Beautiful Wedding Location - Beach Club Cafe

[dominiqueamber]

What's size/shape is your carry on?

 

The reason I say that is depending on what you bring they can charge you like 80% duty, I think if your bringing it back with you it's different but the Bahamians tell me don't even share that much information just tell them your coming for a visit.

 

Let me detail - it might help someone else who hasn't been there. When you get off the plan your going to go for a LONG walk...you'll walk through the new terminal and then the under construction terminal and then the old one. Trust me it's a long walk, I struggled to carry a lot by myself - every time after that I checked my bag. Then you'll go to a room where you'll wait in line for immagration. They'll check your paperwork to know where your going and how long your staying (they'll also collect the paper you got to fill out on the plane). Then you'll go collect your bags and then costoms is right there behind you, usually two people at a podium. They'll want to see your passport (so they know your not a local) and ask you where your going and how long your staying. They might ask are you visiting friends, are you bringing gifts? That's when you say no - just on vacation, here to get married and they should let you though. I think unless your carrying something that looks like packages or gifts you should be fine. You can go get a cab by the door.

 

Also if you decide to send a gift to any vendors know they will be required to pay duty when they pick it up.

 

Hope this helps!

[emjonesnyc]

I AM SO HAPPY I found this post!!! We arr getting married June 15 in Nassau and our wedding planner suggest Beach Club Cafe.  How did it turn out for you?? Were they slow with getting food out? I read somewhere that the service can be slow.  We were thinking of doing the reception on the beach.  Is the beach in front of the beach club very big???  Any tips would be so appreciated!

 

emily

 

[dominiqueamber]

Havn't had mine yet - I'm considering having the wedding at Poop Deck and the reception at Beach Club now - they're next to each other. I was told $3k to rent out the place for half a day and $6k for the whole day. I thought it would be feasible but it's looking like a bit much since that dosn't include food or drinks (don't need much decor-that's why I fell in love with it) What did they tell you for prices? I thought about just having dinner there but there menu is more americanized and my mom and guy complained that after $60 they were still hungry (they went for lunch) so I thought catering ourselves would be better because I want a bahamian meal. Oh and it's bahamas - most everything is slow

 

It's not a very big beach - now the storms have a lot to do with reshaping the beach but in July it wasn't much - more of a slope. I go back about the end of december/early january and I can let you know what it's looking like. Look at the picture where you see the dock and all the seaweed has washed ashore - that's the beach infront. I'll post more pictures when I go through my folders. The beach on the other side of the dock where Poop Deck is was longer/bigger. I'm torn because I like the ambiance of Beach Club more than any place I've been to down there (so far). I also have a dream of having a dance floor on the sand. I don't see that happening on the sand in front of Beach Club, and a lot of the tables on the deck are stationary so I think moving the tables/chairs inside is the best option. Unless we dance on the Poop deck side. Told you i'm torn. I'm waiting to hear about the options from Poop Deck and when I go down again I plan to visit Beach Club again - because I have a hard time getting a response through email and on the phone. Who's your planner. I'm excited to have another Bahamas wedding in the works!

[emjonesnyc]

CAN I JUST TELL YOU HOW HAPPY YOUR RESPONSE MADE ME!?! Whew.  This is about the exact same thing I have been thinking.  I love the Beach Club Cafe...but I dont like their beach.  I was thinking of having ceremony at Poop Deck Beach (Can we call that Sandyport beach?)  then having reception at Beach Club?  I would LOVE any and all details once you visit.

 

I am working with Anna's Weddings. she is super nice.  Just so nervous about finding the right place.

 

Yeah- I was told $3500 to rent out Beach Club and then catering will be cheaper or something. If you buy the place out, its cheaper to do your own caterers. Who are you using?

 

We were thinking of Rose Island at first, but the logistics of getting there are just too much and too expensive.  Rose Island is 1 hour catamaran ride from Atlantis.  We're all staying at Sheraton, so Beach Club would be easier.

 

Do you know if any other beaches are available for weddings? What about Love beach?

 

So excited to find you!!!

 

Emily

[dominiqueamber]

Aww..your so sweet  - happy to help - and it gets a lot of my ideas and worries out of my head when I get to talk about it.. So I just love the idea of the word poop on a beautiful wedding invite - but for you I'll call it Sandyport Beach. The beach there is beautiful but I wasn't crazy about the inside. It's well decorated but it's a very British traditional style, a lot of dark green and mauve and it didn't strike my fancy. They have a small room to the side you can have parties in and I loved the windows but I'd prefer to be outside.

