Wedding on Queen Mary 2

[moinmoin]

Hello brides!

 

We are getting married on QM2 during our TA in June 2015 so I am looking for QM2-brides (past/future) who can share a bit of their experience, ideas, hints and recommendations and all the exciting things around the great day …. ;-)

 

I am so excited - it would be wonderful to find someone to address my questions!

 

Anyone available?

[6rugrats]

I think the majority of brides here choose Carnival, but a quick google search pulled these sites up:

 

http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/the-queen-mary-long-beach/f3ce3bc5b1e67af9.html

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1854877

 

http://wearecunard.com/2013/10/cunard-weddings-at-sea-steve-and-catharines-story/

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/queen-mary-weddings-long-beach

 

https://joannagoodman.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/wedding-aboard-the-queen-mary-2/

 

http://www.wedding-spot.com/venue/509/Queen-Mary/

Edited January 5, 2015 by 6rugrats

[moinmoin]

Thanks a lot! I had them as well and some are the QM2-Hotel in Long Beach… ;-) So I will see how it will go with our wedding during our Transatlantic crossing and share afterwards here.

[Carnival_Brides]

I'd love to read a QM2 wedding review. CruiseCritic and Cunard hosted 40 guests on her a few weeks ago and it is a stunning ship.

[NonnyNoo]

We're getting married on a TA in July so please do share your experience (and pics) together with any tips! Happy to answer any questions but you probably know more than me!

[moinmoin]

We're getting married on a TA in July so please do share your experience (and pics) together with any tips! Happy to answer any questions but you probably know more than me!

 

 

Hi NonnyNoo,

 

Congratulations! :-)

 

Received the mail from Cunard celebration services for all the bookings and official docs for the marriage etc. last night - so it is getting serious now! ;-) It is really easy to handle - so no worries on that! And very detailed already for the ceremony itself.

 

As a tipp: check with your authorities in advance what certificates you need to present back home! I did check with the German "Standesamt" - just to be on the safe side. It took them a while to sort it out as they are not familiar with it at all. So we found out that we need an "Apostille" on the original marriage certificate. Called Cunard celebration service and all is fine - we just need to mention this in the booking docs and they will handle it. But it would not have been included automatically.

 

If anything else crosses the way - I will share it :-)

[NonnyNoo]

Hi,

 

That's very helpful, thank you! Must be starting to feel very real now!

[moinmoin]

We're getting married on a TA in July so please do share your experience (and pics) together with any tips! Happy to answer any questions but you probably know more than me!

 

We are back - and married! :-) You will really be super-happy and so much pleased by all the wonderful services and support the Cunard team is giving! We just had a perfect and memorable time. There really is nothing we would do different or would ask to be done different. All was well organised and very personal. The ceremony was in the Atlantic Room which normally is for the Bridge players. But it was blocked and closed for several hours for a complete change and re-decorating for our wedding. The ceremony itself was held by Captain Wells - a great and humorous person who even did part of the texts in German. You will meet the wedding planner (if it is Victoria for you as well say a big hello to her!!!) more or less as soon as you are on board and will get through all details. Special wishes/ideas can still be addressed and if possible they will do it.

 

Tips:

1. If one of you is even only slightly or potentially suffering from sea sickness and in case weather is uncertain - take ginger sticks or pills well in advance or get/use those sea bands right from the beginning! If you do not find them at home they are also available in the shop on board. We had really rough sea on our wedding day…. and the Atlantic Room - if you also get married there - is on Deck 11 in front - so really the best place to feel the waves and shaking! ;-)

2. Pack your luggage and take half of it out again! We had far too much with us. And in worst case you have the laundrettes or you give it to the cleaning - which we did for the smoking shirts.

3. I am easily freezing and not used to air-condition. Therefore the first nights in cocktail and evening dress were really a bit cold for me. I was happy I had a warm black ("fits to everything") scarf with me.

4. Recommend you check for a photo package - yes, it is expensive, but really worth it! We have wonderful pictures and it is a memory for life. So we decided it would be the wrong time to save money on this - especially as we were on our own and no one was travelling with us who could have done them! ;-)

 

Anything else you would like to know?

