My husband and I got married at Negril Escape on June 6, 2009 and had the most incredible experience. We had 65 guests, and although all of us stayed on the beach (mostly at the cozy boutique hotel, Idle Awhile, which was perfect!), Negril Escape was perfect as our wedding venue. As a hotel, NE is not my top choice. There are different 'themed' houses ranging from Africa, to maharajah-style India, to Jam-Rock--which is a cute concept. However, I found the actual rooms and decor to be a bit tacky and outdated, and in need of a face-lift--just not my style. (One of the reasons we chose a different location for guest accommodation.) However, as a wedding venue, the grounds are perfect-- offering lots of variety, gorgeous views, and essentially a blank canvas for whatever look you're going for. Really, a best-kept-secret for couples looking for an ocean-view wedding, minus the crowds and noise pollution, strangers passing through, sand, and typically hefty price tag.
Aside from being very reasonably priced, we found there were fewer restrictions at NE—we could use outside coordinators, photographers, etc. and there was no requirement to stay there or book the whole place just to host a function there. Furthermore, the location really is stunning. The large stone deck offers unbelievable ocean views and constant photo opps while offering privacy you just can’t find on the beach.
Although we didn’t have much direct contact with NE in planning since we used an outside coordinator (Ari, of Jamaican Journeys--who was fabulous!), we still got great personal attention from all the NE staff on the day-of. Furthermore, the NE manager, Don, was very flexible with our specific requests during the planning stage and worked with our coordinator on creating a customized menu for us, allowing us to construct our own wedding canopy, and having no problem with the use of outside vendors.
During the wedding, all the staff were very professional. The wait and bar staff walked around with trays during cocktail hour, making sure everyone was taken care of and although we had a buffet dinner, they served guests and cleared plates very nicely. We also used the venue’s recommended DJ, Gemini, who was awesome. He nailed all the ceremony/first dance music and the quality and acoustics were perfect. (We even had a friend sing along to an acoustic recording for my processional and it sounded crystal clear.) He was able to work with a play-list we gave him—by using our music and throwing in some of his own.
Really—can’t say enough great things about the wedding. It was our dream come true and when we look at photos, we can’t believe how lucky we are to have been married in such a stunning setting. Two big thumbs up for this best-kept-secret on the cliffs…and if you’re thinking of going for it, don’t forget to get in touch with Ari to make it happen!
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