Weddings the Island Way

“I wanted to let you know we loved planning the sailing excursion for our reception. It depends on what you are looking for, but I have always been a water girl…so it naturally suited me. I was surprised because almost everyone got in! The sailboat was equipped with snorkel gear for the whole party. All of my guests had a ball!

We decided to reserve the larger boat, and it turned out wonderfully. I would recommend the bigger sailboat because it had so many perks. Even a slide! The crew took us to a remote place where we could swim and snorkel for a while.

The only thing I would do differently is plan to have more food prepared. The food went quickly–anytime you add water and sports, people get hungry! I didn’t think of that. Plan ahead with more than you think you need if you are planning an excursion. I would also arrange transportation from the catamaran when you arrive back at the dock.

If water is your thing instead of first dances and formality, then this activity is perfect for you! As you noticed, the emphasis was on the actual ceremony (2 hours on the beach!) and our adventurous spirit! We had a blast and would not change a thing…except maybe jumping off that boat in my dress then leaving it there! Carrying that thing around was more than a hassle. Hah! In closing, go with the bigger boat, more food, and order more waterproof cameras on the boat!”

…From one of our brides, Amber Speakman. If you would like more information to plan your own sailing excursion, let us know! We can help you prepare with all you need and suggest details to suit your party.

Writing a wedding Thank You card can be a challenge: you want to be genuine, but it’s hard to express sincerity when you’re saying thank you repeatedly for so many different gifts. And finding the words for someone you don’t know well or for a gift you may not like can be even harder. Take a look at these examples for a few ideas.

With each of these, you can be more formal with the greeting “Dear Mr./Mrs. Jones…”, or casual, “Dear Mary…”, and customize the ending to suit the tone.

A thank you card to a close friend or relative:

Dear Aunt Bee and Uncle Tom,
Thank you so much for the gorgeous lace tablecloth! It is beautiful. We were both incredibly touched that you gave us this family heirloom. It was wonderful, as always, to see you at the wedding – I especially loved dancing with Uncle Joe. I can’t wait to catch up on your news and share pictures from our ceremony.

With love,

Your name

A thank you card to someone you don’t know very well

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,

Thank you for the lovely vase that you sent Josie and me as a wedding present. I’m certain we will enjoy it for many years to come. It was great to finally get to meet you at our wedding. We really appreciate that you were able to join our happy day and share with our families.

Sincerely yours,

Your Name

A thank you card when you’ve received cash or a gift certificate

Use the thank you card to tell the givers how you used it. For example:

Dear Mark and Terry,

Gary and I wanted to say thank you so much for the check you sent us for our wedding. We have been saving for a new couch and this will help us toward that purchase. We truly appreciate it and look forward to having you come over to enjoy it with us.

Best wishes,

Your Name

A thank you card for an item off of your registry

Dear Jack,

I am writing to thank you for the book you so kindly sent for a wedding gift. John and I will use it to plan future travels. A book is a great gift that can be useful for years to come.

Thanks again,

Your Name

A thank you card for a donation to a charity

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for your thoughtful wedding gift to Doctors Without Borders in our names. As you know, this charity is very dear to both Todd and I; they do such wonderful work for people the world over. We can’t imagine a more wonderful present than a donation to this cause.

With best wishes,

Your Name

A thank you card when you don’t like the gift

Dear Mrs. Baker,

Thank you for the wedding present of the velvet painting of chickens playing poker. It is certainly a unique gift; you are always so thoughtful and generous. It was so nice of you to join us at our wedding, and Christine and I hope to see you soon.

With love,

Your Name

A thank you card for someone who sent a gift but wasn’t at the wedding

Dear Mr. Bernstein,

Thank you so much for the silver plated thingamajig you sent Brad and me as a wedding gift. It was so thoughtful of you! I’m so sorry that you couldn’t attend the wedding – it was wonderful and went just as planned. I’d love to get together soon so you can see the pictures!

Best,

Your Name

…Hopefully this will give you a few ideas and help when you’re stumped and staring at a blank thank you card.

