Eva Swoboda and Lester Ward will wed on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 at the Cap Juluca resort in Anguilla, British West Indies, having announced their engagement in October, 2002.

For those attending, this web site should answer questions involving this event. If you have questions that are not answered here, please let us know at wedding-AT-divnull-DOT-com.

Um…Wednesday?

We realize that Wednesday is somewhat unusual for a wedding date, but there is a reason for it. Anguilla requires a couple wishing to be married on the island to reside there for two full business days before they may wed. For a number of reasons, we were only able to take a week off and wanted to maximize the length of this vacation by flanking it with weekends. We also wanted to have the wedding as soon as possible within that week.

Please accept our apologies if this day of the week causes undue inconvenience.

How do you pronounce Anguilla?

The guide books claim it is ang-gwill-ah.

Anguilla, St. Maarten and St. Martin

Though the wedding is on Anguilla, this island is not necessarily the only place to stay or visit. Another island is a 20-minute boat ride away. This island is divided into two different sections. About 40% is called St. Maarten and is a Dutch colony (and is referred to as the "Dutch side"). The rest is called St. Martin and is considered part of France. (Anguilla is a British territory.)

This provides several options for flights and lodging. Anguilla has an airport and flights generally connect out of San Juan. The Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of St. Maarten is much larger, however, and flights to it tend to be cheaper, larger and more frequent.

Anguilla has little nightlife, but great, peaceful beaches. St. Martin (particularly the Dutch side) has more action but is more developed and touristy.

A US$12 ferry runs between St. Martin every half hour between 7:30am and 6:00pm.

What to do in Anguilla?

The Anguilla Guide contains tons of information on the island. One item of note is the Tranquility Jazz Festival, which happens to start the Friday after the wedding.

Here are some places to stay around where the wedding will be. Note that it is often best to phone these hotels directly, as the on-line reservation systems we've seen would sometimes report no vacancies, but calling the hotel directly found available rooms.

• Cap Juluca
• Rendezvous Bay
• Cuisinart Resort
• Great House
• Malliouhana
• Other accommodations

Currency: Officially the Eastern Carribiean (EC) dollar, but U.S. dollars are generally accepted. US$1=EC$2.68. You will often pay in US$ but get change in EC$. Fodors recommends bringing small bills because getting change for US$20 is "often difficult". ATMs are spotty, and only distribute EC$. Credit cards are not universally accepted (though are at most hotels).
Language: English
Power: 110 volts at 60Hz (like North America). U.S. standard plugs will work fine.

What to do in St. Martin?

The short answer is buy jewelry. We bought our wedding rings in one of the many jewelry stores in St. Martin (Dutch side). Prices tend to run from good to great, particularly if you are willing to pay in cash. Being more touristy, there are a number of online guides to St. Martin (here, here, here, etc.)

There are many hotels on St. Martin. Most of the following are recommended by Fodors:

• Divi Little Bay Beach Resort
• Green Cay Village
• Grand Case Beach Club
• Hôtel L'Esplanade Caraïbes
• La Samanna
• Great Bay Beach Hotel & Casino

Currency: Officially, the Dutch side uses the Netherlands Antilles florin (guilder): US$1 ≈ NAf1.8. The French side, officially, uses the euro (US$1 ≈ €1.17). Dollars, however, are widely accepted and used, with prices usually listed in US$ as well as native. MasterCard, Visa and Amex are universal, and generally offer the best exchange rates.
Language: Officially, Dutch and French, but everyone pretty much speaks English.
Power: The Dutch side uses 110 volts at 60Hz (like North America). The French side operates at 220 volts (60Hz).

Should I worry about hurricanes?

Hurricane season should be over by the time of the wedding, though it may still rain (crossing our fingers that it won't on Wednesday). Nights can get colder than you might think, but the days are usually around 80° F..

Should I worry about crime?

With a couple of exceptions (e.g. Jamacia), the Carribean is pretty safe. There are some places far from tourist areas that you shouldn't go after dark, but generally crime is not much of a problem. Anguilla is considered a bit more safe than average for the Carribean and St. Martin very slightly less.