Yet another destination wedding dilemma
May 15th, 2006, 12:04 PM
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Yet another destination wedding dilemma
I've been reading quite a lot about the Caribbean - books, magazines, these forums, and still am having a hard time narrowing down the choices. We want to get married sometime next summer, so we're definitely shooting for the off season. We'll probably have 20 guests or fewer. Ambivalent about going the Sandals type resort route, I know many people love them, but I'm paranoid that the Sandals route could end up in us having a cookie cutter package wedding.
Top priority for the wedding location is convenience of the guests (Both sets of parents and closest friends, in their 20s and 30s. Very unlikely that there will be kids.) -
1) Minimal travel hassle (extra time and money for small planes/ferries might be too much to ask of guests)
2) Safe
3) At least some price range in accommodations.
But for ourselves, the fiancé and I would want somewhere a little more adventurous and less commercial, with
1) Beautiful beaches, for swimming, snorkeling, and sailing
2) Good food
3) Being able to experience some local culture and color would be a plus, but not top priority
4) Nightlife is not very important to us
So we're wondering if those would be impossible to find all in one location and are very open to the idea of one island for the wedding and a nearby one for the honeymoon. To that end, we've been considering the Bahamas, with one of the big islands as the wedding site and then getting to explore the out islands.
Just wanted to know what others think of trying to find a happy medium in the Bahamas, any wedding site recommendations and recommendations for out islands to explore or if there are any other single or pair of locations that might suit our needs. Thanks!
Top priority for the wedding location is convenience of the guests (Both sets of parents and closest friends, in their 20s and 30s. Very unlikely that there will be kids.) -
1) Minimal travel hassle (extra time and money for small planes/ferries might be too much to ask of guests)
2) Safe
3) At least some price range in accommodations.
But for ourselves, the fiancé and I would want somewhere a little more adventurous and less commercial, with
1) Beautiful beaches, for swimming, snorkeling, and sailing
2) Good food
3) Being able to experience some local culture and color would be a plus, but not top priority
4) Nightlife is not very important to us
So we're wondering if those would be impossible to find all in one location and are very open to the idea of one island for the wedding and a nearby one for the honeymoon. To that end, we've been considering the Bahamas, with one of the big islands as the wedding site and then getting to explore the out islands.
Just wanted to know what others think of trying to find a happy medium in the Bahamas, any wedding site recommendations and recommendations for out islands to explore or if there are any other single or pair of locations that might suit our needs. Thanks!
May 15th, 2006, 06:30 PM
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hi mary, congratulations. i have not been to the bahamas in years, but from what i know that would work for your needs.
another option might be to get married on st. thomas - easy flights for the group - and honeymoon on st. john or in the bvi's. st.t offers accomodations in all price ranges. on the east/quieter end of st. thomas are ritz, wyndham, and in particular you might look at www.secretharbourvi.com great place to stay and i can vouch for their wedding cake with the all butter cream frosting. Yum! you could marry there on the beach or anywhere on the island. (this is all condos directly on beach, nice large well maintained units, very quiet compared to rest of island, nice beach that is well kept and has really good snorkeling, good 3 meal a day restaurant, fun beach bar, grocery store w/in 10 min drive, wonderful very accomodating staff, security on site nightly - i sat on the beach a couple times at night when i wasn't ready to sleep and they walked by to speak to and then walked nearby me every 10 mins or so!)
you can easily take a ferry to st.j or bvi's for your honeymoon. or you can take day trips to bvi's from st. john.
st.t offers guests plenty to do i.e. duty free shopping, coki world marine park and great restaurants. havana blue at marriott frenchmans in particular is outstanding and might make a nice place for a rehersal dinner or your reception. very pricey but very beautiful and romantic. giant open windows with billowing blue curtains and food that is unreal.
also keep in mind that it is slightly more difficult to marry out of the US so st.t makes that part easier.
also that everyone will need passports by next summer, so people may need time to get that in order.
if you were to honeymoon on st.john there are 3 main resorts. gallows point and the better westin and caneel bay. or you could rent a fabulous villa. i have not stayed on st.j but there are tons of st.john fanatics on fodors who will recommend specific villas if you post a question titled something like need villa for honeymoon on st.john...
bvi is kinda the sailing hub for the northern carib. several resorts are mainly for yachties to sail into. this is not my style though (i like walking on the beach every morning) so again a honeymoon w/sailing in bvi post could help you there.
good luck and enjoy the planning although i know from experience (wedding 6/05) it can seem a daunting task.
fyi - all guests will despite best intentions get on island time right away. give them plenty of time to gather for all your doings and events.
