Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village

Emily and her team did an amazing job of masking all of my wedding dreams come true!! I would HIGHLY recommend to any brides to be!

The venue was beautiful. The food was amazing and the wedding planner was very helpful.

Where do I even begin? My wedding at the Emerald Grande was DREAMY! From day one of my interest in this venue, the whole team made me feel listened to and they were always very responsive. I worked with Emily for most of my wedding planning process and she made sure that I was meeting deadlines and answering the questions that needed to be answered on a timeline. If it wasn't for her keeping me on track, I'm not sure what I would have done! Any question I asked was answered quickly and honestly and Emily gave her knowledge and input to guide me in my decision making, which was more than welcome (and I think saved us some money on things we didn't need to spend money on)! Once I got closer to my wedding date, I began to work with Annette who was fabulous! My whole wedding party and family knew exactly where to be and when to be there without me lifting a finger. Annette really was the glue the day of the wedding and kept everyone in line (even the boys)! "The food was the best I've ever had at a wedding" was a common phrase I heard about our wedding. We were even able to add in some pigs in a blanket to our appetizer list and ALL allergies were addressed and catered to the day of the wedding. The team made sure to contact all of my vendors and I rested assured knowing that the whole day was taken care of and they knew and understood my vision. I got ready in a bridal suite at the Grande which was overlooking HarborWalk and it was such a relaxing, beautiful view for the morning of the wedding and even the next day as we had a little goodbye sendoff for some of our guests. My family was even able to see us during our first look on the beach from our condo!!! How special! The first look on the beach is priceless and something everyone should do! There ended up being a LOT of people on the beach on my wedding day, so Annette made the decision to switch beaches and go to a beach right before the Grande's private beach that only had one group of people there. The photos on the rocks were INCREDIBLE and the sunset was to die for. The Grande was even able to accommodate our dog at the ceremony and made sure he had water and even let him hang out in the AC when it became too hot for him. We did our ceremony on the Captain's Deck, cocktail hour and reception in the HarborView Room. The level of care was unmatched and if you're looking for that perfect beach wedding, choose the Emerald Grande!!

An AMAZING venue!! It is truly a beautiful place with a beautiful view. Perfect for beach brides! We loved working with Emerald Grande and our wedding day was so magical!! Can’t say enough good things about this venue!!

The Emerald Grande was the perfect place for our perfect day. While the views, the ballroom, captains deck, food, and amenities for your wedding out all top tier… it was the staff that really made everything perfect for us. Emily is a pro — she is organized, professional, punctual, fun, and supportive. Annette is a hero — Annette takes the front line duty of coordinator to a new level. She was on top of everything from two weeks out all the way through our final day. The Emerald Grande is amazing and worth every penny. The staff is world class and undoubtedly the reason why we had ZERO hiccups on our wedding day. Thank you Emerald Grande. Thank you Emily. Thank you Annette.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I could not sing enough praises for this venue and the wedding team. Emily, Annette, and Crystal were so great, and they made our wedding planning and wedding day so easy and perfect. Annette was on top of EVERYTHING the day of the wedding! She was so kind, caring, and everyone that met her, loved her. Annette also made sure we stayed on schedule, we were where we needed to be, and that we got to actually try our wedding dinner and cake (which was a big deal considering how busy we were). Thank you SO MUCH to all the ladies that made our day extra special and took the time to make sure we were happy on our wedding day. If you're looking for a wedding venue that cares and that will do everything in their power to make you happy, choose Emerald Grande!

We had an amazing wedding at Emerald Grande! The location was beautiful! Annette and Emily was so awesome! They worked together to make sure our wedding day was stunning! Thank you Emerald Grande Team!