 

Look forward and enjoy every minute! We truly did!

[NonnyNoo]

Hello,

 

Thank you so much for sharing your post and what sounds like a very wonderful experience with us. We have just four weeks to go now and I am even more excited after reading your post!

 

I am pleased everyone on board sounds so helpful; we haven't had that great an experience with the shoreside "planners" in Southampton who seem to know very little about the process.

 

I'm sure I had lots of questions but I seem to have forgotten them all after reading your post!

 

Do you recall roughly how long the ceremony was? Also, did you have your first dance in the ballroom?

 

I agree that hopefully the photography package will be worth it. Did they stay with you throughout Germany day or did you mainly have them for an hour so?

 

Finally, did you have the spa hair and make up package? If so, did you have a full on trial or was there just a discussion as to how you would like to look on the wedding day?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but once I think of one, they all keep coming!

 

Thank you again for sharing and best wishes for your married life together.

[moinmoin]

Hello!

 

Thanks for your warms words! And I am happy to share!

 

All is really organized. You come on board and meet the wedding planner for 30-45 minutes same or next day – guess this depends when your wedding takes place. She will call you or leave a message on your stateroom phone to arrange a date/time. You will then go through all details as personal data, the ceremony, any possible changes/additional wishes, handing out the CD with the music (if you have chosen that) etc. You also go to the room where the ceremony will be held just to have a look.

 

For the ceremony itself, you get to know it with the wedding planner including an exact script such as welcome of the bride by Captain, bride comes in, welcome of the couple etc. With the script you also receive a summary where all times and details etc are stated that you had discussed with the wedding planner, e.g. when has the groom to be where, when you will be picked up etc. Double-check and if changes need to be done – just ask for them!

 

I knew in advance that I would need help with my dress so I asked Victoria to help so she could plan this time as well. Actually she was also my witness and therefore had to be in the Atlantic Room in time as well. As our stateroom was on deck 11 – same as Atlantic Room – I only had a short way to walk.

 

Tip: The wedding room should be stated on your wedding confirmation that you have received some weeks ago. Then you know where yours will be.

 

The flowers – if you have some – will be delivered to your stateroom very well in advance of your wedding time – just in case you want to change something with them. Victoria even checked them in advance of the delivery and called me asking if I would like to have them shortened – so more the „german“ way. Which was done.

 

The ceremony itself took ca. 1 hour incldg welcome, ceremony, champagne, cake, signature....

 

We did not go to the ball room – for a good reason. I just say two words: sea sickness.... But I am sure if you ask they will arrange whatever you like for the first dance.

 

The photographer was available throughout the ceremony (so ca. 1 hrs). It was the same who was doing the walk around with us some days later (ca. 1,5hrs). Actually we had planned that directly after the ceremony, but we decided for another day to avoid a bit stressed pictures due to my husband feeling sick and me worrying about him feeling sick. It was a perfect decision and you have to take things as they come. The pictures are really wonderful. Even the flowers were still great – so all good!

 

And yes, I had a spa appointment. There was some time blocked already for a trial the day before the wedding as well as for the wedding date. As I said: really organized! The spa will contact you or you just go there after your meeting with the wedding planner and get the exact times booked. At least this was they way with us.

 

Tip: I had the wedding hair style done with my hairdresser at home and we took pictures. Those I have shown to the hairdresser on board and asked to get it done this way. Worked out great!

 

Tip: We received surprises from family, colleagues and even our travel agent: e.g. Wine and Champagne which they booked I think online through Cunard – haven’t checked with them yet HOW they did it. It comes together with greeting cards. As we were flying back from NYC to Germany we thought it would be a bit difficult to carry all this and asked if we could enjoy them during our Dinners on board. Again it was no problem. We nevertheless and of course tipped the Sommelier as she was „loosing“ money by this.

 

If you have any further question – just let me know!

 

Are you on your own or with family and friends?

 

I am sure you will have the time of your life!!!!

[NonnyNoo]

Thank you very much that is all really helpful!

 

Sorry to hear about the sea sickness! We have done the crossing a couple of times before so fingers crossed we'll be ok. We are traveling with family and friends, most of whom are first timers so I'll also pass your tips on to them!