another option might be to get married on st. thomas - easy flights for the group - and honeymoon on st. john or in the bvi's. st.t offers accomodations in all price ranges. on the east/quieter end of st. thomas are ritz, wyndham, and in particular you might look at www.secretharbourvi.com great place to stay and i can vouch for their wedding cake with the all butter cream frosting. Yum! you could marry there on the beach or anywhere on the island. (this is all condos directly on beach, nice large well maintained units, very quiet compared to rest of island, nice beach that is well kept and has really good snorkeling, good 3 meal a day restaurant, fun beach bar, grocery store w/in 10 min drive, wonderful very accomodating staff, security on site nightly - i sat on the beach a couple times at night when i wasn't ready to sleep and they walked by to speak to and then walked nearby me every 10 mins or so!)
you can easily take a ferry to st.j or bvi's for your honeymoon. or you can take day trips to bvi's from st. john.
st.t offers guests plenty to do i.e. duty free shopping, coki world marine park and great restaurants. havana blue at marriott frenchmans in particular is outstanding and might make a nice place for a rehersal dinner or your reception. very pricey but very beautiful and romantic. giant open windows with billowing blue curtains and food that is unreal.
also keep in mind that it is slightly more difficult to marry out of the US so st.t makes that part easier.
also that everyone will need passports by next summer, so people may need time to get that in order.
if you were to honeymoon on st.john there are 3 main resorts. gallows point and the better westin and caneel bay. or you could rent a fabulous villa. i have not stayed on st.j but there are tons of st.john fanatics on fodors who will recommend specific villas if you post a question titled something like need villa for honeymoon on st.john...
bvi is kinda the sailing hub for the northern carib. several resorts are mainly for yachties to sail into. this is not my style though (i like walking on the beach every morning) so again a honeymoon w/sailing in bvi post could help you there.
good luck and enjoy the planning although i know from experience (wedding 6/05) it can seem a daunting task.
fyi - all guests will despite best intentions get on island time right away. give them plenty of time to gather for all your doings and events.
May 16th, 2006, 11:24 AM
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I think the Cayman Islands would be right up your street... easy access from US, certainly not "cookie cutter" weddings, several resorts that would give you very personalised treatment for your group of twenty.
I'd book early though, my resort is almost booked out for weddings in May 2007 already (we have a policy of no more than one wedding on site per day)
I'd book early though, my resort is almost booked out for weddings in May 2007 already (we have a policy of no more than one wedding on site per day)
May 16th, 2006, 05:26 PM
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oops, I re-read my post... what I meant to show by saying we were nearly booked out is that in the prime off season months for weddings (May and September, it would seem), Cayman as a destination is pretty booked out already for 2007... I just used my place as an example (phew, this forum etiquette stuff is tricky!)
May 16th, 2006, 07:55 PM
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Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
USVI and Cayman are both places I've considered and am still thinking about. General drawbacks I've heard from a few sources - USVI verge on too Americanized and Grand Cayman is even more expensive than other islands. I don't know how accurate these characterizations are?
I've heard many rave reviews about gorgeous places in Mexico like Riveria Maya, but I have an irrational bias against Mexico because I grew up in Texas and Mexico just isn't as "exotic" to me. Silly, but true.
USVI and Cayman are both places I've considered and am still thinking about. General drawbacks I've heard from a few sources - USVI verge on too Americanized and Grand Cayman is even more expensive than other islands. I don't know how accurate these characterizations are?
I've heard many rave reviews about gorgeous places in Mexico like Riveria Maya, but I have an irrational bias against Mexico because I grew up in Texas and Mexico just isn't as "exotic" to me. Silly, but true.
May 17th, 2006, 10:38 AM
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Re Grand Cayman.. yes, although we do have properties at various price points, it can be expensive... but I would say it does represent excellent value for money... definitely a case of "you get what you pay for"
Jun 13th, 2006, 06:27 AM
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Jun 13th, 2006, 07:51 AM
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I second the suggestion for the Mayan Riveria. I have also seen beautiful weddings taking place.
It meets your criteria for minimal travel hassle, safe and great range in price, depending on your needs/wants.
You will also find a great deal of culture, beautiful beaches, lots of things to do or not do. We love snorkeling and sailing and is one of the reasons we go the area. I like the diversity of things to do in the area.
Our daughter did a destination wedding at the Wyndham Sugar Bay on St. Thomas and the wedding ceremony was nice enough, but the "Resort" and overall experience wasn't worth the cost.
It meets your criteria for minimal travel hassle, safe and great range in price, depending on your needs/wants.
You will also find a great deal of culture, beautiful beaches, lots of things to do or not do. We love snorkeling and sailing and is one of the reasons we go the area. I like the diversity of things to do in the area.
Our daughter did a destination wedding at the Wyndham Sugar Bay on St. Thomas and the wedding ceremony was nice enough, but the "Resort" and overall experience wasn't worth the cost.