This venue was a dream! 🤩 4/28/23 bride! Our ceremony was on the beach, which was beautiful! 60 people max, which was perfect to do a wedding party and family only ceremony. Our reception took place on the Captain’s Deck with the cafe lighting! Views of the ocean, very open, the sunset—amazing! The staff bartending and serving were extraordinary and we never went without food, water or drinks! Chandler and Susan are names I can remember! But every single one of them made us feel beyond special! The food! We didn’t get to do a tasting and just trusted that it would be delicious and we were right! It was the best dinner we had and our guests thought so too! They were also extremely accommodating to my groom with a mushroom allergy and my guests with a gluten allergy! Emily touched bases with me throughout planning and kept me on track with everything she needed and I needed to do! I wouldn’t have made it through planning without her! She also made sure we were happy with our rain out plan, which was communicated very well from the beginning! Communication and professionalism from Emily and her team was 6/5 stars! Annette, there are not enough words for her! She made sure every single detail was planned out and done seamlessly! The flowers could have caught on fire (they didn’t) and I would have never known because she handled everything without a flaw! Myself, the groom, family and bridal party didn’t have to do a thing! She set up, carried my shoes, bustled me, took down, and even out leftovers in our fridge! Annette is an actual angel on Earth! I will recommend the Emerald Grande to anyone who asks, always! 11/10, 6/5 stars! Just the best! Made this girls wedding dreams come alive!

We had our wedding this past Sunday and it was absolutely amazing. Emily and Annette had every detail executed just as I wanted to. Annette was very detailed oriented and took away a lot of the burden off of me. Thank you team, I had my dream sunset wedding.

I can’t recommend choosing to have your wedding at the Emerald Grande enough. It’s more pricey than what we planned to spend but SO worth it. The Captain’s Deck is magical and absolutely beautiful. The food was amazing. If you’re looking for an all in one solution to a destination wedding this is it. Emily, Annette, and Crystal are a dream team. They require that you have a licensed coordinator or use theirs (Emily & Anette.) They were intricate in helping a clueless bride pull off a perfect wedding. Emily will walk you through every single necessary detail & Anette makes a very detailed timeline for you that she makes sure is executed the day of. Seriously, she was with us every step of the way from making everyone cooperate during the rehearsal to the dress change after our fake exit. We didn't even think about the fact we would get lost trying to get back to the reception after the change, but she did and was there waiting on us at the room door lol. My husband and I never dreamed it could be so smooth and perfect with our rowdy group. I can’t recommend enough! If you’re looking to get married in Destin this is the place. Also, there recommended vendor list is pricy but it was worth it because they all communicate with each other seamlessly.

We had our ceremony on the Captain's Deck and our reception in the Grande Ballroom. The entire process (from planning to actual wedding day) exceeded all expectations. We were planning a destination wedding and we booked this venue site unseen. Something that was really important to us was that we could have our whole wedding in one location (ceremony, reception, overnight accommodations) so that we didn't have to deal with transportation. This venue was perfect for that! We worked with Emily and her team during the planning process and we really appreciated her professionalism and great communication. She was there every step of the way and her expertise really helped me not get too overwhelmed. We worked with Annette on the day of the wedding and she was absolutely fantastic. She was on the ball with every little detail so that my husband, both of our families, and I didn't have to worry about a thing and we could focus on enjoying the day! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is just because of the hotel. They are privately owned so they don't have much flexibility with overnight accommodations like bride & groom upgrades or room compensations and late check-outs. Our guests also complained about the difficulty of canceling a reservation and the high deposit they lost when cancelling.

Our ceremony and reception at Emerald Grande were both beautiful, and we got so many compliments - our guests had an amazing time! Emily was phenomenal and professional throughout the entire process - from immediate responses to my original outreach in 2020... then officially touring and booking the venue in 2021... and finally coordinating the big day in 2022! Peyton also helped day-of and was super helpful, staying with us until the end of the night. Guests even gave us tons of compliments on our awesome bartender, Roy! I looked into basically every venue in the area and could not have been happier with the atmosphere and value of our final choice, the Emerald Grande.

My husband and I had a wedding reception in the Grande Ballroom on 11/20. Everyone we worked with at Emerald Grande was amazing! The team kept us on track with the planning process and went above and beyond to accommodate all of our requests. The event itself was beautiful, the food was great, and our guests had a great time! Would definitely recommend to any brides getting married in the Destin area!

Annette and Emily (wedding coordinators) made our day absolutely perfect! From the months leading up to the actual wedding day, there was nothing less than amazing. 10/10 recommend!

