Plan a Wedding in the Florida Keys

Stretching more than 120 miles off the coast of Florida’s mainland are the Keys, a group of powder-sand islets that make visitors forget they’re still on the continental United States.And the millionmiles-away feeling isn’t due only to the pristine scenery, straight-from-the-sea cuisine and clear, star-filled night skies, but also to the relaxed vibe and casual dress code. Just because the attitude is beachy-keen, however, doesn’t mean the service isn’t top-notch. Loads of high-end hideaways, many of which offer exclusive wedding-planning services, dot the five major cays—Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, and the Big Pine and the Lower Keys—that comprise the archipelago.

Hawks Cay, Duck Key

At this private island resort you can host a reception on the beach, by a lagoon, on a waterfront veranda, poolside or indoors, with ocean views in nearly every direction. The 60-acre, 402-room retreat offers something for every taste. Wedding menu selections can highlight cuisine from any one of the resort’s five eateries, which range from ultra-casual beach bar food to an interesting array of Latin fusion dishes. In addition to the myriad wedding options, Hawks Cay also offers five swimming pools, fishing charters and boating excursions, a full-service spa and even a kids’ club. Of course, there is always the option of exploring the private beach, unwinding in the enormous water-therapy spa or relaxing in an oceanfront cottage (ceremony site fees start at $500; hawkscay.com).

Ocean Key Resort and Spa, Key West

Sunset celebrations are the house specialty at this 100-room resort set on Key West Harbor. As the sun slips below the horizon into the blue-green Gulf of Mexico, wedding parties gather at the hotel’s Sunset Pier restaurant for the ceremony. Groups of up to 400 people can boogie the night away here at the waterfront bar and grill, while smaller parties can celebrate in the intimate Marina Garden. No matter the spot, guests will dine very well, on specialties like curried crab cakes, coconut-crusted shrimp and yellow-tail snapper served with dill chimichurri and gazpacho salsa.

Stay in the Pinnacle of Paradise suite, which features a four poster bed, a whirlpool tub and uninterrupted ocean views. The resort’s waterfront SpaTerre is an Indonesian-influenced oasis of pampering, which offers services like fl owerinfused body wraps and massages with spiced oils (rates for wedding reception packages start at $140 per person and include a four-hour-long open bar, champagne toast, one-hour cocktail reception, bar fees, dinner, cake-cutting, linens and site fees; elopement packages start at $375 and include an officiant, one night of accommodations and a couple’s spa treatment; oceankey.com).

The Moorings Village Resort & Pierre’s Restaurant, Islamorada

Located on 18 beachfront acres of a former coconut plantation, the intimate Moorings Village promises a completely customized wedding experience. The resort has 18 one- and three-bedroom cottages set along the shoreline, perfect for housing your guests.

Host your party at Pierre’s restaurant, the sister property next door. The two-story plantation house boasts a wide veranda overlooking the sea, where you can swap vows and hold a cocktail reception. In the upper-level dining room, guests can dine on haute cuisine, surrounded by Moroccan, Indian and African artifacts (site fees start at $1,500; wedding menus start at $85 per person; themooringsvillage.com).

Lawfully Wedded

In the Florida Keys, no blood tests are required to obtain a marriage license. If you’re a Florida state resident, there is a three-day waiting period, but none if you’re from out of state. To apply for a license, both parties must be present at the county clerk’s offi ce with valid photo IDs, as well as $93.50, cash or check. If either party has been divorced within the last six months, a copy of the divorce decree must be presented.

Photography: (from top) Hawks Cay; Ocean Key Resort & Spa; Kicka Witte.