Great idea for gift bags!! If you have room in your suitcase(s), I might suggest you buy the rafts ahead of time. I don't find the selection to be too awfully extensive (not to mention expensive) at the pool stores, although I'm not sure which particular villa you are staying.

Here's some ideas for contents:

Raft, sunscreen, bug spray (a necessity), beach shoes (although you would need to know sizes), disposable camara (underwater), bottle of Cruzan rum (or those little airplane size 3 packs you can buy at any gift stores in STT or STJ), snorkel mask (may be too expensive?), maybe a personalized beach towel would be fun (with your names, wedding date, location).

Just some ideas....

Those are some really great ideas. Especially the snorkel mask & beach towel. Do you have any idea hw much a snorkel mask would be? I plan to bring a suitcase full of this sort of stuff. We are flying United to I think we can bring 2 suitcases pp but I do need to look into that. I'm a pretty light packer though.

Not sure of the prices in USVI, but I think you can get a pretty good snorkel mask & snorkel for around $20. Try this website :

http://www.poolcenter.com/pooltoys_mask_fins_goggles_snorkels.htm

Or you may actually have good luck right now at a local pool store, Walmart, Target, etc, since they are closing out summer things before Labor Day.

Great Ideas! Most villas have some sort of pool rafts/toys but you might not want to bring something bulky to the beach -especially for 8. Noodle chairs fold up to pocket size - about like a scarf (before you add the noodle - lol). They support up to 250#. When you get down there you can get the noodles at K-Mart for less than $2 each. When you leave, leave the noodles at the villa (or pass them on to some kids you run into on the beach your last day - they will be thrilled). You can get them stateside on eBay, or at K-Mart, or Osco for about $4-$6. If you want to go inflatable, here's a great site http://www.sunnystuff.com - just keep in mind that once they are blown up they are a *B* to deflate and fold up again - lol. Other ideas to add to those already mentioned for your giftie bags: a small photo album with a title page commemorating the event and who was there; "cool" visors (the ones with the beads inside the brim - you dip them in water before you put them on and they keep you cool; Mini Misty Mates; drink cups - give each guest several in one assigned color - easy to tell their drinks apart at the pool or jacuzzi - and you will have some in the dishwasher and some clean at all times. if you don't want to pack the plastic tumblers, get bendy drink straws - packaged by color (at a party store) and give each guest a pack of their own color; T-shirts - make up your own transfer on the conputer and take the transfers to your local t-shirt shop for professional application (I can never make this work with a home iron - those large presses work the best). You could also do gift certificates for entry to an attraction - like admission to Coral World - you could make these up on your computer by "borrowing" the Coral World logos from their site for your certs. Or, admission to Magens or Trunk Bay - your guests will know they are going and you are picking up the entry fees. You could do the same with first drink coupons to one of the local bars - the fist round is on you. If you have readers in the crowd and want to add a beach read, put in a best-seller paperback or, if you want an island feel, an old stand-by is "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk (sp?). I think that one is available in trade paperback. The Jimmy Buffett books are available in paperback now, too - "Joe Merchant", "A Pirate Looks at Forty". The ViNow site also has some great assortments of maps and books. You can also get a lot of crazy little tropical stuffers, like water squirting tropical fishes, wild sunglasses, beachballs, floating drink coasters etc., at www.orientaltrading.com - check out the luau section. Have fun - sounds like a great time!

Thanks for all the tips. They are GREAT!!! The mugs especially. I think I'll go to a craft store and buy puff paint and write their names on the mugs. And the books are good too. There are a few reading lovers in the group and there is a bookstore near me that sells used books in New conditon for $2-3 a paperback & $5-10 a hardcover. I plan to leave all the rafts we bring at the home or give them away. I'll need the extra suitcase I'm bringing all this stuff in for all the shopping I do!!!

If you are crafty...make them all a tee-shirt...
"I went to see ???? get married on St. John...or
"They have beautiful Brides in St. John"....or
stamp fish or shells all over the tee-shirt. That's what you will see down there to buy anyways!

I like the idea of the camera's! heck...I like the whole idea of the gift bags!!
Congrats on the wedding & have a great time!!