I live in NY, grew up in Pembroke Pines, and my fiancee and I are planning on having a location wedding somewhere in Florida in 2009. We are heading down in June and are going to scout out some places in Orlando, and then everything we can down the coast from St. Augustine to the Keys in 5 days. We will have the ceremony in some Catholic church where ever we decide, so we're really looking for a great reception site, preferably overlooking some body of water. Resorts, beautiful hotels, something reasonably removed from civilization. Something that evokes the Keys without being the Keys. If any Florida residents have any ideas or places they experienced, I'd appreciate any and all help.
We got married in a catholic church on Sanibel island and had the reception at the Tween Waters Resort just a mile or two up the road on the adjacent Captiva Island. The resort overlooks the gulf on one side and the waterway on the other. Actually it was on this date in 2000. And it was beautiful. The temperature was great and the day was perfect. Half of our wedding photos were taken on the beach and the sand, sun and sky look so good it almost looks like a painted backdrop. I highly recommend it if a beachy sunny theme is what you are looking for.
Thanks! And getting married in 2000 has made it really easy to remember how many years that I have been married.
Happy anniversary! And thanks so much, I'm looking it up right now. EDIT: That is exactly the kind of place we are looking for, thanks a lot brother.
My brother has a Disney timeshare that he has offered up for people to stay. So it is tempting, but we've had so many recent trips and a reunion there, that we are hoping to do something different. Though expense may eventually trump our desire for something different.
jK, bro. I grew up in Ft. Myers and can honestly say a Sanibel wedding would be awesome. If (thats a HUGE if) I ever get married it'd prolly be out there. GL man.
Congratulations on the upcoming wedding and also congratulations to GoPhins! on your anniversery. Wish you all the best.
great choice Sanibel... you come from Pembroke, so you are familiar with Miama, I thought to suggest St Augustine because it is such a cool place. I forget how beautiful that part of the gulf coast is sometimes, beachwise, as pretty as any anywhere.
Sanibel/Captiva was my first thought as well. Lots of open spaces/secluded beaches, but you're close enough to civilization. It's one of my fave places in FL. And there are more than enough rooms for your guests, providing it's not summer. Lodging there can be sketch during the summer. Congratulations on your pending nupitals. I hope they are more than everything you hope for.
I haven't lived their since I was a kid, and I wasn't exactly scouting out reception halls at the time. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Sanibel, and the Tween Waters Resort certainly hit the nail on the head as far as what we are looking for.
I second Sanibel. I sort of favor the West Coast as it is, but if you want to get some gorgeous pictures of the two of you in front of one of those world class sunsets, that's the place. There's got to be a ton of guys who can tell you something about the East Coast though. I'm sort of partial to St. Augustine for the history and architecture, but couldn't tell you any thing about a possible reception spot. Either way, congrats Hisn
Truly great to see you too Sec, you can thank Que, he sent me the e-mail. I have never been to the Keys, but that was the place we first dreamed about and wanted to check out for the wedding. We are planning on doing a fall wedding, and were warned about how tourists get kicked out at the sniff of a hurricane. With hurricane season not ending down in the Keys until the end of November, we are very weary of having 60 guest commit to going down there, making deposits, and ending up getting evacuated. Not to mention the stress and worry about that unlikely event happening. But we still plan on checking it out, falling in love with the Keys, and moving the wedding into December. But if there is another location that is Keys-esque, that may be preferable in the end.
Nothing like the Keys..and that stuff is really overblown....I regularly go to the keys int eh summer and never encountered any of those situations. Thing abotu the keys is that there is so much there. From the sunsets and the romance of some of the oceanside restaurants....to the debauchery of Duval Street....to the world class fishing...to the poolside lounging you can do in any of the great Hotels...
I'm still trying to convince her of that. Since most of the guests live in NY, we only have one shot, can't reschedule even a week later. Would rather spend what should be a fun time looking forward to the event rather than that being replaced with the paranoia of checking the weather every day. Had enough of that just going down for a Dolphins game with her. Just booked our flight for June to do some scouting. 5 days, every major location we can find from St. Augustine to the Keys. Two greatest words in the english language? E and LOPE.
Ft. Myers/Naples or any island on the west coast. You could try Singer Island off of Palm Beach, its nice, or Jupiter Island, a bit more north.
Wish I could help brother but we got married in Hialeah and had the reception there as well at Celebrations ballroom Anyway, I have heard that St. Augustine is pretty nice for weddings and we might renew our vows there in a couple of years so you might want to give that some serious thought. Think Medieval Times when you think St. Augustine though...
