Wokie and James’s Wedding at Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica

The Couple

Wokie and James first met as neighbors, where their first interaction was her blocking his car in the driveway. Due to their opposite work schedule, Wokie was sleeping while James ran late for work- knocking on her door to remove her car. It’s quite a funny story when looking back. The couple often plays jokes on each other, but on this night when Wokie thought she had one up on James, she had no idea that the joke would be on her. While attempting to retrieve the remote-control that James had been looking for, James anxiously waited on one knee. As she turned around to surprise him with the remote control, she smiled with excitement and shock. Wokie said, “Oh my God! Are you serious? Yes!”

The Planning

The couple knew they might have a large guest list, and by having a destination wedding it would cut down on the size of the guest list and the final cost too. Her sister had hosted a local wedding and it had cost way too much money. Having a destination wedding allowed guests to choose if they wanted to come, as it was their vacation too.

Together with their Destify agent, Candyce Roa, they chose the Luxury Bahia Principe Resort because The Bahia offers accommodations for both adults only, and family. The adult-only resort includes adults-only restaurants, rooms, and facilities, while guests with families could stay at the Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica, and both resorts are on the same complex. The goal was to keep everyone together while still being able to do various activities separately. The decision to wed in Jamaica came easy as they resonated on their previous vacation which included live entertainment, amazing food (jerk chicken) and the welcoming staff who made them feel at home.

The Wedding

Overall, the couple had 95 guests attend the wedding. The couple had a fun welcome dinner on the night that many of the guests arrived. On the day of the ceremony, Wokie got ready in the morning with her bridal party, and the couple exchanged love notes while they both prepared for the ceremony. They took photos beforehand with their photographer they had brought from home, and then the resort provided a golf cart ride to their wedding venue.

The couple went all out for the wedding, which everyone loved. Their ceremony was at 3pm at a gazebo overlooking the ocean. After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour with live music, while the couple finished taking pictures. Then there was private reception in the tent, which featured a dance floor with a DJ, photo booth, and even a fire dancer; along with a delicious dinner. Wokie said, “Everyone danced and danced, for the entire night.”

The couple capped off the celebrations with everyone walking to the ocean, and releasing lanterns into the night. They also chose to explore the area after their wedding, and they hosted an excursion that included a catamaran cruise, a trip to Dunn’s River Falls, and a stop at Margaritaville for drinks and jerk chicken. Many of their guests chose to join in on the fun.

Looking Back

Wokie’s advice for future couples are to ask clear and concise questions about extra cost beyond your wedding package. Every little detail is an additional cost at Bahia, (like flowers, lights, napkins, tablecloths, table numbers, etc.) so be mindful of any additional feature you would like to add on your big day.