A wedding on Captiva Island can be one of the most beautiful you’ll ever find. Here are some of the top wedding spots on Captiva Island and some hints for planning your wedding on Captiva Island.
There are a number of Captiva Island Hotels that have beautiful settings for weddings, but one of my favorites is the South Seas resort on the north end of Captiva Island. The resort has a huge variety of settings for your wedding and reception, ensuring that your guests won’t be lost getting from one to the other. From its beautiful white sand beaches to the beautiful lawns and ballrooms, South Seas has the amenities to suit even the pickiest bride. An outdoor ceremony can be simple and held under a small archway on the beach, or be a large affair with banquet tents set up to shade the guests. The South Seas resort has a complete range of full service wedding services available at a variety of price points.
If you are looking for a smaller wedding or one that you plan on your own, there are many other Captiva Island hotels that can provide the services that you need. If a small intimate ceremony with family is what you seek, why not rent a family cottage on the beach or on the back bay? A larger family or wedding party can easily be accommodated in one of the many bed and breakfasts on Captiva Island.
If this is a destination wedding for the bridal party as well as the family and friends, the bride and groom will need to decide if they want to spend their wedding night in the same hotel (or house) that their family and friends are in. With the number of luxurious hotels and lodging facilities on Captiva Island, there are plenty of places for the whole family and all the friends to spread out and provide the bride and groom with privacy.
Certainly Captiva Island hotels are one of the best parts of vacationing on the island – but there are so many other wonderful aspects to a Captiva Island vacation that you won’t want to miss. So it can help to plan your vacation out a bit before you go so you have an idea of what you want to do and see while you are exploring the magical Captiva Island.
Your hotel is going to be your base camp during your stay on Captiva Island, your home away from home. So where do you want to be? While Captiva Island is fairly small, it helps to know if you want to wake up to a water view – and if you want that water to be the expanse of the Gulf of Mexico, or the smaller back bay between Captiva and mainland Florida. It also helps to have an idea of what types of activities you want to take part in when you’re here.
So what is it that you want to do during your time on Captiva?
Would you like to take in some of the local shopping? Then you may want to stay closer to the village or nearer to Sanibel Island where excellent shopping opportunities await – from handbags and accessories to art, antiques, and gifts for the whole family.
Do you want to provide some independence for your kids while still keeping them supervised? Then you might want to consider the South Seas resort on the north end of Captiva Island. Their large property provides plenty of space for your kids to explore, as well as offers special programs for children of various ages to keep them entertained.
Do you want to play water sports? If parasailing and boogie boarding are what you came to Captiva for, then I recommend staying as close to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico as you can. There’s nothing like the feeling of waking up in the morning and getting into the water – it wakes you in a way that coffee never will.
So before you choose your hotel on Captiva Island, consider your options and your vacation will be off to a great start!
While researching a hotel on Captiva, its important to understand the layout of Capitiva island itself. Situated off the coast of Cape Coral, you can get to the island by driving through the neighboring island of Sanibel. Once on Captiva, you’ll have really beautiful beaches on your left, but mostly vegitation and what the locals call the “back bay” on your right. Don’t rent a room on the back-bay and expect white sand beaches! The view can be beautiful, but keep in mind you’ll be looking out on mangroves and across the bay to Pine Island.
Captiva is small, only about 5 miles with a main road going north-south through the middle. About a mile after you cross the bridge from Sanibel you’ll run into Tween Waters Island Inn Resort on your right, one of the two major resorts on Captiva. If you keep going almost all the way to the north end of the island you’ll run into the South Seas Island Resort (It used to be called “South Seas Island Plantation”) , the other big name on the island. Big is a good way to describe South Seas-it sits on 330 acres and guests are encouraged to use a bicycle or golf cart to get around to the different restraunts, nature centers and shopping areas. As of mid 2010, room rates start at 180$ a night.
So what about Tween Waters? Althought not nearly the size of South Seas, Tween waters holds its own by pre-packaging your stay to include more time at the spa and playing water sports in its “Experience Package” or airplane rides, fishing expeditions and conservation trips in its “Adventure Package.”
Between the two, Tween waters seems to be more laid back and less corporate. It may be cheaper for a comparable room and the number of amenities will probably be fewer, but at least you won’t have to take a trolley to get to them!
So what if you don’t want a full on resort experience like Tween Waters or South Seas? If a smaller rental is more your style, you might want to consider a bed and breakfast on Captiva Island. The “Breakfast” part might be deceiving, not many of these homes actually offer food in the morning. In return you get some of the lowest nightly rates on Captiva Island and a level of privacy that you just don’t find at the large resorts.
Another benefit is that the small cottages and homes that are used as bed and breakfasts are very interspersed with the local shops and restraunts. Captiva is very friendly to foot and bike traffic, so you might wind up walking down the beach to your evening meal, and then back again to your cottage. The food is generally a step above what you’ll find at the large resorts, and there is more variety with the local establishments.
But what if you’re trying to have a big event like a wedding? The logistics will be more difficult, but there are some nice websites out there that will help you make sure you can get enough rooms for all your guests. Also, there are some big “Bed and Breakfasts”, including a brand new 5 bedroom “Celebration house” at the Captiva Inn.
Captiva Island Hotels
Captiva Island is part of a chain of barrier islands in Lee County in Southwest Florida, close to Sanibel Island and along Florida’s southern coast with the Gulf of Mexico.
Captiva Island has long had pristine beaches well known for sand the consistency of fine sugar, and heaven for shelling and shell collectors. More recently, however, Captiva Island is finally being recognized as a premier vacation destination. The Wall Street Journal recently included Sanibel and Captiva Island, Florida as one of the Ten Best Places for Second Homes. Even if you aren’t able to have a second home on Sanibel or Captiva, Sanibel and Captiva Island hotels and resorts offer many amenities to create the perfect beach vacation.
The variety of accommodations on Captiva Island ensures there truly is something for everyone. From private vacation rental homes to small Inns and Bed and Breakfasts, to full service (4 star) resorts. Additionally, Captiva Island hotels have been recognized by national publications as top of their class in services and amenities including:
- A Top Ten Best Family Beach Resort, Parents Magazine
- Premier Wedding Destination, theKnot.com
- What kind of vacation are you looking for?
- Gathering with family and friends in your own private house?
- Spending your days out in a boat on the Gulf of Mexico?
- Lounging on a quiet beach with a good book?
- Learning and practicing water sports like kite surfing and snorkeling?
- Exploring the natural tropical habitat of Florida’s native plants and animals?
- Pampering yourself with spa treatments?
All of these and more are possible with Captiva Island Hotels…