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Beach Weddings

Top Destination Destin Wedding Beach Houses Part 2 | Emerald Coast of Florida

We continue our thoughts on the best Destin Wedding beach houses. Before we jump into it, a few things to keep in mind when considering booking one for your event:

  • Always check with the owner of the house to make sure you can have a wedding/private event function there and be sure your rental contract has verbiage stating this. Don’t go just by what the website says. More times than note, the website is not up-to-date and it may come back to bite you later.
  • The city/county noise ordinance should always be considered. The area has a strict curfew outside (usually 10PM). So if you’re planning on having the reception outside, this is definitely something to take note of.

Martinis In The Sand – Destin, FL

Martinis In The Sand Wedding

This picture above is of the back deck.  As you can see, it is very spacious. This is one of the few that lead right out to a private beach where you can have your ceremony.  You can easily add a tent to the deck if you need it in case rain becomes an issue.  We’ve done mostly 30-40 person weddings at this location.  The house is massive at 6000 square feet! It has 4 floors, 7 bedrooms, 8.5 baths and sleeps 24-25 people. This is a perfect house for a small wedding.

Margaritaville House – Destin, FL

Margaritaville House Wedding

This three-story house has a 4th story observation deck with 360 degree views.  The house sleeps 24.  Comfortably, you can entertain up to 40 guests in the private backyard.  The public beach is a short walk where most of the ceremonies occur.  We usually set-up on the porch of the backyard close to power and most of our clients who use this house typically hire a caterer who does a buffet style set-up.

Frangista Beach Houses – Miramar Beach, FL

Frangista Beach House Wedding

This is a community of homes that are available and close to public beach access.  If you have between 25-35 people, these homes are ideal.  One of the ones we tend to work at quite often is the Santorini House.  It has 8 bedrooms and sleeps 24 people.  If you go to their website, you’ll find a ton of different options that can fit exactly what you’re looking for. At most of these, we DJ the party outside in the private backyard or sometimes in the front yard that has a white picket fence to make it feel more private.

Escape To Il Paridso – Miramar Beach, FL

Escape To Il Paridso Wedding DJ

This home is unique because it has a very large back deck where you can have a more casual reception, provided the weather doesn’t have rain in the forecast. Should rain be a possibility, the living room space can make for a great back-up plan as it’s quite large and it is easy to move furniture around. This house is perfect for entertaining 30 or so guests. Right down the steps from the deck, you can have your ceremony on your own semi-private beach. The house itself sleeps 18.

Hix Six House – Grayton Beach, FL

Hix Six House Wedding DJ

This 3 story home is one of our faves. You’re a 60 second walk from the beach.  The architecture and amenities will blow away your guests.  We’ve DJ’d on the deck and inside this home. It sleep 15 and would entertain 30-40 people easily.

Casa Del Mar – Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Casa Del Mar Wedding

This is another home that we’ve worked at quite frequently. Santa Rosa Beach is away from the heavy traffic so a lot of people gravitate towards this area. This particular house is actually inside of a gated community which makes the event feel even more private and is just a short walk to the beach.  The house also has a spacious backyard with a pool (you can do so many cool things decor-wise with a pool – lighting, candles, etc.). We typically set-up back there when DJ’ing events. The 3 story house itself is spacious as it sleeps 16.

A Point of View – Seagrove Beach, FL

A Point of View Wedding

This house shares beach access with a few other neighboring homes as shown in the picture.  However, it boasts a nice private back deck (with a pool) for entertaining small crowds of 30-40 people. It sleeps 12.  Additionally, it’s close to a few restaurants (723 Whiskey Bravo is a good one) which would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner.

So there you have it!  We have other beach house recommendations we can give you but for this blog focus, we’ll leave you with these.  Like we’ve mentioned in the post, we’ve worked with each of these properties and know your guests would thoroughly enjoy any one of these!

