A wedding in Key West

We rented a whole compound, a charming little B&B called Westwinds, where family took over most of the rooms and cottages. My soon to be husband and I had the owners suite which was a bit off to itself with a private pool and enclosed with a privacy fence. We arrived on Wednesday with most family and friends arriving on Thursday for our Friday evening sunset wedding. Our agenda was jam-packed with snorkeling trips, biking adventures and sea kayaking to name a few. Couldn't have been more romantic and a great way to let two new families get to really know each other.

Quick Tips:

Make all arrangements ahead of time. No matter the time of year, Key West is busy. The Chamber of Commerce in Key West (800-872-3722)or www.fla-keys.com could not have been more helpful. They will send you a complete packet of every available church, minister, restaurant, caterer, musician, gardens or other wedding spots, florist and anything else you might need to get married. There are services that will arrange things for you if you prefer not to do it long distance. Because I have traveled to Key West many times before and with the pic's on the internet, we chose to organize it ourself. Everyone said it was the most romantic, fun, wedding that they had ever been to.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking, motor scooting or bikes will do it. The island is only a little more than 1 1/2 miles long and not even that wide. Be very careful if you rent a motor scooter, I've been to Key West at least 15 times and never have I not had a trip where I have not witnessed at least one motor bike accident. Key West is a party town, and many of the drivers have had a bit too much. Drive defensively. Check for a bike rental place that will deliver the bikes to you and pick them up when you are ready to leave. There is no extra charge for this.

It has 28 rooms or cottages, almost all of which were taken by our guests for our wedding. The owner''s suite (who is usually out of the country) is very private with it''s own private pool. That was the room my husband and I rented and had a pre-reception in this private area.

The management could not have been more helpful as we planned our wedding. They do not allow children under 16 years old however, and are concerned that if you party, that you cut it off at 11 P.M. The rooms are somewhat small, very clean and all in a tropical decor.

It is very centrally located so with bikes you can get just about anywhere. For the money, I highly recommend it.

As soon as you complete your plane reservations, get on the phone and make your reservations for Louie's. Louie's backyard is the only 4 star restaurant in South Florida and that includes, believe it or not...Miami! It is regularly booked solid so don't wait.

We held our wedding reception in the upstairs private rooms and could not have been more pleased with our meal and the service.

The manager would not let me make a final decision on the meal until one week before the wedding...she wanted to make sure that we had only the freshest seafood and beef that she could find!

We finally decided on a choice of turtle soup or lobster bisque. Our guests didn't want to go on to the next course, they just wanted more soup! Next came a salad with an oriental dressing that was like nothing I had ever tasted before.

Our guests had a choice of the entree being either yellow fin tuna with mango sauce, crab cakes with a sort of honey mustard sauce or steak with a peanut sort of sauce. I tried all three and had to agree with my guests raving over the meal.

It is so difficult for establishments to prepare large amounts of food that is not either too cold, under cooked over cooked or pass the serving stage, and I have to say that Louie's absolutley out did themselves with our wedding dinner. Our guests still rave about it and two of them have gone back to Key West to try Louie's again. And don't forget to try the Key Lime Pie.

The restaurant overlooks the ocean, has twinkle lights at night and is step terraced to the beach.

Arrive early so you can sit out on the afterdeck and enjoy a glass of wine before you are seated at either your outdoor or indoor table.

If you can only have one splurge meal...this is the place to do it.

Writing this makes me want to make a plane reservation now to go back...great memories!

Key West is known for its party nature, but save time for the outdoor activities. Bike the island for convenience and fun. Bike rentals are everywhere and relatively inexpensive, especially if you rent them for a couple of days or more. A few bike rental companies will pick up and deliver at no additional charge, go for them...much more convenient.

Don't pass up a chance to snorkel. If you have a car, head north on Route 1 about 15 miles to Loue Key. Any of the snorkeling companies there are great and reasonable ($15.00 of season, $30.00 high season) and will take you to some of the best snorkeling sites in North America. While in water in many cases no deeper than 12 to 20 feet, you will be swimming with angel fish as large as your dinner plate, and you will see colors of neon that you thought only existed in magazines. If you cannot make it to Loue Key, many of the boats in Key West will take you to some pretty good sites that are still worth the cost. We sailed on the Sea Witch, so we had a half day of sailing and snorkeling.

And last but not least, sea kayak. We took the eco tour with the Key West fishing and eco tour company, 1-305-304-0337. These warm, calm and clear waters are legendary for their rich marine life. We explored some of the flats to the mangrove islands aboard kayaks specially designed for eco-touring and getting us through incredibly small holes in the mangrove swamps. A fun and interesting day.

Our wedding was to be at sunset, so at 5 P.M. at our B&B, we had a calypso band come in and play for an hour and a half to get our guests into the island spirit. Everyone still casually dressed, snacked on island food and drink and danced. We then took an hour break to get dressed for the wedding.

Out of the many gorgeous places to choose from, we chose Martello Gardens, an old fort that is now beautifully and lovingly maintained by the Key West garden club. It is on the southern end of the island and it directly on the ocean. They rent it for the incredibly inexpensive fee of $100.00 for the evening.

We had a truly gifted non-denominational minister who worked with us ahead of time to get a feel for what we wanted. Her marriage vows brought tears to everyone. Her name is Reverand Deborah Benedict and her address is P.O. box 2873, Key West Fl. 33045. She is wonderful.

We had a flautist and harpist play during the ceremony who also spent much time with us working out the music. As a surprise to us, immediately after we were married they played "Danny Boy" because I am Irish.

We had champagne toasts and then headed to the beach for pictures. The reception was at Louie's backyard which I feature in the dining section.

It could not have been more romantic.