Feed Haiti Tote Bag

The “Feed Project” is working together with UNICEF and the UN World Food Program to provide food for children in 72 countries by selling totes. The totes are made from organic cotton and burlap.  Each bag sold will provide lunch for one child for one year. In the wake of the earth quake in Haiti, a beautiful organic tote was created to feed the children of Haiti.  The ”Feed Project” will provide 50 meals to the UN World Food Program for each “Feed Haiti” bag sold. All totes can be purchased online at www.feedprojects.org. Prices start at $35.00.

"The Cat"

Jim Trilling just introduced me to his sleek new 54′ Gold Coast catamaran called “The Cat.”  The Cat can accomodate up to 80 guests and has 2 bathrooms. They offer 1/2 day tours to Buck Island and St. John from St. Thomas. The tours include food, open bar, music and snorkel equipment. The Cat can also be reserved for weddings and special events. Give us a call if you want to book this sleek new boat for your wedding or event 340-643-2277.

This Vera Wang dress is currently on sale at www.preownedweddingdresses.com

 I just found four online stores that will buy and resell gently used wedding gowns. How cool is that? 

 www.encorebridal.com  

 www.preownedweddingdresses.com  

 www.sellyourweddingdress.com  

  www.recycledbride.com

Fruit Cocktails

One of the hottest trends on the wedding scene right now are “Herbal Cocktails” and “Crush” bars. Both bars feature a variety of cocktails that are impressive, refreshing, and unique.  As its name implies, “Herbal Cocktails” are spiced and herbal. While the “Crush” bar is all about crushed fruit combined with Smirnoff Vodka. Below are some recipes that you can try out at your island wedding!

Crush Bar:

The Endless Crush (a.k.a) The Original Orange Crush

2 oz. Smirnoff Orange Vodka

1-2 Fresh Squeezed Oranges

2 oz. Triple Sec

Splash Lemon-Lime Soda

Squeeze 1-2 Fresh Oranges into a glass. Add Smirnoff Orange Flavored Vodka and Triple Sec. Stir. Add Ice. Top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with an orange wheel or slice.

Sweet Tea Crush

2 oz. Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka

2-4 Fresh Squeezed Lemons

2 oz. Simple Syrup

Splash Lemon-Lime Soda

Squeeze 3-4 lemons into a glass.  Add Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka and simple syrup. Stir. Add Ice. Top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel or slice.

Herbal Cocktails Bar:

Spiced Punch

1.5 oz. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

.25 oz Simple Cinnamon Syrup

.5 oz Grenadine

.5 0z. Lime Juice

3 oz. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Cinnamon Stick for Garnish

In a bar glass, add rum, simple cinnamon syrup, grenadine and lime juice. Add crushed ice. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. Add orange juice. Stir. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Blackberry Panther

1.5 oz. Stoli Blackberry Vodka

.25 oz. Simple Syrup

3.5 oz. Club Soda

3 Blackberries

2 Lime Slices

3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

Crushed Ice

In a bar glass muddle berries, 2 sprigs thyme and lime slices. Add vodka, simple syrup and crushed ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into glass, add club soda, stir and stick the last thyme in the cocktail as a garnish.

Racy Zebra

1.5 0z. Hennessy Cognac

.05 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.25 oz Simple Syrup

3.5  oz Ginger Ale

1 Lemon

1 Skewer of Rosemary

In a rocks glass, add Hennessy, Lime Juice and Simple Syrup over crushed ice. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. Pour into glass, add Ginger Ale, stir and stick in the Rosemary with the lemon slice.

Amy Kuschel's Voila Gown

Many designers are getting into the action and creating Eco-chic bridal gowns that are not only beautiful, but affordable! Organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and formaldehyde free silks are some of the materials used to make the dresses. Many of the designers listed below also donate a portion of their profits to environmental causes.

www.elizabethstjohn.com

www.thecottonbride.com

www.mycorset.com

www.wai-ching.com

www.naturalbridals.com

www.olivialuca.com

www.amykuschel.com

www.ancohen.com

www.deborahlindquist.com

Skywriter invitation

I’m really excited that so many print companies are finally starting to use post- consumer  products to create beautiful invitations, programs, and personal stationary! In the wedding industry, Brides spend hundreds of dollars on invitations, place/escort cards, and programs. At the end of the night most programs and place cards make it into the trash. Since we don’t have a recycling program on St. Thomas, I highly recommend that Brides try and use companies that sell recycled products. In reality, If a bride wants to save money, I would recommend cutting out the programs all together. I find that to be the biggest waste of money.

