning that BOTH pools closed
at 6pm!! We were told they are open a little later during
the summer months, but still, this was a huge let-down for
both of us. We also did a horseback ride 'n swim off-site
that was incredible. We started at the top of a small mountain
at an old plantation and were given a tour and history lesson
as we rode down the mountain to beach. There we stopped for
refreshments before galloping through the water and having
our pictures taken while doing so. It was so much fun that
I'd do it again our next trip to Jamaica.
All in all, we could not have asked for a better wedding
and honeymoon - and it is all thanks to Tammy and Elite Travel.
Without their help, we never would have had the contacts needed
to prepare the ceremony and reception the way we wanted, we
would not have had the "in's" for where to get the
best discounts, and most importantly, we would not have been
able to relax and enjoy the trip as much as we did without
knowing that our special day was being handled by the most
capable of hands. Tammy's heart is truly in her work and that
is what keeps her the best in business. We cannot extend enough
"thank you's" to Elite Travel for the devotion they
gave us but know that our future travels will most definitely
be through them.
Thanks again to Tammy, Heather, and the rest of the Elite
Travel team that put so much time and energy into making our
dream come true. We love you!!
Faithful Clients Forever,
Jenna & Brian Dube / 2/ 29 /2008 / Homestead,
FL / Riu Ocho Rios, Jamaica
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