We just returned from our wedding vacation at Blue Waters and it was everything I was hoping for and more! I'll start from the beginning.... The ANU airport arrival went fairly smoothly and it was very easy to get a taxi to take us to Blue Waters. When we arrived, we were greeted by the manager of the hotel and Alicia, the wedding coordinator. We were checked in, served rum punch, and then given a welcome letter with a time to meet with Alicia to plan the wedding. We were traveling with three other guests (my parents and brother) who were sharing a junior hillside suite, which was very spacious! Our room was a beachfront room (116). The room was fairly small, as was the bathroom, but the view from the balcony was spectacular. I've never seen anything like it!

Over the next few days, we spent a lot of time at the restaurants, pools, beaches, and bars. The food at The Palm was great, especially the flank steak. The ribs on barbeque night were a favorite too. We went to Vivienne's one night for dinner and I would not recommend it unless you have a true taste for gourmet. It's a cozy quiet restaurant, but they charge a surcharge for some dishes (like beef tenderloin and lobster) for the All-inclusive guests. We were a little put off by that, so we just stuck with The Palm. The drinks were great, especially the ones made by Carolyn. The "Shake Me Up Joe" was a favorite of my husband and brother. Mom and dad enjoyed the strawberry dacquiris. Activities during the day are limited - this is a sit-in-your-beach-chair-with-a-book resort. My new husband loved the Hobie Catamarans, but got a little bored after a few days. My younger brother wished there was a more lively nightlife, so this is not a place for young party-goers. The pools were great, especially at night. You could stare up at the tall palms and full sky of stars. It was a sight I will never forget.

We planned the wedding with Alicia on Monday, went to St. John's on Tuesday for our license, and got married on Wednesday. Alicia was great and planned everything with ease. On the morning of the wedding, I went to the spa and had the bridal spa package. The seaweed wrap made my skin so soft and the facial made me glow. She did my nails, hair, and makeup and I thought she did a very good job. Then I went to the suite where my parents and brother were staying to get dressed. Alicia brought me my bouquet and I was astonished at how beautiful it was; orchids, antheriums, and birds-of-paradise with baby's breath. Gorgeous bouquet! My dad walked me down the stone steps "aisle" to the wedding gazebo. We had a steel drum playing Canon in D and I thought it was lovely. The officiant, Ulrich Matthews, introduced himself to us and led a beautiful and meaningful ceremony. We hung on to every word. He had such a powerful presence. Then we ate our chocolate wedding cake and Champagne, which was very good. The videographer was recording the whole thing and the photographer was taking photos. The band played "One Love" and we had our first dance. Afterwards, the photographer took us around the resort for about 45 minutes to take pictures - he took about 175 pictures and we bought the large photo package. We went out on the beach and everyone was congratulating and clapping for us. After a freshen up break, we boarded the Wadadli Cat private sunset cruise at around 4:30. I would highly recommend this! It was hilarious trying to beat the tide to the boat in my wedding dress. We danced and drank rum punch (more rum than punch!) and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. We went into the harbor and sailed by Carnival Cuise ship where everyone was cheering us. We sailed back to Blue Waters and then had a nice dinner on the balcony in The Palm. It was the most amazing day of our lives and I can't stop thinking about it. The only criticism that I have at all is that the gazebo wasn't decorated as much as I wanted and they had hung paper wedding bells which I could have done without. However, Alicia told us that the flowers were not very plentiful during this time of year. But the sea and the greenery and the natural backdrop was really enough. So beautiful.

We received our video and photos two days after our wedding. The video was very nice and captured the ceremony perfectly - the sound was great. They added some advertising at the end, but generally it is a great keepsake for us to watch on our anniversaries. The photos were really great, but the photo album didn't impress us too much. The pages were the peel-back sticker type, not matted or professional looking. But he got some excellent photos and we are very pleased with them. The next day champagne breakfast was wonderful! We ordered almost everything on the menu and sat on the balcony in our robes looking out at the gorgeous view.

During our trip, we took a taxi to Shirley Heights, which didn't really impress us. It took 40 minutes to get there and it was very crowded and the food was very expensive. Seemed like a tourist trap. We did get some good pictures, though. FYI, the taxi trips really add up if you do a lot of excursions. We absolutely LOVED the Rainforest Canopy Tour. We went on 9 zip lines and a challenge course, which was a blast! I would do this if you like a thrill and make sure to bring tennis shoes/sneakers (I had to buy some in St. John's in order to go).

This was an unforgettable vacation. I would highly recommend it for a stress free wedding, a honeymoon, a second honeymoon, or a quiet romantic escape. I would not recommend it for singles, families with boisterous kids, or party-goers. We feel so refreshed and rejuvenated, which is such a great way to start out as newlyweds. We will return, for certain, to spend an anniversary in this truly special place.