Celebrity Wedding?

[Fallsgracefully]

Hey everyone,

 

Just your average lurker here...I have been trying to no avail to find information on Celebrity cruise weddings. My fiance and I just booked our wedding yesterday (Summit out of Cape Liberty, NJ) and were looking for some general information. Coincidentally (and perhaps a nice stroke of luck), we booked our wedding yesterday for August 2016, yesterday being my parent's 30th anniversary :)

 

We are doing a restaurant buy out of Qsine for an embarkation wedding (we have a lot of older folks, my 92-year-old grandpa specifically, so we want to get married in port). Does anyone have any pictures of similar weddings on this ship or another ship from Celebrity? Has anyone done the buyout? We are taking a tour of the ship this August, but were afraid that the venue would book quickly and booked prior to the tour.

 

Additionally, we are buying a cake (which was pricey). Does anyone know if you are really able to customize with Celebrity?

 

Sorry that this was wordy. Thanks in advance!

 

~J

[CruiserTB]

Hey everyone,

 

Just your average lurker here...I have been trying to no avail to find information on Celebrity cruise weddings. My fiance and I just booked our wedding yesterday (Summit out of Cape Liberty, NJ) and were looking for some general information. Coincidentally (and perhaps a nice stroke of luck), we booked our wedding yesterday for August 2016, yesterday being my parent's 30th anniversary :)

 

We are doing a restaurant buy out of Qsine for an embarkation wedding (we have a lot of older folks, my 92-year-old grandpa specifically, so we want to get married in port). Does anyone have any pictures of similar weddings on this ship or another ship from Celebrity? Has anyone done the buyout? We are taking a tour of the ship this August, but were afraid that the venue would book quickly and booked prior to the tour.

 

Additionally, we are buying a cake (which was pricey). Does anyone know if you are really able to customize with Celebrity?

 

Sorry that this was wordy. Thanks in advance!

 

~J

 

I'm sorry I don't have any advice but I just wanted to say please come back and update this thread as your plans continue. I'm from NJ and will be doing an embarkation day wedding in 2017 at this port as well as a buy out of the restaurant. My only cruise options are Royal and Celebrity which as I'm sure you've seen, there's not much out there on either.

[Fallsgracefully]

Hello again!

 

So, obviously I have not cruised yet, but I can provide a few updates on the option were a taking. We are booked with the groups department of Celebrity (we have been for a while) for the actual cruise. We decided to do the Concierge Class, which at the time included our classic drinks package, gratuities, and a $300 onboard credit. We will be using a portion of the OBC to upgrade to the premium package since we both enjoy craft beers. Here is what we currently booked:

• Test the Waters Package- We are touring the ship on August 2nd. While we have yet to see the ship, we did place a hold on the ceremony and Qsine, due to limited space. To tour the ship with both sets of parents, it was just under $500. It does include lunch at the buffet. While pricey, I am a person who needs to see before total committment.
  
• QSine Lunch Buyout/ Embarkation- For 70 guests, it is $45 a person. I have the buyout breakdown of prices if you would like it. I can email it your way.
  
• Embarkation Ceremony- This I feel is pricey. For about $2.800 we booked a full ceremony on the ship. It includes officiant, music, location, etc. We will obtain our our license.
  
• DJ- We paid $600. This covers the 3 hour reception time.
  
• Photography- I already prepaid $150 for an extra hour of photography.
  
• Cake- Our cake is $6 a person. They are allowing us to send in a design and I am waiting to see if we have flavor options beyond chocolate and vanilla.
  
• The bouquet is included...I think I may be making making flowers out of book pages, but not sure yet.
  
• Additional Coordinators- I had to pay for two. It was $300.
  

 

Overall, it is turning out to be not as cost-efficient as originally intended. We will end up spending about $10,000 for everything wedding related, not including the cruise. Keep in mind, we do have 70 guests. I found, mathematically, it was cheaper to invite 70 guests if you check the pricing guidelines.

 

Hope this helps! Will keep you posted!