Taking a day trip, a sunset cruise or an excursion to a nearby island on a sailboat can create awesome memories for both you and your wedding party. Some of the best of the Virgin Islands can be seen from the deck of a sailboat.

You may consider day sails: generally  6-7 hour sails to neighboring islands, offering excursions as well as stops for snorkels, relaxing on remote beaches, lunching at beachfront dives. Trips to St. John and it’s National Park beaches, BVI’s Jost Van Dyke and other smaller, secluded islands are offered. Quality snorkel gear and beverages are included in the day trip sails.

Half-day sails to St. John, the BVIs or fabulous snorkel locations may suit your crowd better. Vibrant coral reefs are easily accessible, with an abundance of colorful tropical fish and marine life. Quality snorkel gear, instruction, and a guided snorkel tour are provided. Drinks are included, and often a luncheon may be served.

Sunset cocktail sails or dinner sails offer a breath-taking opportunity for you and your mate, or for the whole wedding party. With drinks and the setting sun on the ocean horizon, you’ll experience moments of perfection.

Sunday brunch sails are fun for the whole group. You can start your day with a lovely ride and meal before heading to afternoon or evening activities.

Customized charters are available for you and your partner to go wherever your heart desires. Try sailing around remote islands, to famous snorkel spots, to the BVIs for lunch…whatever your fancy.

Sports and adventure loves may be interested in watersports sail tours. These trips offer kayaking, parasailing and waverunner snorkel tours. Try something new with a guide and top industry equipment! Another way to create great, unique memories during your wedding celebration.

We’re happy to give you ideas, a selection of trips to choose from, or recommend sails for you and your party. Let us provide you with information and make arrangements for you…you say “I do”, we do the rest!

At Magens Bay on St. Thomas, USVI, Amy Morris wed Josh Rizek in a late afternoon ceremony. Even with cloudy skies and threatening rain, the ceremony was fun, festive and sentimental. Set to begin at 5:45PM, it was perfect for catching the end-of-day mood and setting the tone for an evening celebration. With Bill Arnet as the minister, the couple wed barefoot by the waterfront with their guests surrounding them. The steel pan music, performed by Andrew Douglas, added a perfect touch with peaceful background melodies.

The couple stayed at the exquisite, peaceful Stone Cottage villa while on St. Thomas. Overlooking Charlotte Amalie, this Caribbean hideaway offered the couple privacy as well as luxury. Click to watch out the Stone Cottage villa video on YouTube.

Traditionally, the bride’s family picks up the wedding tab, the groom covers the honeymoon…but with the cost of wedding celebrations skyrocketing, this isn’t set in stone anymore.

Traditionally

Bride’s family pays for:
- Reception costs, including food, music, decorations, rental fees and entertainment
- Ceremony costs including rental fees, decorations
- Flowers for Ceremony and Reception
- Wedding dress and accessories
- Invitations, announcements, programs, and mailing costs
- Favors
- Photography
- Transportation
- Their own attire and travel expenses

Bride pays for:
- The groom’s wedding ring
- A wedding gift for the groom
- Her hair, makeup, beauty treatments
- Gifts for her attendants
- Sometimes accommodation for any out-of-town bridesmaids

Groom’s family pays for:
- The rehearsal dinner, including food, invitations, decorations and entertainment
- Their own attire and travel expenses
- A wedding present

Groom pays for:
- Marriage license
- Bride’s engagement ring and wedding ring
- The honeymoon
- A wedding gift for the bride
- Bride’s bouquet
- Gifts for his attendants
- Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers
- Boutonnières for men in the wedding party
- Sometimes accommodation for groomsmen
- Fee for the officiant

Modern Day Approach:
Upon announcing their engagement, the bride and groom discuss and estimate plans and expenses for the wedding, the reception and any other expenses. Then they approach both their parents and explain their plans. They can gently discuss both families pitching in to cover the costs, or divide the costs 3 ways: groom’s parents, bride’s parents and bride and groom.

Technically, if you don’t attend a friend or family member’s wedding, you don’t have to send a gift. However, it is customary to send a gift anyway. Any gift you send The general rule is that you have up to a year after the wedding to send something.

