Congrats to Jackie & Dan!

We did a lot of Villa Botanica weddings this spring. It's really an awesome location - some brides shy away from it because there isn't a view of the water from the reception area and I completely understand that when you're having an destination wedding in the islands, a view is usually at the top of the list. But there are a few things I tell brides that are a little hesitant...

1) if you're coming in from a ship, your guests are seeing nothing but ocean views all week! The lush tropical gardens are a perfect little escape from the constant sun & sea.
2) if you're having an evening reception, the sun goes down early and there's not much of an ocean view once it's dark anyway. Brides love the views from restaurants such as Havana Blue, but honestly, once the sun sets - it's just one big black space outside the windows!
3) bring in the sun, sand & sea during the welcome event...have a fun beach BBQ and go to town with the sand in between your toes the night before the wedding - or do a fun excursion with a sailboat and cocktails or snorkeling (always snorkel BEFORE cocktails!)

Now why I decided to add all this info into my congratulations post for Jackie & Ron, I have no idea! Jackie loved the location from the start. It was a perfect garden setting and such a great spot for her group.

Jackie hired Elisha Orin for photos and had Elisha meet them at the Carnival Glory ship.

And proceeded to take some awesome downtown Charlotte Amalie photos - I love the tropical urban feel of our islands downtown streets!

This shot was taken at the historical 99 Steps. How sweet is this little boy! I wanted to steal his hat!

That shot above is just awesome - check out her vibrant blue shoes. Love the contrast here.

And this it was off to the ceremony! Jackie liked the idea of getting married next to the fountain (and that little boys hat I love? He liked trying to catch the water in it!).

Fun shots like this are what really create memories - awesome job Elisha!

Congrats again Jackie & Ron - you had a great group of friends and family with you and amazing photos to cherish & remember it all!

And thank you Jackie for my wonderful gift bag! Jackie was just the sweetest - she brought goodies from Canada for us, including these hand painted (by her mother-in-law!) wine glasses which I adore!

Can't wait to see you again when you return to the islands!

Cruise ship wedding & reception perfection...

I asked for photos and my brides answered! Here are some photos from our recent wedding at Villa Botanica, taken by the very talented Alexandra Lee of Young Hearts Photography. This couple had such a positive vibe. Very fun to work with! Thanks for making me a part of your special day!

A new romantic arch....

I'm starting to see a new trend in archways...

I tried to get a picture of the ceremony but I don't like to be intrusive so I stayed in the very back and then the real photographers are always in my way! You can see them both crouched down in the aisle in the photos below. I have a nice collection of photographers backsides. :)

A Villa Botanica Wedding

I had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding this past Wednesday at Villa Botanica, one of my favorite ceremony & reception spots on St. Thomas. I wanted to share a few elements of the wedding with you here...

I absolutely loved these seahorse place card holders.

The florist used reindeer moss to create a table scape on the sweetheart table where we could lay the maids bouquets. Nice and inexpensive set up for the head table!

And a yummy cupcake tower from Island Sweet Stuff:

Ice sculptures in the islands?!

It's true - they are possible!

A fun Cruzan Rum Ice Luge! Our couple had this set up by Dean's Cakes & Ice at their Villa Botanica wedding. It was quite the hit with wedding guests!

The Ultimate Cruise Ship Wedding!

There are a million and one different ways to have a cruise ship wedding. Often times it is just the bride & groom coming off the ship, leaving friends & family at home. Sometimes it is 100 of the bride & grooms closest friends & family joining them in the week long celebration. For those that have guests, we often hear two different opinions on the reception. Some couples choose to have the reception back on the ship, often making arrangements at the higher end restaurants that the ships have...or even reserving the nightclub on their ship for a few hours. But other times, we have couples that want to have a true island experience, get their guests off the ship and show them an amazing time. And this is why we created the Ultimate Cruise Ship Wedding Package! The name is lame, sorry, I couldn't think of anything better....and it really does describe the package! Absolutely everything you need is included in this package...photography, transportation for you & guests, open bar, delicious lunch, live music, DJ, centerpieces....and more! Check out the Ultimate Cruise Ship Wedding Experience here.

Our wedding on Monday wasn't exactly this package, but it did help to inspire the creation of this package. We often do these type of events for cruise ship weddings, but this is the first package we've created specifically for this type of event. Since Monday's wedding was very similar, I took a lot of photos that I'll share here. I'll also point out what would be considered an "upgrade".

First, with the package you have your choice of a garden ceremony or pool ceremony. Here is a picture of Monday's wedding ceremony in the garden:

Upgrades to the package: Chair ties ($2 each) and flowers for the aisle chairs (pricing varies), crystals hanging from the large palm ($200)

You also have your choice of the pool deck for the ceremony which has views of the harbor (and if your ship is in Havensight, you'll be able to see your ship!).

(Photo by Elisha Orin)




One of the best things about Villa Botanica is the covered reception area. We did have a small rain shower (lasted less than 5 minutes) at our wedding on Monday and nothing (and nobody) got wet! Here are a few pictures of the set up:

Upgrades: Flowers (the package includes shell, glass vase & candle centerpieces, with the option of lanterns for no additional charge - pricing on centerpiece upgrades vary), chair covers & ties ($4.50 per chair). Included in the package is table linens & napkins.

And a few special touches added by our bride....luggage tags to direct guests to their table...

And adorable little silver sailboat to hold their name cards

The package does include a wedding cake

But I think our bride had a sweet tooth - she also ordered these adorable miniature fudge cakes for each guest...

She had these adorable shell ring holder and flower girl "basket"...

And of course, the package includes a bouquet & boutonniere, but you do have the option of adding additional flowers for the bridal party:

But you know what the best "upgrade" or "add-on" is?? The Caribbean Dancers!! These are always such a big hit - weddings guests love it. It's so unique and so Caribbean. I wish I had known about them for my own wedding, I would had them in a heartbeat!

Nothing better than a limbo at a reception! I'm not kidding, it gets the crowd moving!