 

~J

[CruiserTB]

Hello again!

 

So, obviously I have not cruised yet, but I can provide a few updates on the option were a taking. We are booked with the groups department of Celebrity (we have been for a while) for the actual cruise. We decided to do the Concierge Class, which at the time included our classic drinks package, gratuities, and a $300 onboard credit. We will be using a portion of the OBC to upgrade to the premium package since we both enjoy craft beers. Here is what we currently booked:

• Test the Waters Package- We are touring the ship on August 2nd. While we have yet to see the ship, we did place a hold on the ceremony and Qsine, due to limited space. To tour the ship with both sets of parents, it was just under $500. It does include lunch at the buffet. While pricey, I am a person who needs to see before total committment.
  
• QSine Lunch Buyout/ Embarkation- For 70 guests, it is $45 a person. I have the buyout breakdown of prices if you would like it. I can email it your way.
  
• Embarkation Ceremony- This I feel is pricey. For about $2.800 we booked a full ceremony on the ship. It includes officiant, music, location, etc. We will obtain our our license.
  
• DJ- We paid $600. This covers the 3 hour reception time.
  
• Photography- I already prepaid $150 for an extra hour of photography.
  
• Cake- Our cake is $6 a person. They are allowing us to send in a design and I am waiting to see if we have flavor options beyond chocolate and vanilla.
  
• The bouquet is included...I think I may be making making flowers out of book pages, but not sure yet.
  
• Additional Coordinators- I had to pay for two. It was $300.
  

 

Overall, it is turning out to be not as cost-efficient as originally intended. We will end up spending about $10,000 for everything wedding related, not including the cruise. Keep in mind, we do have 70 guests. I found, mathematically, it was cheaper to invite 70 guests if you check the pricing guidelines.

 

Hope this helps! Will keep you posted!

 

~J

 

Yes this helps a lot. Would you please send me the price list? tdwedding2017@yahoo.com. Also, do you have to be booked before doing a test the waters tour? I'm interested in doing one but not sure if I need to book the cruise first.

[Fallsgracefully]

I just sent you a few documents :)

[CruiserTB]

Fallsgracefully how was the tour?:)

[Fallsgracefully]

Fallsgracefully how was the tour?:)

 

Well, the tour was, for a lack of better phrases, not as informative as I would have hoped. It was a fantastic day of exploring the ship with my family and my fiancé's family; however, I was very dissatisfied with the lack of answers I received from the coordinator, Stacey. As you may know, Celebrity's tours are not free (in fact I spent nearly $500) and I think I probably knew more than Stacey.

 

But, I would still book the tour again in a heartbeat. It was especially beneficial for me as someone who has never sailed Celebrity. We met Stacey around 10:30 (we were told to be there by 11, but I am always, always punctual). She brought us on the ship. She didn't really know her way around or know where most locations were. I really loved that we were greeted with cold towels and mimosas. I am excited for my guests to experience this.

 

We first looked at Qsine. She knew nothing about the menu, arrangements of the rooms, etc. Limba, the maitre d of the restaurant, sat down with us and told us how we could arrange it, where to put the bar, and even discussed with us a signature sangria. She did not know the pricing. Here is where I started to get some anxiety, however. With the lunch restaurant buy out, the classic alcohol package is included. This is the contract I signed. For the price I gave to Limba, she thought I was mistaken and Stacey could neither confirm or deny. Obviously, I spoke with Denise from TWE as soon as I could and cross-referenced my paperwork and I was correct.

 

Limba said that I email Denise with whatever and want and she will set up the venue to my liking. Limba was truly fantastic and went above and beyond to answer my questions. Stacey kept trying to get us to have our ceremony in Qsine as well. Limba pretty much told her she was crazy because they would have to arrange the restaurant twice for 70 guests and that another ceremony venue would be ideal.

 

I asked several questions and I honestly received this response 90% of the time: "I'm not sure. Ask Denise." She couldn't tell me price of guest parking. She could not confirm how to do table numbers, knew nothing about photography. Seriously. She did answer one question- what time do guests need to arrive? She told me 10:00. It is actually 10:30.