• No white outfits, men or women; let the bride shine alone in all white
• No black outfits; can be viewed as bad luck for the superstitious
• Men: if you wear a colored suit, wear a subdued tie
• Keep hair neat and groomed, not shaggy and unruly
• No hats or caps; can be too casual
• Men: if you’re wearing neutral colors, stick to neutrals for the whole outfit
• No sneakers
• Men: if wearing shoes (i.e. not barefoot on beach), keep your socks dark and matching
• No bold patterns
• If wearing a tie, no clip-ons
• No jeans
• No holes, tears or stains
• Women: nothing too sexy or revealing
• Nothing shiny

Our first featured destination wedding comes from Brent and Chelsea Wheeler and their ceremony at Magens Bay, St. Thomas, USVI. The North Carolina couple traveled to St. Thomas and stayed at the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, with their wedding and arrangement details planned and arranged by Tina, Erica and Angela, with Sherri coordinating the event.

The couple chose Magens Bay for their ceremony location, a vast beach with the fantastic ocean horizon in the background. They married in the mid-morning, a time with great lighting for their photos and video.

With 10 guests attending, their ceremony was intimate and fun. Everyone enjoyed being barefoot and relaxed. After the exchanging of vows, the party enjoyed light refreshments, taking photographs and making memories. They then went to Tavern on the Waterfront to continue celebrating for the day.

Brent and Chelsea were pleased with the ease of planning their ceremony–all they really had to do was show up! Weddings the Island Way arranged the ceremony details, photography/videography, refreshments, marriage licensing and additional scheduling.

Finding gifts for your bridesmaids–most likely some of your closest girlfriends–takes careful consideration. You want to find  something that shows your appreciation for their time and attention to your wedding day. Balancing your budget while still finding something meaningful is important. Here are a few suggestions that may help:

A Day at the Spa: enjoyable for everyone, this will make you and your bridesmaids feel great before your wedding ceremony. An added touch is a gift basket filled with spa products.

Bathrobes: a unique and comfortable gift, you can personalize with your wedding colors and monogrammed initials. Add slippers and lotion as an extra.

Professional Makeup: both fun and useful, having professional makeup artist sessions will allow you and your bridesmaids to look lovely and have time to relax and chat before the ceremony.

Jewelry: still one of the most popular gifts, a beautiful bracelet or necklace can be great for your bridesmaids. A special feature could be personalizing with an engraved note or initials.

Sample Bag: this gift takes some planning–but can be economical and fun. Spa supply stores, dental offices, perfume and makeup counters all keep samples in stock. Filling a unique bag for each bridesmaid with lotions, eyeshadow, mints, snacks, a sew kit and dental floss can make a splendid gift.

At the end of the day, it’s not how much money is in your gift as it is the choice of one. Choose something from the heart and have fun with it.

When you prepare for your wedding trip, don’t forget the sunblock! Having a sunburn on your wedding day, with bathing suit lines, can clash terribly with your dress–and that image will be preserved in all your wedding photos.

Be sure to apply sunscreen each day, not forgetting the cheeks, nose, ears and around the top of your shirt line. Be sure to apply lotion approx. every hour or after going into the ocean or pool. On St. Thomas, you are much closer to the equator and can burn more quickly than you’re used to.

If you do happen to get burned, there’s a few sunburn tricks to try to reduce the redness:

Buy some bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesium…the stuff for upset stomach? Pour it over yourself in the shower, leave it on for a minute or two and rinse with cool water.

Take the coolest showers you can stand to take. This keeps the skin from developing broken capillaries and will reduce the redness.

Don’t go outside without suncreen on. It’s tempting to try and “even out” the pigmentation, but it will be more damaging. Skip sunscreens with Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Oxybenzone, Mexoryl, Parsol 1789 –those things are all chemical sunscreens and could be irritating. These chemical sunscreens have to sink into the skin for 15 minutes before they begin to work.

To even out your skin tones, consider a spray tan a day or two before your ceremony.

Moisturizing the burned areas throughout the day can speed along recovery. Lathering with aloe (at the beginnging) or lotion (a day or two later) morning, midday and before you go to bed can keep the areas soothed for quicker healing.