After much debate and discussion about our venue for our Welcome Dinner, we finally decided that Aqua Grill will be the place for our family and friends to mix & mingle.  Besides, Irma, the sales manager, had been so attentive and helpful from the beginning that we couldn't pass.  The restaurant was in walking distance from The Westin (where most of our guests stayed), so it was convenient for all of us as well.
     The dinner was held in Aqua Grill's Pavilion area, which was only used for our party.  The chef made a special menu for our dinner to fit our specified budget, Irma then made personalized menus for each place setting, which we thought was a nice touch.     
    

     Our guests were seated and drink orders were taken by our own waitstaff.  The restaurant included beer or wine with the meal as part of our Welcome Dinner.  Irma added this to our event to  convince us even more to host our party at the Aqua Grill.

     While the guests waited for food or drinks, I busted out the trivia cards I made.  They were a huge hit and the guests loved the questions and the pictures.  It also made the time pass by quicker as we waited for the food to come out.  On that note, the food was delicious, but it did take a while for it to get served to our guests.  Management knew the food was taking too long, so they offered our guests another round of beer or wine on the house!  

    Below, Jodi reads a question out loud to the table.  The trivia did serve its purpose!  I love it when a project comes out the way you expected it too!

     When it comes to being the bride and groom, there is a lot of mixing & mingling being done.  So while guests are chit chatting or taking pictures, I do the same thing, but walking around Aqua Grill's Pavilion doing my rounds.  Here I am with my beautiful bridesmaids!  It's funny how they ended up wearing our wedding colors and I didn't even have to tell them!  They love me!

     Jeff does the same and mingles, doing his rounds.  Here he is with some of his boys!

     After about 40 minutes of waiting, the food finally comes.  I ate the Mahi Mahi, which was delicious, as well as the polenta.

     We also served the Asian Chicken, which I didn't try, but heard was flavorful too.

     The best part of the dinner was finally served, Key Lime Pie!  That was really yummy, though I couldn't finish it because of the big meal we were served and the appetizers prior to that!  I had to remind myself that I had a dress to fit into the next day!

     After everyone was done eating, Jeff's father made a speech, letting everyone know how happy they were and thanking everyone for coming and celebrating with us.

     And with that said, Jeff expressed our gratitude and then we passed out the Welcome Bags!  Another huge hit, I just love giving and seeing all the smiling faces!  It makes all the time and money we spent doing everything worth it all!

     I would recommend hosting a party at Aqua Grill, the attentiveness and prompt communication, as well as their willingness to work out our budget were all pluses for us!  Thank you to Irma, for all her hard work and attention!  As far as the waiting, it can happen anywhere, the restaurant was pretty busy including our party, and this is why you keep your guests busy with trivia cards (just kidding), but on the serious note, it's hard to be impatient when you're on "One Happy Island!"  Besides, management handled the problem and fixed it has well as they could have by making our guests happy with more drinks!   
     In the end, all our guests had a great time and it was just the beginning to all the fun we were going to have together on the the wonderful island of Aruba!  So one event down and three more to go! 

     I must say, planning our Welcome Dinner was the hardest thing to do in our wedding planning.  Trying to find a place that can accomodate that many guests in the price range we were looking for was the difficult task.  We were also trying to find a location that was walking distance from our hotel.  Though we could have easily hosted the party at the Westin, the fiance and I wanted to venture out a little, even if it is a 10 minute walk!  
     We did consider Gianni's Italian Restaurant, Matthew's Beachside Restaurant, and Aqua Grill.  Gianni's and Aqua Grill are in walking distance from the Westin and Matthew's was in the next town, which we would have to provide transportation for our guests.  Unfortunately the Westin doesn't have a shuttle, so I asked if they can provide one, they agreed, but said it'd be $5-$6 per person.  Though Matthew's had a cheaper price menu, factoring in the cost of transportation and the hassle of it, didn't seem appealing to the fiance and myself. 
     Gianni's on the other hand, has a really nice location (closest to the Westin with an outdoor patio), but the menu they came up with for our budget, was not at all appetizing.   We didn't want to treat our guests to that the first day they arrive in Aruba, so decided they were out of the running.
     We ended up booking our Welcome Dinner at Aqua Grill for our 50 guests.  Aqua Grill won us over for their attentiveness and menu selection (a 3 course dinner with alcohol).  Irma, the Aqua Grill contact, has been on top of her game and is very quick to respond to my questions and emails.  She has done a fine job of convincing us to have our dinner with them, even to say that she'll make personalized menus for our party.  I can't wait to eat good food, drink great wine, and spend time with our closest family and friends!
     What was your biggest hurdle while planning your wedding?