 

We then looked at Reflections for the ceremony and the top deck. My 92-year-old grandfather (he will be 93) cannot make it to the deck...plus it may be windy...and it is August, so we have chosen Reflections. Stacey was supposed to send a report confirming our choice and I had to talk to Denise and book it anyway, since she never received this.

 

We also looked at Normandy and explored the ship a bit. We did have to insist on seeing the rest of the ship and then my dad kind of took over (haha). We proceeded to lunch around 12:30 and the entire ship must have been in the buffet area. We spent about 25 minutes looking for a table. Again, being that this was a pricey tour, a table should have been placed aside for us as to not waste any of our time. Additionally, lunch is included so if the buffet cannot accommodate us, they should have arranged for the main dining room (which was open I believe for lunch).

 

My mom also really wanted to see a stateroom. I'm pretty sure the tour doesn't include this. My dad, being the character he is, commandeered the tour and brought us to the location of our rooms next year. A very, very lovely couple invited us to see the room and encouraged me to take pictures as the bride.

 

Overall, I strongly suggest booking this so you can get a feel for your ship; if you are bringing a party and are spending a nice chunk of change, maybe confirm your tour guide before showing up the day of. Make sure you are getting the value of the tour!

 

Sorry for being wordy!

 

~J

Edited August 14, 2015 by Fallsgracefully

[CruiserTB]

Well, the tour was, for a lack of better phrases, not as informative as I would have hoped. It was a fantastic day of exploring the ship with my family and my fiancé's family; however, I was very dissatisfied with the lack of answers I received from the coordinator, Stacey. As you may know, Celebrity's tours are not free (in fact I spent nearly $500) and I think I probably knew more than Stacey.

 

But, I would still book the tour again in a heartbeat. It was especially beneficial for me as someone who has never sailed Celebrity. We met Stacey around 10:30 (we were told to be there by 11, but I am always, always punctual). She brought us on the ship. She didn't really know her way around or know where most locations were. I really loved that we were greeted with cold towels and mimosas. I am excited for my guests to experience this.

 

We first looked at Qsine. She knew nothing about the menu, arrangements of the rooms, etc. Limba, the maitre d of the restaurant, sat down with us and told us how we could arrange it, where to put the bar, and even discussed with us a signature sangria. She did not know the pricing. Here is where I started to get some anxiety, however. With the lunch restaurant buy out, the classic alcohol package is included. This is the contract I signed. For the price I gave to Limba, she thought I was mistaken and Stacey could neither confirm or deny. Obviously, I spoke with Denise from TWE as soon as I could and cross-referenced my paperwork and I was correct.

 

Limba said that I email Denise with whatever and want and she will set up the venue to my liking. Limba was truly fantastic and went above and beyond to answer my questions. Stacey kept trying to get us to have our ceremony in Qsine as well. Limba pretty much told her she was crazy because they would have to arrange the restaurant twice for 70 guests and that another ceremony venue would be ideal.

 

I asked several questions and I honestly received this response 90% of the time: "I'm not sure. Ask Denise." She couldn't tell me price of guest parking. She could not confirm how to do table numbers, knew nothing about photography. Seriously. She did answer one question- what time do guests need to arrive? She told me 10:00. It is actually 10:30.

 

We then looked at Reflections for the ceremony and the top deck. My 92-year-old grandfather (he will be 93) cannot make it to the deck...plus it may be windy...and it is August, so we have chosen Reflections. Stacey was supposed to send a report confirming our choice and I had to talk to Denise and book it anyway, since she never received this.

 

We also looked at Normandy and explored the ship a bit. We did have to insist on seeing the rest of the ship and then my dad kind of took over (haha). We proceeded to lunch around 12:30 and the entire ship must have been in the buffet area. We spent about 25 minutes looking for a table. Again, being that this was a pricey tour, a table should have been placed aside for us as to not waste any of our time. Additionally, lunch is included so if the buffet cannot accommodate us, they should have arranged for the main dining room (which was open I believe for lunch).

