What do you do when a guest won't leave your St John Villa?

Steve seems to be living in our new pool

We actually have no complaints and thought it was funny when Steve e-mailed to ask if he and his wife, Carrie, could stay on for a few more days!  Luckily for them we happened to be available this week so we said yes, indeed!

Steve and his wife first stayed at Great Expectations 10 years ago this past week when they were married on St John. At that time they rented Great Expectations for their family and friends - 14 in all. The actual wedding ceremony was at Oppenheimer beach and they had their reception catered by our good friend and fabulous chef Laura Samms, owner of Passion Fruit Chefs. 

About a year ago Steve reserved Great Expectations for his 10th anniversary.  This time it was to be a surprise for his wife. Carrie thought that she and Steve would be coming to St John for their anniversary to stay at Beau Geste, the Guest House of Great Expectations (as they have several times over the last 10 years).  Well, instead, Steve invited Carrie's siblings (and their spouses) and several of their friends to join them.  It was only along the way, at the airports when Carrie saw one sister and then another, that she realized something was 'up'! But it was not until she arrived at Great Expectations that she realized that Steve had invited 15 friends and family to celebrate with them! Tears - of joy (luckily!) - flowed and a great week was had.  So great that when their family and guests left on Saturday they could not tear themselves away so they stayed on...a happy ending!

Here is an e-mail we received from Carrie on the first morning of their stay:

"I'm sitting alone on the porch, waiting for the sunrise. Still taking in the events of the last 24 hours! I'm shocked at what Steve was able to pull off!  And laughing at your complicity in it all!  You are all sneaky!
Everyone loves GE....The new pool is absolutely amazing, seems like it was always here. Just a perfect addition to an already perfect place. I know we'll have lots if fun stories to share, but I wanted to just thank you and Chuck now for this week and everything you did to make it happen for us.  It's going to be unforgettable!"  

Here is a picture Steve took, from where he now apparently lives near our new pool, on what was to be his last morning on St John:

Steve calls this is 'bacon 'n cake' breakfast by new pool (obviously, all sense and sensibility has left his head!)

And, the vacation continues....

St John (USVI) earns its nickname 'Love City' every day

Ann Marie Porter, the original 'Barefoot Minister' photo credit also to A. M. Porter

If you are looking for a romantic getaway or fabulous place for a destination wedding, look no further than St John in the United States Virgin Islands.  From 30+ beaches to choose from there is plenty of opportunity for you to pick the perfect beach setting for your wedding if getting married by the water is for you.  Or, on a boat.  Or, at one of our wonderful restaurants.  

Besides the absolute beauty of St John, these days our island is rich in resources to help ensure that a destination wedding can be pulled off from 1,000 miles away! You will find lots of good people ready, willing, and able to help you with all the details from securing your wedding license, wedding and reception locations, photographers, flowers (and, as you can imagine we have wonderful flowers), meal planning, activities for your group during the week, and, of course, finding the perfect St John villa(s) for your stay and honeymoon.  

Some of our favorite St John wedding planners are also officiants themselves.  The best of them have lived on the island for years and know the very best spots and time of day to capture the perfect lighting.  Because picking someone to help you plan your wedding is such an important decision we urge you to speak with at least a couple of wedding planners and most importantly, speak with some of their clients.  When doing so, find out from previous brides & grooms how much personalized service they received? Did the person planning the wedding really listen and respond to their needs?  Was the planner reliable? Were their expectations met, or better yet, exceeded? We have seen all types of weddings on St John from very formal to very, very casual.  What is important is that the day is perfect for you.

Were you married on St John?  Did it meet (or exceed) your expectations? High-lights? Low-lights? Recommendations?