Here’s a great example: I had a bride from North Carolina who got married at Caneel Bay in St. John. Her mother spent $5,000+ on programs and invitations. Their guest used the programs as fans because it was so hot. I stood there and watched to see how many people would actually look at the program. I think maybe a handful bothered to glance  at it. When everyone left the ceremony the programs were left on the chairs and on the grass. The Mother of the Bride was very angry because her guests could care less about the programs. You have to understand, it took her months to put this program together, so I could understand why she was so upset.  The planner from Caneel picked up the programs and placed them with the guest book. They were still there at 10pm. No one had bothered to pick one up. At the end of he night they ended up in the trash because the family did not want to take them back to the North Carolina.

Since we are in the infant stages of the “green movement” in the Virgin Islands, I highly recommend that Brides take back their programs/escort cards & place cards and recycle them in their home town.

Here are some of my favorite Eco-friendly invitation companies that use recycled paper, invitations made from tree free Kozo papers, & papers made using wind energy that are carbon neutral, and FSC certified.

www.earthlyaffair.com

www.tgkdesigns.com

www.writestyleinvites.com

www.greenfieldpaper.com

www.oftheearth.org

www.skywriter-invitations.com

Eduardo Munoz-Reuters

I normally write about everything weddings in the Virgin Islands, but I must say that this week my heart is with the people of Haiti. For those of you that have not been watching the news, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010. The capital of Port-au-Prince is in ruins. Thousands of people have lost their lives, and survivors are now living in the streets with little food, water, or medical care.  Below is a list of  the agencies that are collecting money for the relief effort in Haiti. Please help if you can.

http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/

 Red Cross International Response Fund at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767)

http://www.unicefusa.org

They liked this one, but I need to update by adding silver jewelry.

Have you wondered what it would be like to be on the British version of ”What not to Wear?” I do! I’d like nothing more than to have Trinny and Susannah show up and give my closet a once over. Well, not all of us can afford a trip to England or Los Angeles for that matter, so I found the next best thing! While perusing my latest issue of Charleston Wedding Magazine, I came upon a company called Southern Protocol, “the Southern Fashionista’s source on how to look good, behave, and entertain with style.” Southern Protocol is based in Charleston, South Carolina, but will work with you via e-mail and phone if you are located out of the area. I opted for the phone/e-mail route. My husband took pictures of me in ten outfits that I thought were trendy, and I then e-mailed them to the consultants at Southern Protocol. The next day they set up a phone consultation to find out more about me.  A few days later, I received a Power Point analysis detailed with everything good and bad about my choices. Wow, is all I can say! Out of ten outfits they only liked three. The others were not appropriate for my tall thin frame, outdated, or were too black. I learned that pointed shoes are not flattering for me (something to do with my skinny legs). Lizz and Stacy recommended instead that I wear round- toed shoes. They also suggested that I add color, wear v-necks, A-line skirts that flare, and buy clothes that are the right size. Really? I thought that evening gown looked good on me…sorry to short. They sent me pictures of clothes that would flatter my 5′9″ frame, made recommendations about make-up that would show off my skin tones, and jewelry that would complement the three outfits they liked. They even told me what types of evening dresses that would look good on me. I have to add, that suggestions were made to improve the outfits they did not like as well. The cost for three hours of their time is $150, and includes the phone consultation and analysis.

So you are probably thinking to yourself, what does this have to do with weddings? Everything! I wish this service had been available when I got married thirteen years ago. It would have reduced the time spent visiting bridal salon after bridal salon looking for that perfect dress. Wouldn’t it be great if you could walk into a bridal salon and say, ”I’d like to try on sweetheart strapless dresses and one shoulder strap dresses.” Just think, with the time you saved you could take your mom and best friends out to lunch or pop in for a quick massage at your favorite spa! Give Lizz and Sara a call. You won’t be disappointed!

