*The official St. Lucia Brides CHAT thread*

[mmundorf]

Hi All-

I am new to this sight as well. We are getting married at Sandals Regency June 2010. I saw some previous posts about using Ray from Karay Media. We have booked him as well. Does anyone have any pic's to share? Also, are there any other brides out there that will be at the Regency during this time?

Thanks!

[bestforlast]

Hi All – I am new to the forum. I am in the very beginning stages of planning my weddingmoon (destination wedding/elopement) for October 2010. Yes, I know it is hurricane season but we are willing to risk it.

 

It will be just my fiance and me. I’ve been to many Caribbean islands, but I have always wanted to go to St. Lucia.

 

I’m a little overwhelmed by all of the resort options. Let me tell you a little about us and our preferences and maybe you can help me sort this out.

 

I’m 35, he’s 55. We’re both very young at heart, active, and healthy. We are very athletic. I did an Ironman last fall and he’s training for one this year. We love to eat (good thing we exercise so much) and finding great restaurants, whether it an ethnic hole in the wall, a fabulous brunch, or a 5-star restaurant is one of the highlights of our travels.

 

While we are very active, we also appreciate down time. Our ideal resort will have access to activities like snorkeling and jet skis, but will also have a great beach where we can just relax and read.

 

We are both extroverts and enjoy being sociable, but I envision this trip as being a little more solitary than most cruises we’ve been on. While it is nice to get to know new people, for our honeymoon I think we want to just by ourselves more than we ordinarily would. We are also early birds who don’t really do the nightlife thing.

 

When I think of St. Lucia and a beach getaway, I’m thinking ocean front. In looking at some of the resorts – they all blend together at this point – it looks like some of them are not right on the beach. We would love one of the rooms with a missing fourth wall and an outdoor shower but not at the expense of being oceanfront. Luxury accommodations (nice furnishings, sheets, towels) are high priority. We would love to wake up and see and hear the ocean. That would be a dream.

 

Finally, we aren’t opposed to all inclusive if the food is good. Neither of us drinks more than a glass or two of wine a month, so we are concerned that we won’t get our money’s worth at an AI.

 

If anyone can shed some light on the differences between the different areas of St. Lucia, that would be appreciated. Maybe I can start by narrowing it down that way. Thanks everyone!

 

BTW, we are professionals and can spend a little more than we ordinarily would on this trip, but my frugal side prevents me from wanting to pay more than $500/nt.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Dustin67]

Hey Bestforlast,

 

My fiancee and I are looking at St. Lucia from October 24th-31st, so I know what you mean about the options. One thing to know about St. Lucia if you didn't, from what I understand, the beaches are ALL public, so you can always take a water taxi to a nicer beach for around $20-$30 for the pair of you if you want. I've heard that hiking thhe Pitons is a great experience provided it's not raining, so if we go, I'm absolutely doing it.

 

I think I want to try to stay in the Soufriere region since it's near the Pitons, and I want to take pictures of them. I also like the west coast since theat's where you'll see the sunset, are you really going to be up for the sunrise?

 

Have you looked into Anse Chastanet? It looks gorgeous.

 

I don't drink at all, and my fiancee doesn't drink much, so we've been having the same issues with all inclusives being not worth the cost.

 

Let us know when you narrow anything down, i'd love to hear what your thoughts are.

[mrsc2010]

My name is Mecca. My wedding will be in Castries, St. Lucia ( Sandals Regency) on May 13, 2010. 38 days to go! yay I just found this forum and I am so excited to chat with you all. Happy planning

[Monica Mai]

I am getting married at the Ladera this November, but one my co-workers is headed to St. Lucia in Sept and is staying at the Calabash Cove, which is right on the beach. That place sounds like it might be a good fit for you and your fiancee.