 

My mom also really wanted to see a stateroom. I'm pretty sure the tour doesn't include this. My dad, being the character he is, commandeered the tour and brought us to the location of our rooms next year. A very, very lovely couple invited us to see the room and encouraged me to take pictures as the bride.

 

Overall, I strongly suggest booking this so you can get a feel for your ship; if you are bringing a party and are spending a nice chunk of change, maybe confirm your tour guide before showing up the day of. Make sure you are getting the value of the tour!

 

Sorry for being wordy!

 

~J

 

Thank you! And no you were not too wordy, this is exactly what I wanted to know. :D We will have a big group as well since in addition to myself & FI and our parents, I will also be bringing my wedding planner and her assistant.

[MonaCK]

Hi there!

We are getting married on the summit in May of next year. I would be more than happy to share information with you as I gather it as well. My plans so far:

 

* We got engaged in March of this year. At that time, Celebrity was running a heck of a sale on this sailing, including all 3 perks and like $100 off per person, and I was able to get many folks to commit to sailing with us right away. We are up to (including us) 56 or so people sailing with us.

 

* We are getting married in Bayonne, as we do have a lot of family not sailing with us. Our plan right now is to invite around 130 people (including our sailing guests) and hope that it settles out at around 100 or so.

 

* We are doing the restaurant buyout of Tuscan Grille. The ship will be refurbed by then, so we will have to do this restaurant. It's costing us $65/head.

 

* We likely will not do a DJ - I asked and we can do the sound system and hook up our own music to it, so I think we are going to go this route instead.

 

* I don't know if you have talked to them lately, but I think Denise is gone. I've now been working with Liz and Cindy. They have both been -very- responsive to all of my questions. That being said - make sure to confirm. I was told that receptions that are held the day of sailing are only 2 hours because of customs regulations. It is only until 3, and the non sailing guests will have to leave the ship as soon as the reception is over.

 

* I am bringing my own photographer. I might buy what the photographer takes, but I wanted other options. A friend of mine is semi pro and will not only be shadowing the photographer, but taking pictures throughout the week as well.

 

* I am also bringing my own clergy.

 

* I am lucky enough to have been on this ship in October of last year. I fell in love with it which made it a natural choice when it was time to do this.

[Fallsgracefully]

Hi there!

We are getting married on the summit in May of next year. I would be more than happy to share information with you as I gather it as well. My plans so far:

 

* We got engaged in March of this year. At that time, Celebrity was running a heck of a sale on this sailing, including all 3 perks and like $100 off per person, and I was able to get many folks to commit to sailing with us right away. We are up to (including us) 56 or so people sailing with us.

 

* We are getting married in Bayonne, as we do have a lot of family not sailing with us. Our plan right now is to invite around 130 people (including our sailing guests) and hope that it settles out at around 100 or so.

 

* We are doing the restaurant buyout of Tuscan Grille. The ship will be refurbed by then, so we will have to do this restaurant. It's costing us $65/head.

 

* We likely will not do a DJ - I asked and we can do the sound system and hook up our own music to it, so I think we are going to go this route instead.

 

* I don't know if you have talked to them lately, but I think Denise is gone. I've now been working with Liz and Cindy. They have both been -very- responsive to all of my questions. That being said - make sure to confirm. I was told that receptions that are held the day of sailing are only 2 hours because of customs regulations. It is only until 3, and the non sailing guests will have to leave the ship as soon as the reception is over.

 

* I am bringing my own photographer. I might buy what the photographer takes, but I wanted other options. A friend of mine is semi pro and will not only be shadowing the photographer, but taking pictures throughout the week as well.

 

* I am also bringing my own clergy.

 

* I am lucky enough to have been on this ship in October of last year. I fell in love with it which made it a natural choice when it was time to do this.

 

Hello there!