After reading some of the negative reviews from years ago, please don’t let that sway you from this venue. There was definitely a change in staff since then and I can single-handedly say that me and my wife had the BEST experience with our wedding at the Emerald Grande. Emily and Crystal were amazing and extremely responsive prior to our wedding and then our coordinator, Annette, that came a few weeks prior to the wedding was a dream. Every other review mentioning this team is spot on. Those three girls were so on point, one step ahead of everyone, and truly made our wedding the most magical day of our lives. Thank you SO much Emily, Annette, Crystal, and the EG Team!

I cannot say enough good things about the Emerald Grande! Emily and Annette were amazing from the beginning! Any question I had leading up to the event, Emily was able to get back with me so quickly with answers! Annette was my coordinator the day of and she was fabulous! So fun and calm which helped settle my nerves before the ceremony! I researched so many venues in the Destin and 30a area and I am so glad that I chose the Emerald Grande. I had friends and family reach out after I posted pictures saying it looks like a five-star resort in Hawaii. Could not go wrong with this venue and staff!

The staff at the Emerald Grande is amazing. I booked my wedding early 2021 and Emily and her team were an invaluable asset through my entire planning process. I had my ceremony on the Captains Deck and my reception in the Grand Ballroom. Annette was my coordinator, from the days leading up to my wedding and my wedding day itself she was truly a blessing. She was 5 steps ahead of everything that needed to be done and she managed to keep the trains running on time without anyone feeling rushed. Everytime the stress of the day felt like it was catching up Annette was their with positive reinforcements and sometimes a drink in hand to help calm my nerves. I can not stress enough how amazing the team their truly is. I'm so glad the Emerald Grande was love at first site when I started planning my wedding. The ladies over there truly helped bring my vision to life and ensured I was able to enjoy the happiest day of my life without any of the extra stress. If you are looking for somewhere to get married in Destin look no further than the Emerald Grande.

There are no amount of words I could possibly write to explain how wonderful the team was at the Emerald Grande. My husband and I got married there on 10/14/2022. We booked the venue in December 2021 and the team has been nothing short of responsive, resourceful, and did everything to make our wedding as stress-free as possible. I trusted all of their top vendor recommendations and am so happy I did. Emily and Annette helped with the on-site coordination of our wedding, as well as with all the vendors brought in. They literally thought of everything. I highly recommend booking one of them because of their on-site experience, close work with all the vendors the Emerald Grande recommends, and their graceful ability to really step up and let you enjoy your day. I opted to book the Captain's Deck for our ceremony and the Harbor Room for our reception. The food is incredible, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We did two different types of crostini for cocktail hour and did a buffet-style dinner, offering London Broil and MahiMahi. We got to enjoy a boat ride to their private section of a nearby beach to take photos in between our ceremony and reception. Annette made sure we had appetizers and champagne waiting. If you want a wedding overlooking the beach, a day to enjoy, not feel like you're being micromanaged, and a team that sees themselves as an extension of your family, rather than people there to just orchestrate an event, then seriously look no further than the Emerald Grande for your wedding. 10/10 recommend. (Side note, my father unexpectedly passed away the day we arrived for our wedding and the entire Emerald Grande staff completely amazed me. They graciously offered their condolences, to help with anything we needed, and just made us feel like they truly sympathized with the pain we were feeling. I will never be able to thank the entire team enough for stepping up like that)...they made me feel like my Dad was there and helped us enjoy the entire experience so much.

Wow! Where do I even start? My wedding day was AMAZING. Emily helped me with a lot of the stuff from beginning to end. We got married at the captains deck with an outstanding view. The reception was in the newly remodeled ballroom. My guest LOVED every bit of it. I would definitely recommend the in house coordinator. Annette was our wedding coordinator and she was definitely God sent. She helped with so MUCH! My husband and I can’t thank her and the staff enough. The private boat ride to the private beach access to get photos was BEAUTIFUL! We recommend this venue to everyone.

Beautiful venue for ceremony and reception. Even better wedding coordinators! We had our wedding at the Emerald Grande on 20 Aug 22. We had an outdoor ceremony on the Captains Deck and our reception in the Grande Ballroom. All of which were beautiful! The food catered by the Emerald Grande was delicious. All of our guests loved everything. I cannot rave enough about the wedding coordinators. Emily Owen made the planning for our big day so easy and Annette Peterson was our day-of coordinator and she killed it! From contacting all of my vendors to making the perfect timeline. She made sure we were on schedule and made everything flow so smoothly. They took so much stress off of me and I would recommend this venue to anyone getting married in Destin!