 

DJ Duane-Bull Wedding at Sandestin Hilton on March 15 2014

It was a sunny and great day for a wedding at Sandestin Hilton Beach Golf Resort and Spa for Johnny Bull and Danielle Elliott. The Hilton wedding team handled the coordination and catering. The bride’s bouquet and the arbor flowers were provided by It’s A Perfect Day.  Photography was done by one of our favorites, Tay Gray Photography.

I was the Emcee and DJ Josh B mixed the tunes. The ceremony took place on the beach and we were in the Diamond Ballroom for the reception. The mother of the bride and the bride’s aunt took care of the design/décor and truly did a fantastic job! The décor colors consisted of blues, silvers, greens, and white. It was used throughout the room in the form of peacock feathers and other materials.

HIlton Sandestin Weddings DIY Wedding Decor

HIlton Sandestin Weddings DIY Wedding Table Decor
Something that was a little different for us with this particular event was the fact that Danielle, the bride, is hearing impaired. Not to worry, we were able to communicate through phone text throughout the planning process. The day of the event I worked with one of the bridesmaids who knew sign language. Danielle was so excited that nothing was going to get in the way on her day!

Danielle and Johnny set the party atmosphere right away by using “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce as their Grand Entrance song. From there, they went with the East Coast format where we go immediately from the Grand Entrance into the First Dance. They chose “Memories of Us” by Keith Urban. That was followed by the Father/Daughter dance to the song “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw. The Mother/Son Dance had a little twist in that the bride and her grandfather joined Johnny and his mother as they danced to Izzy K’s version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. DJ Josh B then played a cool medley for the Bridal Party Dance of “Cupid Shuffle”, “The Electric Slide”, “Apache”, and the “Wobble”.

We went into dinner so everyone could catch their breath and then transitioned into the toasts. Each speech was heartfelt and there were barely any dry eyes left in the room once they concluded. After the toasts, it was time to get our groove on. DJ Josh B got the crowd up on their feet and out onto the dance floor. We partied the night away and ended on a song Danielle and Johnny had pre-selected called “Stealing Cinderella” by Chuck Wicks.

The music was memorable, the dancing was hillarious (great job groomsmen!) and the bride and groom couldn’t have looked any happier. That is what we like to see  DJ Josh B and I are so happy and honored that we were able to be a part of Danielle and Johnny’s day. We wish both of them many years of happiness!

July and August Event Recap – in Photos!

So far, event season 2013 has been filled with special events, bright smiles, delicious details and memorable moments. Here’s a recap of some of the fun in July and August.

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A trendy cake with succulents! Mmmmm.

A trendy cake with succulents! Mmmmm.

 

And an equally trendy cupcake station – with gluten free option!

And an equally trendy cupcake station – with gluten free option!

 

We’ve been rockin’ events from NY …

We’ve been rockin’ events from NY …

 

To California …

To California …

 

To Florida … and many points in between.

To Florida … and many points in between.

 

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The DJ has ‘em all lined up for a dance!

The DJ has ‘em all lined up for a dance!

 

And then the bride busts a move!

And then the bride busts a move!

 

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As you can tell, we always have a lot of fun! Want to party with us? Hit us up! You can get a FREE consultation, right here on our website!

 

Vendor Profile: Dear Wesleyann – Wedding and Lifestyle Photography

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B-Boy Productions Inc. handles a lot of destination weddings, and in doing so, we’ve been blessed to work with some of the best wedding and event photographers in the country.

Our friends at Dear Wesleyann are right at the top of the list of folks we love to work with! Dear Wesleyann is a Florida Panhandle destination wedding photographer covering the areas of 30-A, Carillon Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seaside, WaterColor and beyond. With many years in the industry, Wesleyann combines experience and expertise with an efficacious attitude and win-you-over smile! We recently cornered her to get some advice and insights for our blog-reader friends and brides-to-be. Here’s what she had to say:

First, give us a quick recap on your background, experience, and what brought you to the beach?