 

Thank you for the information. I am going to touch base with TWE to see if Denise is still on board. She called me about a month ago to see if I needed anything, but at the time I mostly had everything booked. I had no clue that I could bring my own music and go that route. I did already book the DJ, but may consider cutting costs and checking into this path.

 

Quick question, does bringing your own clergy drastically reduce the cost of the ceremony? I thought the reception prices were fair (I believe QSine is $45 a person for the buyout), but the ceremony seems quite pricey. Just curious. Are you having your ceremony in the same location as your reception?

 

Thanks in advance, fellow Summit Bride :)

 

~J

[MonaCK]

Hello there!

 

Thank you for the information. I am going to touch base with TWE to see if Denise is still on board. She called me about a month ago to see if I needed anything, but at the time I mostly had everything booked. I had no clue that I could bring my own music and go that route. I did already book the DJ, but may consider cutting costs and checking into this path.

 

Quick question, does bringing your own clergy drastically reduce the cost of the ceremony? I thought the reception prices were fair (I believe QSine is $45 a person for the buyout), but the ceremony seems quite pricey. Just curious. Are you having your ceremony in the same location as your reception?

 

Thanks in advance, fellow Summit Bride :)

 

~J

 

 

There is no change in price for bringing my own clergy. I just really wanted to be married by my Rabbi, which they said was fine, but they would have their own there anyway "as backup". Ok then.

 

I don't know yet where my ceremony will be. They seemed to think it would be in Revelations lounge up on deck 11, as that's where it's been historically for weddings based on my numbers, but there are no guarantees and they won't really know for sure until after the refurbishment is done. They said I likely wouldn't know until around 2 weeks prior.

 

I've been scouting around, and I am thinking that i will likely bring on my own flowers - you can't bring real flowers, but you can do silk. So I might get arts and craftsy and make my own bouquet. I used to be a florist in my past life. I think I can do this. ;) I think I'll likely bring some of my own decorations, cake topper, etc as a way to cut down on costs. I also am bringing my own chuppah (marriage canapy). they quoted me $3000 for one on the ship. No thank you. They said I could bring my own as long as it can get through security, so I've been hunting around for information on how to make one of those as well.

 

I'm also going to be sending out invites very very soon - as in - as soon as I finish getting then created. I am a graphic designer so I am able to create my own - saving me some money there. I am going to get them printed via Vistaprint. I was toying with doing save the dates, etc, but there has been a lot of word of mouth for this trip so I am going to just get the invites out there and see what comes back. this will enable us to further flesh out the list and folks let us know if they can come to the ceremony only or not (if they aren't sailing with us).

[Fallsgracefully]

There is no change in price for bringing my own clergy. I just really wanted to be married by my Rabbi, which they said was fine, but they would have their own there anyway "as backup". Ok then.

 

I don't know yet where my ceremony will be. They seemed to think it would be in Revelations lounge up on deck 11, as that's where it's been historically for weddings based on my numbers, but there are no guarantees and they won't really know for sure until after the refurbishment is done. They said I likely wouldn't know until around 2 weeks prior.

 

I've been scouting around, and I am thinking that i will likely bring on my own flowers - you can't bring real flowers, but you can do silk. So I might get arts and craftsy and make my own bouquet. I used to be a florist in my past life. I think I can do this. ;) I think I'll likely bring some of my own decorations, cake topper, etc as a way to cut down on costs. I also am bringing my own chuppah (marriage canapy). they quoted me $3000 for one on the ship. No thank you. They said I could bring my own as long as it can get through security, so I've been hunting around for information on how to make one of those as well.

 

I'm also going to be sending out invites very very soon - as in - as soon as I finish getting then created. I am a graphic designer so I am able to create my own - saving me some money there. I am going to get them printed via Vistaprint. I was toying with doing save the dates, etc, but there has been a lot of word of mouth for this trip so I am going to just get the invites out there and see what comes back. this will enable us to further flesh out the list and folks let us know if they can come to the ceremony only or not (if they aren't sailing with us).

 

Hello wedding twin!

