What a busy summer!
It seems as thought I’ve had to deactivate and activate my blog 100 times – ugh. But, I think that yahoo webhosting finally has a streamlined connection with WordPress, so hopefully smooth sailing ahead!
In the mean time, I’ve been working hard no the newly enhanced website as well as new planning tools for our brides and grooms! We’ve been diligently investigating new services and products that are in keeping with the great customer service and value that we expect from all vendors who works with us.
One of the services that I recently came across and partnered with is one that i’m really excited about! AdornBrides.com – did you see the Sex and the City movie? Its kind of like Bag, Borrow or Steal (the service that Jennifer Houston used to rent her expensive designer bag) that was featured in the movie – but instead its for fine jewelry! You really can look like a celebrity bride at a reasonable price … and your bridesmaids can too! They have free style consultations and a great collection of jewelery
… And the best part – our clients get a 10% discount! Promo Code PVGXKZ21 AND if you book more than 4 mos in advance there are even deeper discounts. For destination brides – they will ship to you in the states before you leave, you send the jewelry back in the boxes provided when you return. How easy is that?!
Visit our website for more details on how to rent fine jewelry
… and remember renting is repurposing and a “greener” practice!
Celebrating Earth Week: Tips for a Greener Wedding
… Below is a reprinting of my blog entry from April 21st 2009, due to a technical difficulty, past blog entries were deleted. But this one was worth reprinting!!
An eco-tourism paradise: St Croix has plenty of green!
In honoring Earth Week 2009, here are a few of the ways that we at SunCelebrations are committed to keeping our island and our earth a little more green, as well as some tips for you to “green up” your wedding!
- In our office, we print as little as possible. As most of our clients are far away – we do most all of our planning via email and the internet – we are able to keep the majority of our correspondence and files electronic. Our Service Guides and portfolio are electronic pdf files and we use MS Outlook and OneNote to keep it all organized.
- When we do need to print – we use recycled paper – including really cool Banana Paper – and we print on both sides.
- For faxing, we use efax.com services. Again, keeping our files electronic. We can “fax” documents right out of our email and receive faxes as pdfs. These are kept in electronic folders on the main computer and are only printed if necessary.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is truly our motto! We repurpose decorator items for weddings. This also saves costs for our brides (reduces shipping costs when things are already here!). All of our weddings are unique, so we look at new and different ways to use items. For instance, most of our vases can also be used as candle holders!
- Speaking of candles… we have been investing in LED “votives” to rent to clients. These are an excellent alternative to traditional candles for a couple of reasons. Candles are typically made of petroleum products (unless you are purchasing “greener” beeswax or soy which are a little more costly), they also tend to blow out at outdoor venues. Today’s LED candles stay lit (for up to 48hrs) and are so lifelike they even flicker. LED lights use 1/10th of the power of incandescant lights, come in fun colors and are convenient to use at outdoor venues that may lack outlets. By renting LED candles, you can also avoid shipping costs. We even recycle the spent batteries! To purchase LED candles for your wedding visit:
100 Candles.com – Candles, Candle Holders, Soy Candles and more! - Gift bags are super popular with destination brides. It’s a nice way to say “thank you for travelling so far to celebrate with us” … we encourage our brides to purchase reusable shopping bags for their gift bags! They come in lots of fun colors, are very inexpensive and promote the use of reusable shopping bags. We love www.papermart.com They make great beach bags too!
- Buy local!!! For gift bags and other items, we encourage our brides to purchase from local vendors on St Croix. Again, being eco-savvy also means being economical. Buying local avoids a lot of shipping costs for our clients. It’s also a nice way to promote our local economy and to offer a keepsake or memento of the islands.
- Use Local flowers. We work with a very talented local florist, Gloria Powell of www.antilleslilies.com She is an expert at using local flora for weddings! She is versed on what is blooming at different times of the year and incorporates them into the flowers along with the color scheme and bride’s style. It can get very pricey shipping flowers here (they have to be flown in) – so this is a fantastic way to save some money and also get a really unique bouquet or arrangement. My brides are always thrilled with her artistry.
- Promote local farmers. Local produce simply tastes better and is better for you! We have recently teamed up with the chef at the VI Sustainable Farm Institute www.visfi.org – an ICO and USDA certified organic farm. They have been producing monthly “Slow Food” dinners that sell out in a heartbeat and so we’ve added them to our roster of chefs for private functions. We’re so excited to be promoting not only whole, organic foods, but also great people doing GREAT things in our community.
