A Wedding Story

contributed by Ed Crowell of Austin, Texas

Like many proud fathers, I wanted my daughter to have the wedding of her dreams. I only feared one thing: That it would all come down to a single day -- the vows and the party. That would be a treasured memory, of course, but still a relatively brief one -- a blur of "I do's" and guests and toasts and let's all go home by midnight and start a regular day tomorrow. Would it be special enough?

photo © Tina Henle

When I married the mother of my daughter, the wedding day was even more fleeting. We drove to a small Florida town near where we lived, found a minister in the Yellow Pages who could meet us at his church, called up a couple relatives as witnesses and got married. That was it. That was the Sixties. (I'm not complaining -- the marriage has flourished for 38 years!) But weddings now have better production values, more possibilities than ever.

So when Bree said she wanted to get married in St. Croix (a dear friend lived there) and we could all celebrate for a week in the Caribbean, I was overjoyed. This would be money well spent on something my daughter, my son-in-law, our family, his family, and all our friends who could come to this gem in the U.S. Virgin Islands would truly remember for years. It would be a whole week in paradise, full of big experiences and small priceless moments:

The fun began just finding our way from the airport and down the winding roads to Galen's Cove, a beautiful, private enclave of three houses on the beach at Salt River Bay. (Such places for 20-30 guests are not hard to find here.)

As pairs of guests began arriving days before the wedding we found one reason after another to toast each other around the pool or on the beach with Cruzan Rum drinks, Caribe beer or even Bud Light.

Exploration trips into the capital city of Christiansted, just 20 minutes away, sated the shopping, marriage license, about as simple a process as in the States.)

Many of us boarded a Big Beard's huge catamaran for a half-day trip to nearby Buck Island, a pristine national preserve for snorkelers and beachcombers (this is also a great way for the all of the guests to spend the day together to relax and celebrate- you can even have the boat all to your self!). Others were happy to kayak around the large cove or snorkel just offshore, where lobsters and a rainbow of reef fish and corals could be found. Those who wanted to catch dinner could charter boats from offshore fishing services such as Fish with Carl, Fantasy Sportfishing, Megu or Salty Dog charters to bring home wahoo, mahi-mahi or tuna.

Wedding Day arrived after everyone had had several days to unwind and get into the island spirt (including the evening that the groom-to-be, Jesse, donned a hula skirt and danced late into the night).

The long day gave the wedding party plenty of time to prepare for the sunset beach ceremony. One of the island's best steel drum players, Bill Bass, was hired to play for the short march from the houses to the water's edge, set up on the lawn and the professional photographer, Tina Henle, arrived to exquisitely capture the bride's dressing room tears and antics.

As the sun turned red and began to slide over the green hills to the west, we headed for the curve of white sand and palms a hundred yards away. My wife and I escorted our beaming daughter to the beach gathering, where we all stood in the sand and listened to the couple's vows as a gentle seabreeze and the lapping shorebreak helped stir emotions.

A short walk away, around the pool and surrounded by tiny twinkling lights, a local caterer had spread an informal buffet of fresh, delicious island treats. The music selection was a mix of the guests' CDs that they had brought with them -- and no one failed to include their favorite songs of romance and love. We toasted the new Mr. and Mrs. Trevino as they cut their cake, then danced and danced and danced some more under a wide canopy of stars. Could it have been a more perfect wedding? I don't see how.

Many of the guests stayed on St. Croix another day or two. There was no rushing home. We had plenty of time to get to know each other better and to explore an easily-accessible U.S. territory with friendly, helpful citizens.

And, most importantly in that glorious spring week of 2004, I was
able to spend days, not just hours, talking with and enjoying activities with Bree and Jesse before their wedding. No father could ask for more for such an important event in his daughter's life.

Postscript: Gabriella Galen Trevino was born Dec. 12, 2005. I now have a granddaughter whose middle name celebrates the wedding to remember at Galen's Cove, St. Croix.

Many thanks to Ed Crowell, of Austin, Texas for sharing this wonderful story of his daughter's wedding. Here are some tips he and his daughter shared with us so that might help you plan your St. Croix wedding:

• Gather St. Croix material (maps, postcards, brochures, magazines) to put in Welcome Bags for the guests.
• If you are using a St. Croix wedding officiant- they should help you with the process of obtaining your marraige license. IF NOT (ie a loved one is ordained to perform marriages) you must go to the court at least 3 days prior to the wedding with the officiant and designated witnesses. See wedding requirements for more info.
• Many accommodations offer lower rates if you rent out a block of rooms or the entire property- don't be afraid to ask!
• There are MANY villas available for larger parties- consider working with a villa rental agent who will know which ones are right for you.
• Some guests may NOT want to stay with everyone else. That's O.K. There are many places who can accommodate them.
• Consider one or two group activities that everyone can attend like a moonlight kayak tour, trip to Buck Island or horseback riding.
• Designate a family member or friend to see that the day's events go as planned (have an agenda for the wedding day, but don't stress if things don't happen EXACTLY as you planned...)
• REALX & HAVE FUN!!! It's your wedding day!

See our weddings page for more help in planning your wedding on St. Croix.