Help us with our wedding, please!!
 

Well, I have tried like crazy to find the perfect spot for our beach wedding, and I am just getting frustrated! We are grad students from TN, and we are trying to plan a "destination weekend wedding" for about 30 of our friends and family. We want it to be on a beautiful beach, and we will pretty much be taking care of the ceremony details ourselves. The problem is that we cannot seem to find the right spot along the east coast (Carolinas, FL, etc), since most everyone will be driving, that will accomodate 30 people. We do NOT want a resort-ish, commercialized atmosphere, but I haven't found a single b and b or inn that can hold us all! I would really love the Keys, but I have had no luck finding appropriate lodging yet. Please help! Any suggestions for a location would be appreciated!! Happy Holidays!

If you're looking in the Carolinas as well, wouldn't the Keys be a stretch for all those folks driving?<BR><BR>I stayed at Island City House last year and liked it. It's large enough, too, and they accept kids.

Island City House is in Key West, by the way.

Mindy, have you considered Litchfield Plantation? It's roughly south of Myrtle Beach and north of Charleston on Pawley's Island.<BR><BR>Litchfield Plantation, a country inn resort, is an elegantly preserved former rice plantation with award-winning service and Southern hospitality. <BR><BR>Accommodations include beautiful suites in the 250 year-old Plantation House, luxurious Guest House, cottages and villas. <BR><BR>Guests enjoy gourmet dining in the Plantation's Carriage House restaurant, private beach clubhouse, tennis courts, marina, heated pool, concierge service, and privileges at over 100 nearby golf courses. <BR><BR>Highest rated among all accommodations on South Carolina's Grand Strand by Zagat's survey and member of the exclusive Small Luxury Hotels of the World. <BR><BR>Phone: 1-800-869-1410<BR><BR>Web: litchfieldplantation.com <BR> <BR> <BR>

Maybe Wrightsville Beach, NC? At the very end of the island is a place called Shell Island (it's one building with individaul condo units that they rent out like hotel rooms), and I have seen them do weddings right on the beach. Very pretty.

Arabella may be on to something here. Charleston, or Savannah Beach (a/k/a Tybee Island) could be good. Not commercial in the traditional sense and there's a quaint, friendly town for people to stay. How about one of those barrier islands, like St. Simons or Jekyl Island?

I was just a best man in the exact same type of wedding that you're looking for. It was a "destination wedding" attended by about 100 guests -- about 30 minutes east of Orlando's huge airport in COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA. Most events were at the very nice Holiday Inn on the ocean. The ceremony itself was held on a really nice wooden deck overlooking the beach and ocean. Perfect. <BR>Check it out & good luck!<BR>

Mindy, did you mention the month you are getting married in. This makes a big difference where you choose to have it?

Island City House, in Key West, is a decent choice but it is one of the few B&B's that allows kids, which might work to your benefit if there are some invited. Also look at The Merlinn Inn and the Key Lime Inn. They both allow kids (I think) but they aren't your typical B&B set up. The best beach down here to have a wedding on is Fort Zac.

Mindy<BR>We just returned from Clearwater Beach Florida. We stayed at the Sheraton HOtel in Sand Key. They have a beach that feels and looks as if it is at least a half mile long directly on the water. They had two tents set up for a wedding when we were there.

Mindy, it doesn't matter what month you choose if you choose Key West. I have to say that Grglnswsh (I hope I spelled it correctly) is a treasure trove of<BR>information when it comes to Key West. I am sure Patrick is very helpful to. Stick with the experts, Leone is helpful but he is in France (I think). Listen and do your research. This is probably the most exciting, important day in a girls life and you want perfection. Congradulations on the up coming wedding and the grad. study's. Stay calm things have a way of working themselves out. If there is a small hiccup that day only you will know.

A friend of mine got married on Sanibel Island. You might want to check that out as well.

