How it Works

Dear Engaged Couple,

We have been providing wedding planning for the past decade to destination minded couples and are honored to be considered for this position for your event. Our experience has taught us that couples have many questions in the initial phases of identifying their planner and we hope that this step-by-step description will assist you selecting KatiLady to guide you through the organizational phases of your celebration.

Step-by-Step Wedding Planning

Steps 1, 2 & 3

• Select your planner
• Choose a date
• Identify your ceremony / reception location(s)

Planners:
Tropical island breezes carry perfumed jasmine scents through the most lovely of wedding ceremonies. KatiLady Wedding Planners will inspire your senses and develop your dream into an island wedding reality. With nearly two decades of experience the planners at KatiLady are more than informed about St. John’s unique ceremony site options. From romantic ruins reminiscent of days long gone to sunset bathed shore lines this island has a little bit of everything for the bride and groom to chose from. Kati, owner and Senior Planner and her team of specialists know every option. We work with only the most sought after musicians and experience photographers. KatiLadys’ team uses only the best florist in the Virgin Islands and our experience eliminates all the little things that can go wrong so you can relax and enjoy your special day.

Ceremony Locations:
Popular ceremony locations include Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay & Hawksnest Bay all on the North Shore as well as the Anaberg Ruins just past Francis Bay. Other options include private boats like Island Spirit, a 60 foot Catamaran, and various gazebos, decks and verandas located at numerous villas scattered throughout the island. Kati and her team have many suggestions for your wedding that fit your event feel and are excited to share them with you by phone, email or in person.

Reception Locations:
With your ceremony under way, focus your attentions to the celebration of this momentous event by allowing Kati and her team to assist in the reception plans. While private villas weddings are their specialty, your options include restaurants, beach BBQ's and boat excursions.

Having hosted weddings at over 60 different villas on island they are incredibly informed on what each home has to offer. For the more outrageous and eccentric, villas like Hawksview Estate and Caribe Villa are ideal options with unimaginable vistas and constant breezes that create magazine quality photo settings. And for groups of 30 or less the options include villas like Kalaroma, set in the tropical gardens of Gifft Hill and Rhapsody. Your options don't stop there; speak to your wedding planner about the different homes available on island.

Step 4 - Food & Beverage

Catering:
Catering meals at private villas is a tropical breeze. The extensive menu of KatiLady featuring the talented Executive Chef Kyle Inserra, brings the best of local flavor to life. The KatiLady menus have a sophisticated approach to comfort foods offering variations in local fish like Mahi Mahi, Black Fin Tuna and Spiny Tail Lobster and island favorites like Drunken Chicken, Coconut Chicken and West Indians Curries. Traditional options such as Pork Tenderloin, Roast Beef and Spiral Ham lend themselves perfectly to those seeking recognized dishes prepared throughout the US. Speak to your planner about custom menus and surf & turf options for those seeking a truly spectacularly prepared meal.

Restaurants:
Some clients prefer the formality and comfort of a restaurant setting for their reception. KatiLady works with the of the best restaurants in the islands including Waterfront Bistro located on Cruz Bay beach looking out to St. Thomas. With a magnificent menu and superior service, Waterfront Bistro is an ideal setting for weddings on the larger scale able to accommodate 80+ guests. If tropical sunsets set your heart a glow then look no further than ZoZo's located at Gallows Point and reaching out toward the Pillsbury Sound. ZoZo's has an incredible ambience, known for their amazing Osso Bucco, home made pastas and breathtaking sunsets. Speak to your planner about other restaurant locations on island.

Steps 5-9 - Vendor Selection Process

Choosing your vendors could not be simpler as you collaborate with your planner. She will have sorted out the vendors that make the most sense for your style wedding and present you with the best options from our gallery of service providers.

Step 5 - Your Officiate:
To begin the vendor selection you will want to book your officiate. This is the person who will conduct your marriage ceremony. Our selection includes women and men from a handful of backgrounds and faiths. Most are non-denominational in religion though there are select Christian ministers available for your ceremony as well. Several officiates on island are able to perform Jewish style, Buddhist style and even Catholic ceremonies. All of our officiates will take you through the marriage license process. Explaining how to procure, fill out and submit your marriage documents to the USVI Court System will be key to your officate's responsibilities and included in their fees. See our Officiate descriptions for more details

Step 6 - Musicians:
St. John flourishes with musical variety and KatiLady works with most everyone who has proved themselves reliable, capable and "in-tune" with wedding receptions. From famous International Reggae bands to classically trained flutist your music selection is vast. Depending on your ceremony style you may be booking musician(s) to serenade the bride down the aisle. Steel Pan players offer a Caribbean feel to any tropical wedding albeit on the beach at sunset or overlooking the waters from your private villa. Jazz trios, flutists, guitarists and even a capella singers are available as well. Cocktail hour music is often a consideration and while some couples prefer their own tunes on a personal play list others want a DJ or band to begin. Some villas are setup with I-pod docks allowing couples hosting smaller gatherings to use such sound systems for their receptions while parties of 30+ mostly require a DJ or band in order to meet the crowd's needs.