- And lastly, if you already have your home set up and aren’t in need of another toaster – consider requesting your guests make a donation in your honor in lieu of gifts. There are so many deserving local charities on St Croix as part of your legacy, leave a positive lasting impression by offering help to those who live here. Some of the excellent charities that we support are:
- FirstBook a grassroots charity committed to literacy by providing underpriviledged children in our community with BRAND NEW reading books. Ask us about donations directly to the local St Croix Chapter.
- St Croix Animal Welfare Center supports the homeless animals on St Croix and provides humane education to local schools and the community. I have 2 shelter babies – Teleulah & Boddhi. The SCAWC works with stateside “no kill” shelters to place even more animals in loving homes. If you would like to participate in their “Pets from Paradise” program and escort a puppy or kitten to a shelter in the states, contact us for more information. The shelter in St Croix will meet you at the airport, the shelter in the states will meet you upon arrival. Its so easy!!
Boddhi
- Teleulah
A Touching Family Celebration
… Below is a reprinting of my blog entry from April 8th 2009, due to a technical difficulty, past blog entries were deleted.
Last night I had the honor of coordinating a very special wedding at Carambola Beach Resort. The bride & groom spent a significant amount of time planning a beautiful small destination wedding celebration for 16 of their closest friends and family. It had a very cute, yet elegant theme with aqua and deep blue colors to match the beautiful caribbean sea with starfish accents. But, what touched me the most was the thought and time that went into creating a ceremony that celebrated the blending of their two families.
Both the bride & groom each had been married previously and each had two young girls. They spent a lot of time crafting a touching and beautiful ceremony with Reverand Lindsay Houston that reflected the blending of two families into one. The four girls in gorgeous aqua dresses made up the wedding party. Children are always a delightful addition to a wedding party, but in this ceremony it was so much more special as they were an integral part of the celebration. Chairs for the guests were arranged in a circle so that during the ceremony, guests could stand together, holding hands and forming a circle of support… another reflection of the important part that family plays for this couple.
During what I found to be the most touching part of the ceremony, the bride and groom not only exchanged rings with each other, but gave each girl a necklace that symbolized their joining as a family. There were lots of giggles from the girls and tears from the guests (and me!). It was so clear that this was already a cohesive and happy family unit. This was a celebration of the love and permanent bond that they now shared with each other. It was heartwarming to see the way the two oldest girls (one the bride’s daughter, one the groom’s) worked together, clearly as sisters, to bustle the brides dress. I noticed from the time that I met them before the wedding that these were already 4 sisters, a Mom and a Dad. The wedding was just the formality.
The reception was equally joyful and family oriented. All 18 guests sat around one large table. My favorite moment was between the appetizer and entree being served. The photographers and I looked up and saw lots and lots of bubbles floating through the air as the whole family of 18 laughed and giggled and blew them up into the air. It was a magical moment of joy and family togetherness. A memory that I’m sure they will cherish all of their lives. Its one I know that I will remember very fondly.
Blending families can often be a challenge. Likely there are hurt feelings along the way. Making the choice to acknowledge as part of the ceremony that this marriage is not just between the Bride and Groom, but also a union of children and family, is one that I think will strengthen and bond the new family. A symbolic exchange of necklaces – or even a beautiful locally crafted bracelet like the Infinity Bracelet at ibdesign – is such a wonderful way to continually remind the child that they are loved and welcomed into this new life.
My warmest wishes for a long and happy life full of joy and celebration go out to this wonderful new family.
Girlfriends of the Caribbean – A Girlfriends Getaway
… Below is a reprinting of my blog entry from April 4th 2009, due to a technical difficulty, past blog entries were deleted. But this one was worth reprinting!!
Last week was so much fun! I finally stopped and took some time to smell the frangipani and marvel in the beauty that is St Croix.