Not sure of the budget for this event, but check out Elizabeth Pointe Lodge at Amelia Island, FL, right below the Georgia line & about an hour from the Jacksonville, FL airport. It is a small inn with 25 rooms on the ocean; it has a separate cottage which could house the reception. Guests also could stay at nearby Fernandina Beach. www.elizabethpointelodge.com

Mindy:<BR><BR>How about Cape May, NJ? It is lined with Victorian houses and is very pictureque. They do cater a little to weddings there. There are MANY B&Bs in Cape May, by the way.<BR><BR>

Mindy, are you familar with the west coast of Florida? There are some nice beaches-from the panhandle to Sanibel/Captiva all the way south to Naples.<BR>Some suggestions:<BR>Casa Ybel in Sanibel<BR>Seven Seas Plantation <BR>Ritz Carlton, Registry, Naples Beach Club<BR>I've heard that Michelle's on the Bay in Venetian Bay, Naples is a lovely restaurant-and they accomodate private parties. Haven't been there ourselves, though.<BR>Best wishes to you on your upcoming wedding!

Educate me. This "destination wedding" seems to be the current Thang. There was an article in the Washington Post today from someone who was pretty irritated at being asked to travel to the Caribbean and pick up the travel and lodging expenses so that the bride and groom could get a free stay at the resort (because of the amount of business wedding guests would bring in). In My Day (the 70's), people got married locally and one didn't have to take a week's vacation and spend thousands of dollars to go to the wedding. Obviously lots of folks do this and lots of folks like it, from what I'm reading here. I'm not trying to rain on Mindy's parade, I'm just surveying the landscape on this topic. When did this become the fashion and does everyone think it's a good thing?

Sorry Mindy, I have something to add to Old Poopy Pants. Just an experience I had in October. Our Godson, who has lived all over the world with the company that his Dad worked for, decided to have a destination wedding. October 17th, was the date. Ireland was the place. We made our resevations in Ireland and decided to continue our travels with his parents to Italy. A total of three weeks. Everything was bought and paid for, however chicken me after 9/11 was afraid to travel and canceled the trip. We were out huge bucks and so was our were our Godsons parents, they had to go to Ireland, but chose not to do Italy without us. PS - Daddy was angry at us. Our Godson just sent us pictures of his wedding and it was beautiful. He understood completely why we canceled and told us home much we were missed. I phoned him yesterday and asked him what possessed him to have this destination wedding" His answer was, so all of his loved ones can be together and he and his bride would be able to have a one on one with everyone that came. It is the in thing - I guess - I can't say too much because I have grandchildren and they may decide to do something like this. It is called intimate. Our daughter had over 300 people at her wedding and it cost us a bundle and it the marriage only lasted eight years. Go figure. Times have changes and we have to go with he flow.<BR><BR>The best part of our daughters marriage, we were blessed with three beautiful active grandsons. <BR><BR>Sorry Mindy honey, continue with the wedding plans. It WILL be beautiful.

If you're in TN, how far away is Mobile? Neat, historic 300-year old place. Very cool, lots of diversions. It is, though, a thriving little city, not a quiet, idyllic getaway spot.<BR><BR>Perfect place in NC: Ocracoke Island. There's a place called the Boyette House which can accommodate your party (22 rooms or something like that). Check it out. Ocracoke is so underdeveloped, some places don't even have phones.

Have you checked out http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kzaruba/wedding.html<BR>It looks like a non-commercial site with links to locations for destination weddings. Good luck!

Jsut wanted to comment about WHY this is the "in thing" Couples these days liek their wedding to be "unique"a nd at a location which is special to them sometimes. Also the one reason the idea of getting married in one's "hometown" is outdated is because we live in a very mobile society. People no longer live in one town throughout their childhood and especially through adulthood. Most people move away for college, jobs etc. Sometimes you meet that special someone in another state then you have to contend with not only your out of state family but also his/her family in yet a third state or location. When this happens people will be traveling far and wide for the wedding anyway, why not just have them travel to an idyllic location. No one need to get ticked off that they have to spend money to travel to a destination wedding. The thing with destination weddings is that usually only your close family and friends attend anyway. These people could care less how much it costs to travel to the wedding they are going to be there no matter what! You don't see many "destination weddings" with 350+ people there. Unlike a hometown wedding where people you may not even know (friends of parents) would come. Also people are getting married at an older age and are getting more towards the idea of smaller scale but more personal and elegant (quality rather than quantity)<BR><BR>As you can guess I am having a destination wedding. Mine is at WDW in Nov. 2002 and I can't wait!!!!1