The Finishing Touch

Beaches Turks and Caicos

Christine Terezakis is a full service Wedding Planner, Event Designer.  She is the founder of Dreamday Celebrations Event Planning and Design.  Though based in south Florida, Christine works with wedding clients nation-wide.  Also a Certified Sandals Specialist, she assists her clients with plans for their honeymoons, destination weddings, and romantic get-aways at any of the Sandals, Beaches, and Royal Plantation Resorts in the Caribbean.  She has experienced the resorts in person and will even travel with you to your destination to coordinate your dream wedding. 

Contact Christine for any questions you have about Sandals and Beaches locations by E-mail: CTcelebrations@aol.com or by phone: 772-220-0373

Visit the "Dreamday Destinations" section of this Blog for more of Christine's travels to Sandals!  www.dreamdaycelebrations.typepad.com

Visit the Dreamday Celebrations Web site: www.dreamdaycelebrations.com

Hi everyone~

  Check back soon for photos and the write-up I'll be doing on my trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos!

Happy planning & happy travels,

Christine

Sandals Royal Bahamian ~ Resort Review

My husband and I just got back from a great trip down to the Bahamas where we stayed at the Sandals Royal Bahamian. Here we are at one of their large sea-side pools just before dinner on our first night.

It was quite warm while we were there, but there were always tropical breezes, great pools, the crystal clear ocean...and delightful cold beverages to cool us off.  (Drinks are always included at Sandals resorts, with or without alcohol.)  And after the flight down on a very small, 18-seater plane (and a really rough landing), I welcomed the idea of a little alcohol. After my beverage, and the first sight of our lovely room with a beautiful ocean view, the plane ride was but a distant memory.  Our vacation had begun!  Here is the view from our room.

Here are some shots of the property.  The Sandals Royal Bahamian has a decor that I'd describe as a blend of British charm and Neoclassical elegance.  The grounds are lush with tropical flowers and trees, and you'll find beautiful statues nestled within the landscape.  Check out the authentic English phone booth...

    

    

The resort had fabulous lounging areas to enjoy.  Here are two I especially liked:

  

At night, one of the ocean-front lounging areas had fire pits to enjoy.  Here we are at one of them while we enjoyed sax on the beach. (Listening to a live saxophone player, that is!)

 

Of course, being a Wedding Planner AND a Certified Sandals Specialist, I had to scout out the wedding sites on property.  Here are my two faves. (The one on the water is at Sandals Cay, which I'll tell you more about later in this post.)

 

We saw several weddings going on while we were there, and they were all done a little differently, according to what the wedding couples wanted.  It was sweet to see the brides and grooms having private candlelight dinners on the beach each night.  Here was a Martha Stewart wedding design.  I was very excited to see one of these for the first time, as Sandals has changed their designs from Preston Bailey to Martha. I got these pics just before the wedding guests arrived. 

  

I've saved the best for last!  Sandals Royal Bahamian has a private paradise called Sandals Cay.  This is an offshore island that's a 10 minute boat ride across from the resort.  Once we went there, that's where we decided to spend most of our relaxation time. 

It was amazingly uncrowded.  There was an open-air restaurant, pool with swim-up bar, and a lot of private, hut-like areas where you could be alone to unwind and enjoy the view on luxurious double loungers. 

Here's where we spent our first day on Sandals Cay (and our view)...

 

...and our second day (and view)...

   

 This island offered lots of great niches to settle into.  You could even have a couple's massage in a private cabana.

   

One little secret we discovered was that you could make reservations for dinner on Sandals Cay.  (There were many restaurant options on the main resort property, but this one on the private island didn't seem to be advertised anywhere.) There were two seatings, and they booked quickly.  I think we enjoyed that meal the most.  Speaking of food...it was quite good at the resort restaurants and there was lots of variety. (We would like to have seen more conch and lobster offerings, since those are so native to the Bahamas and Caribbean.)  I should also mention that the resort has fantastic brick oven pizza...individuals...made to order...ocean-side...Yum!