I always enjoy having visitors to the island, because it offers an opportunity to see the island through new eyes and a different perspective and also gives me the chance to share the home that I’ve fallen in love with. Last week, following the growing trend, my girlfriends decided to descend upon St Croix for a long weekend vacation. It all started with my dear college friend Deseree. We have been talking about the possibility of her moving down here and helping out with SunCelebrations and she needed a break from the daily grind. So she finally chose a 4-day weekend to visit. Next thing I knew, she mentioned that her sister-in-law, Shelly, wanted to join as a getaway for her birthday… I said “absolutely, more the merrier”… so Annette and then Missy joined on too. And while we were planning, I happened to get an FB instant message from another college friend – Barbara. I told her that the girls were planning to come down and she should join up – so she booked her ticket the next day for a week. She arrived on the Sunday before the rest of the gals who arrived on Thursday. This was just perfect as both Barb and I dive, but the others don’t… so we took advantage of the great weather and dove every morning until their arrival. Here’s a chronicle of our adventure to inspire your girlfriends getaway – enjoy!!
Day 1 – Barb arrives:
Barb arrived on a very busy day for St Croix – so many choices of fun things to do! There was the Chili Cook Off to benefit the United Way out at Divi, The Starving Artists Fair and my favorite, the Slow Down dinner out at the VI Sustainable Farm Institute. So, I picked her up at the airport, we threw her suitcase in the trunk and got on the road. First we stopped at the Starving Artists Fair for the last hour. Jamesie and the All Stars were playing. I just love them!! They are a “scratch band” who play authentic Virgin Islands music called “Quelbe”. Its kind of like Crucian folk music and is sort of like a Caribbean Blue Grass. Its fun, lively and just makes me happy every time I hear it. Both Barb and I were a little hungry, but didn’t want to spoil our appetites (we were heading to the Slow Down dinner), so I introduced her to Caribbean pate (pat-AY). These are deep fried dough pockets with a savory filling of beef, chicken, salt fish or conch. Delish! We had them with some homemade hot sauce and homemade ginger beer. A perfect intro to island life.
We brought a bottle of my favorite - Red Guitar
After walking around a bit and checking out some vendors, we headed up into the “rainforest” (really a humid tropical forest but lets not get technical) to the VI Sustainable Farm Institute at Creque Dam farm. I had told Barb she was in for a treat, but she had no idea! The Slow Down dinners have quickly become an island favorite and are offered once or twice a month by invitation – and they sell out FAST! I was so excited to have finally been invited to one that was not on the same night as a wedding I was coordinating (jeez guys could you please check MY schedule LOL) so I went ahead and bought tickets. Now, knowing Barb, I knew that not only would she enjoy the organically grown and locally produced 6 course gourmet meal – but she’d love the farm itself too! After all, Barb was expecting 23 baby chickens upon her arrival back home. The VISFI is such a magical place. Tucked into a breathtaking valley on the West end of St Croix, Ben Jones has carefully crafted his dream of having a self-sustaining farm institute that teaches others in our community and abroad how to live more in synch with the environment and create a health lifestyle. I’m always impressed when I got out there that these folks truly practice what they preach. The community center was built with sustainable hardwoods that were harvested by an environmental and employee conscious company in Guyana. The farm itself is powered by solar and wind generated power (but don’t worry folks, they have Wi-Fi!) and is surrounded by organic farm beds. They are both ICO and USDA certified organic – the only farm in the Caribbean with this well-earned status.
Founder Ben Jones tells us about the next course
The meal was AMAZING! We brought our own wine – my favorite “Red Guitar” mmmm and each course was narrated by founder Ben Jones. He explained the menu items and told us a bit about how they were farmed, and about the plants and the farm itself. Our first course was an organic bruschetta appetizer that was to-die-for, followed by a rabbit soup.
This was the first time that I tried rabbit (tastes like chicken!). I grew up with bunnies and so had a little trepidation, but figured I’d be adventurous. It was good. That was followed by a yummy organic salad and the main course of our local Senepol beef with local root vegetables. Dessert was a local pumpkin cake with a sauce from a plant that I can’t remember but it was moist and excellent. I HIGHLY recommend snagging tickets to the next Slow Dinner if you can. They aren’t cheap – go for about $60pp, but the proceeds benefit the farm programs and the meal and atmosphere are so worth it. This is a truly enjoyable slow , dining experience. www.visfi.org
Days 2 – Diving the pier:
Well, I have a confession to make. After all my years living and diving on St Croix, I had never been diving at the Frederiksted pier. So, my great friends Kelly & Kevin Culp took us out for a late afternoon shore dive. Holy cow – have I been missing out!!! This was an absolutely amazing dive and hands down my favorite dive spot on the island! There were SO MANY FISH… this is also the place to see octopus and seahorses. We didn’t see either of those that afternoon, but we did see a very large green sea turtle happily swimming along, schools and schools of brightly colored fish (I won’t bore you with ALL the names), and baby trunk fish that look like polka-dotted marbles (so cute!). It was a great dive and we followed it up with a casual beachside dinner at Coconuts with Kevin’s parents who were also visiting.