 

I asked who your working with because user Lanajoy - booked her date for the Beach Club and was having a hard time getting responses from Anna (I'm pretty sure she has Anna). I believe she found out for me that the white folding chairs are included. I was wanting the clear chivari chairs (actually I wanted clear chairs and that's what was available) and benches but I'm thinking a combination of the two could be cool. I decided I want a semi circle ceremony set up. I got a few quotes for the chairs and the chuppah/canopy and a chandelier and I was excited they wern't that expensive.

 

I do think the beach at Beach Club is great for a ceremony - but not to put tables and chairs on it. I'm trying to figure out if I can make it possible to have everything in one place without renting it out the whole time. I don't mind if there are other people there eating as long as they don't mind us. But if I do that I use there food (which I'm not crazy about) My guy is Bahmaian so he has a friend who is a personal chef in Nassau and just started catering weddings that he wanted to use. I'm not sure the woman's name but I can ask.

 

We originally wanted Harbour Island because we could rent houses there and do without all the vendors and have something really relaxed and private, but since I want my family and friends to have the option of comming down on a cruise ship that was out because ships dock in Nassau and Freeport. My guy suggested the Bed and Breakfast "A Stones's Throw Away" when we first started talking weddings and I ruled it out because it's not on the beach but now I'm considering it. At least for the reception. It has 10 rooms and I think it houses 40 people. Breakfast is included and they have a restaurant for dinner. I'm waiting to hear back from them but it's an option again. I declined the chance to visit the last time and now I wish I hadn't. It's high up on the hill so I bet it has a gorgeous view, I can't wait to visit when I go next.

 

I've heard you can get married on most of the public beaches. The ones that I'm in love with, that he takes me to because they're never crowded are too rocky for a wedding. The problem is there isn't much place to park along the beach so that makes access difficult. I've heard about weddings at love beach but havn't seen one personally. It's a nice beach, furthur away from the crowds but everytime I drove by it had quite a bit of cars there. I know a local couple who was married not too far from Sheraton, they parked in the neighborhood and there is a nice area where it's not a lot of people and they have trees (I love trees) but parking was difficult for us. I guess you'd have to consider vendors getting there and setting up and taxi's/bus shuttle being able to park while they wait for you. But you can go a little further down from Sheraton and go back there for your reception if you'd like. If you have your ceremony at Love Beach or another beach there then would you have a reception elsewhere like a restaurant or were you hoping to have it all at one place? I actually liked Traveler's Rest (restaurant). It's not beautiful but it looks like a hole in the wall, they usually have a band playing and it has a great view. Food was great, you get a lot for your money but service is slow as usual. I'm not sure what kind of vibe/setting your looking for.

 

I'm glad your so excited!

<3 Dom

[emjonesnyc]

SO FUNNY- We were OBSESSED with Harbour Island for the longest time. Wanted to stay at Coral Sands.  Such a beautiful place- but way too hard to get to and very expensive!!!  Oh well. We might just go there for our honeymoon!

 

Anyway,thanks for your response. This forum is amazing and so helpful.  I think we have decided we're doing EVERYTHING on the beach at Sandyport. (thats what im callign it hahaha).  Anna is going to set up an awesome reception right on the beach...with a dance floor and everything. Steel drum band, etc. We just decided this yesterday so it could change, but we always just wanted the reception right on the beach and the Beach Club Cafe just doesn't have a big beach.  I'm so overhwhelmed by all of this and everything to do before june.  

 

So glad I met you on here!

[passionsarcasm]

GORGEOUS Location Dominique!!!

[iGotsGills]

 

Wow, I wish I would have known about Beach Club Cafe!  How awesome!  As for Sheraton, I don't recommend them for the reception.  Read my review for more details if you wish, I won't bore you with the drawn-out details here.  For the record, I was also going to do Eleuthera or Harbour Island but it was too hard to theoretically get some of our limited mobility guests to the island(s) so also decided to remain in Nassau.   DH and I LOVE A Stone's Throw, but you won't be able to get 40 people in there to stay.  Also, it is not on the beach (which I think you realize from your "hill" comment, but for some reason I felt the need to point that out).  And they don't have wedding packages, you'll have to do everything a la carte right down to renting linens and silverware.  Maybe that appeals to you though, I don't know!   Have you looked at Compass Point?   Anyway, good luck to you both and I hope everything turns out beautifully!