As you can see, we had a fabulous time.  If you'd like to plan your honeymoon, romantic vacation, or destination wedding at a Sandals resort, I can help you.  I'll even travel there with you to coordinate your wedding.  The Sandal Luxury-Included Resorts are a BLAST and you really get a great value for your money: Food & Beverage---included.  Water sports like sailing, scuba, and snorkeling, and equipment---included. Gratuities---included.  Airport transfers to and from hotel---included.  Learn more about Sandals Luxury-Included Resorts here.

I've personally experienced Sandals resorts in Jamaica, Bahamas, and Saint Lucia.  Contact me to start planning your Sandals vacation.  Just call my office at 772-220-0373, or send me an email inquiry at CTcelebrations@aol.com . 

I'll leave you with a couple of more pictures from our trip...Thanks Sandals!

 

Visit the "Dreamday Destinations" section of this blog for more Sandals Resort reviews. 

Christine Terezakis

Professional Wedding Planner, Certified Sandals Specialist serving south Florida's Treasure Coast and the Palm Beaches

Dreamday Celebrations- Event Planning & Design 
  

 

 

Sandals ~ St. Lucia ~ Superb! (Part 3)

Sandals Grande St. Lucian ~ Spa and Beach Resort

Welcome to my third and final posting of my visit to the Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia!  You can see what I had to say about the other two Sandals resorts on the island by clicking on these two links:  Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian is set upon a peninsula, so the views all around are phenominal.  If you have to choose a side to stay on, there are two ocean sides.  I recommend the harbor side (Rodney Bay) as opposed to the bluff side.  The harbor side is shown in my photos below. There are long stretches of white, sandy beach where you can bask in the sun, or take refuge under a shady palm tree. 

 

You can choose a quiet spot down the beach, or a more playful location close to the pool, swim-up bar, and water sports areas.  All spots look out on the volcanic mountains, tropical terrain, and inviting ocean.

  

Here are shots of a portion of the three-story open-air lobby and an adjacent terrace sitting area with beautiful views of the water. The atmosphere of this resort is very elegant and spacious. Close to this pictured spot is a wonderful promenade area of shops within the resort.

 

 

Something I love at all of the Sandals Resorts are all the little niches you can escape to for privacy.  They're usually nestled secretly in lush tropical landscape or positioned with a view of the water.  Paradise!

 

This resort is one of only two Sandals Resorts that boast the Rondoval Plunge Pool Suites. (Sandals Grande Antigua is the other one.) I had the opportunity to visit the Ultra Luxury Beach Rondoval Suites while I was there.  Simply gorgeous.  They were really private, too.  They don't walk straight out onto the beach, but you have your own private patio surrounded with beautiful plants, and flowers, and a wonderful plunge pool.  Of course, the beach is only a few extra steps away!  I'm pictured below on one of their patios.

 

Below is what the bathroom looks like.  This one had been visited by the Butler who'd left petals by the tub for his next guests.  The rondoval suites were luxurious with dark woods, stone, tile and extra amenities.

 

The view below is from the Presidential Suite.  From the balcony, you could see the island of Martinique in the distance.  Other rooms on the floors below also face this direction.  This is the Rodney Bay side of the resort.  This photo also gives you a glimpse of one of their fabulous pools.  There are five pools to choose from.

 

Swim-up River Suites!  Everyone is asking about them.  These are fairly new to this particular Sandals resort.  Here is the view to the pool from one of the swim-up rooms.  It was surprisingly quiet, but you are beside another room that steps down to the pool. Very relaxing spot, however. (One other Sandals resort has swim-up rooms--Sandals Royal Caribbean, whose rooms also view the beach.)

 

Just a few shots of the amenities, thoughtful touches, and incredible views you always find at Sandals...

 

 

Here I am, taking in two incredible views and enjoying the perfect weather.

 

A couple ofmore things about this resort... it offers dining at eight different restaurants, all with their own theme.  The Red Lane Spa is something you must experience!  And, you can travel to the other two Sandals resorts on the island (transportation included) if you ever want a change of scenery.

I'll leave you with this photo that was taken on one of the excursions I took while on this trip.  It's one of my favorites with views of St. Lucia's large harbor, and famous Pitons in the distance.