We have visited Destin many times over the years and have always considered the Emerald Grande to be extremely impressive. Especially the views! We witnessed a wedding a couple of years back and agreed that it would be a lovely venue. After the proposal, I made a special trip and met with Emily to receive an initial quote. For everything that was included, such as the outside ceremony space overlooking the water, the ornate wood bar for the cocktail hour (while we took pics on the private beach), the Harbor View room for the reception and the inclusive catering for appetizers, drinks and dinner, we were sold. Emily does an excellent job leading the team and ensuring that everything is in place. We were extremely pleased with Annette! She ensured every detail, the timeline and overall communication with our vendors (flowers, cake, minister, photographer, photo booth, DJ and hair & make-up) occurred flawlessly. From a bride's perspective, it was very important to have confidence in the individuals running the event, which was a given. We received so many compliments on how perfect everything was! This was solely due to this highly efficient TEAM!! Thank you for everything!

We just got married on July 07, 2022! We are from Chattanooga, TN so planning a destination wedding during the wedding spikes from Covid can be stressful. For starters, Emily was born to do what she does and is a true natural. The day we met her, we had just toured a different venue we both had fallen in love with (my husband & I have different tastes & he’s the type of husband that wanted to be involved in the planning) So we knew that we had to be extremely wow’d walking into our tour at the Emerald Grande. I’m not kidding, 3 minutes into meeting Emily we gave each other a look.. because she had already won us over. My husband and I didn’t have a set vision what so ever.. We just knew that I wanted a beach feel wedding because Destin is sentimental to me, & I struggle with anxiety.. & who can get stressed at the beach?!, and my husband wanted an air conditioned reception, & an elevated feel (which took getting married on the sand out of the picture bc he wanted guests to dress nice and wear shoes).. and that we wanted a taco bar & yummy seafood! Within 10 minutes of asking us the right questions, making it fun, keeping our sleepy &hungry daughter happy (even ordered her a milkshake) , she literally told us our vision and I truly don’t think we ever said no to any of her ideas… She is the definition of a professional boss lady, who is knowledgeable, fun, witty, quick, admirable, efficient, extremely responsive, talented, sweet, High energy, soooo personable, & she just genuinely cared about our day. We just love her!!! She brought on her favorite wedding planner, Annette, and during our wedding day we also had the pleasure of working with their intern Anna. Annette and I didn’t start communicating until a couple weeks b4 the wedding.. and after our first phone call.. I fell in love with her. She is the serious, to Emily’s fun & quirky (don’t get me wrong, Annette is also fun). A short back story: My parents are spilt & they both come from huge families with strong personalities, & don’t get along.. Nathan’s family is big too. Basically we only invited immediate family (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles) & our bridal party plus maybe 10 more friends that weren’t bridal party.. just the family members were a total of 54 people.. Annette’s personality is strong and you want to listen to her. WE WOULDVE DIED WITHOUT HER!! She has been in the wedding business for a few decades, pays very close attention to detail, is on top of everything, is type A to the max, & you immediately respect her when you meet her. She truly made me feel so important and valued & dealt with our crazy families with grace. Most importantly, she took so much stress off my shoulders! I can’t recommend either person enough and will forever feel grateful for them. Anna, their intern, was so adorable, sweet, attentive, professional & I predict if she keeps at it, she will be the next Emily! She even cleaned my feet after portraits on the beach 🥲 Crystal was also on our team, she is so sweet, professional, flexible, worked with us really well, and responds like you’re the most important person (they are slammed with weddings and I never felt like just another bride). I didn’t interact with the bartenders much or the serving staff, since Emily, Anna, and Annette made sure my husband and I were completely taken care of; But heard nothing but great things! Food was AMAZING!! This turned into a review only about the amazing staff, lol, part 1

Emerald Grande was absolutely amazing. I could not have pictured a better wedding. Emily our in house coordinator is the ABSOLUTE BEST at what she does. If it wasn't for her and her team I do not think my dream wedding would have been possible. I am beyond satisfied and would rate more than 5 stars if possible!!!!

