Imagine a place where nothing interrupts your deepest thoughts or your sole mission of escaping the busy outside world. Where the only thing on your mind is relaxing, enjoying and dreaming. That?s the kind of place The Westin St. John Resort is. It?s different and it?s delightful.
The stellar resort encompasses some 47 lush green acres that are dotted with heavenly hibiscus and brilliant bougainvilleas. Offered are a bonanza of water sports, tennis, nearby golf, activities for the young and the young at heart, delectable dining and a sensational spa. Each day begins with curiosity and a new adventure.
With views to thrill, highly personalized and attentive service, ease of access, privacy, glamour, and an unrivaled beachside setting, the resort is the premier place on St. John for a destination wedding. Offering both incredible indoor and outdoor sites, a prospective couple can choose from either having their ceremony on a picture postcard perfect private beach, or amid the flourishing foliage in the Garden Gazebo area, mere steps from the captivating Caribbean water?s edge.
Bountiful buffets, formal sit-downs, customized wedding cakes and signature cocktails are just a few of the sumptuous selections the Westin offers. The resort?s award winning chef and skilled crew creates mouthwatering dishes that wow even the most discerning palates.
Wonderful wedding specialists in the Westin?s Romance Department add a personal touch to every event to ensure a singular, special and spectacular wedding day.
Following is a peak at three recent weddings at the Westin.
Chrissie and Yero
Chrissie Barsouian and Yero Saponjian got engaged during a Hawaiian vacation. ?He proposed at the top of Mount Haleakala as we were watching the sun rise. It was breathtakingly beautiful,? Chrissie recalled. ?After the sun was high in the sky, Yero got down on one knee, and with a Tacori Dantela ring, told me that for the rest of his life he wanted the sun to rise every day with me by his side,? Chrissie continued.
By then, the couple was completely enamored by tropical islands, having island hopped across Hawaii. They also became even more enraptured with island paradises after attending a friend?s wedding the year before on St. John. ?We both fell in love with the tranquility and beauty of St. John. We stayed at the Westin for our friend?s wedding and really loved the property and staff. So choosing the Westin at St. John was easy,? Chrissie explained.
On, Aug. 18, 2012, while 40 guests watched on the carefully manicured green grass, with the mesmerizing sounds from a harp humming nearby, Chrissie and Yero exchanged vows on the unspoiled beach by the gazebo.
The bride wore a chic, ivory Casablanca 1827 gown, embellished with lots of lace and beading. The stunning gown had a sweetheart neckline and mermaid train. The groom donned a three-piece natural linen suit with a dark purple tie and handkerchief. The bridesmaids were darling in satin dark purple, one shoulder, above the knee dresses. The groomsmen were handsome in matching linen pants, vest and the same regal purple tie. The flowers kept with the purple color scheme with white calla lilies and blue dendrobium orchids filling the bouquets and surrounding area with an enchanting aroma.
The Westin?s wonderful kitchen provided an unbelievable buffet that included a menu of: mixed green salad with several dressing selections; nicoise salad; loaded baked potato salad; grilled chicken with melon salsa; slow roasted barbeque brisket of beef; seared Mahi-Mahi with green peppercorn sauce; seasonal vegetables; oven roasted red potatoes.; and penne pasta with sun dried tomatoes and baby spinach.
The wedding cake was a three tiered masterpiece. Layers included chocolate cake with? raspberry filling, vanilla cake with? chocolate mousse filling, and chocolate cake with coconut filling. Also served were luscious mini key lime pies, vanilla mousse torte with raspberry, and ganache and passionfruit mousse tartlets with torched meringue.
?I was a bit nervous about having a destination wedding and not being able to control all of the details, but Romance Coordinator Tracey Robinson kept in constant contact via regular emails and phone conversations. There was such great attention to detail from setting up the guest book table to providing the straw raffia fans for guests to the Chinese lanterns hung in the reception area. Everything looked and tasted fantastic. It was such a wonderful experience for us and our guests,? Chrissie explained.
