If you've been around my blog long enough, you may remember that the government has announced last year that they would be raising the marraige license fee to $200 (currently it is $100). We were able to petition and stop them from doing so. Unfortunately, plans were just announced that the rate would indeed increase and as of MARCH 1ST, 2012, the rate will be $200 for any license filed after that date. So please, please, please get your paperwork mailed in so we can file it before this date. Email me if you need the paperwork.
You'll want to send the paperwork USPS Express Mail - the flat rate envelope fee for this should be $18.95. The added price of postage will be worth saving the additional $100 fee!
Email me if you need any help.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Best of the VI 2012
I was so honored last week to receive a phone call from the Virgin Islands Daily News informing me that Island Bliss Weddings had won the 2012 Reader's Poll for the best of the VI for the best wedding coordinator! How awesome is that??
(that cute little seahorse was a gift from one of my beautiful brides - love my seahorses!)
When they delivered the award to me, they told me they had over 90,000 votes in this years poll - wow! Thanks so much to all that voted for us and for the many wonderful vendors that we worked with to make this possible. I couldn't have done any of it without you!
(My wonderful iPhone photo of me and the award!!)
(that cute little seahorse was a gift from one of my beautiful brides - love my seahorses!)
When they delivered the award to me, they told me they had over 90,000 votes in this years poll - wow! Thanks so much to all that voted for us and for the many wonderful vendors that we worked with to make this possible. I couldn't have done any of it without you!
(My wonderful iPhone photo of me and the award!!)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Chances of Rain
I'd say 5 out of 10 brides will email me worried about the weather. The online weather reports are always scary. Every single day we have a chance of rain. The norm is 30%, often 50%. Click on the photo above to see exactly what that means.
Our weather moves in and out very quickly. We do have rain clouds that move in and out quickly as well. I have honestly been on Magen's Bay Beach (which is one mile long) and it has been raining on one end and not on the other end - while the sun was shining 100% of the time! It's crazy! Brides ask me all the time what we will do if it rains. 95% of the time the answer is "wait for it to pass" - because 95% of the time, it does pass and we just start 10 minutes later than planned.
I found a little trick on Weather.com that I think helps put a brides mind to ease. When you enter our zip code into the search engine, it takes you to an overview of today and tomorrows weather (today of course has a 30% chance of rain but I don't see a rain cloud in sight!). Click on the Monthly tab above the data. This will take you to a monthly overview which includes the days that have already been observed. The thing to note in the observed days is the amount of precipitation that accumulated on that day. It's amazing but true that there was so little rain the first 18 days of February that they couldn't even record it! That's also because, like the photo above, it just doesn't rain everywhere. It's very isolated. A wedding on Lindquist Beach may be rained delayed while a wedding on Magen's Bay doesn't even see a drop.
I know it's a natural thing to worry about the weather when you are planning an outdoor wedding. But this is something that no one can control. I've learned not to fret over things that can't be controlled. Just know that you have a wedding planner that is there to take care of the situation in the event that rain becomes an issue. Stay calm and enjoy your day. Things will work out and you are covered by a great planner to make sure a Plan B is established in case rain decides to crash the party.
(This kind of advice always reminds me of when I was in labor with my first child. I thought, there is NO WAY I'm going to be able to do this, NO WAY!, and was trying to politely think of ways to ask for a c-section. I thought I was going to die before I had this baby (did I mention they didn't have epidurals on the island at the time?). My doctor looked me straight in the eye and said "Janelle, look at my face, do I look worried? Am I concerned? Don't worry unless you see me freak out. If I freak out, you can freak out. But I'm not worried, I'm not concerned. You can do this". So this is my pep talk to all my brides worried about rain - or anything really - don't freak out unless I do. If I'm not freaking out, it can't be that big of a deal, just take a deep breath and know you can do it!).
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Wedding love letters....
I've written before about wedding gift ideas for the bride & groom to give each other. My husband gave me a beautiful diamond palm tree pendant that I had my eye on. But you don't have to spend a dime to give your fiance a really beautiful gift. I just found this love letter online...a note that Paul Newman have given to his bride on their wedding day. A heartfelt, hand written note is such a simple and intimate way to say I Love You.
Paul Newman's letter to his wife on their wedding day: “ Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the Art of Marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say ‘I love you’ at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon; it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding rooms for things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner."
Paul Newman's letter to his wife on their wedding day: “ Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the Art of Marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say ‘I love you’ at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon; it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding rooms for things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner."
Friday, February 10, 2012
I heart Isola Bella....
I discovered Isola Bella at a little shop in Red Hook, St. Thomas called Home Again probably a year or two ago. I loved the simplicity of their designs, the clean & modern feel of their products. My first purchase was this throw pillow that lived on my bed (when it was made) for awhile before moving to my office chair recently.
September 2010, my husband and I went to Vegas for a wedding conference and my in-laws came to stay at our house to watch our little girls. I hurried back to Home Again and purchased these canvas prints to hang above our what was once empty wall space above our bed. I thought it made our room look a little more "adult-like" to impress the in-laws. =)
I didn't show you the rest of the bed on purpose...it's currently piled high with two loads of laundry that need to be folded and put away.
