FAQs
Question
Where is St. John? What do I need to know??
Answer
St. John is a territory of the US near Puerto Rico and is one of three US Virgin Islands. It is the smallest (and the best) of the three and has a population of about 4000 people. Weather is 80s and sunny pretty much every day. Expect afternoon showers. The island is 60% national park with tons of beautiful beaches and hikes. Eric and I both lived and met on St. John. We can’t wait to share this special place with you all.
Question
How do I get to St. John??
Answer
St. John does not have an airport so you’ll fly into St. Thomas and ferry over to St. John. Check out the travel section for more info.
Question
Do I need a passport?
Answer
YES. You do not need one to get to the US Virgin Islands but we’re doing a boat day wedding and will be crossing into the British Virgin Islands. PLEASE CHECK YOUR PASSPORT NOW AND MAKE SURE IT WON’T BE EXPIRED. PLEASE APPLY FOR ONE NOW IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE.
Question
What should I pack?
Answer
All things for a tropical vacation! Bathing suits, REEF SAFE sunscreen, PASSPORTS!! Weather will be hot so shorts, tanks, flowy, and comfortable. There are lots of hikes on island so workout clothes and sneakers if that’s your jam. Reusable water bottle is recommended.
Question
Should we bring our own snorkel gear?
Answer
You absolutely can but you do not have to if you wana save room in your luggage. Beach Bum in town offers weekly rentals. Different beaches offer daily rentals and any boat we go on will have them as well.
Question
What do I wear to the ceremony??
Answer
We’re doing a boat wedding so ISLAND FANCY with a bathing suit or one you can change into. This is totally up to interpretation. Wear what makes you happy. Think light, flowy, comfortable, beachy. Wedding will be on the boats rain or shine so consider a light jacket or rain coat.
Question
What events should I expect to attend?
Answer
Welcome Event on Thursday the 23rd, the Ceremony on Friday the 24th, and a Beach day on Saturday the 25th. Eric and I are planning to be there October 21-28 so come soak up the sun as long as your vacation days allow
Question
Are babies/kids welcome??
Answer
Yes kids are welcome. We know a couple babysitters on island if needed. Keep in mind we are planning on being on a boat for our whole ceremony day which could be a lot for little ones. Reach out with more details on this if needed.
Question
How do we get around the island??
Answer
Taxis or safaris are always around but I’d recommend renting a vehicle for the most freedom and flexibility. Ubers and Lyft are not a thing here.
Question
When should I plan to arrive/depart??
Answer
We’re planning to be there a full week and we assume most people will come around 4-5 days but if only a few days works for you then the weekend is fine. We hope you choose to stay longer to enjoy everything St. John has to offer but we understand everyone has limited time off and a million other big life events to attend.
Question
When should I book my flights?
Answer
The earlier the better!
Question
When should i book accomodations?
Answer
Also the earlier the better! October is off season for St. John so the island won’t be as busy but you can never be too safe.
Question
Is there cell phone service??
Answer
Most of the island will have service. AT&T generally works better there. You’ll lose service at some beaches and the farther down island you go. I’d recommend turning off your roaming or going into airplane mode on the boat or down North Shore so you don’t get charged any fees.
Question
Will credit cards work?
Answer
Yes but cash is king.
Question
Can we drink the water??
Answer
We’d recommend filtering your water or buying jugs. Restaurants will have filtered water and each accommodation will let you know what works for that house but most water on island is rain water that’s collected in cisterns that aren’t always the cleanest.
Question
Who took all these amazing photos of you two??
Answer
Our amazing friend Elizabeth Shoupe. She’s the best. You’ll love her as much as we do.
Question
What else should i know?
Answer
Please keep in mind that St. John is a small and special little island with a fragile ecosystem. Just like anywhere else in the world we want to minimize our impact on the environment. Please turn off lights to save electricity. Also the power probably will go out while you’re visiting. A lot of places have generators but this can affect restaurants. Please be patient with locals as this is an extremely frustrating topic. Please be mindful of how much water you are using. Most of the island uses rain water and when it doesn’t rain, you have no water. Recycle when you can. One of our guests and friends helped start and improve the recycling center on St. John called Island Green allowing tons of cans to be recycled and even allowing St. John to start recycling plastic. So please separate your items before throwing them in the bins. Also bring a reusable cup or water bottle with you. Bartenders will gladly pour a margarita into your own cup. If you’re bringing sunscreen with you make sure it’s reef safe! St. John prohibits you to use non reef safe sunscreen. What does this mean? Avoid ingredients that start with ‘O’ like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. You’ll be able to see the coral reef damage St. John has already seen so let’s not make it worse. Also boats will not allow aerosol sunscreens so you won’t be able to bring a spray sunscreen on the ceremony day. Don’t touch or feed any of the animals including sea turtles and donkeys. Feeding the donkeys causes them to rely on us for food and puts them in danger of getting hit by a car. Plastic bags are supposed to be banned on St. John. Some of the markets have compostable ones and some markets only have reusable ones you can buy. At starfish market you can usually use the random cardboard boxes they have on top of shelves. This is your vacation but it’s other people’s lives and home. Treat it and the people with respect. Island time is real. Be patient and go with the flow.