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Weddings

About

Michelle (Fage) Cawthron is a premier destination wedding planner based on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Before trading city lights for turquoise waters, she spent eight years in Los Angeles working as a coordinator for high‑profile events with ASA Events and working on ESPN’s X Games and ESPY Awards. Today, she is the owner and lead planner of Paradise Planning, where she has designed and executed nearly 300 weddings for couples from around the world.

Michelle earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. Shortly after, she moved to the West Coast and immersed herself in the fast‑paced world of entertainment event production—an experience that shaped her signature blend of creativity, precision, and calm under pressure.

In early 2011, after nearly a decade in Los Angeles, Michelle felt called to a new pace and a new purpose. She moved to St. John, USVI, where she began working with local wedding planners. It quickly became clear that her background in celebrity‑level events offered a unique advantage in the destination wedding market. In 2012, she launched Paradise Planning with one guiding belief:

“You have a vision for your wedding or special event, and the responsibility of Paradise Planning is to do everything in our power to realize that vision.”

With extensive experience in luxury events, stateside celebrations, and island destination weddings, Michelle brings a rare combination of logistical expertise, creative direction, and heartfelt hospitality. Her work is defined by seamless execution, elevated design, and an unwavering commitment to creating celebrations that exceed expectations and feel deeply personal to each couple she works with.

Contact Michelle today at Michelle@ParadisePlanningUSVI.com or (310) 968-3789.

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Do you offer an hourly rate?

No

What wedding events do you provide services for?

Ceremony
Reception
Rehearsal Dinner

What wedding planning services do you offer?

Day-of Coordination
Full Planning
Partial Planning

What weddings do you have experience planning?

Civil
Cultural
Destination
Double Weddings
Elopement
Eco-Friendly
Military
Non-Religious
Religious

Reviews of Paradise Planning

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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Paradise Planning delivers seamless, stress-free destination weddings by handling every detail from vendor coordination to day‑of logistics. The planner’s local knowledge, organization, and calm problem‑solving let couples relax and fully enjoy the day. Reviewers highly recommend their services.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Paradise Planning delivers seamless, stress-free destination weddings by handling every detail from vendor coordination to day‑of logistics. The planner’s local knowledge, organization, and calm problem‑solving let couples relax and fully enjoy the day. Reviewers highly recommend their services.

J
Julie Sent on 10/02/2026
5 out of 5 rating

St. John Dream Wedding

It was truly an easy process and Paradise Planning covered every detail. The package was very customizable. Michelle covers every detail. The wedding ceremony was tailored to us and perfect. Great value taking all the guesswork out of the process.
Julie
Julie Sent on 09/25/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Michelle and her team made our wedding absolutely perfect!

The moment I got engaged, I reached out to Michelle. I happened to be on island two weeks later, and she met me in person to talk through venue options. She made such a great impression that I hired her on the spot.

Michelle handled absolutely everything. I put together a vision board of what I had in mind, and she and her team brought every little detail to life. We had monthly calls to keep things on track, and the Aisle Planner app she uses kept everything organized. It's a lifesaver, especially for a Type B person like me!

Beyond the wedding itself, I shared my vision for our welcome party and beach day, and she made those happen too. On the wedding day, I showed up 15 minutes before the ceremony, and everything was perfect. I didn't have to worry about a thing.

I highly recommend Michelle and her team to help plan your special day. You won't regret it!
Zack
Zack Sent on 09/24/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Could Not Recommend More!

I honestly don’t know how to put into words how amazing Michelle is. From the very beginning of our wedding planning journey to the moment our wedding day ended, she was just incredible. I genuinely cannot thank her enough!

We know and love St. John and have been many times, so we came into planning with a pretty specific vision and lots of little things that were important to us. Michelle completely understood what we wanted, brought it all together, and somehow made it even better than we imagined. She was always there for our million questions, handled every detail, and made the whole process feel so easy. Most importantly, she genuinely cared about us and making our wedding feel completely us!

We trusted Michelle completely when it came to recommendations, and every single vendor and person she connected us with was fantastic. She knows St. John and the people so well, her reputation speaks for itself. The island is home to the kindest, most wonderful people!

Our wedding day is where Michelle truly blew us away. She handled everything behind the scenes so effortlessly that we could completely let go and enjoy ourselves. Somehow, she didn’t even feel like our planner that day, she felt like a guest, laughing, celebrating, dancing, and adding to the fun and love of the day while making sure everything was taken care of! We were able to be fully present with our family and friends and not worry about a thing.

