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Rockhouse Hotel

Wedding Day

Wedding

Rockhouse Hotel, West End Road, Negril, Jamaica

Reception

Our Wedding

Amanda and Dave’s love story follows the footsteps of modern romance. After digging through dozens of lame profiles and terrible one-liners on OkCupid, Amanda came upon the profile for a curly haired, blue-eyed boy in Brooklyn. They seemed to have some common interest in music and TV, so she figured, what the heck, and reached out to him. Up to then Dave had had a similar experience, as he sifted through the endless NYC online dating scene looking for someone with whom to truly make a connection, a message popped into his inbox. He at first suspected another spam bot but responded, expecting nothing more than a link and some broken English&mdash;he has never been happier to be wrong. Dave suggested a brunch date at his favorite local haunt, Jimmy’s Diner, which was clearly a litmus test for even pursuing a second date (she is not wrong in this!). In typical fashion, Amanda showed up dressed to impress in her favorite LBD, while Dave arrived in his infamous King Kong t-shirt and blue Lennon sunglasses, which she has grown to love. What started with getting-to-know-yous over eggs turned into the best first date, lasting over four hours through bubble tea, a walk through East River State Park, and cloud spotting on the grass. The date was sealed with a perfect kiss under a tree during small rain squall. Dave watched Amanda pull out of a parking spot to head home, attempting a 7-9 point turn and almost smashing into the car in front of her (which left him mildly concerned) ((but he found it more so endearing!)), and the two have been inseparable ever since. &nbsp;. Amanda and Dave are the quirkiest of couples. From Foot Wars to a family of Elmos ((all adorned in their own Patriot’s gear!)), they have shared in each other’s joys and sorrows, supported one another’s passions and successes, and the continued learning of what a true meaning of partnership is and needs to grow and prosper. In May of 2019, amidst a rose garden with Spanish guitar playing near the top of the Piazza de Michelangelo, Dave surprised Amanda with a marriage proposal (hint&hellip;she said yes!), and to this day she cannot recall a word of what Dave said to her at that moment because she was so ecstatic. Wedding planning seemed to be going along swimmingly...until the pandemic, of course. But Amanda and Dave wouldn't let that stop them--they tied the knot through a Zoom wedding on July 24th, 2020! The big day at Rockhouse surrounded by family and friends has been postponed, but not forgotten! We all deserve an awesome celebration and vacation!&nbsp;Amanda and Dave are so excited to be planning their lives together and can’t wait to celebrate their marriage with their closest friends and family later this year.

Our Story

Details

Photos

Rachel Irons is the bride’s slightly older, yet much more sophisticated sister. It is highly rumored that she is the favorite child. This rumor may or may not have been started by Rachel. When they were younger, Rachel and Amanda almost always got along. They enjoyed making up silly songs, sliding back and forth on the shower floor, and chasing each other with smelly socks. Any arguments had between them were easily resolved by passing notes written on magic slate doodle pads under each other’s doors. Although Rachel is team Grover and Amanda is team Elmo, they have much in common: eating, baking, shopping, shoe addiction, eating, Disney, NYC, etc. Their most unifying commonality is that The Haunted Mansion is the greatest ride on planet Earth. When Rachel moved to New York to pursue a Masters in Speech Language Pathology at Hofstra, Amanda followed suit and attended college there as well. They went from sisters to seesters, meaning they became best friends.

  

As Amanda’s spirit guide, Rachel has been responsible for teaching her valuable life lessons such as eating pizza backwards (crust first), managing curly hair, and how to save the best for last. Amanda may not have taken all of these lessons to heart, but she certainly did save the best for last when it comes to love. In Dave, Amanda has found a true partner in life and Rachel has gained a brother she knew she never wanted but is over the moon to have. Rachel cannot be more excited for her beautiful sister and Dave to tie the knot and begin this next chapter in their lives. Rachel is married to the dashing Nicholas Irons and has two little dragons, Westley and Illyn. Grover rules.

Rachel Irons

Danny&nbsp;first met Mr. LaVenture in July 2012 on their first season of Ink Master together.

They have spent hundreds of hours stashed in closets, cages, and bathrooms together whilst at work and none of those experiences got weird at all. So to say&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;knows Dave inside and out is an understatement.