Jun 13th, 2006, 08:14 AM
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It borders on a bit inconvenient, but you definitely will get off the beaten track - try Andros Island, Bahamas. There are several eco-resorts there that will help with wedding arrangements and you and your guests will likely have the run of the place with beautiful bungalows right on the beach. There are daily hop-over flights from Nassau and also boats (but it's the least touristed of all the islands, so the transporation is limited)
Try Emerald Palms - fodors "best hidden gem"
http://www.emerald-palms.com/
Sara
Try Emerald Palms - fodors "best hidden gem"
http://www.emerald-palms.com/
Sara
Jun 14th, 2006, 06:49 AM
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I think the bahamas would work out well. You could get married on Nassau and take the fast ferry to Harbour Island in Eleuthera for your honeymoon. Another suggestion may be St Thomas for wedding and either St John or Virgin Gorda for your honeymoon.
Jun 14th, 2006, 08:18 AM
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congratulations! 
when i stayed at caneel on st john, there were a few weddings there. it is a quiet, private resort with breathtaking grounds/beaches. it is not that easy to get to though (you have to take a ferry at $85/pp round trip from st thomas...but that is a private ferry for caneel guests, so it's very convenient). i was surprised that people made the trip to be wedding guests, but obviously it's common. my husband and i flew to maui for a wedding and felt we were spending a lot of money. but you may like st john for your honeymoon. just a thought.
when i stayed at caneel on st john, there were a few weddings there. it is a quiet, private resort with breathtaking grounds/beaches. it is not that easy to get to though (you have to take a ferry at $85/pp round trip from st thomas...but that is a private ferry for caneel guests, so it's very convenient). i was surprised that people made the trip to be wedding guests, but obviously it's common. my husband and i flew to maui for a wedding and felt we were spending a lot of money. but you may like st john for your honeymoon. just a thought.
Jun 18th, 2006, 07:35 AM
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I married my husband in 1993 at the Westin St. John (it was a Hyatt at the time). I did much research at the time and feel I made the best choice. I have been to many Sandal's resorts and agree with you that weddings there are not what I wanted.
I had a pretty formal ceremony at the resort on the beach in a gazebo at sunset. The beach was almost empty(most people were getting ready for dinner). It was so nice and private. They have a choice of really nice meeting rooms for the reception. We had an open bar, sit down dinner for 14 people, a 2 man band, and dancing set up for us. It was beautiful! The resort has it's own wedding coordinator for you to arrange all the details for you from flowers to obtaining your license. There's a ton of hotels in St. Thomas and St. John of various rates and categories for your guests to choose from. I do not feel getting to and from St. Thomas is a hassle. The ferry runs all the time.
After my ceremony, my husband and I went to Anguilla for our special honeymoon (we stayed at the ultra posh CapJuluca resort). There are endless resorts you could go off to from St. John. I chose the last weekend in August which is borderline low season-so my hotel rates were very good-and the hotel wasn't very busy. I was at the Westin in 2003 and it was very nice. Hope this info helps. Best of luck to you.
I had a pretty formal ceremony at the resort on the beach in a gazebo at sunset. The beach was almost empty(most people were getting ready for dinner). It was so nice and private. They have a choice of really nice meeting rooms for the reception. We had an open bar, sit down dinner for 14 people, a 2 man band, and dancing set up for us. It was beautiful! The resort has it's own wedding coordinator for you to arrange all the details for you from flowers to obtaining your license. There's a ton of hotels in St. Thomas and St. John of various rates and categories for your guests to choose from. I do not feel getting to and from St. Thomas is a hassle. The ferry runs all the time.
After my ceremony, my husband and I went to Anguilla for our special honeymoon (we stayed at the ultra posh CapJuluca resort). There are endless resorts you could go off to from St. John. I chose the last weekend in August which is borderline low season-so my hotel rates were very good-and the hotel wasn't very busy. I was at the Westin in 2003 and it was very nice. Hope this info helps. Best of luck to you.
Jun 21st, 2006, 03:47 PM
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First we thought the Bahamas. Then we zeroed in on Puerto Rico. We just got back from talking to a travel agent and she's strongly suggesting a St. John-St. Thomas combination. So Heartzeni and Jackie, your suggestions for there are very useful, thank you!
Chasechow, if you had anything to add about why you didn't think the St. Thomas experience was worthwhile, I'd love to hear more.
Chasechow, if you had anything to add about why you didn't think the St. Thomas experience was worthwhile, I'd love to hear more.
Jun 21st, 2006, 04:14 PM
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You have been given a few good choices. my first thought before rading the responses was, St. John. It is not inconvenient to get to(although you could do the wedding on St. Thomas). The ferry to STJ is cheap and short and frequent, whether from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. It just might be more $$$ for your guests to stay on STJ.