The happy couple lives in Boston where Chrissie is a CPA working for Deloitte & Touche LLP and Yero is a neuroscientist conducting biomedical research at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Vanessa and Usman
Christmas in New York is so romantic. The lights, the sounds and the chill in the air all adds to its arresting allure. So when Usman Sohail Khan suggested he and his significant other Vanessa Sendros meander through Midtown Manhattan and do a little window shopping during the festive holiday, then perhaps do some ice skating in Central Park, followed by a visit to the iconic Rockefeller Center to see the majestic Christmas tree, Vanessa though ?how lovely.? ? But when they found the ice skating rink closed, Usman raced to find the next best thing. A horse drawn carriage it was, and as Vanessa alleges, it was the perfect alternative.
About a half hour later, fingers entwined as they moseyed down tony Fifth Ave, stopping in front of the festive tree at Rockefeller Center,? the pair witnessed a very stunned girlfriend accepting a very unexpected proposal. ?Isn?t that the sweetest thing,? Vanessa recalled saying.
The couple then enjoyed an incredible Italian feast in the Theater District. Full from the repast, the infectious Christmas spirit and the unrestricted public display of affection, Vanessa said she thought it was the best date ever; but only for a brief moment. When Usman went down on one knee, withdrew an unmistakable square ring box from his pocket and asked Vanessa to marry him, Vanessa knew then this was the best of all dates. The couple soon began setting the date and time for their wedding. Sept. 1, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. it would be.
While legend has it that showers on a wedding day are good luck, Vanessa wasn?t taking any chances that rain would put a damper on her big day.
Vanessa and Usman chose to marry in September in the Caribbean, on the island of St. John, a place the two had come to love from several sensational vacations. But since September is the height of hurricane season there, the couple was worried about getting rained out. So in their search for the perfect location, St. John?s Westin came out on top. ?The fact that it has a rain location plus an on-site wedding coordinator was definitely what sealed the deal for me. Initial email exchanges with the resort revealed that they were very organized and detail oriented. Since my husband and I both have full time jobs, those aspects were important to us. Plus, the pictures I perused of other weddings at the resort on its beautiful property were just breathtaking. ? Vanessa explained. ?I worked closely with Michelle Keely, a Westin wedding coordinator. She was phenomenal,? Vanessa added.
Reverend Phil Chalker presided over the simple ceremony on the grassy area outside the Westin?s beach gazebo as 74 guests wistfully watched. There was no rain, just a fabulous full moon. The bride was becoming in an off-white dress with a lace bead overlay on champagne satin. The groom was fine-looking in a custom tailored khaki linen suit, white shirt, red tie, spit polished brown shoes and matching belt. The five bridesmaids were dressed in short, strapless radiant red dresses with gold peep-toe shoes on their feet. They were all flawlessly accessorized with glistening gold jewelry. The five groomsmen matched Usman?s attire, adding red silk ties to match the bridesmaid?s dresses. The red/white contrast was simply striking.
Vanessa and Usman put their trust in the Westin and went with the vendors suggested. The florist emailed pictures and recommended bouquets based on Vanessa?s request for tropical island flowers of rich red, luxurious oranges and luminous yellows. Harley Smith Jr. filled the DJ shoes. ?He emailed me a questionnaire prior to the wedding for the music selection, ensuring he would spin all of our favorites,? Vanessa detailed.
All the couple?s favorites and more were incorporated into the reception menu that followed under tents on the Westin?s meticulously manicured spacious lawn.? The bevy of hors d?ouevres included peppered seared ahi tuna, tomato and mozzarella crostini, mini crab cakes, coconut shrimp, mini beef wellington, teriyaki chicken satay, and brie and sweet apple en croute. Dinner began with an appetizer of an amazing arugula and oven roasted pear salad dressed with candied walnuts and gorgonzola cheese. The trio of main course entrees included fire grilled tenderloin with Cruzan rum and caramelized onion demi-glace; open pit fired citrus glazed chicken with chimichurri sauce; and eggplant parmigiana.
The wedding cake was a Westin work of art. It was a four tier cake with white vanilla butter cream frosting draped with tropical flowers. Each tier had a different filling: strawberry, coconut, mango, and banana. And just to give guests additional options, an elaborate dessert display of sweet miniature delights were also offered. ?Everything was everything I had hoped for and more, from beginning to end,? Vanessa said.