 

I just got in touch with Denise from TWE, so I guess she is still there? We were originally told that our ceremony would be in Qsine, they would flip the room, and then have the reception. We have 75 guests. For the price of the ceremony, I was annoyed by this. Revelations is a short walk to Qsine, so I requested that location for the ceremony.

 

We are also buying our favors on our own and bringing them the day of. Silk sounds like a good approach. I am an English teacher and saw flowers made of book pages...I might use that approach. I am trying to find the crafty bone in my body.

 

We did save the dates prior to the year countdown to the wedding. How many months before should I send my invites? Did they discuss open bar with you? Denise booked the buy out and I was quoted as the open bar being included for the buy out price. The ship seemed confused. So, I got confused and nervous.

 

That is an INSANE price for the chuppah. I hope you find something beautiful and more reasonable that can get through security. What design approach are you taking for your invites?

 

Thanks (as always!)

 

~Jess

[MonaCK]

Hello wedding twin!

 

I just got in touch with Denise from TWE, so I guess she is still there? We were originally told that our ceremony would be in Qsine, they would flip the room, and then have the reception. We have 75 guests. For the price of the ceremony, I was annoyed by this. Revelations is a short walk to Qsine, so I requested that location for the ceremony.

 

Oh, good! Maybe I just got traded to a different rep, which is just fine.

 

We are also buying our favors on our own and bringing them the day of. Silk sounds like a good approach. I am an English teacher and saw flowers made of book pages...I might use that approach. I am trying to find the crafty bone in my body.

 

We did save the dates prior to the year countdown to the wedding. How many months before should I send my invites? Did they discuss open bar with you? Denise booked the buy out and I was quoted as the open bar being included for the buy out price. The ship seemed confused. So, I got confused and nervous.

 

They haven't said anything about open bar yet, but everything I've read in the paperwork indicates that open bar (classic bev package) is included.

 

That is an INSANE price for the chuppah. I hope you find something beautiful and more reasonable that can get through security. What design approach are you taking for your invites?

 

Thanks (as always!)

 

~Jess

 

 

I think I'll be able to make something relatively inexpensively. It doesn't have to be anything more elaborate than 4 poles and a cloth - and we figure we can extend honors to folks who will hold the poles.

 

I've attached the invite here. I haven't done the RSVP cards yet (that's on my agenda for this week), but the options will be:

 

* We're cruising with you!

* Ceremony only

* Regrets

 

(wordsmithing still to come ;) )

 

We are just under 6 months out. I'm getting nervous waiting any longer because this ship can get very pricey, and as it is, the price has already gone up by a few hundred per cabin since we first booked.

[ccruise87]

MonaCK ,

Who quoted you that price for the chuppah? I am getting married on Carnival and am also in the same situation. We would love a chuppah but $3000 is more than the cost of our whole wedding package!

[MonaCK]

That was through the floral department on the ship.

I've decided to just bring my own on board. From googling around, it's pretty simple to make, and I figure this will allow me to extend honors during the wedding to 4 more people. :)

[MonaCK]

I ordered my invites today. I still have a letter that I want to draft that I am going to include separately that is basically a letter of instruction on what to do the day of the ceremony, as well as why we need the info we need, and other misc. information that will direct folks to our wedding website for the most up to date info.

 

I also bought my dress on Sunday. Things are getting real now. :)

[CruiserTB]

Jumping back in this thread as a potential Summit bride (thanks again Falls for the heads up that dates for July 2017 have been released). Congrats Mona!

 

Quick question for you ladies, are you both doing the 7 day cruise to Bermuda and if so do you think 3 days in Bermuda will be boring? Especially for first-time cruisers of which we expect to have a few as well as veteran cruisers.

 

Also, Falls you mentioned they showed you the top deck as a potential ceremony location. Where exactly on the top deck would the ceremony be held? Just trying to visualize it. Thanks:D

Edited January 3, 2016 by CruiserTB

[Fallsgracefully]

Jumping back in this thread as a potential Summit bride (thanks again Falls for the heads up that dates for July 2017 have been released). Congrats Mona!

