Please read the following conditions carefully as they form the contract between us.  Once we have accepted your booking by sending a confirmation, a contract will come into existence commencing on the date the invoice is issued.  All wedding plans are sold by us subject to these conditions.  No variation to these conditions shall be valid unless agreed to by us in writing.  It is agreed by both parties that this Contract is deemed to have been made at our registered office in Nassau, Bahamas and is subject to Bahamian law and jurisdiction.  Please note that any travel agent involved in booking your holiday will be acting as your agent until the booking has been confirmed by us and any monies held by them after confirmation of the booking are held on our behalf.
 
Our Responsibility
We accept responsibility for ensuring that all component parts of your wedding booked with us are supplied to you and are of a reasonable standard.  We accept liability for the negligent acts of omission of our servants and/or agents.  We will take all reasonable steps to ensure the proper arrangements have been made for the weddings advertised on our website and that the suppliers of the various services provided as a part of the wedding arrangements are efficient, safe and reputable companies who comply with the local laws and regulations of the Commonwealth Of The Bahamas.
 
We will obviously have no direct control over the provision of services to clients by these suppliers but subject to the Important Note below we will pay our clients the equivalent of such damages as would be awarded by a Bahamian Court for personal injury to the client, including illness or death, caused by negligence, as understood in Bahamian Law, or the servants or agents of ourselves or any suppliers contracted by us to provide any part of the arrangements for your wedding as described in our brochure or on our website.  The exemption to this is any air or sea carrier whose own conditions of carriage apply, some of which exclude or limit liability.
 
Should you suffer personal injury, including illness or death during your wedding or arising out of an activity unconnected with the wedding arrangements and which is the liability of a third party, we will offer you help with any claim you may have against the said third party.  The help comes in the form of advice or recommendation.
 
Complaints
It should be understood that this contract is with Seashells Weddings, the preferred wedding planners for The Westin and Sheraton At Our Lucaya and as such, we ask that you observe proper protocol and kindly address any/all points of concern to us.   In the unlikely event that you or the designated decision-maker (who are the sole signatories to this contract), have a complaint about any aspect of your wedding it is important that you advise our local consultant in order that we may have the opportunity to immediately resolve any areas of dissatisfaction.    If the problem cannot be resolved satisfactorily on the spot, you must write to us within 28 days of your return and set out the details of your dissatisfaction.  We cannot accept complaints received outside of this period. 
 
Travel & Legal Documentation
Most nationalities must hold a valid passport together with any necessary visas to enter and get married in The Bahamas.  American citizens are required to have a passport or certified copies of their birth or baptismal certificate with photo ID.  You should contact your local Bahamas Tourist Office to verify the entry requirements from your country of origin.  Clients who have been divorced or widowed must produce the certified copy of the divorce decree or the death certificate of their deceased spouse.  Should you wish to keep duplicates of this document kindly have it copied in your hometown before presenting it with your paperwork, as the certified copy will be filed with the official record of your marriage in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.  Please note: there is a 72 hour residency requirement before you can apply for your marriage license (if marrying on Saturday,  plan to arrive no later than early Thursday afternoon), and no blood tests are required.
 
Brochure and Website Accuracy
We have taken every care to ensure that the information in our brochure and on our website is current.  However you can appreciate that minor alterations to the information may be necessary.  The information contained herein is issued on the sole responsibility of Seashells Weddings Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas and it is not issued on behalf of or does not commit any other party whose services are used in the course of your wedding.
 
 
Your obligation to us
 
Paying For Your Wedding
Once you have completed the Wedding Checklist, it should be sent to us via fax, email or US postal service. 
 
