Destination wedding at Hotel Riu Montego Bay – an Honest Review from Nicole and Sebastien

The Couple

Nicole and Sebastien met through a work Holiday party for a company he was working for. Sebastien asked Nicole to marry him in Las Vegas, during a weekend getaway. The couple knew they wanted a destination wedding because it was the perfect opportunity to force their friends and family to go on a vacation to paradise, while also breaking away from the traditional local wedding.

The Planning

The couple chose Jamaica because they loved the energy of the destination, and they chose RIU Montego Bay for their resort. Nicole said, “It fits who we are”. Their Destify agent Steffani took over from a previous company they were working with. She provided tips and suggestions based on her knowledge of destination weddings. Half of the wedding guests got stuck in Denver during travel, and Steffani was able to arrange for everyone’s arrival on Friday before the ceremony and was even able to extend their stay by a day so no one missed their time in Jamaica. Working with the RIU wedding department was fairly easy too, and luckily everything turned out the way Nicole wanted by the end of it.

The Wedding

Despite the travel woes, everyone still arrived in time for the welcome party on Friday night, a bonfire on the beach that the couple hosted. It was such a relief to have everyone together, and Nicole said this was when her stress began to melt away. Nicole and Sebastien stayed at the resort for 8 days, so they could truly enjoy the country and the resort. On the day of the wedding, Nicole used the on-site salon to do her hair. The ceremony started after 2pm at the beach gazebo, with ocean views.

After the ceremony, there was a rum toast on the beach with the wedding party, followed by a reception later in the evening at the resort’s steakhouse. Nicole stayed in her wedding dress throughout the evening, and she enjoyed how everyone was so nice across the resort. She said, “Little girls hugged me and I felt like a princess”. There was plenty of time to explore too. The couple participated in a trash the dress photo shoot, and on the last night, everyone went on an excursion to the luminous lagoon, a night swim that featured plankton that lit up the water.

Looking Back

Nicole recommends participating in a trash-the-dress photo shoot, as those were her favorite photos from the wedding. If you have a dream or vision, it’s possible, so don’t be afraid to share what you want with your travel agent and your wedding department.