Princess Royale in Ocean City, MD
 

Has anyone had or attended a wedding at the Princess Royale in Ocean City, MD? We are open to any suggestions on a wedding along that part of the East Coast. We do want to be at the ocean. Thanks

What time of year would you be planning the wedding? If it's in the height of OC season I'd probably be a bit reluctant to have it anywhere near Ocean City MD. The town explodes in size with major traffic jams and your guests would undoubtedly have a difficult time getting around.

Where are you from? Have you considered the Gulf coast of Florida? It's much quieter there for a gorgeous beachfront wedding ceremony.

The Indian River Life Saving Station, part of the Delaware Seashore State Park, does wedding catering. They can handle up to 200 guests. http://www.destateparks.com/know/eve...ssfacility.htm

Yes- there are lots of tourists in OC in the summer. But...it is equipped for tourists, so if your guests will enjoy touristy activities- boardwalk, etc- then don't worry about that. At least there are plenty of lodging choices.

But...if you are planning your wedding in the off season, check to see what is going on in terms of festivals. Shoulder season brings fewer visitors and some gorgeous weather, of course! Remember that OC in the middle of summer can be HOT.

My retired parents live in OC in the summer (a block from the Princess Royale). Somehow we keep ending up visiting them on a weekend in either May or June that is Hot Rod Weekend or something similar. It is probably paradise for old muscle car enthusiasts, and I love seeing all the restored cars, but... we get the guest room on the highway side of the house and are treated to the roar of engines all night long. I just googled it so we can avoid it this year and found that it is called Cruisin' Weekend and will be May 15-18.

As for the Princess Royale, I personally wouldn't call it romantic. It is sort of glitzy (gold trim on the facade) and a little worn out looking from the outside. If they have a wedding package, it might be worth looking into if you like the OC vibe and don't care about having a charming historical style place for the wedding.

Also, check out this website for info on weddings at the beach in the OC, Maryland and Delaware beach areas. http://www.weddingsatthebeaches.com/resources.php

Best wishes for a lovely beach wedding wherever you end up, and a very happy marriage!

Thanks for your replies. We live outside of Cleveland ,Ohio. Now, my daughter is considering November. Good point about all the traffic in Ocean City. Do you know of any Resorts in Florida? We are trying [may not be able to} to be in driving distance from Ohio and Pittsburgh.
I will check out the Indian River Life Saving Station.
Thanks

Ahhh- November is NOT season in Ocean City so that could work. Another nice area could be Rehoboth Beach, Dewey or Bethany or possibly even Lewes Deleware.

As to Florida beaches - there's Anna Maria Island where many weddings are held on the beach and I read recently about Anna maria weddings on the net. I've been to Anna Maria and it's a lovely place and the beach is never crowded - just pure white sand with turquoise water that ripple and not NOT create waves. Most any gulf beach could be lovely - I've known 3 couples who married on the beaches.

Keep in mind that Ocean City can be bleak in November and many stores and restaurants shut down.

Another cute beach town that is also a real town is Chincoteague, VA. The beach itself is a state or national park, and the town of Chincoteague is just adorable with really friendly people. November is a great time for bird watching there, but it can be COLD.

The Hilton Suites hotel in OC MD is killer and is the nicest hotel by far in OC MD. Highly recommend it off season, when it's affordable. Or, the Hyatt in Cambridge MD is very nice too, but no Ocean. The ocean makes it special.

If you're discussing the first two weeks in November then you'll probably have nice weather in OC. But you'll get chancey on those last two weeks.

The top floor of the Golden Sands condo in North Ocean City has a penthouse room overlooking the ocean that is great for small (under 90 guests) weddings. You can get married on the beach and then have the receoption upstairs. Unsurpassed view. The Hilton is the newest and nicest hotels in OC but is quite pricey. There is also a neat room at the Commander Hotel around 16th Streets for a fall wedding. Don't know if they would go so far as November though, place may close up. We only checked it out for Sept. Princess Bayside around 45th Street does a LOT of weddings but their beach is bayside and not much of a beach, but they really are quite helpful with weddings. Good luck and enjoy Ocean City. It is a wonderful place to host a wedding and so easy to get to for your guests.