 

If you'd like to see one of Christine's trips to Sandals in beautiful Jamaica, just click on this link: Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa.  Enjoy!

Christine Terezakis is a Professional Bridal Consultant and Certified Sandals Resorts Specialist.  She can help you plan your Sandals honeymoon, vacation get-away, or destination wedding at any of the Sandals resorts located throughout the Caribbean.

Contact her and start planning your trip today!

Dreamday Celebrations (772) 220-0373

E-mail: info@dreamdaycelebrations.com

Sandals ~ Saint Lucia ~ Superb! (Part 2)

Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia

 Welcome to the continuation of my tour of Sandals Resorts on the beautiful island of Saint Lucia.  If you'd like to see "part 1" which took place at Sandals Regency La Toc, just click here to check it out.

Our morning was spent at the smallest, most intimate of the three Sandals properties on the island--Halcyon Beach. Halcyon has beautiful long stretches of beach.  The atmosphere at this location was very relaxed and casual.  It's the kind of place where you'd enjoy perching yourself on the beach with a book in one hand and a tropical drink in the other...

 

 

 

Sandals describes this resort as a "garden paradise by a tranquil sea" and I can definitely see why.  Guest accommodations were nestled among lush tropical gardens and trees. The rooms in the first picture face directly out onto the ocean through the garden.

 

 

 

 

   

 

An island tour of Saint Lucia

Our afternoon was spent taking a tour of the green, mountainous island, including a drive "through" a live volcano and a swim in a natural waterfall.  We traveled in an open-air jeep through the mountains on roads surrounded by thick tropical forest and banana plantations.

 

Below is a shot of the Grande Pitons that the island is known for.

 

 

Here is the waterfall we swam in (and a post-swim photo in front of it), but I promised my friends I wouldn't post any "bathing shots"...

 

Here I am in the "drive-thru" volcano...It had erupted years ago and now what's left is exposed to the outside.  We drove all that way thinking we were going inside a volcano!  The steam and rock behind me is the...volcano. That was a little disappointing, but the ride across the island to get there was well worth the trip.

 

We stopped for lunch at this great little mountainside restaurant which had incredible views and served local dishes.  On the trip back to our resort, we enjoyed the local beer which is named after the island's famous Piton mountains.  (I highly recommend it, especially on a long jeep ride on a hot day!)

 

For those of you who know me as a Wedding Planner, I am also a Certified Sandals Resorts Specialistand can help you with your plans for your destination wedding, honeymoon or romantic vacation at any of the Sandals Resorts throughout the Caribbean. Each Sandals destination has it's own personality so contact me today by phone (772-220-0373) or E-mail (ctcelebrations@aol.com) to help you find the location that fits you best! Sandals luxury included resorts are located in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, and the Bahamas.

Check back soon for "part 3" of my Sandals ~St. Lucia ~Superb tour where I'll show you the magnificent Sandals Grande St. Lucian-spa & beach resort.

For now, I'll leave you with a picture of the gorgeous sunset that wrapped up a fabulous day on the island.

Happy planning,

Christine Terezakis ~ South Florida Treasure Coast Wedding Planner

Sandals ~ St. Lucia ~ Superb! (Part 1)

Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa, St. Lucia

I've recently returned from my FAM trip to St. Lucia to experience the three Sandals resorts that are located there and to continue my training as a Certified Sandals Specialist.  What an experience it was!  Because of the great partnership Sandals has with the Assoc. of Bridal Consultants, Sandals "rolled out the red carpet" for us. To our surprise and delight, we were each greeted by our personal BUTLER!  The butlers at Sandals resorts are top notch, having been trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers. Since the butler experience was so unique, I'm devoting much of this blog to sharing with you what it was like...I recommend everyone experience it at least once in their lives!

Here I am in the main open-air lobby with my butler, Teddy:

Sandals guests can choose various levels of service and accommodations.  When you choose the butler category, you receive the absolute highest level of service coupled with the most beautiful accommodations and views.  The butler category is offered at select Sandals locations.