 

Quick question for you ladies, are you both doing the 7 day cruise to Bermuda and if so do you think 3 days in Bermuda will be boring? Especially for first-time cruisers of which we expect to have a few as well as veteran cruisers.

 

Also, Falls you mentioned they showed you the top deck as a potential ceremony location. Where exactly on the top deck would the ceremony be held? Just trying to visualize it. Thanks:D

 

Hello again!

 

No problem :) I just happened to be on the site and saw the dates. Hoping that you can get the Royal dates soon so you can compare and contrast. I have never been on a cruise that has docked three days, so I cannot speak from personal experience. I have been on a short 4-night cruise that quickly stopped in two places; a cruise that stopped in three different places; and a four-port stop cruise. Personally, I was exhausted after the four ports. My sister brought her kids to Bermuda for the three days on the Norwegian Dawn. She loved it. It allowed her to come and go as she pleased and was very leisurely.

 

As for the deck, I believe it was the sun deck on 12. It was truly beautiful. It was, however, very windy and absolutely not handicap accessible. This was primarily the reason we are doing the Reflections lounge (well, most likely the lounge). My grandfather will be 93 at our wedding and is wheelchair bound. He cannot make it up the stairs to the deck.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks,

~J

[MonaCK]

Jumping back in this thread as a potential Summit bride (thanks again Falls for the heads up that dates for July 2017 have been released). Congrats Mona!

 

Quick question for you ladies, are you both doing the 7 day cruise to Bermuda and if so do you think 3 days in Bermuda will be boring? Especially for first-time cruisers of which we expect to have a few as well as veteran cruisers.

 

Also, Falls you mentioned they showed you the top deck as a potential ceremony location. Where exactly on the top deck would the ceremony be held? Just trying to visualize it. Thanks:D

 

 

I really don't think that it would be boring at all - and I think for first time cruisers it's actually a great introduction to cruising - kind of the best of both worlds. You've got the ship, and then you have a 3 day land vacation with the ship as your hotel.

 

Our wedding is looking to be so big that we are likely going to have the ceremony in Reflections. I think it might be too cool to deal with being outdoors. Realistically, I am at 54 people sailing (30 cabins), and likely at least another 50 coming on board for the ceremony... so...

 

We sent out our invites today - well, we did 60 paper invites, and the rest via paperless post. Those went out to those already sailing, and the more tech savvy of the guests. The RSVPs are actually already coming in, so that's great. I'm trying to get a head start on this, as I would like to get everything firmed up by the beginning of February if at all possible, for my own piece of mind.

 

It's only 4 months away! Holy hannah - this is the year I'm getting married in!

[CruiserTB]

I really don't think that it would be boring at all - and I think for first time cruisers it's actually a great introduction to cruising - kind of the best of both worlds. You've got the ship, and then you have a 3 day land vacation with the ship as your hotel.

 

Our wedding is looking to be so big that we are likely going to have the ceremony in Reflections. I think it might be too cool to deal with being outdoors. Realistically, I am at 54 people sailing (30 cabins), and likely at least another 50 coming on board for the ceremony... so...

 

We sent out our invites today - well, we did 60 paper invites, and the rest via paperless post. Those went out to those already sailing, and the more tech savvy of the guests. The RSVPs are actually already coming in, so that's great. I'm trying to get a head start on this, as I would like to get everything firmed up by the beginning of February if at all possible, for my own piece of mind.

 

It's only 4 months away! Holy hannah - this is the year I'm getting married in!

 

Upon talking with my FH, he feels the same way as you that it would be great for first timers as well as veteran cruisers. :D I have a surprise 4 day cruise in March on Anthem that I booked for us to go on so I want to do that before committing to Celebrity but as of now we're leaning heavily toward Celebrity.

 

Falls, you said you hired a DJ and are also buying out Qsine. How is that going to work with your ceremony in reflections? Where is the DJ going? From the pictures I was able to see of Qsine it doesn't look like a DJ would fit in there. Just trying to figure out how it works logistically, especially if you only get 2 hours before non-sailing guests have to leave.

