St. John wedding

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:44 pm

Hi all, my name is Joel, and my fiancee is Kyra. Were having a wedding in St. John, and were looking for some advice on a villa. There might be about 40 people total at the reception, which we want to have at the villa. Weve never been to St. John, and arent sure exactly where to stay. Island stones looks excellent (this is the one we really want), but when we emailed them, they seem iffy on having a reception there, noise and number of people were a concern to them. Ocean palm looks good too, but it seems to be pretty far and doesnt look like a very swimmable beach. Any suggestions on a Nice villa to rent for a week to have a reception in. The reception is priority, along with price. Were also hoping to find something near a beach, hopefully walkable. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Joel

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:52 pm

Congratulations!
To start, you will be limited on villas that allow weddings. Many do not as there is a lot of wear and tear on the house when you host a large party; water usage and electricity are expensive for 40 people, even for one day.

You didn't say when your wedding is and how many bedrooms you need. That would be helpful to know so that we can point you in the right direction.

If you have already picked a caterer, they will be very helpful in finding a villas as well. They do these events and know what villas work best and allow weddings.

b-as-u-r · Post by **b-as-u-r** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:54 pm

I think finding a villa that will allow you to have the reception at the villa might be difficult. I'm sure I've read this before. Perhaps working with a villa company might be the better approach to see which villas would actually allow for it. You may also want to coordinate the rental of a few villas within close proximity of each other for your guests. Good luck and congratulations. You will love STJ and the amount of beautiful beaches is endless. Happy planning!! Ali~

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:00 pm

Wow, thanks for the quick replies. Were shooting for September. We need anywhere from 5-7 bedrooms, so splitting them between 2 homes is ok, preferably close-by. All adults, no children. The north shore beaches look to be the best, but at this point, its not as important as having a place for the reception. Unless there is a place you recommend on the island to have a nice reception, Im all for suggestions.

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:07 pm

September is a tough time of year since it is hurricane season.
Most restaurants that I would recommend would be closed.

I would first contact some caterers to see if they will be on island, as many people take their off island vacation at that time.

What is your villa budget?

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:30 pm

We would like to stay around 10,000 for a villa or 2. Were definitely a little flexible, depending on what it is.

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:56 pm

joellg wrote:We would like to stay around 10,000 for a villa or 2. Were definitely a little flexible, depending on what it is.

As a wedding planner and a STJ addict, I would recommend that you first pick a date. If you are looking at some time between the end of August and mid October, you will need to do some research first on what your options will be for vendors.
That is the time of year that many residents leave the island and restaurants close, so you will have limited options.

As I said before, I would reach out to a caterer or two to see if they will even be on island.

I would normally recommend that you have your reception at Zozo's but they are normally closed all of September.

You may be best suited to contact a villa company with a large villa portfolio, they will be great about telling you which of their homes will allow weddings, which are close to each other, etc and will be one central point of contact for all your guests. In fact Catered To's site shows which villas allow weddings
Here is one
http://cateredto.com/VillaPage/TGM

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:06 pm

Thanks! Were actually planning for September 17th. But when you say the island is closed around then, we may move it.

stjohnjulie · Post by **stjohnjulie** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:44 am

Congratulations Joel!

Already some great recommendations. I will only add that you should get trip insurance as well as all of your guests. September is our very 'off season' and the island is pretty sleepy. It also happens to be my favorite time on St. John. The only problem with a fall wedding...hurricanes. We usually have an ample amount of warning whether or not one is going to come close, and if one happens to come close during your stay, you might have to change your fights and such to avoid it. This can be very costly and trip insurance will help cover the costs. It's just better safe than sorry.

On the upside, September is usually so slow that you should be able to work a deal out with the villa companies and maybe even the caterer. People are usually pretty hard up for business in September and you might be able to save some $$ and even get a little more attention because people aren't as busy. September is usually pretty hot, but the ocean is so calm and warm and the beaches are quiet.

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:43 am

Thanks again for all the great info. I think its time to find a good wedding planner instead of trying to do this ourselves. Were both older, and thought we could hack it, but its way harder than we thought, never have been to the USVI and all.

StJohnRuth · Post by **StJohnRuth** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:45 am

Joel,

Tre Vista Estate allows weddings. http://www.destinationstjohn.com/home.p ... a%20Estate

Forumite Duxdweller recently attended a family member's wedding at Tre Vista. Here is his trip report:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... ht=#217339

Good luck planning your wedding!
- Ruth

DuxDweller · Post by **DuxDweller** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:40 pm

Congrats! Happy to answer any questions - just PM me!!

Dux

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:32 pm

Well, anyone have some good suggestions for a wedding planner. I notice from the post above someone whom I shouldnt call.

lprof · Post by **lprof** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:34 pm

Have you considered the villa "A La Mer"?
http://www.villasofdistinction.com/vill ... hn/la-mer/
I honestly do not know if receptions are allowed, but it is well located and large, as well as lovely.

You may have seen this list already... but if not, you may find an idea for the wedding/reception here: http://www.stjohnultimatevillas.com/weddings.php

Best wishes for your wedding and marriage!

joellg · Post by **joellg** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:36 am

Yup, weve got the list. Thanks for the replies. Now looking for good wedding planner recommendations. Also, we may move it to October.

usvi-on-line

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St. John wedding

St. John wedding