To start off Emily our wedding coordinator was the reason we booked with Emerald Grande. She is the only person you want to plan and help with your wedding, she made all our dreams come true… from the custom fried pickle bar to answering every call and text! Also the staff, bar tenders and especially the chef took care of us, and hooked us up with the best drinks and food! For days after the wedding we were complemented by friends and family on our choice to get married at EG! We are so happy everyone had the best time!!! Pros: Emily (wedding coordinators), custom food orders, beautiful ocean views, vendors work great with the venue, you can stay at the resort, harborwalk village, staff constantly asked if we needed help or wanted anything Cons: no bathrooms in the harborview room

The Emerald Grande had the perfect view and setup for what we wanted for our wedding. Emily and Crystal were always quick to answer any questions we had leading up to our special day which gave my husband and I both peace of mind. The day of, we were lucky to have Peyton around to help move everything along smoothly. They put in an insurmountable amount of energy to ensure everything was perfect and we are very grateful for it!

The Emerald Grande was such an amazing venue filled with amazing people. From getting ready in the Harbor View room to a ceremony on the Captains Deck then taking a boat over to their island for pictures followed by an amazing reception. The Emerald Grande is THE destination for weddings. I had dreamed of having my wedding at the Emerald Grande since I was in college. The Captains Deck is a vision for weddings and probably one of the most picturesque places in the US for a wedding. Emily with the Emerald Grande made those dreams a reality and then some. Her expertise in all things wedding made planning a wedding though a pandemic then rescheduling it all from Pittsburgh EASY. She was available day and night even weekends and went above and beyond. My guests loved being on the harborwalk. ALL MY GUESTS were from out of town, and they raved about our destination how much there was to do within walking distance for our guests and how absolutely beautiful it was there! The condos are well appointed, and they even give a discounted rate to wedding guests. But lets talk food. Our tasting was so good I wish we could have eaten there for dinner. Some of the best food I have ever eaten; and I consider myself somewhat of a foodie. Lobster and Filet anyone? Lobster not your cup of tea?? Try the crab meet stuffed grouper or the bacon wrapped scallops. It was all amazing and I wanted to order one of everything. Their chefs were also so accommodating for our guests who are Celiac and made their meals specially! If I were to do it all over again I would choose Emily and the Emerald Grande time and time again. Thank you for all your coordination efforts and kind personality! We hope to be back for a vacation soon!

My husband and I live in Houston, TX and booked the Emerald Grande without seeing the venue in person. We absolutely fell in love with the pictures and had a wonderful, informative phone call with Emily and booked! We booked the Captain's Deck and the HarborView room and had about 70 guests in attendance. Emily and Crystal were extremely responsive and helpful throughout the entire planning process. Emily was our hired wedding coordinator, and I cannot recommend her enough! She was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. She took charge of contacting all of our vendors leading up to the wedding and made an extremely detailed wedding timeline. Emily and Peyton decorated the HarborView Room for our reception and brought my husband to tears when we were given a sneak peek before the big day. These women are amazing and helped us have the most enjoyable, seamless wedding day possible. After a week of stress, I woke up the morning of our wedding so surprisingly calm as I knew they were going to make sure everything went perfectly to plan. They thought of everything and paid extreme attention to detail to ensure we enjoyed every minute of our special day. We received so many compliments from our guests about the food, everything was top notch. A special treat I wasn't expecting was the beautiful sunset that beams through the HarborView Room, it was spectacular. At the end of the night, they graciously packed our entire decor and delivered it to our room. The service was above and beyond and worth every penny. If you're on the fence, go for it, you will not regret having the best day of your life at this gorgeous venue!!

We had our destination wedding at the Emerald Grande on 7/31/21 with our ceremony on the Captain's Deck and cocktail hour/reception in the Harborview Room. We had the best experience working with Emily Buckley. Communication was great and she gave us the best recommendations for vendors since we live out of town. The process was very smooth, easy, and affordable. When the wedding day arrived, everything was beautiful and the food was delicious. Our guests from NY raved about the food and the beautiful views all night. The team at the Emerald Grande made our wedding day so special and we could not have asked for more. I highly recommend this venue and team for your upcoming nuptuals!