[Fallsgracefully]

Upon talking with my FH, he feels the same way as you that it would be great for first timers as well as veteran cruisers. :D I have a surprise 4 day cruise in March on Anthem that I booked for us to go on so I want to do that before committing to Celebrity but as of now we're leaning heavily toward Celebrity.

 

Falls, you said you hired a DJ and are also buying out Qsine. How is that going to work with your ceremony in reflections? Where is the DJ going? From the pictures I was able to see of Qsine it doesn't look like a DJ would fit in there. Just trying to figure out how it works logistically, especially if you only get 2 hours before non-sailing guests have to leave.

 

Hello again!

 

From what I know, they will be setting up the reception while we have our ceremony in the Reflections lounge. You do not need the DJ in there, they will set up the music for you. If you have a CD of the music, they will arrange to have it going for the ceremony. Reflections is literally a few steps from QSine, so this was actually easier than turning the entire restaurant over.

 

From what I was told, the DJ will be somewhere closer to the side of the room? (If that makes sense)...It may be a tight squeeze, but they told us they could definitely make it work.

[CruiserTB]

Hello again!

 

From what I know, they will be setting up the reception while we have our ceremony in the Reflections lounge. You do not need the DJ in there, they will set up the music for you. If you have a CD of the music, they will arrange to have it going for the ceremony. Reflections is literally a few steps from QSine, so this was actually easier than turning the entire restaurant over.

 

From what I was told, the DJ will be somewhere closer to the side of the room? (If that makes sense)...It may be a tight squeeze, but they told us they could definitely make it work.

 

Hmm, ok well I know you went on the tour so you would know better than what I'm seeing in the photos. I think we're going to have 70-80 guests, so just trying to visualize how that would work in Qsine with a DJ and also a dance floor. I'll probably schedule a tour after my Anthem cruise so I can compare.

[stevesing121]

Hello Ladies! My partner and I will also be getting married in August 2016 on the Summit in Bayonne. Your information on the board has been very helpful! We have sailed on the Summit before so we won't be doing the pre tour of the ship. We are only having about 25 total guests, so I'm sure Celebrity will have our ceremony and reception in the same location. For us, the cost of a lunch would be around 200 per person, so we are opting to do the 2 hour cocktail with o'dourves. Denise had mentioned there was another wedding the same day as ours. I wonder if it was yours? If that is the case, then I'd assume we would get Tuscan for both.

 

-Stephen

[Fallsgracefully]

Hello Ladies! My partner and I will also be getting married in August 2016 on the Summit in Bayonne. Your information on the board has been very helpful! We have sailed on the Summit before so we won't be doing the pre tour of the ship. We are only having about 25 total guests, so I'm sure Celebrity will have our ceremony and reception in the same location. For us, the cost of a lunch would be around 200 per person, so we are opting to do the 2 hour cocktail with o'dourves. Denise had mentioned there was another wedding the same day as ours. I wonder if it was yours? If that is the case, then I'd assume we would get Tuscan for both.

 

-Stephen

 

Hello there Stephen!

 

We are getting married on August 28th, is this your date too? If so, we are wedding buddies on the Summit. We are doing our reception in Qsine (which made sense financially for us since we are having around 75 guests). As for the ceremony, we have requested the Reflections Lounge. Originally, they wanted to do the ceremony and reception in Qsine, but thought it could take away too much time to do a turnover. The ceremony location won't be confirmed until later I think. Tuscan would be nice for both. I've only toured the Normandy, but heard good things about this location!

[stevesing121]

Yes, it is the 28th! Small world! We are looking now into a restaurant to have a dinner the evening before with all my guests in the Newark area. Any suggestions? I saw this famous bbq place that has party rates but idk if FH would go for that. I also got a great group rate at the Courtyard in Elizabeth if you have any out of town guests, I can get you the sales managers name. :)