Question for ST Thomas Brides

[Marlenascruising]

Are you going to be wearing your bridal dresses at the courthouse before the cremony? I remember reading that there are changing facilities at bluebeard's beach. I'm wondering like Charlotte Bride if it will bring bad luck for my fiance to see me before the wedding.

[MandyGirl]

I had my hair and makeup done ahead of time, sat by hubby on the ferry to St John, but we parted ways there (him to the beach, me to go change). I changed into the dress at Mongosse Junction (in a restroom), and the next time he saw me was walking down the rose-petal aisle on the beach with my dad. Since I just had to slip on the dress, that didn't take but just a few minutes. :) (We had taken care of the courthouse a few months earlier, but still had to get from St Thomas to St John together.) I had been afraid of that 'bad luck thing' too, which is why I changed into my dress after he left for the beach with the rest of the family/guests. My maid of honor also changed at that time as well.

 

If you wanted more description of the changing facilities, I bet you could call Bluebeard's or ask your coordinator. But I just had a simple public restroom on St John and that was fine for slipping on the dress. :)

 

http://www.bluebeards.net/index.html[/url]

 

or

 

http://bluebeards.net/BeachClub.html

Bluebeards Beach Club & Villas , 100 Frenchmans Bay, PO Box 7480 , St Thomas 00801 , US Virgin Islands.

Phone: (1 340) 776-4770

[chicaletta]

MandyGirl...How did you do the courthouse things beforehand?? I would love not to have to go there the day of my wedding. I'm using Cheryl from wedding set go, I sent her the licence, mine and FI divorce papers from prior marriages etc..so she could file them, but I was under the impression we still had to go to the courthouse in person to sign papers. Question...how early can I book a hair appt on ship? I won't be wearing a veil and basically want just an updo. Thanks for any info you can offer....Denise

[MandyGirl]

Denise -

You do still have to go in person, but it doesn't have to be on your wedding day. Just has to be within 12 months of your wedding day.

 

We had gone down about 4 months prior on a land vacation to St John (in November). About a month before that, we sent in all the paperwork and called to verify it had been received (they gave us a "license number" at that point). When we arrived on vacation in November, we went to the courthouse one morning to get sworn in. You can get sworn in up to 12 months prior to the wedding date, but can only be "issued" the license up to 3 months prior to the wedding date. We had our minister pick it up closer to time of our March wedding (the courthouse would allow your minister or coordinator to do that). When he picked it up counted as the "date of issue".

 

Of course I emailed the coordinator about one week prior to the wedding to double check him on that, but he does so many weddings it was no big deal (but I wanted to double check that anyway!). When our minister arrived at the wedding, he just had to sign and date, and have our two witnesses sign as well (our Best Man and Maid of Honor). We never had to go near the courthouse that day.

 

It really did help us by not having to go to the courthouse the day of our wedding - that enabled us to start the wedding at 9:00 AM on St John, have the 10:00-11:30 reception onboard the catamaran, and did Godfrey's tour of St Thomas (leaving from Red Hook) from 11:30-3:30 before getting back to the ship.

 

When I had asked the cruiseline wedding coordinator company about doing this in my intial cruise-wedding research (swearing in during our November trip and getting married on our March cruise) they told me it was not legally possible. Wrong wrong wrong (which is one of the reasons I am a little skeptical of cruiseline wedding coordinators). I am so very thankful I checked with other sources before believing them. I called the courthouse in Charlotte Amalie directly, and when I called the wedding coordinator to turn things over to her, I told her as well (and she knew it was no problem but she also called to re-verify what I was told).

- can get sworn in up to 12 months prior

- can get marriage license issued up to 3 months prior

Of course, this is specifically for USVI weddings (St John, St Thomas, St Croix).

I had also wanted the early morning wedding on St John (and they told me that was too early) and I wanted a catamaran for a reception (and they told me that they didn't offer that).

