seaturtle06

I have my heart set on getting married on St. John but since its so expensive for guests my travel agent advised me to stay at the Wyndam Sugar Bay in St. Thomas for a few days and then have my honeymoon at Caneel Bay in St. John. Is it possible to stay at the Wyndam and then the day of the wedding take the ferry over and have guests do the same to St. John for the wedding?

Tuxedocat

It is possible to ferry back and forth but gee, do you really want that hassle? When is your wedding? I think you should look into renting villas. If you have a group of guests, e.g. family and close friends who are committed to going, you could rent one, two or more villas to accomodate everyone. When you work out the prices, the villas usually average much lower than the cost of hotel rooms, even the hotel rooms on St. Thomas. Also, there is Estate Lindholm which is a little inn that has gotten good reviews. Some villas are so large and gorgeous, people have married there and stayed there as well.

seaturtle06

Thanks Tuxedocat. St. John seems to be too expensive for the guests and they are looking for an all inclusive. I had rooms on hold at Caneel Bay but they were $1800 per person for 4 nights with no meals so my guests were not happy.
What is the condition of the ferry's that go back and forth from STT to STJ? I heard mixed things and if my guests are dressed up for a wedding they might not want to be on a ferry.

ejcrowe

Seaturtle, maybe there's another way around your problem. First of all, what in particular about St. John makes you have your heart set on it? Is it a particular location? If so, maybe the location could be replicated elsewhere--either STT or another island altogether. Even if it's a particular vibe that you like on St. John, you could still find that elsewhere. Ditto for great snorkeling, nice beaches, tropical & laidback feel, etc.

If you feel that it must be St. John or bust... $1800 per guest for 4 nights is outrageous. Perhaps you could work out a plan with Gallows Point or the Westin instead, or as someone else suggested, getting a collection of villas for folks to share.

When I got married in Antigua in 2003, our hotel offered us the very generous rate of $100 per person per night, inclusive of breakfast and dinner. With 40+ guests, we took over the entire hotel for Friday through Monday and all had a wonderful time. Perhaps there's a small inn on St. John that could offer a similar solution. Your more affluent guests could take rooms out at Caneel or elsewhere, but I do think it's essential you find your guests affordable lodging or even pay for it yourself--after all, they're alreading having to pay airfare to get themselves down there.

Between 1 and 2 months ago, a woman posted here about a wedding she attended at Wyndham Sugar Bay -- it was quite positive as I recall and it may give you an idea or two about your plans. I wish you the best, both in planning a destination wedding and in your married life to come.

virginia

hello seaturtle, i have not taken the ferry to st. john, but they have a very regular schedule. and it is a doable trip, takes like 20 mins.
i am not a huge fan of sugar bay having spent some time there for a wedding recently. the beach is small with the sandy entry to the swimming area even smaller. also it is quite a hike from the hotel area to the beach/pool. this was quite an issue for the parents and grandparents, but they do offer a shuttle. it is ai, they do have a nifty pool and there is parasailing and jet ski rental from their beach. i will recommend the place i stayed for that wedding though. it is www.secretharbourvi.com definetly less expensive than sugar bay. all rooms are condo style, large! and quite nice. the beach is excellent and calmer than sugar bays. it is not ai but does have the blue moon cafe right on the beach serving 3 meals daily. (blue moon is known as one of best on island)
this thought may be right out of budget, but perhaps you could charter transportation at least to the wedding and then everyone could ferry back?? if you have a wedding coordinator perhaps they could help you with this. congratulations.

EmilyC

When we stayed at the Ritz in St. Thomas 2 years ago, we saw quite a few weddings on the beach. They were absolutely gorgeous, and of course I cried even though I didn't know the people! A wedding on the beach at the Ritz would be every bit as elegant as Caneel(we have stayed at Caneel as well) without the hassle of commuting. Two of the weddings that we saw used the Ritz boat (?Lady Lindsay or something like that ) for their reception...that too was very different and the guests looked like they were having a blast.

christiegr

seaturtle:
I'm with Tuxedocat.Why not look into villa rentals.There are some with 4-5 bedrooms that could be under the price of $1800 pp.Here are some villa rental sites if you are interested.

www.caribbeanvilla.com
www.vivacations.com
www.caribbeanway.com

Hope that this helps.It would be less hassle than everyone ferrying from STT.

virginia

with the villa you are completely on your own for all meals. everyone would have to shop and cook. or a cook could be hired who would shop for you. $$$
imho by all means have the ceremony where YOU will be happiest

Tuxedocat

If your guest are not happy with the price at Caneel Bay, there are other less expensive options on St. John and St. Thomas. By the way, Caneel is not an all-inclusive. If they must stay on St. Thomas for an all-inclusive, then let them drag their arses onto the ferry back and forth. The passenger ferries run almost every hour and I believe the last ferry is around 11:00p.m. so don't have a nighttime wedding either. Really, it's your wedding... you should do what you want. When I got married, I gave in to other peoples' demands and expectations, and guess what? My wedding was less than what I wanted, and those idiots who dictated this and that... they forgot about it within a week! A lot of people choose to get married in the Caribbean for several reasons, it's gorgeous, it can be an instant honeymoon, and those who don't consider your happiness paramount won't bother making it. Only the "A" list. Your close loved ones will put up with a villa or other less expensive option just for the honor of being part of your wedding. Who's wedding is it anyway?! If you love St. John, you should have the wedding of your dreams there. One final thought, Caneel does have its own ferry boat. Perhaps you could have them do a special run. OY!