|
Sunrise on a MarriagePre-Wedding Trip to the Romantic Virgin IslesMartha Hollis and Anthony ScaggsRomance sparkles like the sun's rays dancing on the bays, rivers, and waterfalls of the magical Caribbean Islands. The humid air encapsulates floral fragrances creating nature's scented drops of love. The shimmering heat waves pulsate with the heart as a reminder of distant passions. Slipping away to this paradise, we hoped to renew our youthful infatuation for our prelude to a marriage.
First stop on the wedding prelude was the regal, pale peach edifice of the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas. Smiling, our greeter reminded us to generously slather suntan cream on each other--an island tradition for lovers, eliminating any excuses that you could not reach the middle of the back. Feeling positive warmth in mind, body, and soul was the plan--not sunburn. This intimate technique to protect your loved one included sensually touching the exposed body In a royal blue and white-stripped tent, a deep tissue massage on the beach began the relaxation process. The overhead tent fan lazily extracted all tension and dissipated it into the soothing Caribbean air and the rhythmically lapping waves. The massage therapist, Elizabeth Grammer, knew exactly the tight points and decided to attack them with vigor, especially the neck and back manifestations of our computerized society. This natural healer's touch sensed the body's ailing tissue and willed relaxation. Later, the tropical rain cleansed the air while we lunched under our commodious beach umbrella at the poolside Iguana café. Guava-sauced baby-back ribs provided slow nibbling and finger licking while a light Island Cobb salad added balance. Couples hunched under the umbrellas as the server dashed from one dry spot to another. Everyone laughed and smiled especially when the accumulation of water exceeded an umbrella's capacity creating a mad torrent of falling water--wildly tumbling down the back of an unsuspecting diner. But so what? It was refreshing and the ultimate answer for cleansing those messy rib eaters. The rain ceased just in time for snorkeling on the nearby reefs. That demanding exercise justified light dozing on the beach with visions of this evening's event in The Dining Room, a 4-diamond restaurant. The restaurant's upholstered furniture surrounded crisp, white linen tablecloths and fresh flowers on intimately spaced tables. Chef Oliver Piganiol five-course tasting menu with carefully paired wines would be waiting (see "Culinary Island Hopping: Fine Dining in the Caribbean at http://www.travellady.com/????). Sunlight streaming though the Bahamian mahogany shuttered windows, the sound of the sea's lapping waves gently caressing the sun warmed beach, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries were the initial welcome to the Ritz-Carlton's Sunday brunch. The Perrier-Jouet champagne flows with the live, soft music in the background. Chef Franck Desmurs, Garde Manger, exhibits his art on the carved wooden bar complete with caviar in Faberge-type eggs, lobster medallions on small plates, cheeses, smoked fish, and salads. There is no hurry. We raved over the fresh fish sautéed a la minute by the omelet chef. We laughed, told stories and shared salads, leaf by leaf, while watching others in various stages of intimacy, love and togetherness (including three generations of a local family) as well as the passionate signs of honeymooners. Desmurs somehow maintained the visual presentation of the art show quietly replacing little plates as diners quickly sweep them away. Then there was an entire dessert table to think about conquering. Fortunately, the pastry chef thoughtfully provided petite dishes of crème brulee, small tarts, and pastries, but there was no holding back on the extent of passionate chocolate beckoning one to the display (if that basic food ingredient was one's piece de resistance). Eventually we surrendered to espressos, sighs of contentment, the views, and the pleasant atmosphere of a lovely Sunday afternoon wrapped in the gentle music of love and the aura of romance. The next morning we did attend to wedding business, meeting in the cafe with Steven Fisher who had the official title of Director of Catering and Conference Services. After this visit, we would have called him the wedding dream-fulfiller. He seemed to be an advisor, a psychologist, and a family counselor as well as overall manager of the wedding. There could not be a more empathetic and capable man on the scene. "About 50% of initial inquires come from our website and we get about 15 new inquiries per day," stated Fisher. "We have a digital photo archive and menus to immediately send. It is usually the bride who does most of the planning and the gentleman calls to negotiate the initial contract. He usually has the honey-whatever-you-want mindset and focuses only on the total dollar amount." {Image, ritzflowerwalk} There is sufficient space for the entire family and friends to join the celebration. The highly trained, professional staff is able to deliver wedding cakes, flowers, and a variety of cuisines served as seated dinners or buffets with individual food stations. {Image, wedcake}"Weddings range in size from 2 to 150 people. The May-June dates fill up fast, " continued Fisher. "Each wedding is unique--whatever the couple wants, we try to provide." The Ritz's van took us to the ferry dock adjacent to Red Hook, where Caneel Bay's private ferry collected us for the 20-minute cruise to St. John's Island. {Image romance_beachchair_caneel} Seven white sand beaches with occasional lounge chairs are accessible via natural paths between privacy screens of grape trees and other greenery. For the ultimate in individual privacy, there are secluded single story dwellings hidden along the glistening beaches. While originally established as a Rockresort, continuing efforts to honor Laurence Rockefeller's generous plan to keep much of this island as a nature preserve have been achieved in an elegant manner. Wide, green lawns carefully landscaped with tropical plants gently slope between the various beaches with their guestrooms. Open-air jitneys provide continual transportation for those electing faster transport, while others stroll quietly often spotting the small wild donkeys inhabiting the island. Snorkel equipment is part of the check-in--and looks totally natural sitting on your wooden back porch at the ready for a quick swim out to your local reef. This is a quieter resort with buildings taking a back seat to nature's