Yes, it has become more Americanized...but you can still find your quiet spots there.
Great snorkeling, hiking, some good restaurants and some fun restaurants, not much for nightlife, except for the bars.
Look into all the villa rentals, you could find a beautiful private one for your homeymoon. And do not forget a day trip to Jost Van Dyke-Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy's!!!
Yes, it has become more Americanized...but you can still find your quiet spots there.
Great snorkeling, hiking, some good restaurants and some fun restaurants, not much for nightlife, except for the bars.
Look into all the villa rentals, you could find a beautiful private one for your homeymoon. And do not forget a day trip to Jost Van Dyke-Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy's!!!
Jun 26th, 2006, 02:29 PM
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Mary - I think a lot of why we didn't like our St. Thomas experience was the resort. Other than the outdoor patio/gazebo, it really wasn't "Resort" quality to us. The hotel was okay. There were about 25 of us there for our daughter's wedding. The a/c didn't work very well in any of the rooms. The hotel allowed cruise guests to use the ammenities so the pool, beach, hot tub areas would get crowded and dirty. We did swim in the pool, but I wouldn't have gotten within 10 feet of the hot tub area. The beach area at this hotel really wasn't anything to write home about either. The main dining area had a VERY limited menu and if you ordered beef, for example, THAT is all you received when your meal arrived at the table. They did have a pretty good buffet area down by the pool.
I don't know if it is the same for everyone but taxi rides were the same price per person whether you were going 2 miles or 20. Because of the location of the hotel, we found that we took a lot of cab rides while we were there.
Meagan's (spelling?) Bay was a pretty enough beach. Charlotte Amalie was great for shopping (if you don't mind shopping with the hordes of cruise ship passengers). We chartered a sailboat for the wedding party for a day of sailing/snorkeling which took us off the coast of St. John. This was really the highlight of the trip (besides the wedding)
We just thought that our daughter could have gotten more bang for the buck in the Mayan Riveria area of Mexico.
There are a lot of well traveled folks on here that really like St. Thomas. It's just wasn't our favorite island/place.
I don't know if it is the same for everyone but taxi rides were the same price per person whether you were going 2 miles or 20. Because of the location of the hotel, we found that we took a lot of cab rides while we were there.
Meagan's (spelling?) Bay was a pretty enough beach. Charlotte Amalie was great for shopping (if you don't mind shopping with the hordes of cruise ship passengers). We chartered a sailboat for the wedding party for a day of sailing/snorkeling which took us off the coast of St. John. This was really the highlight of the trip (besides the wedding)
We just thought that our daughter could have gotten more bang for the buck in the Mayan Riveria area of Mexico.
There are a lot of well traveled folks on here that really like St. Thomas. It's just wasn't our favorite island/place.
Jun 26th, 2006, 03:42 PM
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I would recommend the Andros Beach Club on South Andros Island in the Bahamas. It sounds perfect for your wedding party. It would be very comfortable for around 20 people. There can offer a variety of accomodations on the island from $70-500/night. I was there in March with 5 friends, all in our 20's, and we had a blast.
Jun 30th, 2006, 03:59 PM
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Depending on your budget & when you're going, check out Marriott's Frenchman's Reef for their wedding packages. They have a glorious setting for their weddings. A good friend of mine (sadly, now deceased) was the Wedding Coordinator there for years & when I was Asst. Mgr. at Morning Star the newlyweds I spoke with were always happy with how there event was handled. As Virginia said, also check into Secret Harbor.
Usually, St. Thomas is easy to get to & you could also go by ferry for your honeymoon to the BVI to Tortola or one of the other islands if St. John doesn't fit the bill. Just a suggestion & best wishes.
http://tinyurl.com/fkka8
Usually, St. Thomas is easy to get to & you could also go by ferry for your honeymoon to the BVI to Tortola or one of the other islands if St. John doesn't fit the bill. Just a suggestion & best wishes.
http://tinyurl.com/fkka8
Jun 30th, 2006, 05:06 PM
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Congratulations!
Turks & Caicos might suite you? We are getting married there April 2007 at Grace Bay Club. Do a search for Nila Destinations, she is the wedding coordinator we are using. It sounds like you are much like us, relaxed, same age group, looking for good beaches/snorkeling, great food and night life not much of an issue. If you have questions, page me on the TCI page.
Turks & Caicos might suite you? We are getting married there April 2007 at Grace Bay Club. Do a search for Nila Destinations, she is the wedding coordinator we are using. It sounds like you are much like us, relaxed, same age group, looking for good beaches/snorkeling, great food and night life not much of an issue. If you have questions, page me on the TCI page.
