Cape May

meridith83

I was a June Bride in Cape May.  Our reception was at Hotel Alcott.  We loved it.  Most of our guests stayed at the Alcott so we controlled nearly the entire hotel.  The staff was great and our wedding was beautiful.  The food was great.  We had the ceremony on the beach.  It was beautiful.  Love the place we picked. 

Also, if looking for cheap hotels with one night stays.  I blocked rooms at the Palace Hotel.  They allow 1 night stays and are extremely nice to deal with.

cmaygrl

I was a May Cape May bride.  Our reception was at the Union Park Restaurant.  It was EXCELLENT!!  The food was amazing, and Bob, the Manager, was wonderful to work with!  Not one negative thing about the place. All of my guests raved about the food, service, and atmosphere! 
Our ceremony, like Meridith83, was on the beach... which is the BEST thing to do!
Our Day was PERFECT!!!

As for accomodations, seeing our wedding was very intimate (family & few freinds), my parents rented a large house for my family. My friends enjoyed their stay at The Montreal Inn for Friday & Saturday nights. The price was right, and I believe breakfast is included.

Just an FYI...I got my flowers in Cape May, as well as my hair done.

No matter where you go, you are in Cape May, so it will be beautiful!!

Any other questions, just ask. 

cmny

Hello,

We're planning on having our wedding in Cape May and will be checking out venues over Labor Day weekend.  (We'll probably pick a September 2011 date). The places that most seem to fit our idea of the wedding are the Grand Hotel, Congress Hall, Hotel Alcott, Chalfonte Hotel, and maybe Cape May Yacht Club.  Does anyone have any blog of their wedding at these places, or any strong opinions?  Thanks a lot!

KarenMalPT

We had our wedding at the Hotel Alcott and it was perfect.  Not one problem on our wedding day and it was a great party.  The service was amazing, bartending perfect and the food was delicious.  I don't have one complaint about the Alcott and Nick runs a great place.  Our families also stayed overnight there and everyone was happy. 

The one thing I will say is that the cake wasn't very good.  They outsource it to Victory Baking and the owner promises you the world and doesn't deliver.  I've read lots of complaints from other brides and I wish I had asked to get the cake comp'd and then ordered it from somewhere else. 

If anyone wants a 'Welcome Booklet' I can email you mine.  It turned out well and why bother gathering the information if you could copy and paste.  Write me at ValerieBrooklyn@hotmail.com

GL to all of you - we couldn't have picked a more perfect place to have our wedding - both Cape May and the Alcott.

janderevjanik

I'm getting married in Cape May in October and I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion on hair and makeup. I'm not from the area so I don't have a clue!

sbf2

I'm using Karen Capcino like a lot of the other South Jersey brides. She has a house in Philly and a vacation trailer in the Cape May area, so she is really convienent. She also has a partner that does makeup in case you want the whole bridal party done.

jmktieman

Hi Girls,

I am recently engaged and from the South Jersey area. My fiance and I are looking to get married in Cape May as my parents have a shore house in North Wildwood and we've spent a lot of time there. Please let me know your thoughts/recommendations/what you've found out from this process. We are thinking of getting married in 2012 in either late Spring or early Summer. I'd be glad to hear some of your advice and recommendations. We're going to try to keep it small to meet out bugets, so we're thinking no more than 150 guests.

Thanks,
Jamie

cmaygrl

I was a May 2010 Cape May bride.  Our reception was at the Union Park Restaurant.  It was EXCELLENT!!  The food was amazing, and Bob, the Manager, was wonderful to work with!  Not one negative thing about the place. All of my guests raved about the food, service, and atmosphere! 
BUT.. they can only accomodate up to about 125. (Due to budget, our guest list was SMALL.... 60 people (family, few friends).

Our ceremony was on the beach (in front of the Pavilion).  THE best thing to do! 

Just an FYI...I got my flowers in Cape May, as well as my hair done.

There are many places you can look: HOtel ALcott; COngress Hall; Peter Shields; The GRand HOtel; The Southern Mansion; The Washington Inn; etc. Look on the Capemay.com website

No matter where you go, you are in Cape May, so it will be beautiful!!