Anyhoo...I've become fans of Isola Bella on Facebook (you should too!) and have been watching some fabulous products pop up. I couldn't help but think that some of these items would be perfect for our weddings - OH - and I forgot to mention - the artist is LOCAL! I love when brides give local gifts to their guests - you can't beat that! So I got in touch with Gina, the fabulous owner over there, and purchased some items that I thought would be great for destination weddings.
First up...these little wooden post cards. I am obviously very partial to seahorses so I just loved these:
I haven't tested it yet but I'm hoping to send one to my best friend up in DC and see how it holds up in the mail. Don't you think this would make a fabulous Save the Date?? I gave one to my bride last week and the photographer used it in her blog post about the wedding - clock on wedding to be taken there (thanks Elisha!).
But wait...there's more! Check out these wine totes. In the interests of keeping it local, why not swap out wine for a bottle of local Cruzan rum??
They come in all kinds of styles (just like the other products):
I think the bottle of rum is a great idea for guests that are staying on the island...but it may not work well for ship passengers (they won't be allowed to bring it back on the ship) but a large bottle of water, a bag of chips or pretzels, a shopping/tour guide, maybe some sun screen...that would fill up the bag nicely and make a great gift to give to guests. How perfect is the anchor for a ship wedding though?
Isola Bella also has smaller gift totes (and larger ones too!):
These little gift tags are cute to add to just about anything:
If you'd like to order any of these products or any other of Isola Bella's great products - just let me know!
September 2010, my husband and I went to Vegas for a wedding conference and my in-laws came to stay at our house to watch our little girls. I hurried back to Home Again and purchased these canvas prints to hang above our what was once empty wall space above our bed. I thought it made our room look a little more "adult-like" to impress the in-laws. =)
I didn't show you the rest of the bed on purpose...it's currently piled high with two loads of laundry that need to be folded and put away.
Anyhoo...I've become fans of Isola Bella on Facebook (you should too!) and have been watching some fabulous products pop up. I couldn't help but think that some of these items would be perfect for our weddings - OH - and I forgot to mention - the artist is LOCAL! I love when brides give local gifts to their guests - you can't beat that! So I got in touch with Gina, the fabulous owner over there, and purchased some items that I thought would be great for destination weddings.
First up...these little wooden post cards. I am obviously very partial to seahorses so I just loved these:
I haven't tested it yet but I'm hoping to send one to my best friend up in DC and see how it holds up in the mail. Don't you think this would make a fabulous Save the Date?? I gave one to my bride last week and the photographer used it in her blog post about the wedding - clock on wedding to be taken there (thanks Elisha!).
But wait...there's more! Check out these wine totes. In the interests of keeping it local, why not swap out wine for a bottle of local Cruzan rum??
They come in all kinds of styles (just like the other products):
I think the bottle of rum is a great idea for guests that are staying on the island...but it may not work well for ship passengers (they won't be allowed to bring it back on the ship) but a large bottle of water, a bag of chips or pretzels, a shopping/tour guide, maybe some sun screen...that would fill up the bag nicely and make a great gift to give to guests. How perfect is the anchor for a ship wedding though?
Isola Bella also has smaller gift totes (and larger ones too!):
These little gift tags are cute to add to just about anything:
If you'd like to order any of these products or any other of Isola Bella's great products - just let me know!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Secret Harbour Weddings!
Do you write it Harbor or Harbour? I never know and you'll probably find I use both in my emails, depending on how fancy I feel. Harbour is definitely fancier, don't you agree?
Secret Harbour Beach Resort is our newest location, not only for ceremonies, but for receptions as well. It's a great location for a sunset ceremony. The site fee is $100 unless of course you prefer the sunset...then the fee is $250. We book the location with the hotel and there are two great choices on the beach - a smaller location for smaller ceremonies (perfect for small groups) and a larger location for bigger set ups (chairs, arches, etc.). When we book the site, we let them know what time we will arrive to set up and they will clear out that section of the beach (remove beach chairs & tourists!).
This location is also a great choice for those looking for "one stop". Whether you are coming in from a cruise ship and looking for a spot to host a luncheon for your guests or you are looking to buy out a restaurant for dinner & dancing after your sunset vows, Sunset Grille has it all. There is an outdoor deck complete with ocean view and palm trees, a semi-private dining room with beautiful white curtains and even an air conditioned wine room for a completely tailored event.
And they have a great beach bar to grab some pre-dinner cocktails.
Check out more photos on our Shutterfly site or visit their websites at Secret Harbour or Sunset Grille.
Island Bliss Weddings can help you with booking the ceremony, restaurant and rooms at the hotel - how's that for one stop shopping??
Secret Harbour Beach Resort is our newest location, not only for ceremonies, but for receptions as well. It's a great location for a sunset ceremony. The site fee is $100 unless of course you prefer the sunset...then the fee is $250. We book the location with the hotel and there are two great choices on the beach - a smaller location for smaller ceremonies (perfect for small groups) and a larger location for bigger set ups (chairs, arches, etc.). When we book the site, we let them know what time we will arrive to set up and they will clear out that section of the beach (remove beach chairs & tourists!).
