Ed R

We thought a key west wedding might be fun. Had been considering the Carribean too. Is Key West very pricey? We are willing to spend, but want some cheaper options for guests to fly down for a long weekend.

Gail

Hi Ed! I was in Key West last month- do a search for Key West- There is a website named Key West Paradise- Sorry not sure of the correct site- But they list rates for many of the hotels,motels etc. Even have live web cams from Sloppy Joe's and Hog's Breath! Good Luck!

susan

My husband and I go to Key West a couple of times a year and I agree that you could find wedding costs and accommodations in almost any price range. The major cost for us is actually getting there. We can get to Miami reasonably inexpensively, but getting from there to Key West costs a fortune if you fly.

JoAnn

go to WWW.KEYWEST.COM to check out guest houses, inns, B & B's, hotels and such. Great site on Key West.

Ruth

I disagree somewhat with Susan. Several major airlines offer flights to Key West, which are in the same range as flights to Miami. However, if you book separate flights from home to Miami and then from Miami to Key West, you're spending a bundle. Ed, your best bet is to research airfares from wherever you are to Key West and compare those with airfares to whatever Caribbean destination you were considering.

As for other costs, what do you consider "pricey"?

susan

I must not have made myself clear. We normally fly American, and fly into Key West on American Eagle. That leg of our journey runs between $150 and $200 each. There are several major airlines that service Key West and they run between $150 and $300 round trip from Miami. We've never booked a separate airline between Miami and Key West. Whew! Having said that, I still think Key West is wonderful and planning a wedding there would be fun!

Ruth

Wow, Susan. I'm going back to Key West in May, and have never flown directly there, so I did some research via Travelocity, which I thought was reliable. I got around a $90 difference in price between Newark-Miami R/T and Newark-Key West R/T. If I am reading your message right, you pay about double to fly into Key West as you would to fly to Miami -- wow.

As an aside, I believe the Greyhound shuttle from Miami to Key West costs around $30 one way.

I agree that Key West is a great wedding spot. I have friends who got married there several years ago(unfortunately, before I met them!); they did one of those deals where they rented a yacht and had a sunset ceremony. The photos are gorgeous! As I understand it, the guests stayed in a variety of places on the island, as their budget allowed. There are definitely choices where that's concerned, and the island is small enough that wherever your guests stay they don't have to worry about being far from the reception venue.

Kristi

The last time I was in Key West (this time last year), I saw a beautiful wedding going on in the gardens of the Audobon House -- definitely a lovely setting for the event, althought they did still allow the normal tours through the house (they don't get big crowds). For a great place to stay on your honeymoon, I love the Marquesa, a small luxury hotel w/ a beautiful courtyard and pools and great service (but they don't allow young children). Definitely one of the more expensive places to stay on the island, but might be worth it for the bride and groom. Congratulations!

Sandy

Try this link
http://singerislandaccommodations.com/Events.htm
or try www.palmbeachaccommodations.com
beautiful places and excellent rates

Lisa

I LOVE Key West. I have been there twice, and have family still living there. They have the most beautiful sunsets, and every night, on the western side of the Island they throw a "party" of sorts with all kinds of vendors, musical bands, and speakers. A wedding on this dock would be perfect.

If you want a good place to stay , I would check out the Best Western Key Ambassador. I stayed there both times. The building itself is horse-shoe shaped, with a pool in the center,amid a tropical garden. The pool overlooks the ocean, wich is right across the street, literally. There are many wonderful and romantic hotels and b&b's to stay at, though this is The only one I have ever been to.

The only downside to this Island,(and it really isn't a big one) Is that the coral reef 3 miles off the coast prevents any real waves from reaching the shore. As a result, the sand had to be imported from the Bahamas, and the water tends to be... um... less than blue. And Portugese Man Of War Jellyfish patroll the beaches every so often, But that is true for any beach, I suppose.

All in all, you should decide how important the beach is to you. For every other reason, however, ie cost, scenery people, culture, shopping, I would choose Key Westover the Carribean!

Key west itself has a Web site, wich I can't think of at the moment, but you'll find it on any search engine, I'm sure.

Good Luck and have a great time!!!

James Wyatt

Check out floridakeys.com and keywest.com. If money isn't too tight the Casa Marina would be a lovely honeymoon hotel ($200 a night for a nice room). It's a stroll from the buzzy town centre - so good and quiet. Drive one way and fly the other would be perfect. There's loads to do in Key West so 7-10 days is a must!! Pack lots of headache tablets for the morning after! Your guests can stay in any of the b&b's or motels - they're all clean and comfortable and everything is close by - Key West is tiny. The web sites have excellant information. I promise you'll have a great time!!

Cindy

If you're still considering the Caribbean, you might want to try some of the all-inclusive resorts on Jamaica. Our daughter was married there 2 years ago and the Sandals resort took care of everything! It was great!!

Gina

You could fly into Miami and charter one of those mini-busses to get you to KW or if money is no option a limo. Try the Miami Airport Keys Shuttle: 1-800-689-3304, Go Tours for limo service, 1-800875-4555. You might want to consider chartering a boat and getting married at sea.

Linda

Hi Ed!

I have just returned from Key West.
We spent our honeymoon there.
I can really recommend Key West. We stayed at "The Mermaid & The ALligator",
a very special bed & breakfast with a wonderful tropical garden. They serve
full breakfast and the staff is more like a family than an ordinary hotelcrew. The rooms are big and a lot of them have a veranda.

I can also recommend the photographer
Tony Gregory. He took great sunset-pictures of us.
A very nice memory!!!

Margaret & Jim

I just got married in Key West two weekends ago...a fabulous choice!! Congrats!! We chose to rent a three bedroom property with beautiful grounds and a pool from Key West Property Rentals and had the wedding services done right there by "M" of Dial M for Matrimony.. She is the coolest and can do a variety of ceremonies..as you like it. Her price included bride and groom flowers, music and the ceremony for about $200 for something tasteful and simple. We then took all our friends on the Fury catamaran for a sunset cruise and went to "Blue Heaven" for dinner. All these places have websites and are very helpful. In terms of accomodation costs, we had our closest friends with us in the house and the price per night was resonible and well worth the privacy, intimacy and the flexibility you get with your own house... kitchen to set up appetizers or to bring in catering... We told friends that wanted to come to find their own accomodations and there is a wide price range to choose from, unless you choose, like we did, a big event weekend. Call "M" ... she can recommend everything and anything, plus she is very easy to work with. Let her know that Margaret and Jim from NY referred you!! Good luck!!

Ed R

Thank you all for your suggestions! Our trip will probably be at the end of May or beginning of June. We will be flying out of Philly, but could also fly out of Newark or Baltimore if it made a difference. We'd have no problem flying into Miami and renting a car, because I'd like to drive around the Keys a little while we're there. Anywhere from 12 - 30 people could follow us down for a long weekend, but we'll stay in FLA for at least a week.

All suggestions are welcome and much appreciated.

Ed

Bette

Hi Ed - My husband and I "eloped" to Key West. We got our license in Marathon on the way thru, (FYI-no blood tests needed in FL,) stayed at the Currier Mansion Bed and Breakfast, and then coincidentally, the man who owned it was a Justice of the Peace so we were married right in the living room of the Bed and Breakfast, and our best friends stood for us. WE had a wonderful time, had dinner at Louie's Back Yard Restaurant and had a bottle of wine supplied by my ex-husband, who was generous enough to send it.

Good luck with your plans,

Sincerely, Bette

jas

I didn't know they did man+woman weddings in key west just man-man or woman-woman.