Any other questions, just ask. 

sbf2

I'm getting married at Congress Hall in 2 weeks and I have loved the experience thus far and am so in love with the venue! We are cutting costs by having it on a Sunday and in the off-season to help hotel costs for guests. Congress Hall has a reduced minimum depending on time of year/day of week. For my date, my minimum is 125 people which works perfectly with my budget.

Daniella, the day of coordinator of Congress Hall, has been wonderful to work with and it has been stress-free. She has done everything to make things as easy as possible and is working with us to make an entire 'wedding weekend' with a welcome party at the Rusty Nail, an after party in the Boiler Room and a breakfast on the beach the morning after.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about Congress Hall! I know a lot of other venues in Cape May are just as great, but this one just fit my requirements perfectly!

sbf2

BTW...I know some other girls from earlier in this post have already had their wedding dates, I would love to hear more about your vendors and wedding day experiences/any advice particular to Cape May. We are looking to take photos at our venue, on the Beach, boardwalk, and Arcade...I'd love to see any photos you have to get some ideas!

beachy44

I am planning on getting married in Cape May and have always dreamed of having my wedding at Congress Hall.  I am going down there next weekend to look at the venue and see about potential Fall 2011 or early 2012 dates.  I would really like to talk to you more about your ideas, the planning, the vendors you are using, and any advice that you may have.

I am new to this site and am not sure if it may be easier to discuss via email regarding the details.

Good luck with everything!  You are almost there!

sbf2

PM me your email! Or just ask on here! I'm sure some other girls have good ideas too to add!

beachy44

Thanks!

And yes any other insight on Cape May weddings & Congress hall from other Knot brides will be extremely helpful.  I am very new to wedding planning so I need all the help I can get!

beachy44

For some reason I am unable to PM people.  The link seems to be broken.

Is anyone having their ceremony at Our Lady Star of the Sea?  I want to have my ceremony there but I think its parish membership only.  Is there any way around that?

Also, what is everyone doing for hotels for their guests? I love CH but it is too expensive to have all my guests stay there so I need to find some other options.

Also, for those that are having their reception at CH what are your plans for cocktail hour/food/decor etc.  Also, I was thinking a simple B&W color scheme but I am not sure if that will be boring against the tiffany blue walls.

Also, as I am not from the area (I am from the NY area) I have no idea about the local vendors.  I want to have a band for sure but I also need hair/makeup & a good photographer.  Any suggestions are welcome!

sbf2

Haha...yep you have a lot of questions!

First, start off by emailing Krista: kostrander@congresshall.com
She will set you up with all of the information needed regarding your time of year, food, etc. They include table linens for cocktail hour and reception, black & white during cocktail hour, and plain white during reception. Congress Hall will also provide you an excellent starting point with their Vendor List (not paid for recommendations).

Cape May hotels/motels/inns aren't really keen on giving you a discount like hotels in other areas are, I wasn't very successful doing this. Instead, I recommended a variety of hotels in a variety of budgets and have people staying all over Cape May, but still walking distance. People are staying in the Grand Hotel, La Mer, Hotel Alcott, Madison Ave Beach Club, Beach Shack, Marquis de Lafayette, and some B&Bs for my wedding. Everyone found the hotel for that best fits them. I also have FI's family renting a house for the weekend through MarysHouse.com.

Our Lady Star of the Sea is parish only (2 years of membership) but depending on your date if you start your membership now you may meet the requirements. FI is methodist, so we decided to go that direction instead, and are at the United Methodist Church of Cape May, which has turned out to be a better experience than I expected. We have a lot more flexibility in the ceremony and can write our own vows. The church is gorgeous and about 100 ft from Our Lady Star of the Sea, so still a great distance from Congress Hall. No transportation is required! Rev. Rina Terry has been a really great pastor to work with and we are really happy we went this direction.

Colors wise, I chose a cloud blue bridesmaid dress (much more silver than blue) and I went with a blue and brown color scheme. My flowers are going to be all different colors, my florist told me not to corner myself with color choices and she promises it won't clash with the tiffany blue reception room walls.

Vendors I am using: Deja Groove Band, Alimario Photography, Mums the Word Florist, Karen Capcino (local, travels for you hair/makeup). I love all of my vendors and I worked very hard to work within a budget.