Our wedding was truly everything we hoped it would be and more, and Michelle played such a huge part in making it that way. We feel so lucky that our paths crossed and that she became part of such an important time in our lives. If you’re getting married in St. John, PLEASE choose Michelle. She is truly one of a kind, and we will forever be grateful for everything she did for us. Michelle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you! 🤍🌴✨
D
David Sent on 09/03/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible wedding!

We seriously cannot imagine going through the wedding process without Michelle. She made everything, from preliminary planning to after wedding payments and license forms, so easy and stress-free. We had regularly scheduled calls in the months leading up to the wedding, and she connected us to all the vendors we could possibly want. There was even a small hiccup the day of the wedding (to no fault of her own) that she handled with grace and professionalism. We can say with 100% confidence that the money we spent on Michelle’s services was the best money we spent on the entire wedding, and we cannot recommend her enough to anyone wanting to get married in USVI. Thank you so much, Michelle!
Madison
Madison Sent on 08/19/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Dreams to Reality!

Michelle truly made the wedding planning process so easy and stress-free. A destination wedding can come with some uncertainty but Michelle’s attention to detail and ease of communication both with monthly phone meeting and emails ensured the day went smoothly. She also was extremely accommodating to my family with travel and transportation and even let us borrow floaties for my young niece and nephew for the week.

Our day was magical and everything we hoped for. The whole day felt like a dream! Thank you Michelle! 🫶
M
Makayla Sent on 07/23/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Paradise Planning 10/10

From my first call with Michelle I knew I would be selecting her to help me plan my St. John wedding. She was so much fun to work with, positive, and made the entire planning process enjoyable. She helped us secure all of our top choice vendors and venues, and her amazing team made our wedding day feel completely seamless. We were able to relax and truly enjoy every moment knowing everything was taken care of behind the scenes. I couldn't recommend her more!
Stephanie
Stephanie Sent on 07/22/2026
5 out of 5 rating

June Wedding

Michelle and her team were absolutely amazing! She made the entire process stress-free and our wedding day was perfect. Michelle kep everything running smoothly and made us feel completely comfortable on our big day. She had everything handled! Thanks to Michelle we were truly were in the moment and enjoyed the day. We highly recommend her services, it was worth it!!
Jim
Jim Sent on 07/22/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Michelle made our wedding perfect!

From begining to day of and after, Michelle was on top of it all. No worries for my wife or I in the entire experience.
J
Jodi Sent on 07/22/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional Service!!

Michelle from Paradise Planning provides exceptional service from the moment we began planning my son’s wedding! At every meeting it was evident that Michelle’s priority was creating an event that meets every wedding dream. I was impressed by her professionalism and simultaneously her ease at making connections with the family. All parties involved had a smile on during the entire process.
Michelle was able to meet in person, on zoom, and by email. She continually followed up with us and with all vendors in a timely manner. She was there to assist in planning a welcome party & rehearsal dinner too! Michelle managed to create a weekend of celebration that will fill our memories & hearts for eternity!
Michelle was an amazing problem solver at a moments notice! She found extra coolers when needed, provided a wedding cake on short notice, assured us surrounding power outages, and managed our guests & their needs with ease.
We were fortunate to find Paradise Planning for an amazing day, and hope to work with Michelle for future events!!
Jillian
Jillian Sent on 07/13/2026
5 out of 5 rating

So thankful for Paradise Planning!!

We had the best weekend ever celebrating our wedding on St John with over 70 of our closest family and friends, and we could not have done it without Michelle and her team! She connected us with and helped coordinate the best vendors, and ensured our entire wedding day ran seamlessly! It went fantastic and we are so grateful we were able to work with Michelle. Thank you so much!!!
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Awards

153
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2026 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs Wedding Caterers

Michelle is super friendly and organized. She has a great knowledge of the islands and is easy to work with.

kataram studios kataram studios Wedding Photographers

has a special way of allowing her clients to have an amazing experience on the tropical wedding paradie start to end

STJ Creative Photography STJ Creative Photography Wedding Photographers

‘Ridiculously efficient’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Michelle. Our peer/co-worker relationship started last year, and I cannot wait to see what this year has ins tore for our collaboration efforts. We even have a secret meeting spot for coffee that has THE best view of the island anyone could imagine. But we won't tell, so don't ask! :) Michelle is just the sweetest thing, always aiming to please while being efficient at the same time. Any bride, and photographer for that matter, would be so lucky to have Michelle as his/her planner. You rock dear! Best, Anne, STJ Creative Photography

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