When it comes to my background and where I’m from, I pretty much fall into that coined term of being a “Third Culture Kid.” Growing up, we were constantly on the move for my dad’s career. Rest assured that no matter where we lived, the Florida Panhandle is where we always spent our summers and had a way of feeling like home! After my 2nd year of college in Pennsylvania, I decided to forgo another year of the cold and snow, and decided to migrate south to the palm trees and Gulf breeze! Never did I have plans to stay here, however, after running into the first boy I ever dated from years past {at the age of 14} … well 7 years of marriage and two little boys later … we’re still here! I’m convinced the beach has a way of never letting you go!!

As far as my professional experience and background … I’ve been a shutter releaser, professionally, for 5 years. Coming from a creative family and living abroad, photography and art have always been a passion of mine. However, the way it became my career was rather serendipitous and ended up being one of those “meant to be” kind of things! With a degree in Communications, a minor in Photography, and life’s journey of ups, downs, twists, and turns … my first real career as a wedding event planner at a resort soon lead me to being a wedding photographer!

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When shooting any outdoor event, weather is unpredictable. What other things does the destination/beach bride need to know? Any advice to share?

Weather here along the coast is very unpredictable, to say the least!! However, when you have a team of wedding professionals you’re able to trust … you can rest assured you’re in good hands! When I got married 7 years ago someone gave me words of advise that I held on to and give to my couples now – remember that no matter what may happen, at the end of your wedding day, the two of you are going to be husband and wife … and that’s what all this is truly about! It’s so easy to get caught up in the midst of everything and it’s important to always have that as a constant reminder!!

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What trends are you seeing for 2013 destination weddings?

I think the beauty of wedding trends now days is that couples can do just about anything the mind can create and their budget can allow!!! I love that couples are making their wedding day sentimental with so many personal touches! One of my favorites I’ve seen a lot this year, is couples who incorporate family heirlooms into their day … it has a way of bringing love, commitment and family full circle!

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You excel in capturing details and emotions! Do you have a favorite “moment” that you always hope to capture at a wedding?

The fact that weddings are all about emotions, moments and memories, I think is what truly fuels my passion for them! Every wedding has those “first time moments”… The look on the bride’s face when she sees herself in the mirror for the first time in her dress, the look on the father’s face as he glances at his daughter one last time before walking her down the aisle, when the bride and groom see each other for the first time … and the first kiss! All those moments are moment capture musts! However, it’s the expressions and emotions just before and after … and then the unexpected moments, that tend to make my heart soar! It’s capturing those moments for my couples that makes a wedding feel “whole!”

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In this age of social media sharing and Instagram, some brides are opting for an “unplugged” ceremony and reception – leaving the first images of their event to a professional. Do you have thoughts on this trend?

When I’ve attended weddings as a guest {and especially now that I’m married}, there’s something truly special and sentimental when you’re engaged in the meaning and words being exchanged as the couple commits to forever together! As wonderful as social media and technology can be, I’ve realized that it can also be a huge distraction … not just at weddings but during life in general! I think the whole “unplugged” concept is a fantastic idea so that you and your guests are able to really enjoy and be in the moment! Because we live in an instant gratification age, and because I know couples and guests are always so excited to see images from the day, I always make it a point to post a few images on Facebook and Instagram within a few days of the wedding!!

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Dear Wesleyann shoots a lot of weddings, but you do other types of shoots too. Give us a quick rundown?

Over the last 5 years, I’ve captured mostly weddings and lifestyle {family, maternity, newborn, etc.} sessions. However, over the last few months, I’ve done a lot of soul searching in hopes of creating a balance between work and personal life. Weddings have always been my passion, so starting in the fall, I’ll mainly be marketing myself as just weddings and wedding related shoots — whether lifestyle or commercial. Even though I’m narrowing in on a specific industry within photography, I’m excited to be able to focus on the creative opportunities and new adventures where my heart truly is … in weddings!

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We’ve heard you have a travel bug and love to do destination shoots. Where have you been recently? And where would you like to go (bucket list!)?

