A Tropical, Romantic Destination Wedding In St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Roxanna Medina and Steve Cwikla met in Tampa, Florida through mutual friends. It took a few times for their paths to cross briefly, but they were eventually given the opportunity to have a real conversation. “Even though we both knew there was a spark from the first conversation, there were many small obstacles that kept us from pursuing one another fully,” recalls Roxy. “For the first few years, we took things very slow. Once our relationship moved to the next level, I knew it was just a matter of time before we were going to be married.”

For the proposal, the couple took off to New York City – one of their favorite weekend getaway destinations. From the moment they arrived, Steve seemed unusually anxious and convinced Roxy to take a tour of the Empire State Building.

He bought her a necklace from a street vendor along the way, then insisted they buy a portable speaker “so they could have better sound in their room for music.” Once the two were at the top of the Empire State Building, Roxy went to take pictures when she suddenly heard one of their favorite songs playing from the speaker. Steve then slipped her new necklace around her neck. An engagement ring was dangling from it.

Along with NYC, Steve and Roxy are also drawn to the white sandy beaches and clear blue waters of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A year after their engagement, the planning process for a destination wedding in St. John was in the works. “Destination planning can be a bit overwhelming, but because we knew we wanted a small intimate wedding, we were able to get it done just as we wanted,” Roxy explains.

“Ironically, after searching high and low for a local planner who could execute my vision, I found exactly who I needed, working out of New Hampshire – a young woman by the name of Kristin Burgess, whose boutique wedding design company specializes in Caribbean and New England weddings.”

When the big day arrived, Kristen and her team transformed a simple USVI house into a beautiful wedding venue. “One of my favorite parts of the day was after the ceremony,” says Roxy. “We loaded up the guests and headed out for a sunset sail around the island of St. John, and it was just dreamy. All our guests were beyond happy and thankful to have been able to share this experience with us on such an enchanting Caribbean island. It was important to us that our family and friends have an unforgettable vacation in addition to witnessing a loving union that was a long time in the making.”