Throughout their working relationship spanning the last 8 years, some of their favorite activities together have included: Traveling the country, playing hundreds of games of pool in which&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;almost always scratches on the 8 ball, Dave giving the world's worst life advice which somehow always involved him suggesting&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;tackling someone, and&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;staring in awe as Dave has one of his endless laughing fits for reasons only the great mind of Dave LaVenture will ever know.



In Amanda, Dave has found a true soul mate and&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;has honestly never seen such a genuinely happy and quirky couple that are so obviously perfect for each other.&nbsp;Danny&nbsp;is beyond excited to stand by Dave's side as he marries the love of his life and witness their first shared ham sandwich as a married couple.

Danny Michelson

Alexa Rapach (formerly Katz) is a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in working with children and adolescents. More importantly, however, is the fact that Alexa has maintained her primary profession of being known as Amanda's friend who is down for anything from Disney sing-a-longs in the car to visiting attractions such as Sleep No More. Known as Aunt Amanda to Alexa's one and a half year old, the two have shared a very special bond since they met over a decade ago on a trip to Israel. Despite Amanda's constant nagging over Alexa's apparently poor taste in movies and musicals, the two always have something to talk about and bond over. Alexa and Amanda once swore they would never date anyone with the name Dave after both ladies had poor experiences with men bearing the name, but Alexa is more than happy that Amanda gave this Dave a chance. As Amanda had once dubbed them, Team Manhattan Brunch is officially getting it's fourth member, and Alexa couldn't think of a person to better be Amanda's partner.

Alexa Rapach

Wedding Party

Registry

Q + A

Most&nbsp;guests choose to transfer from Montego Bay to the&nbsp;Rockhouse&nbsp;by taxi.&nbsp; This can be arranged with reservations at the&nbsp;Rockhouse.&nbsp; The rate per car is $80 for up to four people one-way ($20 per additional person).&nbsp; They regularly use Kenny Tours who operates a small fleet of air-conditioned cars and minivans.&nbsp; Kenny or one of his able drivers will meet you in the arrival hall of the Montego Bay airport – they are located at booth # 2 in the arrival hall.&nbsp; Kenny Tours Mobile Phone Ph. 876-995-9410 Home/Office Phone Ph. 876-956-6131.&nbsp;We recommend trying to arrange transportation with another couple to keep the cost as low as possible. Keep in mind, if you call Kenny Tours directly, use WhatsApp in order to avoid additional charges to your phone bill for international calls!

Kenny Tours

Guests are required to book 9/23/21-9/26/21. However, you are welcome to add extra days to relax and enjoy a vacation in addition to the wedding festivities! We recommend calling the resort in order to book, but it is also acceptable to use their website or e-mail their bookings address. Please reserve the accommodations style that you requested with Dave and me (if you need a reminder, do not hesitate to ask!). Most importantly, do not forget to mention our wedding when you reserve! **UPDATE: We would strongly recommend that guests reach out to the bookings team to make sure that your reservation transferred correctly to the new September dates. We have noticed some minor errors along the way, so you'll want to make sure they have you booked for the right room style during the right dates!

Travel

Rockhouse Spa, two time winner of the World Travel Award for Best Spa in Jamaica, offers incredible treatment experiences in an idyllic Caribbean setting. They&nbsp;take a simple, holistic approach to wellbeing, health and happiness, with a natural Jamaica style. Treatments take place in the cliff-edge spa cabanas or at the Rockhouse Spa Pavilion, an architectural and energetic temple nestled among tropical gardens, as well as their&nbsp;newest addition, the bathing pavilion overlooking the Caribbean Sea.&nbsp;The&nbsp;spa&nbsp;offers a 30% discount for the wedding party group.

Rockhouse Hotel Spa

Swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of Pristine Cove are some of the most popular pastimes at Rockhouse. Ladders and stairs leading from the cliffs’ edge into the snorkel-perfect water make it easy for guests to observe clusters of dwarf tube sponges, vibrant coral heads and a variety of colorful reef fish. Snorkeling gear and other water sport equipment are available for rent at the Pool Bar

Rockhouse has&nbsp;curated a vast assortment of activities ranging from painting classes to yoga classes and meditative tours of organic farm and lush grounds. Their weekly scheduled classes include cooking, Caribbean zumba dance, Bob Marley portraiture, painting the Rockhouse, African drumming, daily yoga and their Rockhouse Foundation Community tour.

