Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa...confirmation & Wedding Coordinator Assignment

Hey Courtney! Congratulations on booking your venue! This is such an exciting step!

As the pp suggested, I would recommend phoning the venue and asking for confirmation that your deposit has been received. You can explain that you are a bit anxious that you have heard nothing back after a week of waiting.

Hey Courtney! How are things going with your venue?

Hi Sinead! Thanks for checking in. Things are moving along and I'm excited already. I've finally been assigned a wedding coordinator. I notice that it takes my coordinator several days to get back to me via email because there is still so much time left to plan. This is ok for now, as we have 10 months until the wedding. I'm sure communication will improve as the wedding get closer.

It's great news that things are running so smoothly for your Courtney! I'm so happy for you!

As you mentioned, communication with your coordinator will increase once your wedding gets closer. 😊

Hi Diane,

Just as a forewarning, this will be a long post. If I had to give the resort a star rating on process I would give them 3 out of 5 stars.

Pros: They have great resources and lots of options and can make your wedding/reception look exactly the way you want it to look. Additionally their floral vendor is one of the best in Jamaica - their arrangements are gorgeous. If you get a chance and haven't already go check out Tai Flora Luxe on instagram. Lastly, the resort has some pretty good all inclusive wedding/reception packages and interesting entertainment options for your guests.

Cons: LACK OF COMMUNICATION is the biggest con. I have the hardest time getting my decor person to respond. You will receive a vendor contact from the resort's preferred floral/decor vendor (responsible for most of the decor) and a coordinator to assist you in planning. Luckily, my coordinator is a bit more responsive than the vendor and usually gets back to me within a few days of me reaching out to her via email. Sometimes she can also push the vendors to respond and she is very accommodating. However, with our 50% deposit deadline fast approaching (1 month) and many reception decor details still unplanned, I feel the lack of communication from the vendor is unacceptable. I've literally been ignored at times and have to send follow up emails to get my questions answered. I get that they plan numerous weddings around the year, but many times getting a straight answer can be a struggle and frustrating overall.

Also, both the coordinator and vendor often provide recommendations for decor that are beautiful, but also usually the most expensive options they have. We were originally planning a wedding, cocktail hour, and receptions for about 60 guests so in my opinion our budget was pretty generous, but upgrades can wipe that our quickly. Don't be afraid to ask them to provide second, third, and even fourth options.

I hope this helps!

P.S. if you are thinking of taking a large group and don't have a travel agent, I seriously recommend you get one ASAP. I have no idea what i would've done without ours. It would have been a nightmare to organize all of the room arrangements and transportation.

Thanks!!! The lack of communication would drive me crazy. What package did you pick? I have a small group 25-30 guests and we will be working with a travel agent. Do you think the packages are worth it?

We chose the Party Lovers Deluxe package. I think it's worth it. It gives you an almost completely planned wedding/reception. I have a wedding theme, so we ended up adding on quite a few upgrades in order to stick to my vision - that's where things got tricky.

Hi Melissa,

Thanks! Buckle in because this is a long post!

Honestly the upfront deposit request made me a bit nervous too and after all of the money we've spent on this whole affair, I would be devastated if it is a scam. However, there are a few things that eased my suspicion for the most part.

1) I did a lot of research online before determining which Jamaican resort I wanted to get married at. There seemed to be some pretty positive reviews on trip advisor, palladium addicts, and a few other sites.

2) My travel agent helped me contact the wedding team to secure my date and a group booking contract. If you don't have a travel agent, I strongly suggest you get one. She has been a life saver, and there is absolutely no way I could've coordinated getting all of those rooms booked without her. Plus she helped secure some free perks and even contacted our wedding coordinator directly.

3) I almost decided to have the wedding at another resort in Jamaica prior to settling on Lady Hamilton and they operated much the same, asking for a $500 deposit on a package.

4) I work directly with the resort's vendors and they are reputable. For example Tai Flora Luxe (check out their instagram and reviews online) is the resort's recommended floral and decor vendor, and it has lots of reviews, articles written about the company, and beautiful pics available for interested clients. Some of their instagram pics even feature GPLH weddings.

5) Finally, to be on the safe side I ask for an updated itemized "contract"/quote every single time I make a payment so I know exactly where our money is going. I also receive quotes/contracts from each of the vendors even though Palladium shows the pricing of the packages and vendor costs on their comprehensive contract.

Hopefully this helps. I'll update the thread in May!

P.S. Yes, you are required to provide the driver's license, pic. of credit card, and credit card authorization form every single time you make a payment, if you choose to pay in increments. I didn't like this method at all, but they claim this is the only way they accept payment.