Days 3-5
Diving with N2 the Blue. I usually dive with SCUBA because its easy for me to jump on the boat in Christiansted. But, they were full the morning I called and Barb and I had rented equipment from N2 the Blue in Frederiksted for our shore dive at the pier the day prior… so we called them up first thing in the morning and totally lucked out as they had spots for us on their boat (they only take out 6 divers max). Derek and Anna, the owners are great. Derek had actually certified me as a diver years ago when he worked for Cane Bay Dive Shop, but I hadn’t dove with him since. Derek was our dive master and Anna, his wife, captained the boat. They were so warm and welcoming and best of all RELAXED that we ended up diving with them all week and loved every minute of it. We dove the deep wrecks out at Butler Bay (AWESOME) and reefs off the west end (we had to stay West due to the swells that week). Saw lots of turtles, rays, schools of fish – lots of good stuff. I HIGHLY recommend diving with N2 the Blue. Fantastic! Thanks guys!!
… continue on Day 5.
Barb and I finished up our morning dives – changed into dry clothes and headed to the airport to pick up the girls!! Let the GIRLFRIENDS GETAWAY begin!! We made a quick stop at Plaza Extra to load up the cooler with CRUZAN RUM and some mixers to meet them at the airport. Yes folks, we were bartending in the parking lot at the airport -
Beach sign at the Palms - designed by yours truly!
you’ve got to love that kind of a welcome when you get St Croix! We met the girls, got their luggage and gave them a cocktail, then headed over to the Palms at Pelican Cove . I simply love this place. When friends and family visit – this is where I have them stay. Affordable, beautiful and I strongly believe the best customer service on the island. Owners Chuck and Joyce live on property and truly make you feel like a guest in their home when you stay there. General Manager, Julie Printy, is fantastic and always has a huge smile for everyone. Pat and Dickie are there to welcome you with a cool rum punch at the front desk. Rooms have been recently upgraded with new furniture from
Indonesia and all rooms have ocean views. Its about a 100 step walk at most to the beach. You have a great view of Buck Island and dining is literally beachside. As someone with an animal science degree, I also love their dedication to the environment and conservation of their active sea turtle nesting beach. I’ve worked directly with Chuck and Joyce on conservation efforts and applaud them for all that they do to improve their property and keep it safe for our endangered sea turtles. Chuck is also an avid snorkeler and personally leads snorkel tours through the reef on the property (see Day 6).
After changing into more comfortable beach attire, we all headed over to the bar and had an early dinner along with more rum! I had the fish and chips which were sooooo yummy!! That night we all relaxed and had an early night.
Day 6
The girls relaxed in the morning beachside, I had some work to catch up on, needed to talk shop with Deseree and took my adorable new kitten Boddhi to the vet for his second shots. My vet just opened her new hospital and the day before had won an award for her dedication to the environment. Sugar Mill Veterinary hospital is not only beautiful and state-of-the-art, but totally green and powered with solar and wind. Oh and I have to give props to my friend Kevin Culp who headed up the project. Great job!!
Say Cheese!
That afternoon, Chuck had invited us to join him and some other hotel guests on a snorkeling adventure to a spot he had “discovered” out East near Pt Udall (the easternmost point of the US). Yes, the owner of the hotel took a caravan of guests, including some lively gals, snorkeling just because he loves to. Not only did he lead us out there, guide the tour and have a cooler full of beer for us afterwards, but he provided each of us with a photo CD of the adventure the next day. Chuck, you rock! This was a great little spot, sheltered by barrier reef (that surrounds 3/4 of the island).
Squid are so beautiful
We saw lots of little fish swimming among the coral heads, a school of squid and some trunk fish (my favorite). A great time was had by all.