"The Bluff" is where the butler accommodations are located at this resort.  All have fabulous views of the ocean. Some Bridal Consultants stayed in the Villas with private plunge pools while others stayed in top floor penthouse suites.

The Bluff area:

After being greeted with a glass of champagne, finger sandwiches and freshly baked cookies in the butler lounge upon our arrival, we were escorted to our rooms.

Here are shots of my penthouse ocean-view suite:

  

 

 

 

I was pampered daily by my butler with various surprises like notes written with flower petals, private breakfast on my balcony overlooking the ocean, a candlelight bubble bath waiting for me after a day of site tours, champagne on ice every day, delightful late afternoon snacks...On my first day, he unpacked my suitcase (my outfits were beautifully organized in my closet and drawers) and made my dinner reservations and transfer arrangements for an evening at Gordons, an exclusive Sandals reservations-only gourmet restaurant.

This resort is nestled along a cove-like beach and lush green mountains overlooking the ocean.  Accommodations include luxurious hotel rooms, suites, private plunge pool villas and the newest additions of four "millionaire suites" --the most luxurious private houses nestled in the cliffs, each with a breath-taking view, private pool deck and 24 hour butler service.  

Here I am at one of the Millionaire Suites...notice how the bedroom floor jets out over the pool!  The view of the shoreline was incredible. We were treated to a light snack reception here. It's a gorgeous little house.

    

 

This photo was taken at one of the private plunge pool villas, a butler category 2-story accommodation.  (You see these a lot in the Sandals advertisements.) They're great!

 

 

This is just one of several beachside pool areas.  Our wedding planner group stayed mostly at the pool up in the bluff area where our butlers brought us buckets of champagne, food, forgotten sunglasses from our rooms...We each were given a cell phone with a direct line to our butlers for whatever we wanted or needed.

   

The beach is lush and covelike, and had a nice stretch of sand to walk on.  There are private niches everywhere to discover and relax in.  The private beach lounge pavillions I've pictured here are an amenity that can be rented for the day. The resort offers lots of different landscapes...you have winding walks covered with tree hammocks, mountains & cliffs, and beach. You can be alone if you'd like or surrounded by lots of activity.  The choice is all yours.

  

 

 

The Red Lane spa here is beautiful and relaxing.  I highly recommend their products and home fragrances. (The lemmon grass candles are a purchase I always make when at Sandals!) Our butlers arranged for our spa services and managed to get us whatever time slot we wanted.  One wedding planner arrived to her massage appointment and found her favorite beverage waiting for her...her butler had delivered it there as a surprise. They really make an effort to get to know their guests.

  

These are two locations for couples massages. The room above boasts a whirlpool tub for a candlelight bath for two after their massage...

 

  
 One of the hightlights of this trip was being able to experience first-hand the beautiful Preston Bailey wedding designs which were set up for us to see in different locations on the property.  A mock wedding was also choreographed for us to observe. We even got to taste the Sylvia Weinstock wedding cakes! (DEE-LISH)  Here are a few of the lovely wedding details and reception settings we enjoyed:

  

 

 

   

 

By the final day of the trip, I could tell I was really getting used to all the pampering I was receiving.  Myself and 3 other wedding planners decided to enjoy our last bit of free time enjoying the beach. With one phone call to my wonderful butler, 4 lounging chairs were delivered to a choice spot on the beach, complete with towels, a cooler of non-alcoholic beverages, and a bucket of chilled champagne.  Shortly after we'd settled in, he returned with a scrumptious snack platter.

 

 

 

 

   FABULOUS.

 

 

 

Thanks Sandals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've truly experienced a variety of Sandals Resorts as a guest. If you are thinking about traveling to the Caribbean and would like more information about Sandals honeymoons, vacations or destination weddings, contact me today.  Each resort has it's own unique personality.  As a Certified Sandals Resort Specialist, I can help you choose the location that is just right for you. To see photos and read more about my trip to the Sandals Resorts in St. Lucia, just click on these two blog posts: Sandals Halycon Beach and Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort.  Enjoy!

Christine Terezakis   info@dreamdaycelebrations.com 

Dreamday Celebrations office: 772-220-0373