Did you have sand in your toes? YES!! We both went barefoot on our during the ceremony. This phrase has special meaning for us. The day we officially booked the trip, I turned to Connor and I asked, “Do you have sand in your toes?”. It became our code phrase for the wedding. It is engraved in both our wedding bands.
Top Ten Reasons To Get Married on St. John
Our Barefoot Wedding
Reason #1: It is small and sweet. St. John is the smallest, quietest and least populated of the Virgin Islands. The town is romantic and charming. The hustle of city life can not be found here. You can’t find a McDonald’s, Walmart, or a single franchise on the island. The town’s people have created a community that is built on helping each other. Everyone was kind and welcoming. Reason #2: Three Quarters of the Island is National Park The Rockefeller Family purchased and bought the land in 1956 and donated it to the National Park System. The park protects areas that are key in protecting Coral Reefs, Mangrove Forests, Rain Forests, and Pristine Beaches.
Our Ceremony
The weather was: PERFECT! They say on St. John you have either good weather or perfect weather. We were lucky. The sun was shinned all day. 
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I don’t know if we started out with a “design inspiration”. Our goal was to have a laid back, simple, romantic, beach
How did you meet? We met at the gym. See our story for more details.
What attracted me to my husband was: Connor compliments me so well. He is structured. I am all over the place. He plays it safe. I’m a risk taker. You get the idea....I’m so lucky to spend the rest of my life with him. 
What attracted me to my wife was: She is everything I’m not. She challenges me to do things, I wouldn’t do on my own.
Connor’s most memorable moment about your wedding day? My most memorable moment was getting ready with Chris. I never thought my wedding day would be so relaxed. It felt just like any other day together, but I knew we were starting our lives together. Chris’s most memorable moment about your wedding day? My favorite moment was in the car ride to Annaberg. Just before I left, a jump ring on my bracelet separated. It left it in two pieces and three loose pearls. We borrowed pliers from John and took them with us.
In the limo, we worked as a team to reassemble the pieces. What a great way to start a marriage, working together to solve a problem
Reason #3: It is off the radar. Most people haven’t even heard of St. John. The island lacks an airport and a seaport that can handle large cruise ships. The location makes it hard to access.. Most skip over the island thinking it to too much of a hassle....missing a great treasure. Reason #4: Interesting Blend of Culture The island culture is a unique blend of Caribbean and American . However their is a strong American influence. Walking through the streets you can music and people talking. Most people speak English, but it wasn’t unusual to hear Spanish, French, or several other native languages. It is a costume to say Good Morning (or Afternoon/Night). If you don’t it is considered very rude. They are a very relaxed group. If you are in a hurry...they purposely slow down. It forces you to be on island time.
Reason #7: Stress Free They took good care of us. We stayed in a bed and breakfast and the owner took great care of us. She made us a wonderful dinner for our wedding night. Nancy and John gave us lots of valuable advice. It useful to be in the know. Reason #8: Wonderful Weather St. John is just above the equator. The temperature is a constant 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it rains, the island doesn’t have a rainy season. The surrounding water is a constant 83 degrees Fahrenheit. It rains for 20 minutes and then it is nice again. Reason #9: Breathtaking SunSets Trunk Bay faces the West giving it’s residents a prime view of the setting sun. Shades of red and orange fill the skies. Reason #10: Perfect Place to Return for Anniversaries Coming back to St. John where we exchanged vows will be special. This will always hold a special place our hearts.
Welcome Page Why We Eloped Our Wedding Honeymoon Little Details Photos Trash the Dress Our Story About the Groom Guest Information Engagement PicturesWelcome.htmlElopement.htmlHoneymoon.htmlLittle_Details.htmlPhotos.htmlTrash_the_Dress.htmlOur_Story.htmlAbout_the_Groom.htmlGuest_Information.htmlGuest_Information.htmlEngagment_Pictures.htmlshapeimage_30_link_0shapeimage_30_link_1shapeimage_30_link_2shapeimage_30_link_3shapeimage_30_link_4shapeimage_30_link_5shapeimage_30_link_6shapeimage_30_link_7shapeimage_30_link_8shapeimage_30_link_9shapeimage_30_link_10shapeimage_30_link_11
wedding. We dove in and started picking things that reflected our personalities. When it all came together it has a vintage theme. What colors did you choose for your wedding? Red, Ivory, and Black Describe your wedding flowers: Absolutely gorgeous. They were made of clay. I had a bouquet of red roses made for the day. I chose clay because I wasn’t going to be throwing a bouquet, and they last . They still will be blooming on our first anniversary. Describe your wedding cake: Delicious! We chose a two tier red velvet cake with creme cheese icing. The cake was decorated with red roses and black piping. I loved the classic look. 

Describe your engagement: Connor kidnapped me for a surprise trip to Boston. He Planned a perfect day. We went to the aquarium, to the symphony and then to a fancy dinner. There he asked me to marry him. How could I resist?
The pictures are from Annaberg, the ruins of an old sugar plantation and Trunk Bay. Below: In our ceremony Connor and I exchanged a high five. It wasn’t planned, it just felt right.

What did you do on your first date :I went to his house and played “Four Square”. Connor was so nervous that he talked in an accent all night. He must have wore himself out and fell asleep while watching “Planet Earth”. Jeff (good friend) must have told him if you like this girl, you need to shape up. He was so apologetic. How could I refuse a second date? 
Connor’s favorite detail of the wedding was : The red sash on Chris’s dress. I love the way the color looked against the blue water. Chris’s favorite detail of the wedding was: The picture frames. The photographers loved them. I was proud of how they turned out and was glad that it was a unique idea. 
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Not telling anyone!! There were so many times we wanted to tell. It took a lot of will power to keep it a secret. 

Scariest moment? Wasn’t on the wedding day, it was on when we picked up the marriage certificate. St. Thomas was celebrating a holiday and left us with a 2.5 hour window to pick up our marriage certificate. If our plane was late, or we couldn’t find the building, etc....we wouldn’t be able to pick it up before our wedding. We raced through the city with my wedding dress draped over my arms, dragging two heavy bags...but we made it. Everything else was a piece of cake! 
Funniest moment? Connor was helping me with my dress. He had my sash in his hands. He got the idea to pretend I was a horse. I went right a long with it. Everyone was laughing. We had a lot of fun during the photo shoot. 

Most unexpected moment? During the ceremony Mary gave us a few minutes to talk just the two of us. There was so much love in the moment. The words spoken between us are exactly why we did this. We wanted the ceremony to be about our relationship, not putting on a show. We took a big risk and have no regrets. Was their a Plan B? Not really. Once we found St. John, we never looked back. We were very excited about our decision. How far in advance did you plan? The day after he proposed, we started talking about it.
Reason #5: Snuba Snuba is the cross of snorkeling and scuba diving. It allows you to enjoy the underwater world without heavy gear and classes. You breathe through a 20ft hose that is connected to a scuba tank that is kept in the boat. It gives you the feeling of swimming in an aquarium. This was one of our favorite activities. It took a minute to get used to it, but what a cool way to enjoy the sea. Reason#6: Pristine Beaches Beaches are carpeted with soft white sand, complimented by warm blue waters. The National Park has prohibited the development of any of the beaches. You will not find a resorts, a bar, or crowds. It is not unusual to find you have the whole beach to yourself. The beaches of St. John have been considered some of the best in the world.