Step 7 - Photographer / Videographer:
As a Mecca of artistic talent St. John bursts with photographers of all experience levels vying to be part of your wedding celebration. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the options though you can rely on your KatiLady planner to have identified the best of the bunch. Our company has spent over a decade creating our photographer selections as creative, punctual and reliable options. Too often novice photographers come to the island enticed by the majestic tropical splendor but unaware of the complications involved with executing and delivering a couple's wedding photos. The planners of KatiLady limit your exposure to such vendors offering up only the tried and true in the business.

Step 8 - Florist:
With the challenges involved in shipping living flora to our tropical island we have found that direct contact to a wholesaler is often the best option for our clients. Having established relationships with our St. Thomas purveyor over the past few years we have a much higher rate of client satisfaction as options for flowers have grown and quality improved. KatiLady's planners will walk you through a floral canvas of possibilities based on your season and time of day. Though we should note that tropical flowers hold up best in our hot Caribbean sun, for instance summer day time weddings would be wise to chose birds of paradise and not peonies. This kind of advice has been won through much trial and error. Speak to your planner for more suggestions on flowers best suited to your wedding.

Step 9 - Transportation:
While we are but 8 ½ miles from one end of the island to the other our roads are quite hilly and should your ceremony be located somewhere other than your reception we strongly encourage renting open-air taxi's to bring guests to and from the events. These large bus's hold 27 people and rent affordably by the hour though can cost more than triple by the person. There is also a limo service available for the bridal couple and immediate attendants based on locations and weather. Again, KatiLady planners will have details on which sites and events would require such bookings.

Step 10 - Rehearsal / Welcome Party:
Once your wedding planning is under way it is time to consider your welcome party and/or rehearsal dinner. Weddings of a certain size justify both events as often families & friends are meeting each other for the first time and rehearsal dinners are geared toward wedding attendants and immediate relatives. One great location for a welcome party is Joe's Rum Hut. Centrally located on the waterfront downtown it is and ideal place for those just arriving on island to kick off their stateside boots and relax with cocktail in hand beach front. Catering is available on site as with the Tap Room, an air-conditioned smaller scale venue located at Mongoose Junction where parking is plenty and guests can enjoy a locally brewed beverage. Restaurants lend themselves to smaller rehearsal dinners and your KatiLady planner has relationships with various eateries on island. Though often, the groom's family is interested in hosting a Caribbean BBQ at their private villa, beach gathering or sunset cruise prior to the wedding day. Your wedding planner can speak directly to the person responsible and work with them to assure an awesome event that doesn't overshadow or resemble your wedding soon to come.

Step 11 - Payment Process:
Unlike many planning companies, KatiLady employs a unconventional method to billing as assessed to your planning process. Often other firms bill a flat fee or percentage of your entire event. We've found that this can lead clients away from their first choice vendor as they are concerned about the planning costs. Our solution has been to implement an hourly rate. We bill out based on the number of hours it takes to you're your event, ensuring not only do you get to select the best vendors for your wedding without added costs associated but also that you kept abreast of everything we are working on. The latter part of this process is key as communication is most important to us and the updates to your planner fees provide you with information on how your wedding is coming together.

In your initial estimate you will find an estimate of hours associated to your wedding. These estimated hours are created for you from our years of experience booking similar size, located or style events. As those hours are consumed you will be updated on progress. Should your wedding prove to require more time you will be notified as far in advance as possible so you an decide how to progress.

To reserve your date with KatiLady 50% deposit is due upon booking. This is half the amount provided to you from our customized estimate which you should receive soon after your commitment to work with us and initial wedding reviews. Final payment is due 30 days prior to the event. We understand, however, that destination weddings often have unexpected head count changes and while you are committed to the minimum number of guests attending at 30 days prior to the event we are happy to accommodate up to a 20% increase catering until 14 days prior to the wedding. At which time we would provide the added cost to you in a revised bill and final payment is due upon arrival in cash or can be wire transferred to our account.

We hope this step-by-step process has allowed you to better understand the planning process of a destination wedding. It was created to answer your most basic questions on what you will be accomplishing with your KatiLady planner. Though we would like to note that our weddings are customized to meet your needs and there is much our planners can do that falls outside of this general process. As residents of St. John we understand the nuances of travel from the states through St. Thomas and onto island. We have numerous suggestions on how to move parties of varying sizes through their travels as well as assisting in gift baskets, welcome packages, provisioning and directions. KatiLady's planners are committed to making your event above and beyond your desires and thanks you for taking the time and initiative to review our process. We will be honored to carry the burden of planning form here on out. Congratulations to you and your betrothed on this incredibly momentous occasion.

Respectfully,
The KatiLady Team