We were in town to plan our destination wedding and had been working with Christine. She was very helpful through our phone discussion, providing us information and setting up an appointment to tour the property for our wedding ceremony. The only thing we were not pleased with was there was no set plan in case of rain/weather. She mentioned we could do our ceremony in the same bridal suite where we would get married or rent out a separate location on that property. The pictures and property are beautiful, although after knowing this information and reading the reviews it did not seem like the best choice for our wedding day and decided to go another route. We do appreciate the great customer service and prompt email responses!

We got married 8/10/2019 at the Emerald Grande on the Captain's Deck. Emily was our Coordinator and let me tell you...this woman is AMAZING!! She knows what she is doing and she was training a girl named Peyton, who was also very wonderful! They were thorough and thought of the little things I didn't even begin to think of. Emily responded quickly to emails and texts. She helped anyone in the wedding party with anything that was needed. We were not originally planning on a reception, but the day before we established we probably should have one and Emily and Peyton got EVERYTHING together. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate the day of for pictures on the private beach, but that was basically the only major hiccup that no one could control. Emily also made a quick trip for something special from my groom to me for the ceremony. They did everything to make our day so very special. I do not think we could have ever had a better wedding Coordinator. Thank you Emily and Peyton for the best day!! They made things go so smoothly and just easy. You are a blessing!!

Emerald Grande was my dream wedding! The staff there was all exceptional! Christine and Emily just to name a few but everyone was so helpful in making sure it was exactly what we wanted. The harbor view room for the reception was the perfect choice. The food was phenomenal! Everyone is still talking about it! Very different setup than all my guests were use to but they raved about it! It was beautiful and perfect for our destination wedding!

If you are looking for an expensive, over-priced venue for your wedding, look no further than Emerald Grande! We were given a base price, and then nickel and dimed for EVERYTHING! Additional chairs for guests, to play a slideshow during the reception, even table cloths! The forecast was calling for rain the day before our wedding and I had to beg Julie, our coordinator, to have a back up plan. I kept getting told “don’t worry.” When she finally agreed, the indoor plan was to have everyone sitting at their reception tables while I walked down the “aisle.” Really??? And a huge surprise that it was an up-charge to have the room set up like outside, so everyone is not at their tables and I actually walk down an aisle. The pool was being renovated at the time and we were not informed of this, so our view was an empty pool that had been jack hammered, with Caution tape around it. My family and friends that chose to stay at EG were scattered around the hotel because, you guessed it, it was an up-charge to block off rooms together! On a positive note, the food was great. If I had to do it all over again I would definitely choose a different venue for our special day. But, if you have an endless budget, this is a perfect location!

When you spend $40,000 you expect an amazing experience and people to go out of their way to ensure the most important day of your life goes smoothly right? This was not the case at all with Emerald Grande. The whole reason we chose this venue other than it's location and scenery was because it was supposed to be all inclusive so we didn't have to worry about pulling together vendors and worrying about little details while my fiancé and I are both working full time jobs. This was almost the exact opposite. We specifically mentioned we wanted an afternoon wedding and sunset pictures and were given a time for the wedding. We printed invitations and everything and then the manager we booked with got fired (no surprise there with her communication skills) and were told that we actually needed a later time than originally told. So we REPRINTED the invitations for the new time. When we FINALLY met with a new member of the staff only 45 days until the wedding day we were then again told the second time was too late and needed to be an hour earlier at a minimum and that the original time would have been best. Their vendors can also be questionable. My wife has gluten and soy sensitivities so when we talked to the cake vendor she mentioned that she has never made a soy free cake before so she refused to offer that option to us. We then had to find our own cake vendor which was a nightmare in and of itself with no help from Emerald Grande staff. We were told that there would be fireworks planned for 9pm which is done for the HarborWalk. This was going to be our "send-off" since it coincided with the end time for the reception. One week prior we were told that actually the fireworks would be at 8pm and we would just have an extra hour of venue time with no official send off. We had lots of guests get lost within the hotel. The ceremony needed to be moved inside due to rain (not the venue's fault) however the inside of the Emerald Grande can be a maze. There were no signs leading guests to the wedding when it was going to be outside and definitely not once it was moved inside. Some elevators only go to the parking garage, others go to different floors of the elevator, some require room key cards which guests don't have. We had guests showing up late because they couldn't find the room the ceremony was being held in on time. We chose to have a plated dinner during the reception with either prime rib or chicken and shrimp. The chicken was very dry and my wife couldn't even finish it. What a wonderful wedding night dinner!! Overall there was just very poor communication from the Emerald Grande coordinators and us. This is not something we wanted to deal with. There was mixed information that was passed along, it took multiple times calling and e-mailing to get a response at times, not to mention dealing with people that had been fired and dealing with multiple replacements that were playing catch up and overloaded. I DO NOT recommend using this venue if you want things to go smoothly and want guests to enjoy themselves. For the money you spend here, it's a total waste.

