petunia

USVI Vacation Message Board :: Virgin Islands Now is another great place to get information. It's a message board frequented by many residents of St. Thomas and occasionally former island brides will post. You can ask lots of questions there and usually get some helpful responses.

Corinne, a beach ceremony at sunset and reception following at a site elsewhere, such as a villa or restaurant is a wonderful way to go. In fact, that's exactly what I am planning. I've been to sunset beach ceremonies and have not suffered from the noseeums. I was thinking more about a reception on the beach at sunset, and the possibility of guests' legs getting bit up while dangling under a table on the sand. It's been my experience and that of many others that if you are susceptible, those critters will come out around sunset and bite you. Your villa is lovely, and I adore the white w/blue flower bed cover in one of the bedrooms.

Something you might want to think about if planning a late afternoon/early evening reception on the beach. Around dusk is when the noseeums come out. These are teeny tiny little sand critters, just about invisible, that leave bites that itch like crazy.

Jessica, I've been to Iggie's Wednesday night all-you-can-eat Caribbean buffet and entertainment, lots of fun. But how did you swing your reception? Did you have a separate menu, or just pay for everyone to take part in the buffet? Did Iggie's have a problem with it? How many guests were there. My fiance (by the way....what does "FI" stand for?) loves Iggie's and when I told him about your reception he thought it was a great idea. I'm also looking into Coral World, but have no idea of the prices. Catered Events & Weddings (Coral World Ocean Park, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) If you're considering catering at a villa I came across this site: Tropical Events Gropu - Off-Premise Catering Service I've been to Alex's restaurant, Bela Blu, and he's a really good chef. I don't know anything about his catering. Gerie

I'm confused by the last posting and who was posting what, so I'll try to just add some relevant comments. From your description it sounds as if you stayed at the Point Pleasant Resort, built on the hillside and, yes, steep climbs to get around the resort. The Virgin Islands are the tops of a mountain range. Imagine spending time on top of one of the Rocky Mountains. The reason the rooms there are all different is that they are, for the most part, privately-owned condos, maintained and decorated by individual owners. There are many places to stay on the island, either resorts, condos or villas, that do not require you to be in perfect physical fitness to get around. However, there are two great places to eat at Point Pleasant, Fungi's for casual West Indian food and Agave Terrace for fine dining. Getting around St. Thomas and St. John can be difficult, and, if depending on taxis, it can be very expensive. The best way to take advantage of the beautiful islands is to rent a car. It may be intimidating at first, but most visitors get used to it in 15 minutes or so. Just remember to keep left. It's really a lot easier than it seems. I find driving on St. Thomas to be a lot of fun. The top speed is about 35 miles per hour. All roads are paved, although some of the smaller ones are not always in great condition. If you rent a car you will have the freedom to try out some of the many wonderful restaurants, see so many more beautiful beaches, enjoy some nightly fun and entertainment, and see other sights. Taxi costs and inconvenience just make all that very difficult and costly. I'm going to guess that you ate at Cuzzin's or Gladys's for the oxtail stew. Both are wonderful choices for local cuisine. But, where is Horseshoe Bay? I've never heard of it, and I've been to St. Thomas 11 times.

I'm not looking at wedding coordinators for my own wedding yet, if at all, but I noticed a new posting by a wedding coordinator in St. Thomas on the Newbie thread. Her name's Sherri. You might want to send her a PM for some comparisons or perhaps different options. I know that different coordinators use different locations around the island as well for both ceremony and reception.

Lady P, Thanks, but we won't be using a wedding coordinator. The person who will perform the ceremony has been my favorite bartender and good friend for years. He's a bartender/ordained minister/photographer/landscape artist/dog sitter. I call him Jeff Slash. I will be a 60-year-old bride and John's just a year younger than me. We've both done the big wedding thing before. We want this simple and loving right on our beach. I'll make the party plans myself also. I even told John I didn't want to wear white, but was going to find a bright red floozie dress. Well, I'll probably wear a pretty white bridey/beach dress but it's so much fun messing with him. By the way....I'm a teacher, too. And I dance and sing for my kids all the time.

It seems that "all-inclusive" is often brought up as a desirable option for your wedding in consideration of your guests. St. Thomas is an island that really does not require all-inclusive as you might need in Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. There are such a great variety of activities and restaurants all over the island. I've been going there every year since 1997 and still have a long list of things to do and places to eat. Trust me, you are so limited staying in an all-inclusive if you include the meal plan. Word is that the food at the Wyndham (the only real a/i on the island) is mediocre at best. The resort, however is very nice with great on-site activities. I'm actually scoping out villas for my guests to share if they like. I like the idea of Coral World for my after nuptials party. The marine park closes at 5, but they open up the entire place for an after hours event. I understand from a couple of recent brides who had their reception there that the catering costs are also quite reasonable. It's a "thinking outside the box" kind of option. Oh, and we've decided on a date. August 9, 2010. John says if it's on 8/9/10 there's a good chance he'll remember it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Jones4Me Hey Petunia! I think I may have found a villa for us. But we haven't decided on a beach yet.... Still not sure. We may have to wait until we are there and check them out.... I want one with character - big rocks and stuff. Not just sand & water. I want GREAT photos... Suggestions? Since St. Thomas and St. John are volcanic islands, most beaches have large rock formations at either end. In fact, on our beach there's a rock that juts up about 4 feet from the sand. It was at this rock that John proposed, and it is now known as the engagement rock. Your wedding coordinator should be able to steer you to one that will suit your needs, I'm sure. You can also go to one of the many USVI forums and ask questions there.

Gerie Long Island, NY Limetree Beach August 9, 2010 No coordinator. Doing it ourselves. I have a friend who'll do the ceremony, and we'll throw a party somewhere, perhaps Coral World.

Thanks again! My sweetie proposed to me and we will be married on Limetree Beach on the South Shore at Bluebeard's Beach Club. I own a timeshare there and have been going there each year for eleven years. I was reading some of your posts and queries, Jones4Me, about where to stay on St. Thomas. It sounds like you've found a villa. Have you decided on what beach you will be married? I do know quite a bit about the Island and if I can offer any assistance to anyone I'd be more than happy to do so. BTW, we also plan to retire to St. Thomas in about 6 or 7 years.

Thank you very much for all your welcomes. I'm sure I'll find lots of valuable information here.

Hello, I will be married on St. Thomas in August of 2010. I know, it seems very far off, but I'm sure it'll get here sooner than expected. I've already been engaged for 5 months and it feels like just yesterday. I am probably atypical of the engagees posting on this site, as I will be a 60-year-old bride when the time comes. No, this is not my first, but it will be my best and last. He proposed to me on the beach on St. Thomas in August, the very same beach on which our ceremony will be held. This is such a fun and uplifting site. I've enjoyed reading all the posts I've so far seen. Petunia