I got married in Jamaica...

Ok! Bare with me-this is my first lens!

Planning a destination wedding? You won't regret it! The planning is only as complicated as you make it. So just keep reading and take a BIG deep breath and relax!

When I started planning my destination wedding I was so nervous that I may regret not getting married the traditional way in a church with our families and friends. When I talked to the resort they were always so calm and hardly contacted me, which made me panic up to the day we actually tied the knot. STOP WORRYING NOW!! It's actually as simple and easy as it sounds. As long as you both know what you are wearing, where you are staying, and who you are inviting- you are pretty much ready to get married!

STEP ONE: PICKING THE DESTINATION AND RESORT

We picked Sandals Negril in Jamaica www.sandals.com only because I had a good friend who honeymooned at the exact same resort for two weeks, visited again on their one year anniversary and since starting a family have visited Beaches (Sandals/Beaches are same company, Sandals is for couples only and Beaches for families)in Negril and last summer went to Beaches Turks & Caicos. They were very impressed with the resort and the service they got while there. My friend told me they would treat us like royalty and everything they tell you is what it is...no scams! We booked directly through Sandals by calling them, 800-SANDALS.

When choosing your location and resort it's important to look at their ratings. Keep in mind this isn't just any vacation you are going on, it's your wedding and honeymoon. Your pictures will be taken here which will be kept in that awesome wedding album your grandmother will give you as a gift. Don't be afraid to splurge a little on this trip. My husband and I upgraded to the Twilight package. With this we got an evening ceremony, romantic dinner for two on the beach, he got a 30 minute massage and I got a pedicure, included my bouquet of roses which I must say was absolutely gorgeous and very fresh. I couldn't keep my nose out of them. In the package we also got toasting flutes, a wedding album which included 12 photos, a DVD of the ceremony and a wedding cake. Check the site to see the entire list. It was certainly worth every penny. In the end I paid to have my hair done at the RedLane Spa and since our pictures were breath-taking we bought a photo package as well.

When you book with an All Inclusive Resort like Sandals you do get everything All Inclusive. We didn't need any cash while at the resort. Unless you go to the souvenior shop of course. Food, drinks, entertainment and gratuity are all included. Best part of our stay was when we arrived to the resort and were checking in, we were randomly selected to be upgraded to the next level of rooms which was a room that included butler service. The entire week we had a butler that was very professional, welcoming and had a great personality. He helped us book reservations for restaurants, provided us with transportation to a small, quaint restaurant in Negril and to Rick's Cafe which is a must if you go to Jamaica.

In a nutshell, make sure you are booking a resort that is well known and has a good reputation. You don't want any hassles on your wedding/honeymoon.

STEP TWO: WHO CAN WE INVITE?

There is an upside and downside to having a destination wedding. The upside is there is no limitations to who you can invite. Just be careful when picking your resort. A lot of resorts are couples only. You'll want to review your list closely and keep in mind of those who have children and would be bringing them along. If you book at a resort like Beacheswww.beaches.com, it is for families unlike Sandals which is couples only. I highly recommend talking to those you plan on inviting and getting some feedback from the before booking your trip. You may think you have lots of guests coming and in the end it is just three or four couples. At that point you may prefer a resort that is all adults and no children running around. We adore children but I have to admit it was nice to not have any kids splashing in the pools, screaming, crying, etc. Get a feel from your guests before you make your decision. Which brings me to the downside to having a destination wedding. Having a wedding that requires a plane ticket, possibly a passport, and a few more nights at a hotel than the usual cost of gas to and from the venue, a gift, few drinks and possibly an over night stay depending on whether or not they were partying the night away is a bit more costly. This will cause your list to dwindle down a lot depending on the availability of their schedules with work and how much money your guests are willing to spend to see you tie the knot.

By going far away to get married you are going to get a lot of mixed feeling from everyone. Many are going to see it as a great opportunity for the upcoming summers vacation they go on every year already and some are going to come across as offended that you would even think about going that far away when you know they can't afford it. To save the hassle of offending anyone, you may opt to have a reception or get together of some sort so those that couldn't make it can have a chance to celebrate one of the most joyous times of your life. Best advice I can give if it starts to make you wonder whether or not you should be going away is, if this is what you really want in your heart, to get married on a beach, here the waves in the background and feel the sun warming your skin as you say your vows, follow your heart because you will not regret it for one minute. Words or pictures can't explain how amazing our ceremony really was. It was something that could only be felt in person while there in the moment. It was magical!

We chose a destination wedding because I have a deceased father and he has a deceased mother and isn't very close with his father. Both of our families have drifted apart over the years and came to realize that neither one of us wanted a traditional wedding that would mean a walk down the aisle without my father and we found ourselves sadden that we wouldn't have the traditional father/daughter and mother/son dance at our reception. We both developed anxiety over the situation just thinking about it, and decided we would take all the stress out of it and focus on the biggest part of the wedding, just us. The day is about the bride and the groom and the love they share, that is it. A destination wedding is simply that. Sandals made the entire week just about us. We were able to concentrate on just the two of us and it made everything so romantic. I wouldn't change a thing.

STEP THREE: WHAT TO WEAR

The great thing about having a destination wedding is there is no pressure to what you wear. You don't have to worry about being choked by a tuxedo bow tie or have achy feet from your uncomfortable shoes because you don't have to wear shoes if you don't want to. Yes, you can go barefoot and feel the sand in between your toes as you stand on the beach and confess your love for one another. He can wear a button up shirt or t-shirt and his linen pants and you can wear just a white sundress if that is what your heart desires. I could not escape the want of the "traditional" wedding gown. So I wore a very simple wedding gown and felt like the princess of the island. We observed others that got hitched while we were in Jamaica and some had traditional dresses also and others didn't. The option is yours. Since destination weddings have become so popular in the last few years, most designers have a line specifically for destination weddings. You can also check out a few that Sandals has listed on their site.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO TAKE WITH US TO THE RESORT?

Not much at all. We didn't know what to expect and over-packed. Unless you have certain things you just can't live without such as your shampoo and conditioner, don't bring them. At Sandals our room had a nice iron (not the typical cheap hotel iron) and an average size ironing board, hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and aloe vera which were complimentary from the RedLane Spa and we loved them. Besides, all that stuff takes up so much space in your suitcase. During the day you will spend majority of your time on the beach where a chair and over-sized beach towel will be waiting for you each morning with your name on it. We were in the rooms with butler service so the set up of beach chairs may vary per room type. However, there will be two beach towels in the closet in your room.

Some dining will be dressy casual, casual and some you can wear your beach attire. When you get to your room check out the booklet which lists each restaurant and what type of attire is required. It will even give examples of appropriate attire. You can also find these on the site or by calling the resort. I took a couple sundresses, skirts and tanks, and a few dressier, fun outfits. Since it was very warm I never wore any of my slacks. I basically wore one of the two bathing suits with the same denim mini and a different tank every day. Slipped a t-shirt on over my bathing suit top for lunch or for a trip to the flea markets. And, a sundress in the evenings for dinner and festivities. My husband pretty much wore one of the two khaki shorts he brought or his linen pants and had a different shirt for each evening, swimming trunks and a couple tanks which he'd wear to lunch or off the resort. Flip flops and sunscreen! Oh, don't forget your wedding day attire!

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED!

Love is all you need! If you check out www.sandals.com or see their commercials you'll find that to be a common theme. I couldn't say it any better myself. My friend didn't lie when she said we would be treated like royalty. We were treated just as she said we would be and we couldn't have asked for any nicer or genuine service.