[dominiqueamber]

Were probably going to end up living on Eluethra at some point, and my guy's family told me some horror stories about bugs so I'm over it now...That might help you not be so obsessed..I don't want to give myself the heebie-jeebies again but roaches and spiders as big as your hand crawling around the floor and ceiling while you try to go to the bathroom at night scared the "poop deck" outta me! I guess I have to get used to island life.

 

So anyway I talked to Anna and her assistant this weekend, I had actually talked to them in June about Beach Club and we talked Poop Deck this time. My guy and I talked about it and this seems better suited for us. (Although I still plan to ask the guy in person if I can just have my ceremony in front of Beach Club if we get appetizers and cocktails from them, because I just want to know) She said everything can happen outside so I don't have to worry about the interior of the building and the menus are like $38 pp. I'm thinking welcome/rehearsal/farewell dinner at Beach Club now. I saw a girls wedding - I'm pretty sure I got the link on BDW and I wasn't thrilled about her wedding, the dance floor was the concrete patio and you could see the patio umbrellas with Heineken in most of her pictures so I'm going to want to be way out on the beach. I know I sound terribly picky but I'm trying to make it "like" beach club. She also said she can put your ceremony on the pier if your interested in that - I'm not because our wedding will be 60-80 and that's too heavy for me - there was a mishap with a Bahamian Christening on the Pier because of too many people. Anna is going to find out if I can have my guy make the conch salad and just buy the ingredients from the restaurant (which is the only reason I wanted to have my own vendors in the first place)

 

I love this forum too! Don't be overwhelmed sweetie- there's so many women here more than willing to help you - and I have confidence in Anna and Linda ( I think her name is) Once you get the place everything falls together. Then start on Invitations if you haven't already.

 

 

Originally Posted by emjonesnyc 

SO FUNNY- We were OBSESSED with Harbour Island for the longest time. Wanted to stay at Coral Sands.  Such a beautiful place- but way too hard to get to and very expensive!!!  Oh well. We might just go there for our honeymoon!

 

Anyway,thanks for your response. This forum is amazing and so helpful.  I think we have decided we're doing EVERYTHING on the beach at Sandyport. (thats what im callign it hahaha).  Anna is going to set up an awesome reception right on the beach...with a dance floor and everything. Steel drum band, etc. We just decided this yesterday so it could change, but we always just wanted the reception right on the beach and the Beach Club Cafe just doesn't have a big beach.  I'm so overhwhelmed by all of this and everything to do before june.  

 

So glad I met you on here!

 

[dominiqueamber]

I read your review - that's crazy - I'm so sorry that happened to you. 40 people won't fit because of the size of the rooms? What did you think of the place? I'm anxious for details.I don't know about the a la carte. All I really need is dinner, I have most all of the vendors packages provide because my guy is Bahamian and has talented friends and family.  I was just wondering about the layout and atmosphere of there restaurant because we could just have everyone meet there for dinner. I'd actually prefer to bring in my own silverware because I wanted bamboo for my eco-friendly wedding. I also liked that there rooms were less than $200 a night.

 

My guy said Compass Point is more expensive than Beach Club. I read some bad reviews on trip advisor. I do love the way the buildings look though.

 

Thanks for chiming in - it's awesome to have an experienced voice!
 

Originally Posted by iGotsGills 

 

Wow, I wish I would have known about Beach Club Cafe!  How awesome!  As for Sheraton, I don't recommend them for the reception.  Read my review for more details if you wish, I won't bore you with the drawn-out details here.  For the record, I was also going to do Eleuthera or Harbour Island but it was too hard to theoretically get some of our limited mobility guests to the island(s) so also decided to remain in Nassau.   DH and I LOVE A Stone's Throw, but you won't be able to get 40 people in there to stay.  Also, it is not on the beach (which I think you realize from your "hill" comment, but for some reason I felt the need to point that out).  And they don't have wedding packages, you'll have to do everything a la carte right down to renting linens and silverware.  Maybe that appeals to you though, I don't know!   Have you looked at Compass Point?   Anyway, good luck to you both and I hope everything turns out beautifully!