I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to travel for weddings and shoots! I spent 5 years living abroad while growing up, which definitely helped to cultivate a love for travel and adventure!! This year, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot weddings in the North Carolina Mountains, Alabama, and this fall I’ll be heading down south to the Florida Keys! Next year I feel like I’m already on the fast track to crossing things off my Bucket List as I’ll be shooting a wedding at the Biltmore Estate! As far as other bucket list locations … I’m crossing my fingers and toes for a NYC wedding, one in California wine country … and then my dream is to go back to Paris, France where I grew up to shoot!!!

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There you have it! If you’re looking for a fantastic, fun, joyful photographer – especially for a far away, exotic on-location shoot – B-Boy Productions heartily recommends you hit up Dear Wesleyann! And don’t forget to follow them on Facebook!

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Turn To B-Boy for Live Musicians to Jazz Up Your Event!

Musicians

Did you know that B-Boy Productions Inc. does MORE than just put on a memorable night of music and dancing with highly skilled DJ/MC/Party Motivators? We also provide seasoned live musicians for wedding rehearsals, cocktail hour, corporate events and more. So whether you’re looking for a chill vibe or some upbeat blues, B-Boy Productions has a solo artist, duo or band on the roster that will fit your needs.

Here are three recent videos of performances from our amazing team of musicians:

Dan Austin – Guitarist/Vocalist
Cocktail Hour Samples

 

Gino Rosaria Band
5-Piece Band (also performs as a 3-Piece Band)

 

Aaron Paul Bostic – Guitarist/Vocalist
Cocktail Hour Samples

 

You can also check out playlists and samples of our artists right here on our website, or follow us on YouTube to keep up with all the newest videos posted from our events.

Find someone on the roster that you’d like to hear more from? Hit us up and we can send you some samples!

Top Destination Wedding Venues in Destin, Florida and the Emerald Coast – Part 1

Top Destination Wedding Venues in Destin, Florida and the Emerald Coast

Ah, the destination wedding … creating memories to last a lifetime in a location with unparalleled beauty and ambiance!

It’s no wonder that Destin, Florida consistently ranks at the top of the list for domestic wedding getaways – sugar sand beaches, emerald green waters (they don’t call it The Emerald Coast for nothing!), warm gulf breezes and friendly natives.

With a DJ and entertainment company division located in Destin – and with years of experience living and working in the local area – B-Boy Productions, Inc. has a unique perspective on recommending top wedding venues … we’ve worked at most of them!

The list of recommended venues is extensive, so we’re going to just start with a select few and make this a multi-part series!

Henderson Park Inn – Destin, FL

This romantic bed and breakfast hotel is at the secluded end of a beachfront road, and offers spectacular views of the gulf; wedding ceremonies on the beach or West or East lawn; catered receptions on the lawn or the Veranda; and luxurious accommodations for wedding guests.

Henderson Park Inn added a North Lawn across the street for larger guest counts as well as an adjacent parking area, which adds convenience for wedding guests not staying at the property (since parking is very limited at the Inn).

*Note that Henderson Park Inn is an adults-only property for accommodations, but children are allowed to attend weddings/events.

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The Venue at Crystal Beach – Destin, Florida

This open-air venue is owned/managed by the folks at Henderson Park Inn, and will be coming soon to the space right next door to the inn. This 3-1 one venue will feature a stained concrete deck area, a lawn area, and a beachfront area – all with completely unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico.

While still under construction, they do have a few artist renderings of the new space, and you can contact Christine Walker at 850.200.3614 for more information about advance booking.

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Eden Gardens State Park – Point Washington, Florida

The park encompasses 161 acres in the midst of South Walton County in the Florida panhandle, along the shores of Tucker Bayou and the Choctawhatchee Bay. The site boasts numerous gardens; reflecting pools; towering moss-draped oaks; serene waterways; and the historic 110-year-old Wesley House.

Eden Gardens State Park has a pavilion that provides an enclosed area for approximately 150 guests to sit and eat, plus a large food preparation room. The park is available for rentals by contacting the Event Director at the park office.