This location is also a great choice for those looking for "one stop". Whether you are coming in from a cruise ship and looking for a spot to host a luncheon for your guests or you are looking to buy out a restaurant for dinner & dancing after your sunset vows, Sunset Grille has it all. There is an outdoor deck complete with ocean view and palm trees, a semi-private dining room with beautiful white curtains and even an air conditioned wine room for a completely tailored event.
And they have a great beach bar to grab some pre-dinner cocktails.
Check out more photos on our Shutterfly site or visit their websites at Secret Harbour or Sunset Grille.
Island Bliss Weddings can help you with booking the ceremony, restaurant and rooms at the hotel - how's that for one stop shopping??
Friday, February 3, 2012
Jack's Bight
One of my husbands and I favorite restauant in St. Thomas was Jack's Wings in Tillet Gardens. Before we had kids, we went there at least twice a week to sit at the bar and enjoy everyone's company. Post kids, we would let the little ones run around the garden and enjoy the fun island setting of Tillet. It was never really a place that I recommended for weddings. It was in the middle of the island (no ocean views) and a very local hangout. It was rare to see tourists there. I was really sad to find out that Jack's Wings was closing...but very excited to learn that they weren't really closing, just moving locations. And the new location?? Amazing. Forget about being inland, how much closer to the water can you get then THIS:
Yes, those are stairs leading right into the water! They are hoping to offer dingy service to the bar! How cool would it be to be picked up by dingy from your hotel and brought to the restaurant??
This is the old Fungi's location at Point Pleasant Resort - they did a wonderful job repainting the interior.
There is also some great outdoor space for semi-private events.
I think this is just the perfect location for welcome parties and casual receptions. There is even a beach within walking distance...
Check out the view from the beach...that's Jack's Bight there on the right hand side. I wasn't kidding, it's RIGHT on the water.
Their website is not together yet, but check out Jack's Bight on Facebook!
Yes, those are stairs leading right into the water! They are hoping to offer dingy service to the bar! How cool would it be to be picked up by dingy from your hotel and brought to the restaurant??
This is the old Fungi's location at Point Pleasant Resort - they did a wonderful job repainting the interior.
There is also some great outdoor space for semi-private events.
I think this is just the perfect location for welcome parties and casual receptions. There is even a beach within walking distance...
Check out the view from the beach...that's Jack's Bight there on the right hand side. I wasn't kidding, it's RIGHT on the water.
Their website is not together yet, but check out Jack's Bight on Facebook!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Welcome February!
We have had the most fun last few weeks - lots of weddings and events and some of the best clients. I really love my job and being a part of someones wedding day. Funnily enough, I had a conversation with a Reformed Church minister the other day (the bride & groom had brought him from home to officiate the ceremony) and we got into a conversation about weddings vs. funerals (he obviously does both). I've always said I'd much rather do weddings then funerals but after our talk...I'm not so sure anymore. 1) you never had to worry about your client being late and 2) you don't start planning it a year in advance (hopefully) and 3) there is little to zero drama. Nobody sweats the small stuff at a funeral, you know?
Wow...did I ever get off topic there. Have no fear, we will not be jumping into the funeral business any time soon (and I have a bride this coming December who is in the funeral business...no worries N, I won't be creeping into your territory!). But to my new Reformed Church minister friend - thank you for the fun conversation (as we were waiting for our very late bride).
I am so excited February is finally here! Sometime this month I will finally upgrade my phone and hopefully I can start taking nicer pictures of our events with my phone. I love uploading "real time" photos to our Facebook page but hate the icky iPhone photos (I have the old iPhone).
While the last few weeks have been crazy busy, the first few weeks of February are relatively quiet. I hope to get a lot of blogging done...there are new locations I wish to share, a local artist that I can't wait to feature and lots of new ideas I've stolen from my January brides!
I hate the end a post with no pictures so please enjoy these photos of a cake topper I fell in love with. Handmade little replicas of our bride & groom:
I'm not sure which seller they bought this from but it did come from etsy.com
Wow...did I ever get off topic there. Have no fear, we will not be jumping into the funeral business any time soon (and I have a bride this coming December who is in the funeral business...no worries N, I won't be creeping into your territory!). But to my new Reformed Church minister friend - thank you for the fun conversation (as we were waiting for our very late bride).
I am so excited February is finally here! Sometime this month I will finally upgrade my phone and hopefully I can start taking nicer pictures of our events with my phone. I love uploading "real time" photos to our Facebook page but hate the icky iPhone photos (I have the old iPhone).
While the last few weeks have been crazy busy, the first few weeks of February are relatively quiet. I hope to get a lot of blogging done...there are new locations I wish to share, a local artist that I can't wait to feature and lots of new ideas I've stolen from my January brides!
I hate the end a post with no pictures so please enjoy these photos of a cake topper I fell in love with. Handmade little replicas of our bride & groom:
I'm not sure which seller they bought this from but it did come from etsy.com
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