The couple celebrated with Usman?s family in Pakistan over the 2012 Christmas holidays since only immediate family was able to make the trip to the Caribbean, allowing the wedding celebration to appreciatively linger a while longer.? The couple lives in Manhattan where Usman works for the prestigious brokerage firm Morgan Stanley and Vanessa at a small consumer health publishing firm as a circulation operations manager.
Deasy and Mark
Deasy Phillips always knew she wanted a small destination wedding. So when her fiance Mark Campione, a nice Italian boy from Staten Island with a large extended family surprisingly proposed just before Thanksgiving, Deasy starting planning the big day, keeping ?small wedding? in mind.
?I am from Texas, went to college at the University of Alabama, and met my husband in New Jersey. So, my friends and family are scattered all about. We knew they would have to travel to wherever we chose. We picked the Caribbean because we wanted somewhere that was still part of the U.S. so people didn?t have to worry about passports or money exchanges. I had heard so many good things about the Westin. What really cinched the deal for me is that the resort is kid friendly. The other location I looked at on the island didn?t even have televisions in the room, and I could only image the parents with kids at night with nothing to do,? Deasy shared.
The Westin provided Deasy with a wedding planner who helped her through every step and with all the details. ?She was fantastic, as were the people who helped me with my contract. All around I really didn?t have to think too much. I just told Michelle and Debbie my ideas and they both pointed me in the right direction. I don?t think I had one question not answered,? Deasy recalled.
The wedding week blew in with Hurricane Isaac brewing off the coast, causing some guests to get delayed in Miami due to flight cancellations and on nearby St. Thomas due to ferry cancellations. But all the guests arrived in time for the Welcome Party and the wedding.
The day of the wedding, Deasy, along with her mother and sister, went to get their hair done at the Drift Away Salon, walking distance from the resort. After they were all gussied up and looking gorgeous, the heavens opened up and spilled out a torrent of rain. The trio hailed a taxi the short distance back to the resort and started getting dressed for the ceremony. With the rain still falling, the Westin?s on-the-ball wedding planner Michelle called to see if Deasy wanted to move the wedding inside. ?I wanted it outside rain or shine. But I wanted Mark to make the final decision. It was the right one; he opted for outside and 20 minutes before the ceremony. The rain stopped,? Deasy recalled.
Michelle picked the couple up in a swanky black Rolls Royce golf cart. ?I was so excited about my little cart, it even had shiny rims. It was a little surprise I wasn?t expecting? Deasy chuckled.
On Aug. 25, 2012, 50 guests witnessed Deasy and Mark?s nuptials in front of the resort?s iconic gazebo. Capt. Phil Chalker officiated with violinist Leah Aronin strumming in the distance. The bride was delightful in a long white dress by Galina from David?s Bridal, highlighted by a dazzling orange sash cinched at her waist.? Mark looked marvelous in a Banana Republic suit. Deasy?s bridesmaid was beautiful in a short chiffon turquoise dress, and Mark?s groomsman shined in khaki pants and Tommy Bahama linen shirt of the same blue hue.
The flowers, secured with the help of Westin?s wedding planners, were a colorful and fragrant montage of brilliant blues and vivid oranges.? The food, provided by Westin?s creative kitchen, was ?fantastic.? Attractive and appetizing multitudes of hors d?ouerves were passed during the cocktail hour and while Louis Lucas Photography snapped a collection of memories on film. An abundant buffet followed in tents on the resort?s perfectly tended lawn.
The Westin also provided the three tier cake. The layers were filled with a melt-in-your mouth butter cream frosting and were gracefully covered in an elegant white frosting. Flowers that mimicked Deasy?s wedding flora adorned the sugary delight.
DJ Harley, of Music Services of Greg Kinslow, spun everyone?s favorite tunes for four hours. ?I didn?t have a list of music for him to play. I just told him to expect requests. I don?t think anyone sat down the whole night, stopping just to get something to eat or drink. The dance floor was hopping all night long,? Deasy chuckled.
?The Westin did an amazing job with everything, from start to finish. I wouldn?t have changed anything, even threatening Hurricane Isaac, which brought a little extra excitement to the day. Walking down the aisle, approaching my future husband who was so lovingly looking at me, I just knew everything was perfect from the wedding location to marrying the man of my dreams,? a wistful Deasy evoked.
Leave A Reply