Retie The Knot At Sandals Resorts To Celebrate An Anniversary Milestone
I am so amazed at how fast time has gone. One minute you are busy getting engaged and planning your wedding, the next minute you are celebrating 20 years of marriage. That’s what happened recently with my husband and me. We have been through so much together over the past twenty years: good & bad. So, one of the things we wanted to do was go back to the resort we spent our honeymoon at. So today I am discussing why you should plan to Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts.
Why You Should Have A Retie the Knot Ceremony
You can make it your own. When you renew your vows, you can make it anything you want to be. YOU can set the budget. YOU can choose the flowers. It is YOUR decision as to who you want in your wedding party, if anybody. Whatever you are feeling, you can decide.
The ceremony means a whole lot more. And when I say that it can mean a whole lot more, I am not exaggerating in ANY way. This time we chose to write our own vows. I agonized for weeks over them. Started and stopped. Wrote and rewrote. In the end, I found the words to express to my husband how I truly felt. I can’t even tell you the emotions I was feeling when I saw the tears running down his face.
You can buy the dress you truly want. I liked my dress for our initial ceremony. When I reflect on it now, I realize I didn’t love it. Probably because, again, it was my Mother’s choice and not my own. The only saving grace about the dress is my husband told me “I looked beautiful” after our ceremony was complete.For our vow renewal, I chose my own dress with my own tastes. I felt more feminine and pretty, despite the many pounds I put on since the first wedding. And when my husband again told me I looked beautiful, I truly felt like I did.
You can re-live the magic on your own terms. The nice thing about doing the vow renewal on the resort grounds was we weren’t on a crazy tight schedule. Minor things like huge down pours before the ceremony weren’t the crisis, they were the first time around. Why? Because we were together. And that is all that mattered.
Frequently Asked Questions About A Vow Renewal:
Before I share about our retie the knot ceremony at Sandals Resorts, I thought I would help to answer some of the most common questions you might have about deciding to renew your vows.
Is renewing your vows the same as a wedding?
No, a vow renewal is not the same as a wedding. Vow renewals are not legally binding and are not recognized as such.
Do you walk down the aisle during a vow renewal?
Yes. Or no. Basically it is whatever you decide to do to make your day special. Some choose to recreate walking down the aisle from their original wedding ceremony.
Do you need a pastor or priest for a vow renewal?
You are not required to obtain a marriage license or use a registered church minister or officiant. There are no legal documents involved and it can be held anywhere at any time.
These are just a few things you may be wondering about when it comes to renewing your vows. So now I will be sharing how to Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts.
Why Did We Choose To Renew Our Vows At Sandals Resorts?
We spent our first honeymoon at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Jamaica. It was a magical time, a special time, before the reality of life set in. We always discussed about going back someday, maybe for our 20th wedding anniversary. Well, May 2017, we made good on our word and returned to Sandals Royal Caribbean to celebrate our marriage and renew our vows.
Originally when I started thinking about planning our trip, the thought didn’t cross my mind. Until I was reading reviews on the resort and several people mentioned about how special their vow renewal was. When I discussed it with my husband, he was all for it.
What Was The First Step In Our Retie The Knot At Sandals Resorts?
The first thing we did was contact our travel agent to find out what needed to be done. He contacted the Sandals Wedding Department to see what they had available during the time we would be at the resort. He was able to secure us a time slot on our anniversary, which made us happy. We then paid the $300 fee for the ceremony.
What does the $300 price get you in a Retie the Knot ceremony?
- Personal planning team
- Receive 15% discount on Red Lane® Spa services for the bride and groom
- Gorgeous ceremony location
- Bridal bouquet and boutonniere
- Pre-recorded music
- Complimentary certificate, photo, and photo frame
- Celebration cake, champagne & hors d’oeuvres, and signature cocktail
And so much more!
What else do I need to get a Retie the Knot ceremony booked?
You will need to send a copy of your marriage certificate to the weddings department. Turns out when we were married, we never got a copy of ours. I had to go to the courthouse to get a copy with the raised seal. Once I sent it, and they validated it, we were well on our way.
When does the Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts planning start?
A pre-planning session is included with the Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts. While this is probably good for a wedding or a vow renewal with a lot of guests, I found this pre-planning session unnecessary. We talked about a few things, and they tried to get me to add several services. I am glad I didn’t because the on-site session was so much better!
On a side note, I do recommend purchasing the photo package before you get to the resort. While the photos are on the expensive side, they were worth every penny!
What Happens When You Get To Your Sandals Resort
Once we were on-site, we waited to get checked in and be escorted to our room. Our assigned wedding coordinator, Sanjae, popped into the lounge area and introduced herself. She then let us know when our planning session was. I immediately felt like we were in good hands.
What do you do during your on-site planning session for a Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts?
As far as our planning session went, I thoroughly enjoyed it. We talked about how the ceremony would go. We did a cake and icing testing, along with sampling the champagne. Music was discussed, photos were planned out, and private dinner & honeymoon breakfast choices were selected.
How do you decide on the ceremony location?
After that, we took a tour of the grounds to decide where we wanted our Retie the Knot ceremony. Initially I had my heart set on the gazebo that was near the building we were staying in. And that was plan.
However, Sanjae took the time to continue the tour and discuss plan B locations in case of inclement weather. Well, it turns out we needed plan B. But since we were already prepared, it was no big deal.
Do they have hair & nail services for my Retie the Knot ceremony?
I also splurged and got matching flowers for my hair, and had my hair & makeup done in the spa. There are services available for every possible beauty need that you have. All these services are extra, and the spa ladies are able to be tipped. The work they do is so worth it!
What Happens After You Retie The Knot At Sandals Resorts?
In any case, after our ceremony and first dance, we had a private reception with a nice snack and some of our wedding cake before heading out to have our pictures taken. Our photographer, Dwayne, did a good job of finding fun locations for our pictures, despite the rain. I am glad that we splurged and had them done, as they are great memories.
What is the post ceremony private dinner like?
Later, we had our private dinner. Again, we had to deal with plan B, but it was okay. They had special touches like name plates, personalized wedding menus, and amazing service from our waiter Gregory. We chose different items for our meal and had fun trying different things. We were so stuffed that we took our desserts back to the room.
Waiting on our bed was a nice note from Sanjae, a congratulatory cake, and a beautiful frame. It was those little touches that made it super special.
What about breakfast in bed for your second honeymoon?
I absolutely loved this special treat. There is nothing like waking up to a beautiful view to enjoy a delicious breakfast with your spouse. From a breakfast mimosa to a made-to-order omelet, to fresh cut fruit, you will truly feel like royalty after your Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts.
I hope you enjoyed reading about a Retie the Knot at Sandals Resorts. As I said earlier, I feel like this ceremony was exactly what I dreamed my wedding to be. And I look forward to doing it again on our 30th wedding anniversary.
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