Hope that helps!

Tara Schoenemann

I am getting married at the Southern Mansion next Sept.!! Sooo excited but still have so much to do! 

jaimerae727

Hi all and HELP!! lol

I am another Cape May bride for August of next year! Getting married at the 2nd Ave Pavilion but working on reception ideas as we don't want too formal. My dad's family is from the south and we were thinking a traditional Southern BBQ reception...Anyone have any ideas on where we can do that?

Does anyone have any ideas on Hair and Makeup? I'm in Central NJ but am in Cape May alot...

We are going with the Cape Winds Florist...less I have to truck 2 hours down the Parkway lol

Also looking for a baker...we would like cupcakes...any ideas??

Thanks and sorry for the questions...just got excited to find other Cape brides...

Funny part is I'm an event planner by trade but whatever haha.

Good luck and best wedding wishes to all of you!!

sbf2

Hey! This is my last post for Cape May! We had an amazing wedding 9.26.10 all thanks to a beautiful location and amazing friends & family. It was beautiful all weekend, but it rained on and off all day on our wedding, although it seemed to stop when we needed to walk to the church and back. Cape May adds something so special to weddings and it truly was a unique experience!

All of our vendors were amazing and I'll rave for years to come on all of them, but our photographer Terence Alimario and band Deja Groove really came through and did an amazing job. T went out in the rain so many times to get good shots, we really put him to work, and the photos came out amazing.

Here is our complete list of vendors:

Church: United Methodist Church of Cape May
Venue: Congress Hall
Rehearsal Dinner: Peter Shields Inn (basement)
Meet & Greet: Rusty Nail Bar & Grill
After Party: Boiler Room of Congress Hall

Photographer: Terence Alimario www.alimariophoto.com
Florist: Mums the Word (Maria)
Band: Deja Groove Party Band www.dejagroove.net (11-piece!)
Classical Trio at ceremony: Philadelphia String Quartet
Hair & Makeup: Karen Capcino of South Jersey knot fame

Email me at sbf2@lehigh.edu if you have any questions and you can see all of our wedding photos at

www.alimariophoto.com, click clients, weddings, sara & justin, password is irick.

Enjoy and good luck planning your beautiful weddings! Remember, if you go with the flow and allow for spontaneity and change in schedule, amazing things will result. I am so happy I relied on my wedding party to take charge when we needed it because their creativity made for some amazing photo opportunities and memories!

snix74

My husband and I were married at Our Lady Star of the Sea (Catholic Church on Washington Street) on May 8, 2010.  We are not parishoners there.  It took a lot of persuading and patience, but they did let us have our wedding there!  We did have to wait until just a few months prior to our wedding date before they would give us the final "yes," so it was a bit stressful but totally worth it because it was beautiful!

Our Lady of the Angels (Catholic Church in Cape May Courthouse) does allow non-parishoners to get married there, and the church is very pretty and only ~10 minutes from downtown Cape May.  They are super-nice there, and the priests are willing to do all of your preparations with you.  For less stress, I would call them soon and see if they have your date open.

Our rehearsal dinner was at The Washington Inn, and it was excellent.  They gave us a semi-private room and we had ~45 people attend.  The food there is amazing and the chef worked with us to keep everything in budget.  I highly recommend!!!

We had our reception at Congress hall - and we LOVED it there!  I would recommend Congress Hall to any bride.  They were wonderful and the food was amazing - we are still receiving compliments about our wedding!

Best of luck to all Cape May brides!  Please message me for any additional information or recommendations!

kristingorman

I'm interested in getting married at Grand Hotel or Congress Hall in Cape May, One Atlantic in AC, Stone Harbor Yacht Club, and Golden Inn in Avalon. 

Thoughts?  Any other ideas?

Please advise!!

mander3117

Hi All
  This is my first post and I love that it is on a board dedicated to weddings in my hometown.  I grew up in Cape May, college in Easton PA, 8 years in Washington DC, then it was time to head back to beach and family.
  We got engaged in Mexico in Sept. and are really close to finalizing our date/venue for a June 2011 wedding in Cape May.
  I'd be happy to offer any advice I can on the area, venues/vendors, etc. (my sister was married just 3 years ago locally as well), but I'm also going through the planning process so will be great to discuss ideas here as well.
  Good luck, and hope you all enjoy Cape May as much as I do

Tara Schoenemann

Hi!!! I am getting married at the Southern Mansion in September!!! Can you PLEASE recommend a great florist?? And a place I can block of a bunch of rooms for guests to stay????