• On receipt of the Checklist and your indication that you wish to engage the services of Seashells Weddings Ltd., we will require a non-refundable retainer of $750 to proceed.
• Further, we will send you (or your travel agent) a confirmation/account and once this is sent from our offices a Contract comes into existence between us incorporating these Booking Conditions.
• With the increasing popularity of Our Lucaya weddings, as a general rule, wedding dates are held by Seashells Weddings Ltd., for a period of 10 days from the date of this contract.  Should we receive a request for this date from another bride during that time, we will contact you to ascertain whether you wish to proceed with your reservation.
• Upon signing the Contract a 50% deposit is required, if within 2 months of the wedding, full- payment is required.  The deposit is part payment of the wedding and no booking will be considered confirmed until the deposit is received by us.  If final payment is not received by the date specified we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and the cancellation charge will be applicable as detailed below.
• The ultimate benefit to a bride and groom of engaging the services of  an on-site Bridal Consultant in a foreign country,  is to lighten the burden and enjoy a stress-free experience with friends and loved ones while drawing on the considerable knowledge and expertise of Seashells Weddings Ltd., in the nuances of the destination. 
• Once we receive and process your deposit, we will provide you with a complimentary save-the-date mailing to your wedding guests.  This will direct them to your personalized web page on www.seashellsweddings.com containing all details on your pending nuptials.  Wedding guests will be able to download their Seashells Guest Hotel Reservation Form as well as Seashells Guest Activity Form from the site as well as email their RSVP online.
• Where the decision-maker is other than the Bride & Groom, it would be helpful if that person(s) would make themselves known to us in the early planning stages so that there are no surprises and the input of everyone-making-decisions for this wedding are considered in the initial consultation, and all concerned parties are part of the planning process moving forward.  In the absence of being able to meet face-to-face on a regular basis, Seashells Weddings is prepared to facilitate a series of AT&T Conference Calls for the purposes of meaningful discussion.  This will be billed at the cost of the conference call together with an hourly rate of $65
• “Come-See Visit” – we encourage you to plan a visit to Grand Bahama Island in order to meet with Seashells Weddings and our wedding suppliers  before hand in a formal planning session, we would be happy to make the arrangements  and accompany you to the various meetings.   The come-see visit is not an opportunity to discuss pricing or exchange telephone and email addresses with Seashells vendors but to convey the vision you have for your wedding to those who will be charged with creating a very special event for you.  Seashells Weddings will provide you with a Wedding Checklist.   A non-refundable fee of $75 will be invoiced for this service.
• Rehearsal run-through – we would recommend this for large wedding parties as well as interfaith marriages so that everyone is at a comfort level on the day, and knows exactly what they are supposed to do and say.  Let us know in advance whether you require this service.
• Seashells Weddings will charge a Reception Management fee of $500 for a maximum of 3 hours with an additional hourly rate of $150. The Reception Management fee is charged for our consulting work on the reception elements such as food and beverage functions, entertainment for the reception, assisting with set ups of the reception room such as placing favors on tables and having sufficient members of the Seashells Team present to work your event.
• Rest assured, the Seashells team will work tirelessly to ensure that your wedding is all that you dreamed it would be. We must impress upon you however, that when our Seashells Consultants are requested to assist with matters other than those previously contracted for, an additional hourly rate will be assessed at $250.  Plans for this additional service must be contracted at least 7 days in advance of the wedding.  Alternatively, should the Consultants be asked to stay “until it ends” on the day of the wedding, a charge for the additional time will be submitted immediately after the event and payment is due prior to your departure from The Islands Of The Bahamas.
• In hosting your wedding at Our Lucaya it should be understood that, Our Lucaya is the only licensee authorized to sell and serve food, liquor, beer, champagne and wine on premises.  We do not allow any food or beverage to be brought into the Hotel without a prior  written agreement.
• Full-payment is required for all bookings made within two months of the wedding.
• Preferred form of payment is a US$ Cashier’s Check made payable to Seashells Weddings Ltd and for the convenience of our clients, can be forwarded to our US Mailing Address:  C/o Ethelyn Johnson, Seashells Weddings Ltd., One River Place, Suite#2410, New York, NY 10036
• Credit Card used for wedding transaction - by order of our Bankers we are required to take an imprint of your credit card and a copy of your signature for verification purposes. 
• Tipping Envelope/Goodwill Gesture – in a resort destination the size of Our Lucaya, there are countless people behind the scenes, who are often forgotten but have an impact on the success of your special day.  We encourage your generosity and would be happy to disburse your gratuities to bus boys, waiters, delivery people, guest services personnel and any/all persons that you feel have gone above and beyond the call, to make your celebration a truly joyous occasion and wish you well.
• Travel Agent Commissions are calculated on the package price less the site fee    
 
Booking Amendment:
Attendance - If the "guest number guarantee" is not received 14 days prior to your wedding event, the original agreed/expected attendance number will be used as the guarantee.  Your signature or full payment of your wedding will serve as acceptance of the agreed/expected attendance.
 
We will do our best to satisfy requested changes after the agreed/expected attendance has been confirmed to us.  However, a fee of $15 per person/per change will be assessed on each alteration, unless the change involves additional persons or features.  Guarantee increases for food & beverage functions must be requested in writing at least 96 hours prior to your wedding event.
 
 
If you change your wedding:
If after we have issued the confirmation/account, you want to change your wedding, we will do our best to make the required alteration.  However, changes to the wedding made within 2 months of the original date will be treated as a cancellation of the original wedding and charges may apply as detailed below.
 
 
If you cancel your wedding:
If you cancel your wedding after we have issued the confirmation/account, we will require written notice sent to our head office in Nassau.  The cancellation is only effective from the date the written notice is received in the office.  The cancellation charges apply and are based on a percentage of the entire wedding cost and the period before arrival that the cancellation is made.   The cancellation charges are as follows:  More than 90 days – deposit-only  89 days or less – full payment
 
The arrangements for your wedding are made many months in advance and occasionally it may be necessary for us to make changes to your arrangements.   In this regard however, you should be mindful of the fact that:
• Function venues at Our Lucaya are will be confirmed at the time of booking your wedding.  Our Lucaya however, reserves the right to relocate any/all functions based on space and availability.  Suitable alternative arrangements to meet the requirements of the event will be provided should the need arise.
• While The Bahamas is paradise on earth, we are nevertheless a tropical destination and prone to irregular rain-showers.  In the event of sudden dark cloud formations and adverse weather conditions, you will be given an indoor rain back-up venue.  We will wait until 1.00pm on the day of the wedding to make the decision, however, should unfavorable conditions persist, we will effect the weather contingency.  Any location changes up to four (4) hours before the event will result in a $500.00 fee
• Out of respect for all guests of Our Lucaya, outdoor entertainment must wind down by 10pm so as not to cause a public nuisance.   The same rules do not however apply to indoor venues, and music and dancing can go on until the wee hours of 12 midnight or 1am
 
