There's an App for that!

That's right folks, there's an App you can download to your mobile device, which you can use while you're on the island since it's a US territory, yay for no roaming charges! 

It's called "The St John App" and has tons of great info on navigating the island, the best beaches, hiking trails, travel tips, and lots more. (Thanks Sarah J!)

Flights

According to Kayak.com, there is a 60% chance flight prices will drop within the next 7 days. 

If you have not yet booked your flight, please keep an eye on prices daily for the best deal!

As a reminder, the welcome party is at 5pm on Friday. If you plan on flying in that day, try to land in St Thomas by 2pm to ensure you can get to St John, check into your room and such before walking over to The Beach Bar!

Optional Excursion - Tour of the BVI's

British Virgin Islands Tour 
Monday, April 22nd

If you do one excursion while on this trip, we would definitely recommend joining us for a day of fun-in-the-sun for a private speed boat charter to the BVI's. 

This event is completely optional so please do not feel obligated to attend. 

All total the tour should cost approx $200 per person, including the cost of the tour, customs fee, lunch & drinks off of the boat (all drinks on the boat are FREE). 

We will be chartering the speed boat, New Horizons II, to take us on a tour of the BVI's. Breakfast and unlimited drinks on the boat are included (beer, rum punch and Painkillers!). Stops on the tour will include The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkeling around reefs at various islands, lunch at the original Pusser's on Marina Cay, followed by an afternoon at The Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. 

Price: $138 per person + $30 customs fee (cash) + Lunch at Pussers & drinks on Soggy Dollar

If you would like to join us for this tour please let Jessica know ASAP so she can add your name to the list. You will not pay until you board the boat, credit cards accepted, however you must pay $30 customs fee in cash. 

**Note: Valid Passport is Required 

White Bay - Soggy Dollar Bar 

What do I wear?

On the invitation we indicated the Welcome Party Happy Hour dress code was "Beach Casual" and the wedding was "Beach Formal" but what exactly does that mean?!

Being someone who likes specifics when planning outfit options, and pictures when possible, I totally empathize and wanted to elaborate.

Beach Casual: The Beach Bar, where the Welcome Party will be held, is a very low key spot, literally on the beach, so the dress code is basically whatever you feel the most comfortable in. Shorts and t-shirts, sundresses or even board shorts and beach cover-ups are perfectly acceptable. You're also certainly welcome to glam it up if that tickles your fancy. Most of all we want you to enjoy yourselves and be comfortable. Also, since the party starts at 5pm and we know many of you will be flying in that day, The Beach Bar is located steps from the ferry dock on St John, so you can literally come over and store your luggage at the bar instead of going to your hotel first - if you're in a crunch for time.

Since your toes will be in the sand, flip flops or sandals are recommended for footwear (guys this means you should probably clip your toenails).

Also, since we will be right on the water, there may be a breeze so a wrap or cardigan might not be a bad idea.

Untitled #245 by nikkiemery featuring miss selfridge

Keep calm and beach on!! by netrobe featuring wedge heels

Nina in Coachella Beach party by lovelypao featuring ray-ban eyewear

Beach time!! by lumos-star featuring warehouse

Let's go to the beach~ by mandymink featuring printed skirts

island vacation :) by bonnaroosky featuring leather sandals

Beach Formal: Our wedding ceremony and reception will be held at the Villa Kalorama so no need to worry about sand-friendly footwear, although it's always wise to bring a pair of sandals to change into for late night dancing! When outfit planning, think nice sundress or a summer cocktail dress for the ladies, men can get away with khaki pants, and a nice blazer and shirt, or a summer suit if they're so inclined. Again, we want you to look and feel great, so whatever you're most comfortable in, as long as that is not Bermuda shorts or a Hawaiian shirt ;)

Outfit Ideas for the Ladies:

beach party by silvinalovesbsbforever featuring peep toe pumps

SNOB long evening dress, $93 / Pierre Hardy peep toe pumps / Eva Franco / Alexis Bittar earrings / Monica Vinader onyx ring, $230 / Mini Sweet Pea II

beach wedding guest by nixibrims featuring wooden bracelets

Maison Martin Margiela silk dress / Christian Louboutin flat / Turquoise necklace / Isharya wooden bracelet / Mesi Jilly coral ring / Lancôme / Guerlain cosmetic / NARS Cosmetics / Finger Coral.

Wedding Guest by megan162534 featuring silver clutches

Alice In The Eve lace cocktail dress, $32 / Karen Millen high heel pumps / Silver clutch

Wedding in Bali by soflashy featuring south sea pearl earrings

Saloni slit dress / JustFabulous glitter pumps / Isharya bangle bracelet / Isharya south sea pearl earrings, $525 / Club Monaco Terrapin Postcard Pack / Distinctive Designs Pink And Cream Roses Faux Flower Arrangement

Wedding guest by dakota-cobb featuring chiffon dresses

Rare London chiffon dress
$16 - rarelondon.com

Giuseppe Zanotti high heel shoes
net-a-porter.com

The Wedding Guests by misslumos featuring christian louboutin pumps

Alice + Olivia floral dress, $365 / Marni crop top / ADAM pencil skirt, $3.21 / Christian Louboutin pumps / Gianvito Rossi suede pumps / J.Crew genuine leather handbag / Lanvin , $1,325 / Collar necklace

Outfit Ideas for the Gentlemen:

Good to Know

Below is some info that's good to know before venturing to the US Virgin Islands and St John:

•  Once you fly into St Thomas, you must then take a ferry over to St John (Kendall, this ones for you).