Rockhouse Hotel Daily Activities

The closest beach to the property is&nbsp;<a class="entity-link" href="http://caribya.com/negril/negril.north.beach/">Negril North Beach</a>, which is one and a quarter miles away.

Even though Rockhouse Hotel doesn't feature a golf course, you might be able to schedule a tee time. The nearest golf course is&nbsp;<a class="entity-link" href="http://caribya.com/negril/negril.hills.golf.club/">Negril Hills Golf Club</a>, which is located three and a half miles east of the property. You'll find a total of 18 holes at this course. It is 5798 yards long, and has been rated as a par 72. If you'd like more information or want to inquire about the possibility of reserving a tee time, the course can be reached at (876) 957-4638 ext. 3614. 

Restaurants in the area:

At&nbsp;Murphy's West End Restaurant you'll feel like an old friend as the owner pulls out dusty photographs of the roadside restaurant through the years and passes around a jar of his family-recipe spice blend (he'll encourage your attempt to identify the spices but offer no hints about the ingredients). He will, however, let you watch (and take notes) while he grills the marinated meat in the restaurant's backyard, where a couple of dogs and cats nap in the sun among aloe plants and ackee trees. Dishes are beautifully plated, garnished with grilled vegetables, and served with festivals, cornbread fritters similar to hushpuppies.&nbsp;

Lighthouse RD Negril, Jamaica

<a href="https://m.me/MurphysWestEndRestaurant?fbclid=IwAR1D2ABeosSqWZEutjH0_2IcwFuOiReMj2giQClxiurqzM9L5FwwrZJ5F7c" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" id="u_fetchstream_1_4" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.me%2FMurphysWestEndRestaurant%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1D2ABeosSqWZEutjH0_2IcwFuOiReMj2giQClxiurqzM9L5FwwrZJ5F7c&h=AT3l3I8wSPu1AZllmUv8s94Sx-K40GfP8C3WFCyS3WfNCwcPjI4dnIrmM37-RBdwyuOUF4SKKrLMi5taB5n_VauznjuuK8f48InBrkC4BekWvGJehEJIpEcbubk9RIT0USPNnRae">https://www.visitjamaica.com/listing/murphys-west-end-restaurant/2567/</a>

<a href="https://m.me/MurphysWestEndRestaurant?fbclid=IwAR1D2ABeosSqWZEutjH0_2IcwFuOiReMj2giQClxiurqzM9L5FwwrZJ5F7c" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.me%2FMurphysWestEndRestaurant%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1D2ABeosSqWZEutjH0_2IcwFuOiReMj2giQClxiurqzM9L5FwwrZJ5F7c&h=AT3l3I8wSPu1AZllmUv8s94Sx-K40GfP8C3WFCyS3WfNCwcPjI4dnIrmM37-RBdwyuOUF4SKKrLMi5taB5n_VauznjuuK8f48InBrkC4BekWvGJehEJIpEcbubk9RIT0USPNnRae"></a>+1 876-367-0475

Rick's Cafe is a see-and-be-seen type of place, where revelers of all ages go to drink in the sun's rays, the Caribbean water, and the planter's punch (and the hurricanes, and the tropical martinis) served at the bar.&nbsp;Set on a cliff-lined cove that opens up to the Caribbean Sea, Rick's Cafe offers bold visitors the chance to jump from varying heights of 10 to 35 feet into the deep pool below.&nbsp;

West End Road Negril, Jamaica

<a href="https://www.visitjamaica.com/blog/post/negril-the-famous-ricks-cafe/">https://www.visitjamaica.com/blog/post/negril-the-famous-ricks-cafe/</a> 

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 Head to Seven Mile Beach&nbsp;for a day of shopping the local seafront shops and shacks that line Negril’s most famous sandy stretch. (Insider tip: remember to bargain!) Once you’re shopped out, head to Bourbon Beach&nbsp;for some live reggae!&nbsp;Ivan's Bar and Restaurant,&nbsp;another dinner spot, is popular among couples for its romantic, clifftop setting. If you’re looking to party, the Jungle Night Club&nbsp;is known as&nbsp;one of the best clubs in Negril.&nbsp;

Amanda & David