St Thomas wedding locations
Welcome to St Thomas the heart of the US Virgin Islands. Here on St Thomas you can take full advantage of this tropical paradise, enjoy a beautiful garden wedding, a mountain top ceremony with a breath taking view of Magens Bay or a sea side beach venue. St Thomas offers beauty, romance, serenity and natural wonders, all the ingredients for a dream wedding made in heaven. Dazzling blue skies, long white beaches, coral reefs, vibrant green vegetation, and warm perfumed air are the natural features of St Thomas. The stunning array of things to do and see means that there is something for everybody. After your wedding, explore one of the many beaches, go on a day sail, snorkel, Parasail or just sit and relax. And you don't need a passport!
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As you can see Magens Bay is a large bay ending in a beautiful white sand beach that stretches the width of the bay. This is St Thomas' largest and most popular beach. The biggest problem with Magens are the crowds. Since St Thomas is a popular cruise ship destination, we sometimes get as many as 6-8 ships in one day. This puts a lot of people during the day, particularly during the winter months on the beach here. The time of the greatest crowds are from about 9:30 to about 4. The summer months are better as we have many days with no ships. Also the beach will get crowded on the weekends with local beach goers. Best time for wedding photography is in the late afternoon during the week. A great location for a sunset wedding, except the winter months. Very extensive facilities here, with covered picnic sheds. There are two main areas used for weddings. One is about mid way under two prominent palm trees. The other is down towards the south west end. there are less crowds there. Also there is an area of rocks right at the end which is good for photography.
This beach is located adjacent to the University of the Virgin Islands, and across from the airport. Even though it's a fairly good size beach with nice sand, it is not a well known beach for tourists. You will find mostly local people enjoying the beach here. Parking and access is fairly easy, Located on the south shore of St Thomas, this beach is a great one for sunsets during the winter. Early morning and late afternoon both work here. In addition to the beach there is a nice palm tree grove and even some cool ruins for photography. Are are no facilities here except for some roadside food vendors. This is also a popular beach on the weekends for locals and would not be recommended for a wedding then.
This bay is home to the Bolongo Bay Resort. As such they do many weddings here. The atmosphere is definitely casual Caribbean and priced accordingly. The beach is good for weddings in the mornings and afternoons. It is also a good sunset location during the winter months, as it is on the south shore. There is a nice open air bar and restaurant located here that is great for receptions. A nice option here is to take a catamaran sailing excursion for sunset cocktails after the ceremony. The beach is mostly sand and palms, with a rocky area for photographs at one end. The beach has a lot of "stuff" on it. So if you want your photography to look like you are on a deserted beach, it won't work.
Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort
The main beach here is called Morningstar. A nice sized beach, but with lots of "stuff" on it. There is a very small beach at the far end of Morningstar that I prefer ( see photo 3 ). A great one for afternoon and sunset weddings. The Marriott does a lot of weddings here and has there own staff photographer. You can use our services if you book through a planner and pay a location fee. Besides the small beach there is also a very nice little wedding gazebo on the hotel grounds. The facilities here are excellent. The Havana Blue restaurant is excellent and can hold large groups for receptions.
There are number of excellent locations for weddings here on St Thomas and the Great House is one of them. Located high up on a ridge over looking Magens Bay, the view is spectacular. The facilities are extensive with a large banquet area. located on the second floor is a gazebo with a view to die for. The grounds are well kept and very tropical. Any time of day works here, but the early and late hours are still better for photography. This is a good weekend location when the locals are out on the beaches. If you are going to have a large wedding, this would be a good choice.
The Ritz, is well ... the Ritz. A very nice upscale resort located at the east end of St Thomas. The best feature for photography is the architecture. Even though they have a beach it is loaded with "stuff". They do have a nice little gazebo located at the end of the beach for weddings. Adjacent to the Ritz is a nice "local" beach called Vessup Bay. I have had a number of good photo sessions here. Vessup is good in the morning and afternoon. But since it is on the east end of the island it looses the light early as the sun goes down behind St Thomas. Most people get married else where, then have their reception here.
Sapphire Beach and Pretty Klip Point
Sapphire Beach is located towards the east end of St Thomas, on the north shore. This is not a sunset location, although it is good in the afternoon. Best time is about 1-2 hours before sundown. Being on the north east part of St thomas it loses the sun as it goes down behind the island during the winter months. There are two areas for weddings and photography at Sapphire. Pretty Klip Point is a rocky point the juts out into the Caribbean and is fairly private for ceremony's. Good for medium to small weddings. A condo can be rented by the day for "getting ready". There is also a beach that is fairly nice for photographs. Last I heard there is a $500 location fee for Pretty Klip Point. Some wedding planners can get you in for free, and the daily condo rental is reasonable.
Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
If you are catholic and want a church wedding this is a good choice. At present the church is going through extensive renovations. So call to see what the progress is and any restrictions there may be. The church is 161 years old, and has the timeless beauty of an old cathedral. unfortunately the church lost a big chunk of there restoration money to Bernard Madoff. But the project is progressing. The church is located at the west end of Main Street in Charlotte Amalie.
A small catholic church located in Frenchtown, St Thomas. Frenchtown is situated at the west end of Charlotte Amalie. This area is famous for it's restaurants and a large group of fisherman. We have our studio here in Frenchtown. St Ann's is a small but picturesque church located atop a hill in Frenchtown.
Located on the north east part of St Thomas, Sugar Bay is a popular resort. They have two areas for weddings. The first is their beach, which is fairly nice with rocky areas at both ends. The only problem is like most resorts there is a lot of "stuff" on the beach. Sugar Bay also has a wedding gazebo on one of their upper floors of the resort over looking the Atlantic ocean. The facilities are are very nice and the lobby is very picturesque. Best time of day is late afternoon. Again since this is a north shore location, the ceremony and photography need to finish about 1/2 hour before sundown during the winter months.
Built in 1833 this synagogue is the oldest in North America. This historic structure still has the original sand floor. Located a couple of blocks from downtown Charlotte Amalie. I'm not jewish, but this synagogue is truly unique, and I enjoy shooting here.
Another favorite of mine is Villa Botanica. If you picture ( no pun intended ) yourself getting married in the Garden of Eden, then this is the spot. This is a large villa that has been converted for weddings and events. Besides the main garden area for weddings, they also have a pool area and deck that overlooks Charlotte Amalie and down the south shore of St Thomas. The dinning area is open air and all stone and wood. The grounds abound with paths, fountains and some small ruins. An excellent place for your wedding and your photography. Best time of day are the afternoons.
Villas on St Thomas or St John
Resorts are always nice for a wedding, but can be some what restrictive. You are usually locked into their staff and suppliers which are marked up considerably. Also, you have all the other hotel guests around to contend with. If I were getting married here, I would rent a villa with a great view. And there are some GREAT views!
Usually you can find a villa that can accommodate you and your wedding party. If you have other guests, then you can house them at a hotel near by. Villas are a lot more private. Once you compare the costs of housing your wedding party, paying the markup on vendors, and a site fee, a villa is actually a very good deal. Worried about cooking and cleaning for yourself? Most villa company's can recommend services to take care of any need you may have.