This FAQ will provide helpful information when considering an event at the state park — Read FAQ »

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Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village – Destin, FL

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village offers a wide array of indoor and outdoor locations that provide the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

For those not interested in sand between their toes during the ceremony, Emerald Grande includes a breathtaking outdoor deck with a grand staircase for creating an unforgettable entrance.

On-staff event planners and culinary professionals make planning super easy, and special accommodation packages such as the Sweetheart Package and Honeymoon Package offer wedding parties great value.

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Sandestin Beach Hilton – Sandestin, FL

Consistently voted as one of the top Florida resorts – and currently ranked #26 on the Conde Nast Travelers Top U.S. Resort Spas – this beachfront hotel offers all the amenities a bride and groom could dream of, plus 32,000+ square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space to accommodate any dream wedding plan.

Beach weddings at the Sandestin Hilton are treated with an eye for detail that gets rave reviews from wedding parties and guests: a wedding arbor with fresh flower décor, a champagne toast for guests, tiki torches with greenery, a limousine for the bridal party, and more. We also love that security comes with the ceremony packages to ensure a somewhat private space is secured for your location without sunbathers strolling by or ending up in your pictures.

One of the specialties of the Hilton is feeding guests with bountiful hors d’oeuvres and lavish dinner spreads, both for rehearsal dinners and receptions. And special touches for busy bridal parties can include Bride’s Dressing Room Refreshments and Groomsmen on the Go menus. They offer cocktail hour/reception space on numerous outside decks or inside ballroom spaces during the hot and cold months. The indoor ballrooms act as a “day of” rain alternative which can be quite the cost/location saver, eliminating the need for tents or switching venues at the last minute.

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WaterSound Beach Club – Watersound, FL

This private beach club is set among the rolling dunes of WaterSound Beach, with sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico and private boardwalk access to an exclusive beach.

There are multiple options for ceremonies and receptions at WaterSound Beach Club, including poolside among the generous terraces and 14,000 square feet of pool decks surrounded by sprawling green lawns; or the grandeur of a the Shark Tooth Golf Club with it’s sophisticated art glass windows and chandeliers, fireplaces, and natural wood and stone interiors.

The wedding team at WaterSound prides themselves on their ability to personalize a wedding to each couple’s unique vision.

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Bentley’s on the Bay – Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

There are so many things to love about this venue!

Location – Situated on the beautiful Choctawhatchee Bay in Santa Rosa Beach, conveniently located between Destin and Panama City Beach, and close to all of the little resort towns along the 30A corridor.

Space – Bentley’s on the Bay can accommodate both large and small events. They offer over 3600 square feet of covered and open deck for bayside weddings and receptions of up to 200 guests. And indoor areas with amazing views and 2200 square feet of space.

Privacy – Bentley’s only hosts one event per day, assuring that your wedding gets the attention it deserves.

Resources – This venue offers a team of event professionals to assist in planning your event; day-of coordination services; and even rentals for tables, chairs and linens.

Food – Oh yes, a dedicated caterer and pastry chef. Fresh ingredients and artful presentation.

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And to round out our destination wedding venue review (part one), here are some helpful tips from professional destination wedding planners:

  1. Pick a destination that can fulfill your needs. Think about your dream wedding and decide what best represents your vision – a wedding on the beach, overlooking the beach, underneath a gazebo for sun protection, etc.
  2. Send pictures of your ideal setup – from chairs to floral displays – to your wedding planner. It will help your planner to assure that the destination offers everything you’re looking for.
  3. Don’t forget a ceremony sound system when planning a beach wedding. Whether on a beachfront terrace or with your toes in the sand, there is always plenty of ambient noise that could inhibit your guests from hearing your vows. A ceremony sound system assures that your guests will here the all-important “I Dos.”

Watch for more Destin, Florida venue information in future posts!

(And if your wedding/reception venue is not listed yet, please feel free to contact us with your venue details and photos for the next blog post/s. Thanks!)