In the unlikely event of a major change to your wedding we will inform you or your travel agent as soon as reasonably possible and offer you the following alternatives:
i)  accept the alternative arrangements made by us
ii)  re-book for another time
iii) cancel your booking and receive a partial refund
 
A major change is defined as a change of wedding site, date or time.  A major change does not include delays in arrival caused by circumstances amounting to force majeure and/or industrial action as detailed in Important Note below.
 
Important Note
When a major change is due to war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, hurricane, and adverse weather conditions or other circumstances amounting to force majeure i.e. outside our control, we cannot offer you full compensation.  We will however, make a partial refund if you choose to cancel your booking rather than accept the alternative offered.
 
If we cancel your wedding
If we are forced to cancel your wedding we will inform you or your travel agent as soon as possible.  We will offer you the choice of alternative site, date or time or a full refund of all monies paid to us in respect of your wedding arrangements.  We will not cancel your wedding after the date specified for final payment in the invoice unless that balance has not been paid by you or unless it is due to reasons beyond our control as detailed above.
 
 
Catering Event Information
So as to assure the integrity of the process, we should be guided by the following stipulations:
 
• Price - once full payment of your wedding has been received, the price is guaranteed, subject to changes beyond our control e.g. Government action or hotel price adjustments.  Please note: Banquet Menus are subject to change at the hotel or resort’s discretion, current menus will be guaranteed up to 180 days from event date.  Any changes will be notified to you as soon as possible and you will be expected to pay such price increases and accept any and all substitutions.
 
• Menus – in order to guarantee pricing and availability, kindly finalize your menu selections 90 days prior.  Your Seashells Romance Director will provide your Schedule of Events & Banquet Event Orders approximately 60 days prior to your wedding.  Signed Banquet Event Orders & the Schedule of Events will be required at least 6 weeks before the wedding.  
 
• Special Meals Orders -  Special meals are defined as those meals requested in addition to the principal menu, either contracted in advance or at the time of service.  Special meals must be included in the guarantee or actual number, whichever is greater.

• Food & Beverage menu selections cannot be changed within 14 days of the event. 
 
• Reception Style Menus – Buffet Menus will be limited to a 2 hour time frame and reception style seating format.  Buffet lunch menus cannot be selected for Dinner Events.  For customized menus, please request same of your Romance Director.
 
• Minimum attendance – buffet dinners require 30 guests and plated dinners must have at least 20 guests.  Function venues within the hotel also have minimums, your Romance Director will advise you of these.
 
• Minimum spend – specialty restaurants such as Portebello’s and Churchills are available for an exclusive buy out with a minimum spend on Food and Beverage, not including mandatory gratuity or other wedding enhancements such as cakes, décor or entertainment.
 
• Bar Etiquette – wedding hosts (bride and groom) will have a choice of an open bar or a consumption bar.  Cash bars are not available for weddings.
 
• Attendance - If the "guest number guarantee" is not received 14 days prior to your wedding event, the original agreed/expected attendance number will be used as the guarantee.  Your signature or full payment of your wedding will serve as acceptance of the agreed/expected attendance. We will do our best to satisfy requested changes after the agreed/expected attendance has been confirmed to us.  However, a fee of $15 per person/per change will be assessed on each alteration, unless the change involves additional persons or features.  Guarantee increases for food & beverage functions must be requested in writing at least 96 hours prior to your wedding event.
 
• Oversets – hotels will usually set an additional 3% over the guarantee for food and seating.  Requested table/seating sets over 3% will be charged an additional per table fee.
 
• Seating – Round tables of eight and ten guests are recommended for seated meals
 
• Children two (2) and under eat free at all banquet events.  Please let us know this in advance.
 
• Gratuity – a 21% hotel gratuity will be added to all food, beverage, set-up and room rental functions.
 
• Our Audio/Visual partner would be happy to discuss sound system packages and visual aid needs.
 
• Linens – our hotels offer a limited selection of complimentary linens for wedding receptions.  For Brides requesting specialty linens and overlays, your Seashells Romance Director will gladly assist you.
 
• Custom Wedding Receptions – Our design partners, will create a romantic, whimsical setting with gorgeous flowers, magical lighting effects and crisp linens.

Function Venues
Function venues at the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya are not guaranteed and locations will not be confirmed until 14 days prior. We are more than willing to accommodate your request for a "come-see-visit" but most strongly caution you not to get your heart set on a particular venue. Our Lucaya reserves the right to relocate all functions based on space and availability. Suitable alternative arrangements to meet the requirements of your wedding event will be provided should the need arise.