Gibney/Oppenheimer Beach www.stjohnbeachguide.com

 You’ve sent out “Save the Dates” and fifty of your closest friends and family said, “Yes” to a weekend getaway in the Virgin Islands.  And now you want to know what activities they can do before or after your celebration.  So I spoke to my past clients to determine which activities they liked best, and here are their suggestions:

Scuba Diving: Everyone I talked to raved about Blue Island Divers in Crown Bay Marina.  Blue Island Divers offers PADI instruction as well as day and night dives.  Their motto is “arrive as a customer, leave as a friend” which speaks volumes about their customer service.  My most recent client Ming and her Maid of Honor enjoyed two dives while in St. Thomas.  They were impressed with the staff’s knowledge, and their caring attitude to insure that they had a good time.  I personally am a big chicken when it comes to any type of diving, however I am also a strong proponent of protecting our coral reefs, sea life, and oceans.  I am very impressed that Blue Island Divers is doing their part to by being involved in the local Reef and Ocean Conservation programs. 

Hiking/Walking:  Hands down, the most popular walking tour was the Reef Bay Trail on the island of St. John.  The National Park Service offers daily hikes of the Reef Bay Trail that departs from the Visitor Center in Cruz Bay at 9:30am and returns between 2:30-3:00pm.  The cost of the tour is currently $21, which covers the taxi transfers to the base of the trail and the boat ride back to Cruz Bay following the hike. On your walk the Ranger will point out local flora and fauna, sugar mill ruins, and petroglyphs.  You will also have the opportunity to see wild donkeys, deer, and local birds.  This  hike is all down hill so flip flops are definitely not recommended!  You can make reservations with the National Park Service by calling  1-340-776-6201 x 238.

Deep Sea Fishing:  In January, Matt took all the guys in his wedding party deep sea fishing.  After coming in from Fargo, North Dakota they were more than happy to spend a  beautiful January day under a warm Caribbean sun!  We recommended Double Header Deep Sea Fishing Company and they did not disappoint.  After spending six hours at sea,  Matt and his groomsmen caught several large Mahi Mahi which the crew later filleted for them.  They were able to fry up their fish at a private villa rented by one of their guests, an it was an enjoyable day for all!  

Sailing:  Elegant Weddings and Events will often rent catamarans for sunset sails for our wedding parties.  I would have to say that Dancing Dolphin has been a client pleaser.  It’s important to us that our guests have a good experience and the crew of Dancing Dolphin provides wonderful service. Our past clients were also happy to know that cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were included in the price of the sunset sail! Dancing Dolphin also offers half and full day sailing trips to Buck Island and St. John.  Rates start at $69 per person not including gratuities. 

Which beach should we go to???  Well that really depends on what island you are on.  In St. John, there are so many great beaches that it’s a bit mind boggling.  Some of my clients loved Trunk Bay because it offered bathrooms, a simple beach restaurant, and a super cool self-guided underwater snorkeling trail for only $4 per person.  Others liked the secluded Oppenheimer Beach (also known as Gibney Beach) which offered peace, quiet, and a breathtaking view.  When you first arrive at Oppenheimer you might wonder why anyone would come here.  But if you get past the iron gate and old deteriorating yellow house, you’ll see the most beautiful beach beyond the coconut trees. I think that just about any beach on the North Shore is really nice.   As for St. Thomas, Magan’s Bay was the number one choice.  It has a restaurant, lounge chairs, beach toys, gift shop, restroom and shower facilities.  Plan on taking another shower when you get to your resort, the salt water shower won’t get you clean!  Be prepared to pay $4 to enter the beach area.   Coki Beach was the second pick among my clients.  They raved about the snorkeling and all the tropical fish that came up to bite their toes (just kidding).  I would not recommend staying at any of these beaches after dark as the beaches are not policed.

For anyone who wants lots of activity in one trip, try VI Eco Tours.  They offer a combination kayak, hiking, and snorkel trip at the mangrooves on St. Thomas.  While kayaking in the  mangroves you might see an Eagle Sting Ray flying gracefully below you, brown pelicans diving in the nearby waters in search of fish, blue herons, and other wildlife.   Take a break from the water and hike the 15 acre Cas Cay, a part of the National Park System.  You will not be disappointed.   This was rated the number one educational tour by everyone … I think you’ll love it!