Thank-you!!!

mander3117

Hi Tara
  Cape Winds florist is wonderful.  Did my sister's wedding and everything was beautiful...will probably be my choice for my June Southern Mansion wedding!!
  I also need to find an additional set of accomodations for guests.

cmaygrl

Hello Cape May Brides!!  I was a May 2010 CM Bride!!  I am very late to the above conversations, here it goes.  This may a little loooonnngg. LOL

 I also purchased my flowers from Cape Winds Florist.  THEY were BEAUTIFUL!!  Everyone STILL talks about them. if i knew how to post pix, they would be here. lol

And... i had my hair done at the "Artizon Salon & Spa" 609-884-4499 (Betty Ann did mine). Again, can't say enough about it.... most beautiful!

As for accomodations, besides a large rental house for my famiily (slept 20), I had guests stay at the "Montreal Inn" & "Atlas Inn".  Both were ..... economically reasonable.  I liked that the Montreal Inn had a fun tiki-type bar near the pool.  My friends liked that.

Our reception was at the Union Park Restaurant (EXCELLENT)!!  i would definately recommmend that to anyone (with a small reception).. such as ours (only 59 people).
Our wedding ceremony was at the Pavilion Beach. 
hhmmm i think that's it.

Have fun planning... do not stress!!! (i know.. easy for me to say).  Honestly, If I had listended to my FI back last year, WE would have eloped to Vegas and had 2 weeks in HAWAII!! LOL  
Kidding!!! LOL

OH..... remember to breathe.... your Day will FLY BY!!
PLEASE ENJOY EVERY MINUTE!!!  seriously!!   relax, have fun, and don't forget to smell the roses. lol

I hope this helps.  I will try and pop on to answer further questions.  I am rarely on sites anymore (nesties/ knot), but will help if i can.

Hey.. your wedding is in CAPE MAY.... it really doesn't get better than that!!

Good Luck!

Tara Schoenemann

Has anyone recently had their wedding or have been to a wedding at the Southern Mansion?? I have some questions!!!?? 

Thanks

CrtnyAgger

Hi ladies I am getting married right over the bridge in ww, but I am also using cape winds florist. We went there yesterday told Debbie what we wanted and within 10minutes as we sat there she gave us a quote which was extremely reasonable

cmaygrl

CrtnyAgger: I was a May2010 bride and used Cape WInds Florist.. and LOVED them. My flowers were amazing, and Debbie was very nice & always professional to work with!  I would recommend them in a heart beat!  Good Luck w/everything!  If you don't have a vendor for hair dresse or cake, just ask.   Actually, there are many brides on this site who could give references.  There are plenty of people to choose from in Cape May area. 
Have fun planning, but remember to relax and remember to keep the meaning of the day in mind when you are stressing out about silly things.  
It's about YOU and your HUBBY ....
GL

mander3117

  I'm getting married at The Southern Mansion June 10, 2011 and have decided on Kate's Flower Shop in West Cape May.  My sister used Cape Winds in 2007 for her wedding and I can attest to the fact that her flowers were beatiful and she was completely satisfied with Debbie and staff.  I did also have a consultation with them for our June wedding.
  Having grown up in Cape May I know Kate's has also been an established business in the area for 20+ years and I found her very accommodating and personable to deal with when we met (just after our Christmas blizzard).  She was great at giving me some insights and steering me in the right direction.  And, in my specific situation her estimate came in $1,000 less than Cape Winds.
  Of course every bride has her own priorities and budget, so though I would (and did on this board) recommend Cape Winds, I wanted to give everyone insight on my choice!  Kate's is definitely another great option.

jaimerae727

Hi hi... I'm getting marked September 24th at the lighthouse... Love and congrats to all of the Cape brides!

loshea05

What did everyone budget for their flower costs?  I am trying to figure out what a 'reasonable' quote is.  I am having 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsman and probably 12-14 tables.  Thanks!