If I had to do the entire wedding all over again, I would not have picked Emerald Grande. The communication issues among their staff and their staff turn over made what was supposed to be an easy all inclusive wedding into a nightmare. Nothing went according to plan for the day and almost every thing that went wrong can be traced back to poor communication/coordinating within the Emerald Grande staff. If I asked three different staff members the same question, I got three different answers. Additionally,: Poor signage leading guests to the ceremony resulted in confused and lost guests to our wedding and the chicken at dinner was overcooked. For the amount of money I paid for this wedding, the entire experience should have been amazing, not frustrating and nerve racking from the day I signed the contract and paid a non-refundable $10,000 deposit.

Emily at EG was great to work with! She was so sweet and and really helped make our wedding day perfect! Chef Jimmy is absolutely amazing. The food was delicious and he was so flexible about making sure the menu was exactly what we wanted!

We had our ceremony and reception at the emerald grande in June 2018. The staff was great to work with, the food was amazing with so many compliments from our guests and the harbor view room turned out to be perfect for our guest list of 45-50 with a great view of the sunset during the reception !

Absolutely the most beautiful venue in Destin by far. And Julie is a pleasure to work with. I couldn't be more happy with our decision to have our ceremony and reception at the Emerald Grande

A beautiful venue and awesome staff! We had our ceremony on the captains deck and the reception in the harbor view room. The captains deck has the most amazing view of the harbor and the jetties. It was absolutely perfect. Julie was a fantastic event planner and was really on the ball with things we needed to think about leading up to the big day. Our guests had a blast and can’t stop talking about the venue. Thank you so much!!

We had 75 guests for our reception in the HarborView room. It was the perfect size! We chose a plated dinner with 3 entree options for our guests and the food was unbelievable. Everyone could not get over the sunset view!

I booked Regatta Bay in January 2015, my wedding was 2/20/16. The back locker rooms were to be at our disposal pre-cocktail hour so that we would be able to get dressed and ready. The coordinator at Regatta Bay and I had agreed that cocktail hour would start around 5:30 (since that is when sunset was) on the back patio. Then guests would move inside to have dinner and dancing. During cocktail hour the groom and I would take pictures outside on the golf course. On the day of my wedding, I arrived at regatta bay to see all of my guests crowded in the foyer. Once my groom and I went on to the golf course to take pictures, I understood why. There were a bunch of random golfers on the back patio. We arrived at around 5:37. Then as my maid of honor went to place our bags/stuff down in the locker rooms she walked in on a golfer half naked trying to change. Then as my groom and I were taking pictures on the golf course a golfer came over rudely asking us to leave/move because he was trying to finish golfing. Then my DJ informed me that he was told to put the dance floor on the back patio. Because of this, the groom’s grandparents had to watch our first dance through the windows inside (they’re pretty old and unable to go up and down a lot of stairs). Thank god for the DJ because after that he was able to quickly move it inside. Now ordinarily this wouldn’t be a huge deal, but my groom’s parents happen to be dead so his grandparents are like his parents now. When confronting the coordinator she stated she had no idea about the golf tournament that was going on and she had just found out about it the day of the wedding. So either A) you suck at your job in the fact that you didn’t know about the golf tournament and therefore shouldn’t be put in charge of events or B) you double booked and collected money from the golfers AND me, capitalizing on both and ruining my wedding day which I can never get back. If your wedding day means anything to you, don’t book at Regatta Bay. It looks like a nice establishment but you don’t get what you pay for. Might as well go book your wedding in a barn, at least you would walk into it expecting a lower quality and paying less money for it.