 

So if you are able to go down there prior, it is great to meet your wedding coordinator, take care of the courthouse stuff, pick out your wedding beach, etc. We had gone down for Thanksgiving week on AAdvantage miles I cashed in for both of us, and it was an amazing week! During that week, we also hired a photographer to do our engagement photos (yea, that was a little late, but we planned it that way). If you do decide to go, and don't mind staying in permanent ecotents, check out www.maho.org for reasonably-priced (and amazing) accomodations. Very cool if you are into ecotourism. US Air has been having some recent incredible deals to fly to STT from PHL or CLT. I've seen it as low as $206 plus taxes from DFW-STT on US Air about a month ago.

 

On board, the salon was not set to open until 10AM that day, but I had a 5AM hair appointment. No extra charge, but I definitely gave her a nice card with cash tip on top of the automatic 15% tip the cruiseline automatically charges. I barely had to say "I'm getting married Thursday..." and she said how about 5 or 6? What works best for you?

Very awesome of her!!

[chicaletta]

That was nice of her!! I guess that I'll have to do the courthouse the day of the wedding. It wouldn't be possible to get there before but thanks for that site. Maybe for our anniversary we could do a St Thomas only trip and stay longer than the day.

Another hair question..I've been reading that it is very windy on the beach. The wedding is at bluebeards beach club and I'm not sure what kind of do to do. I'm thinking towards the casual updo with some flowers. Did you have a problem with wind?

[MandyGirl]

Because we were married on the north shore of St John, there was very little wind - if any. Winds do tend to be more along the south shores of the USVI though - like when we stayed in the ecotents, guests relied on the tradewinds to cool you. Bluebeard's is on the south shore of St Thomas, so I would imagine that what you have read about winds is correct for that location. I never wear my hair up, so I figured if I came out with some fancy hairdo then Curt wouldn't recognize me!! :) Plus, marrying on the beach, I just wanted it looking natural-looking for me. However, I had thought of flowers in my hair but decided to just have them on the cake instead. :D

[chicaletta]

You have a point..I hardly ever wear my hair up ( unless you count the Palm tree on top of my head look while wearing sweats ) ;)

Since it is windy there I might be best wearing it down.

Thanks Denise

[Marlenascruising]

Chicaletta,

 

Are you going to wear your dress to the courthouse or change at bluebeard's beach. My hair is long and frizzy so I thought I would get an updoo although I've never worn my hair like that either. I may get advice at the hair salon on the cruise ship.

 

Mandy, you are so helpful. The wedding coordinators in St. Thomas and St. John should pay you a commission. I had given up on getting married in St. Thomas until I read these threads and realized I could do it without the cruise ships which are so overpriced. It's comforting to know if I have any questions you'll have the answer.

[MandyGirl]

Thanks M Sophia! We would move there in a heartbeat if we could! :) I, too, had almost backed away after seeing the cruiseline wedding prices - but did a lot of research and said "let's do it!". The cruiselines still use the same local coordinators, but you see the differences in prices and options (and know that the local coordinators are not getting but a portion of what the cruiseline charges). The one and only benefit I have found for using cruiselines is the "what ifs" that could happen - like my other post of Samantha's ship's engine problems. Rain just doesn't happen in the USVI unless there is a front or a hurricane or something. Then you just avoid marrying during hurricane season. :) But liquid sunshine in the Caribbean usually goes away quickly when it does happne (unless part of a front).

 

If I don't have the answer, I enjoy finding out the answer!!

[chicaletta]

M Sophia, I will be changing at bluebeards. I ended up with the "Princess" dress not relizing I would have to wear a crinoline slip underneath :eek: Don't know what I was thinking-like the bottom just puffs out on it's own-NOT!! :rolleyes: But I fell in love with it so I will have to sweat a little.

I also was giving up when I seen the prices of the cruiseline wedding planners. I found this site and found Cheryl. I agree ...Mandy you should receive commision :p ..your post plus others on here have been a life-saver.

A round of applause from myself and future brides that find your advise :D

[MandyGirl]

:) Yeah, that WOULD be nice! I enjoy doing it though, and also enjoy helping others. Curt tells me I should do something like this full time, but that would be hard to do it remotely... I remind him that we would have to move! (Like that would be a bad place to go!!!) But I agree... I don't think that the local USVI wedding coordinators know that many people would not have contacted them first without reading things on message boards. The wedding business there has definitely picked up in recent years from cruiseship passengers!