[Monica Mai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestforlast Hi All – I am new to the forum. I am in the very beginning stages of planning my weddingmoon (destination wedding/elopement) for October 2010. Yes, I know it is hurricane season but we are willing to risk it. It will be just my fiance and me. I’ve been to many Caribbean islands, but I have always wanted to go to St. Lucia. I’m a little overwhelmed by all of the resort options. Let me tell you a little about us and our preferences and maybe you can help me sort this out. I’m 35, he’s 55. We’re both very young at heart, active, and healthy. We are very athletic. I did an Ironman last fall and he’s training for one this year. We love to eat (good thing we exercise so much) and finding great restaurants, whether it an ethnic hole in the wall, a fabulous brunch, or a 5-star restaurant is one of the highlights of our travels. While we are very active, we also appreciate down time. Our ideal resort will have access to activities like snorkeling and jet skis, but will also have a great beach where we can just relax and read. We are both extroverts and enjoy being sociable, but I envision this trip as being a little more solitary than most cruises we’ve been on. While it is nice to get to know new people, for our honeymoon I think we want to just by ourselves more than we ordinarily would. We are also early birds who don’t really do the nightlife thing. When I think of St. Lucia and a beach getaway, I’m thinking ocean front. In looking at some of the resorts – they all blend together at this point – it looks like some of them are not right on the beach. We would love one of the rooms with a missing fourth wall and an outdoor shower but not at the expense of being oceanfront. Luxury accommodations (nice furnishings, sheets, towels) are high priority. We would love to wake up and see and hear the ocean. That would be a dream. Finally, we aren’t opposed to all inclusive if the food is good. Neither of us drinks more than a glass or two of wine a month, so we are concerned that we won’t get our money’s worth at an AI. If anyone can shed some light on the differences between the different areas of St. Lucia, that would be appreciated. Maybe I can start by narrowing it down that way. Thanks everyone! BTW, we are professionals and can spend a little more than we ordinarily would on this trip, but my frugal side prevents me from wanting to pay more than $500/nt. Thanks in advance!

I'll be getting married at Ladera this November, but a co-worker of mine is headed to St. Lucia in Sept and will be staying at the Calabash Cove. From reading your post and hearing what she has talked about, I think this might be a good fit for you. Check out their website if you get a chance.

[Kristy!]

I haven't popped in here for a while. Just some quick responses. St. Lucia has some great restaurants, so I recommend not going AI. The Edge in Rodney Bay is a must visit. Definitely top 5 meals of my life. We also enjoyed Rainforest Hideaway in Marigot and Jacques in Castries.

 

For those confused about which area to stay in, I'll take you up the west coast. Soufriere is furthest south and has more of the natural attractions (the Pitons, botanical gardens, sulfur springs, etc.). Further north is Marigot Bay which is a little romantic spot with a few hotels and is pretty quiet. Next up is Castires which is the capital. Here you'll find a big flea market and more of the hustle and bustle of the island. Rodney Bay is the main area tourists stay in. It has a lot of the great restaurants and a bit more life to it. I've been to St. Lucia twice and have actually never stayed in this area, but definitely will next time. Up at the very top of the island is Gros Islet. This has a lot of villas and is where we stayed for our wedding. The first time I went to St. Lucia, I stayed at Coconut Bay in Veiux Fort which is where the big airport is. There is hardly anything around there, but if you want a reasonable deal and to just stay on the resort then it will work just fine for you. Now that we know how friendly, beautiful, and just plain awesome the island is, you won't catch us hiding out at an AI anymore! I understand how intimidating it is to got some place new though.

 

For hurricane season, I wouldn't worry about it. The last hurricane hit in August? 2007 (the first year I went there in October) and I believe it was a category 1 at the time, so no biggie. The last hurricane before that was in 1980. I'd say the odds are in your favor.

 

For beaches, if you're looking for bright white sand and aqua water, you won't find it there. St. Lucia has golden sand and cobalt blue water since it's a volcanic island. Some of my guests were surprised by this, so I figured I'd let you know.

 

The only place I can think of that has an open wall is Jade Mountain and that will run you at least $1100 per night. I'm not sure if Sandals has anything like this though.

 

I hope this helped some of you out. Oh, please don't be insulted if you're doing AI. I just wanted to let everyone know that there is so much to see on the island.

 

If you want to check out my pics, they're in my siggy. The places you will see are the catamaran we chartered, Villa Capri, the beach at Pigeon Island as well as some of the ruins, Jacques, and back to Villa Capri. Our TTD session was also on Pigeon Island.

[DWbridetobe]

Kristy!, Thanks for all the info. Even though we've already booked with Sandals and went AI, we're still excited to go out on the island and explore... even the restaurants! You make it sound so beautiful, white beaches or not!

[Kristy!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWbridetobe Kristy!, Thanks for all the info. Even though we've already booked with Sandals and went AI, we're still excited to go out on the island and explore... even the restaurants! You make it sound so beautiful, white beaches or not!

It is super gorgeous there!

I was hoping I wasn't downing AIs too much. I just wanted brides to realize that they have other options. I'm sure Sandals will do a wonderful job for you!

Ah, I wish I was there right now. *Sigh*

[maggieb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulette We have booked Coconut Bay, Vieux fort, St Lucia, april 2010. We are hoping to have 20 guests. We have been together 21 years and are finally making it official. We want a very informal, non traditional ceremony. We picked Coconut Bay for it's proximity to the airport and the price was right. Getting pretty excited!

Paulette, just wondering about your experience with Coconut Bay. My fiance and I are booked there for August 2010. We've also invited approx. 20 people but have had mixed experiences with the reservations staff etc.

Any advice, suggestions from anyone whose been to Coconut Bay Resort would be much appreciated.
Best
Maggie