beauty. Seven beaches carve this world into smaller, more intimate spaces. {Image romance_7beaches_caneel} Privacy is a cherished word at Caneel. Jennifer Wilson, the bubbly and incurably romantic Wedding Coordinator, promises, "we will make your dream wedding come true." Caneel Bay can accommodate weddings ranging in size from 2 to 150 persons, but will only host one wedding per day. "We do about 150 weddings per year and every single one can have a different theme; each is uniquely created for this perfect moment, " quipped Wilson. Adjacent to our beach bungalow was a bride-to-be neighbor. We watched, from afar, her ceremony on the lush green promontory overlooking the deep blue-green ocean illuminated by another magnificent sunset. She would cherish this Caneel magic for the rest of her life. Caneel Bay's Executive Chef, Hans Schadler, with a romantic twinkle in his eyes suggested his favorite wedding celebration, "The ruins of the old Sugar Mill are an unusually special place to have a private candlelit wedding dinner." Wilson expanded the reception possibilities, "the Sugar Mill Ruins can handle a romantic dinner for 2 to 12. That same size can have a private sunset sail." She excitedly shared other luxurious options: an intimate reception for 10 to 25 on the Starlight Terrace, elegant receptions for 30 to 150 at one of the restaurants (The Equator, The Turtle Bay Estate House or Caneel Beach Terrace). Another creatively fun option would be a party and sunset cruise for up to 80 guests on Caneel's private ferry with steel band. Particularly tempting were Wilson's ideas for the two-party experiencing a taste of paradise: intimate ceremony on the beach followed by a sunset champagne cruise on a sailing yacht with appetizers concluding with an intimate dinner in the Sugar Mill Ruins. {Image romance_sailboat_caneel} As the time neared for manager, Brian Young's weekly cocktail reception at the Turtle Bay Estate House, we envisioned the wedding possibilities. Young greeted everyone at Caneel with his warmth and immediate gift of making everyone feel welcome and individually important! This magnificent, outdoor building with stone walls and luxuriously appointed furniture, highlighted in the evening with torches, captured the night's magic. {Image romance_coupleturtle_caneel} Waitpersons seamlessly offered delicate hors d'oeuvres and island cocktails. The music wafted off into the night air. Imagine this place filled with the love and energy of family and friends! Later we wandered into the seafood buffet. From first glance we witnessed the simply elegant and stately luxurious signatures of Hans Schadler's guidance. After being seated, Chef Claudia Fitzgerald, who regularly visits her dining room clientele said, "since it is shoulder season, this is only a scaled-down version of our usual Grand buffet." This magnificent version suggested the breathtaking possibilities for a grand wedding event. Every item was expertly prepared, served at precisely the right temperatures, imaginatively combined, and artistically presented. Jumbo shrimp joined crab claws on ice, beef tenderloins were under warming lamps, and fresh fish (a beautiful seabass) beckoned temptingly in silver chafing dishes. There were tantalizing quantities of fresh, organic salads and vegetables matched with creative Island starches--not to mention a plethora of chutneys as well as classic and nouvelle sauces. Buffets are an immensely difficult challenge for fine cuisine (as compared to cooking a la minute), but the talents, teamwork, and dedication are quite evident from this Hans Schadler trained culinary staff. Earlier I wandered over to where a chef armed with long tongs gently flipped local lobster tails, which he blessed with clarified butter. I was just doing a little culinary preview. He grinned charmingly claiming, "Don't worry, I will save some for you." Moreover, he did, and later presented two perfectly grilled, sweet lobster tails. The dessert table was artistically laden with at least a dozen different choices labeled to help diners find or develop favorites such as chocolate pecan tart or key lime pie. We had no doubts as to the splendid wedding cake that the pastry chef could create. {Image romance_kinter_caneel}The wedding promontory was the same spot where that morning we met Jan Kinter, founder and director of The Self Centre at Caneel (and The Self Centre International), for a session called BreathWalk. Before starting, Kinter shared her philosophy of an extraordinary vacation to "discover ways to relax your mind, rejuvenate your body and rekindle your spirit. I had one bride who hooked up her bridal party with me. The bride told them if they wanted to give her a wedding gift to come see Jan and take a relaxation class before the wedding." Kinter suggested that couples explore the rhythm of relationship sessions--where partners learn of self by sharing with each other. "It helps open up sensory awareness and it is playful," she said. "We have 3 or 4 couples learning to be alive." For a harmonious and sharing experience, Caneel's fitness center provides a stress relieving couples massage--guaranteed to be of value before and after any event. While all of these resorts are ideal candidates for honeymooners, a very quiet, secluded spot is Little Dix Bay Resort (also with wedding facilities). Here honeymooners, sharing the details of their special days and experiencing their new lives as two, surrounded us. Totally alone that evening at a table for two, our exclusive waiter served "our" romantic beach dinner at the water's edge. We kicked off our shoes and marveled at the stars while our personal waiter withdrew the chilled bottle from the silver bucket (yes, anchored in the sand like a beach umbrella) and uncorked it. More sounds delighted us--the repeated lapping waves and the crackling flame of the tiki torches. We owned this beachfront for this night. {Image romance_ocean_dine_dix} Images by SearchWrite, copyright 2001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Jennifer Wilson Caneel Bay Resort
Steven Fisher Little Dix Bay Resort |
|
TM
The
joyous union of mature adults sometimes lacks the pristine ecstasy of a first or
second wedding. With several marriages, families, careers, deaths and a seasoned
view of life's reality, some unions are relegated to the "ho hum"
file. Our "Sunrise" trip was a vacation with a purpose--discover
wedding possibilities in the romantic Virgin Isles. We selected two upscale
resorts to consider for weddings--Caneel Bay, St. Johns; and the Ritz-Carlton,
St. Thomas.