• Driving is on the left. Cars are the same as here in the US, you just drive on the left side of the road. 
• If you're renting a car at the St Thomas airport, you will take the Car Barge Ferry at Red Hook to St John, this was ours when we went:

•  Most places accept major credit cards but some accept only cash.
• Downtown Cruz Bay is easily explored by foot. Mongoose Junction has lots of shops and restaurants. 

• The best time to eat & drink on St John is between 3-6pm as most bars and restaurants have Happy Hour specials
• For great sangria and fish tacos: go to La Blancha during happy hour
• Drink the local beer - it's delicious and costs 1/2 as much! 
• If you want to see sea turtles: go to Maho Bay, which actually happens to be a turtle nesting ground
• You'll need a passport if you want to visit the British Virgin Islands. We will be taking a BVI tour on Monday so if you plan to join us please ensure your passport is updated. 
• There are no open container laws in the USVI's, so you walking around and even driving with a drink is legal, but please always use your best judgement 
•  It's ok to stop for a brief moment while driving to say hello, or take photos of the wild donkeys. Try not to have road rage if this happens. 

•  The wild donkeys do bite sometimes. But mostly they're just friendly and inquisitive. 
• There are no nude beaches on St John. 
• ALL beaches in the Virgin Islands are public. So even if you're not staying at a certain resort or villa, by law you're allowed access to their beach. (this is also true for Necker Island, Richard Bransons personal island)

• It's important to conserve water as it is mostly collected from rain.
• 75% of the island is preserved National Park, so there are over 20 miles of Hiking Trails
• Violent crime is extremely rare on St John but petty theft does exist. As with any time you travel, it's always a good idea to keep your wits about you. 
• There are many overlooks you can stop while driving around the island and enjoy the views.
   
• Trunk Bay is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches on the island, but it does charge a $4 entrance fee so bring cash. It's worth the $4, promise.

And last, but certainly not least:

•  Shark attacks are almost nonexistent!

American Airlines Wedding Discount

American Airlines has provided us with a Discount Code our guests can use to receive a 5% discount on their flight to St Thomas.

Authorization #  2543BX

Guests can book online at www.aa.com or by calling 800-433-1790 and asking for the Rivera/Stucky Wedding Group Discount

Flights are still a tad expensive so we're going to hold off until after the New Year to book, in hopes they will go down some. I also have an alert set up to notify me of any fare sales, if anything comes up I will let you all know! 

Getting There

Hopefully by now, many of you have at least put a reservation on a room (hint hint), so now you'll want to know how to actually get to St John once you fly into St Thomas. 

p.s. We're holding off on booking our flights until closer to the date. I have an AirFare Watchdog alert set up so when there's a fare sale for flights from BWI, DCA, IAD I will notify everyone :)

From the airport

Once at the airport, there are taxies waiting to pick you up just outside the luggage pick up area. They work very much like shuttles as opposed to normal taxies. They charge per person, for extra luggage and they love to fill them up. They can also take their time to get to their destination but it's a good way to meet other people. If you're looking for a private taxi, it can get quite expensive.

There are two major ferry ports from where you can catch the ferry to St John.

Charlotte Amalie- In down town St Thomas is the closest to the airport and the farthest from Cruz Bay as it has to go all the way around St Thomas but it's a great boat ride, aprox 45 mins. This ferry also runs less frequently so be sure and check the time you're arriving with ferry departure times.

Red Hook- This is the main ferry terminal, located on the other side of St Thomas, which can give you a chance to see more of the island. It is a straight shot to St John from here, aprox 15-20min ferry ride. This is also the only location where you can take a car barge to St John, so if you plan to rent a car on St Thomas you must ferry over from Red Hook. 

Ferry Rates & Schedule

The ferries to and from Red Hook, (St Thomas) and Cruz Bay, (St John) leave every hour on the hour.
Red Hook Ferry: $7 per person, $2 additional baggage charge
Red Hook Car Barge: $50 round trip - no charge for extra people or luggage

Charlotte Amalie Ferry (down town St Thomas): $8 plus $2 additional baggage charge

Cruz Bay Ferry (to STT): First boat leaves at 6:00 am, last boat leaves at 11pm
Red Hook Ferry (to STJ): First boat leaves at 5:30 am, last boat leaves at 12pm

Charlotte Amalie Ferry:
First boat leaves STJ to STT at 7:15am, last boat leaves at 3:45pm
First boat leaves STT to STJ at 9am, last boat leaves at 5:30pm

Leaves Cruz Bay St John	Leaves Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas
7:15 am	9:00 am
9:15 am	11:00 am
11:15 am	1:00 pm
1:15 pm	3:00 pm
2:15 pm	4:00 pm
3:45 pm	5:30 pm

Car Barge

Located at the Red Hook terminal.
Monday thru Sat- 6:15 am until 7:00 pm from each port.
With the exception of the first ferry, they run every hour on the hour.
Schedules can vary so make sure to call before hand or check the back of your ticket.

On Sundays

First ferry is at 6:15 am From Cruz Bay and the last one is at 6:15 pm.
The first ferry from Red Hook is at 7:00 am and the last one is at 7:00 pm.
With the exception of the first and last ferries from Cruz Bay, they run every two hours on the hour.