Weddings in Key West
Planning Your Perfect Day

Weddings in Key West have a reputation for being memorable, romantic events. You may be unsure of where to begin when it comes to planning your union in paradise.

We’ll try to get you off on the right foot. You will have to consider a number of factors and make some choices on things like the venue, catering, transport, activities and accommodations for you and your guests.

Venues

Options for wedding locations in Key West include:

• Waterfront or beach location
• Hotels ballroom
• Restaurant in-house facility
• On a cruise ship or private yacht
• Private chapel
• Local church

Many couples will prefer to have a beach location. Certain hotels in the Key West area have private beaches which exist primarily for island style weddings in Key West ceremonies. Arranging your wedding through a hotel has benefits. You’ll be able to arrange the location, accommodations and even catering through a single source. This can make what will be a complex plan much easier to accomplish. If you book far enough in advance you should be able to make sure your family stays at the same hotel, or not, your choice.

When you are arranging accommodations, find out what types of other facilities might be available at the hotel. You may find they have something very appealing like a private beach or other outside area for a reception. In all likelihood they will have conference rooms that can be used for the reception. The Key West Marriott is a beachside hotel which has been the scene for many happy weddings. Check it out.

If you don't want a big wedding, you may not need to use the facilities of a hotel. Small, private beach weddings can be easily arranged through one of the local wedding planning companies.

Dining and Catering

Depending on how big you want your wedding to be (or perhaps how big the bride's mother wants it to be), you may be planning a feast for anywhere from twenty to a few hundred people. As mentioned above, most hotels that have facilities for weddings will be able to supply food for your reception as well.

However, there are also restaurants in Key West that can serve as a great location both for the wedding itself and the after ceremony celebration. The Commodore Waterfront Restaurant is a popular choice, it combines the waterfront wedding setting with first-class dining.

Accommodation

There are numerous luxury hotels in Key West. Your options, to name just a handful, include:

• Key West Hyatt
• Key West Holiday Inn
• Mango Tree Inn
• Radison Key West
• Key West Wyndam

Transport

Keys Limo is available to deliver you or members of your wedding party to the location in style. If you'd rather use transport that can also accommodate your guests, there is the Old Town Trolley service—a group of buses styled to look like old-fashioned trams. Each tram holds up to 40 guests.

Weddings on the Water

Many brides-to-be have a romantic vision of a wedding at sea on a luxury cruise ship, sailboat, or private yacht. With beautiful turquoise waters surrounding the island, Key West is an ideal location for an on-the-water wedding ceremony.

A company called Weddings on the Water runs a luxury catamaran wedding service which can accommodate up to 150 guests. Dreamchaser Weddings is a similar company which can accommodate moderately sized weddings on a 42-foot tri-hulled sailboat.

Local Activities

Key West is a great location for water sports. Your guests can indulge in some excitement with a jetski or fishing or on a sailing trip. For those who prefer a slower pace, wildlife tours or dinner cruises may be the better option.