After the snorkeling, we stopped at “America’s Cheeseburger in Paradise” a fun, inexpensive and casual spot with the best – yes you guessed it – burgers! Later that evening, we headed downtown to walk around and drink some suds at the Ft Christian Brew Pub where local band Lumbergh was playing. Good times!
Day 7
A gorgeous day at Sandy Point
Some of the girls decided to take it easy and hang at the beach then do some shopping downtown. Today was also Shelly’s birthday, so Barb, Shelly and I joined a couple of my friends at the world famous Domino Club for breakfast – eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy – oh yum!! Of course, we took some time to see the “beer drinking pigs” and then we headed off to Sandy Point. Hands down the most beautiful beach on St Croix.
Picnic lunch at Sandy Point with yummy sandwiches from Schooner Bay Market
Sandy Point is a wildlife refuge and only open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday from approximately October thru May. Its closed May through October because it is critical nesting habitat for the endangered Leatherback sea turtle. We spent the day floating in the warm Caribbean Sea and body surfing, had lunch on the beach (you have to bring it in, there are no facilities – this is a truly pristine beach) and headed back to meet up with the rest of the gang for a sunset sail.
Girlfriends set sail
One of the gals, Annette, gets a bit sea sick, so she opted to stay at the Palms on dry land and relax beachside. Not too shabby. The rest of us headed into Christiansted to jump on board Caribbean Sea Adventures’ 26-passenger sailing trimaran, Wave Dancer. And we lucked out too because for us it was a private sail!
A spectacular Caribbean sunset
Originally, we had planned to head out on the World Ocean School sailing schooner the Roseway but it doesn’t do sunsets on Saturdays.
However, we were all thrilled to death with Captain JP and his crew who pampered us with bottomless cups of rum punch and ordered up one of the best Caribbean sunsets that I’ve seen in awhile. Kudos to JP and crew!
Chocolate cake at Savant - Happy Birthday Shelly!
After the sail, we picked up Annette and headed off for Shelly’s birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Savant. Not only does it have excellent food (and you MUST try the charbroiled calamari) but, its got some celebrity style as well. Owner Tom Miller’s wife Kate (Bartoldus) Miller was a movie set designer on films like Town & Country, Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, Fallen, Chasing Amy & 12 Monkeys. She designed and sculpted the super sexy back patio that is like dining in a garden amongst the ruins of an old plantation. The booth benches are sculpted into the wall. Its got this Moroccan, Southern feel that just oozes romance.
Picture Time!
I absolutely love dining here, sipping wine from their great wine list and have several events lined up here over the next few months. And the girls totally agreed that it was just super fab! We dined on an eclectic mix of Caribbean, Mexican, Thai fusion until our bellies were full and then topped it off with decadent chocolate cake, complete with birthday candle.
Day 8
Its always sad to see friends go. We made a trip to the local warehouse store to pick up the obligatory Cruzan Rum and travel boxes to check on the plane (fyi our USVI Dept of Tourism has a deal with the airlines so there is no additional baggage fee for booze boxes!). We also stopped at the grocery store to pick up bottles of locally produced Miss Anna’s hot sauce which makes great gifts. The drive to the airport was lively and as we waived goodbye, I knew they were planning their next St Croix Adventure as they said “Next time we’ll be here for the whole week!”.
If you’d like more information on the activities mentioned above or would like for us to put together your own customized Girlfriends Getaway to St Croix contact me cindy@suncelebrations.com or visit our website www.suncelebrations.com and check out “Group Travel”
About
SunCelebrations specializes in affordable, celebrity-style destination weddings. By taking the time to get to know you and your fiance, we design events that are an intimate reflection of you both. Destination weddings are about personal touch and creating a wedding experience that you and your guests will cherish for a lifetime. Barefoot in the sand to formal country club, we make it happen with island style! We offer a wide range of services and packages to suit all budgets …And we’re affiliated with a full-service travel agency serving the island community for over 25 years…A one-stop shop for all your event, travel and honeymoon needs. Arriving on a cruise ship and want to say “I do!” on our beautiful shores… we can do that too! Contact us today to make your Caribbean dreams a reality!
WeddingWire.com has awarded SunCelebrations a 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards. The Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by newlywed client reviews through surveys and reviews. This year’s recipients represent the top 3% of over 100,000 wedding vendors across the US.
