Please Help! April beach wedding in St. Augustine
 

Hi,

I have already put a post about this, but things are not going as smoothly as I thought. I'm not sure what to do and starting to stress about the whole thing.

Here's the deal: my fiance and I don't want the big, traditional wedding. We want something small and intimate and real. We don't want to be doing things just because you're supposed to do them. We don't want to just play a part. So, we decided to go down to FL and get married on the beach.

His dad is a minister and we'll have about 30 people total. They will stand around us on the beach as we say our vows. Then, we will have dinner and talk with everyone.

Our first thought was to get a beach house and that way, we're right there on the beach and then have a dinner/bbq outside/inside back at the house. Well, the house that we thought we could get fell through.

So, another option, get a condo and exchange vows on the beach, then go out to a restaurant with everyone.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to do. Most places, when we tell them it's for a wedding, they start talking about all of this stuff like min. reservations, fees, etc... We just want something small and simple. I'm not trying to bash people who do have the big, traditional wedding. That's great. It's just not for us.

Any suggestions, tips, leads, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I already looked on some of the previous posts about weddings, but seems like they were bigger, more traditional weddings.

Questions we had:
do you need any type of permit to get married on the beach? We won't have any equipment, chairs, etc... just a group of us standing on the beach.

Is there glass on the beach? I had heard this before, but wasn't sure.

Do you have recommendations for really cool restaurants that would be appropriate? We were looking into the Oasis. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Yes, there is glass on a public beach.

As previous posters have said, beach weddings come complete with sand, wind, bugs and unscheduled guests - other folks on the beach.

Yes, if you call restaurants or similar and tell them it's a wedding, the $$$ start ringing up.

Most of the picturesque weddings you have seen in magazines, etc. were hosted on private estates (Kim Basinger on Long Island) or hotels where the entire wedding party was booked. You've had a coastal wedding planner giving feedback on this board.

There were some great ideas on the previous post. It sounds like the only option that you might be happy with is to caravan to a public beach parking lot, head to the beach for a few minutes for the vows, and then reconvene at a restaurant at which you have made normal dinner reservations. If you are happy with a regular restaurant dinner, then that seems to be the best option.

The more I think about this...

Why don't you investigate a small beach wedding and dinner at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. Let someone else do the work (and stressing) for you.

"Whether you envision an affair that is non-traditional and casual... an intimate wedding of close friends and family"...

They offer 3 seaside locations, a beachside location and others...

I have NO afflilation with any Ritz property - it just seems an easy and casually elegant way to get YOUR dream wedding.

A simple wedding on the beach with a nice dinner for your guests.

If you would like to consider Atlantic Beach in Jacksonville, which is not far from St Augustine, I would suggest the Sea Turtle Inn.
http://www.seaturtle.com/visitorinformation.html

It is a nice hotel, they are directly on the beach, they have a nice restaurant that is all windows that faces the beach and they have rooms that have balconies that face the beach.

It seems like it would fulfill all of your needs, if it is within your budget.
Congratulations!

I second Starsvile. Amelia Island is a much better destination for a wedding. The beach is practicaly empty!Unles your set on St. Augestine, I think thier are better options.

I used to live a few blocks from the Sea Turtle in Atlantic Beach which would be my next choice in that area.

Thanks for the replies! So, people can't walk on the beach barefoot? I envisioned tiny specks of glass all throughout the sand.

A couple of years ago, my roommate broke a glass and she would always wear slippers, while I would always go barefoot. After picking up the glass, there were tiny pieces that she missed. She tracked the glass throughout the house and I, of course, found where the pieces were. When someone said there was glass on the beach because of the hurricane, this is what I envisioned. I would like to be able to walk barefoot on the sand without worrying about getting shards or specks of glass in my foot. Is this how it is?

Unless you are just set on the beach, anotehr option in St. Augustine would be one of the historic bed an breakfasts. Most of these have about 10 rooms and if you rent all 10 of the rooms you can have your wedding intheir garden for a very small price. Jsut an option. I went to one of these and it was very nice. Casual garden wedding with cake and cocktails afterwards, there were about 35 guests with family staying at the B&B and other such as myself who live about 20 miles away driving down for the wedding only.

What about the restaurant, if we go with that option? Has anyone heard about the Oasis. I wish we were going down there earlier so I could see the restaurant and we see how the food is. This is the next best thing though! Any hints/advice/etc. is always greatly appreciated!

If not the Oasis, what restaurant would you suggest?

The Oasis in St. Augustine? No! It's like a biker bar. No offense, but most of the bikers I know wouldn't even choose it for a wedding! :)

Are you sure you don't want to go a little furter north to Amelia Island or the inn Scarlett suggested?

I didn't see your original post, so I don't know if you are restricted by cost, or what style you are looking for... How about talking to someone at La Parisienne; they are closed between 2-5:pm, maybe they would do a private party. What about a reception at the Lightener museum (old Alcazar hotel), or at the San Sebastien Winery? They have a rooftoop function room. I'd recommend Amici for Italian, or even Barnacle Bill's for casual seafood.

Try making a "dinner" reservation for 30. It will still probably have to go through the function manager, but I don't think you have to mention "wedding" if you don't want a cake, DJ, florals, etc.

Good Luck! I hope it turns into just what you're hoping for.

Just saw your other post above. I was at the beach last April, and did not encounter any glass on the beach. Just very hard sand - hard enough to drive a car over! From where are you coming?

Shoot, I'm all messed up. I meant last month: March, 2005 (that I was on the beach and did not see broken glass!)

Just to confuse the issue further...
How about a reception on a boat? There are many harbor cruises, but I can't recommend one that would include dinner. Perhaps you could Google for more info if it strikes your fancy!

Not to monopolize the thread... BUT
It just so happened a friend of mine called tonight who is involved with property management in St. Augustine. She has some ocean front condo units available in May, and possibly April. The complex also has a club house and pool that could be used by your guests at an additional fee, so you could have the party catered there as well. If you have any interest, you can reach her at 904-471-0712, and she might be able to help you. Good Luck!

How about renting about three houseboats and having a wedding floating down the St. John's River. There are some big houses along the river you could rent. That would be so cool. I'm going to get a fishing pole and crash your wedding <):)

Dreamer2, thank you so much for the info! I never even thought about having a reception on a boat. That's a great idea. And, it's very reassuring to know that there is no broken, bits of glass on the beach. We'll recommend to everyone to wear sandals on the beach to deal with the hard sand. And with your friend, what is her first name and/or what is your first name?

Again, thanks everyone for the info! I don't know what would have happened if we made the reservations completely in the dark.

I don't have any location advice. However, I always advise beach brides to check the tide schedule before planning the details of your wedding. I have seen one more than one occasion tide problems that could have been avoided!

Her name is Connie and she manages the Captains Quarters at the end of Dondonville Road. The Club House is very casual, but the complex is right on the ocean (although no view from the Club House), and it may be what you are looking for. She is currently booking a lot of family reunions for spring. I told her you might call. She knows the area well, and might be able to recommend a chartered boat, but I had not mentioned that to her.

Other than that, you might want to look into the function room at the SS Winery, or one of the nicer restaurants in St. A.

Good luck finishing up your plans. I hope all goes well for your big day!