We got married at sunset on the captain's deck at the Emerald Grande. It was perfect, the wedding of my dreams. The guests absolutely loved the Emerald Grande. From the elegant rooms, to the view, to the Harborwalk, there was something for everyone. Our wedding was top notch, thanks to the Emerald Grande! Our guests also thought so, as one of them plans to have their wedding there next year. We worked with Jackie at the Emerald Grande and she was excellent. She was with us every second of the day. She helped make sure the entire day went smoothly and perfect. I highly recommend Emerald Grande and Jackie.

My guests were so impressed with the Emerald Grande and Harborwalk Village! Everyone loved their rooms, the view, and all of the surrounding activities! I worked with Julie Kilgore....she is the event planner you WANT! She went above and beyond, was always helpful and organized, and I can tell she really enjoys her job! Julie was with me every step of the way, from giving me a god pep talk before my walk down the aisle...and helped the entire wedding move seamlessly! I was very impressed with the Emerald Grande staff! HIGHLY recommend!

Jackie and the rest of the staff at the EG were great!!!! They always responded to my many...questions! They never appeared to get irritated and always made me seem as if I were the only bride they had to deal with. When things came up, they were understanding & cooperative, and carried on without missing a beat! It was a gorgeous day and stress free!

Regatta Bay, the golf club for Emerald Grande, was the perfect venue for a smaller wedding. We had our ceremony on the outside deck on a small pond, dinner in the beautiful clubhouse, and then dancing outside under the lights that they set up on the deck. Summer Hall, the event coordinator, did a stellar job. She made sure that everything went smoothly and that I was not stressed throughout the whole process. The food was also amazing! I would highly recommend this to anyone!

I chose the Emerald Grande in Destin for the beautiful views and ceremony site on the Captain's Deck. The weekend of my wedding the channel in front of the hotel was being dug up so my beautiful green water views were brown for my wedding day. As far as the hotel and service.. My contact person for the hotel, Julie, was very unorganized and I had to send multiple emails with bullet points to get her to answer my questions. Two days before the wedding she asked me if I was planning on having a rehearsal. (Of course I was planning on having a rehearsal!!!) There was another wedding booked at the time I wanted to have my rehearsal so we had to rehearse in another location. Maybe it was my fault for assuming I would have the time block for a rehearsal. There was another issue with my photo booth time slot and the venue. I booked my photo booth from 5:30-8:30, cocktail hour was from 5:00-6:00. I chose these times so my guests could use the photo booth during cocktail hour, the venue would not let my guest upstairs to use the photo booth during cocktail hour. I lost about an hour of photo booth time due to lack of communication from Julie. Had I known guest weren't allowed upstairs during cocktail hour I could of planned better for the photo booth. I have emailed and called Julie several times and I still have not received a final itemized bill from this vendor. Food for the reception was amazing and bartenders were great. Most of my guest didn't get cake and had to ask repeatedly over and over for cake and coffee. Very expensive hotel overall. I would not recommend this vendor, it was not worth the stress for the amount of money we spent and for poor communication.

First off, the Emerald Grande is an absolutely beautiful resort and it has amazing venues for any ceremony. However, the wedding coordinator was infamous for telling us one thing and then a few months later changing our plans and telling us the opposite. Many of the additional services we paid for, ie) the boat to the beach for pictures and them cutting the cake, had awful service. We had to ask them multiple times to cut and serve the cake and take the rest to our room, which is the service we paid for. My husband and I did a sparkler exit and they threw all of our decorations into the hallway while we were outside for the sparkler exit. They didn't even allow us an additional hour for my family to clean up the decorations in the ballroom. And to top it all off, the wedding coordinator broke my unity sand kit that I had ordered in. She was getting it out of the box and dropped it, however my thought is if that is her job wouldn't she be extra careful handling decorations like that? Great venue but good luck with the service and planning, because they will change your plans multiple times to fit the needs of Emerald Grande.

I had my wedding and reception held at the Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Viliiage in the the Harborview Room. The venue coordinator was very professional and accommodating. Eventough I was suppose to have a beach wedding "it rained:(" Plan B came together without any of my input and was absolutely beautiful. Even when they forgot to put out my cheese/fruit display, they gave me a refund. Of Course, the decor, rooms and customer service was exceptional! Thanks for making the day I had long awaited for a Destined Fulfilled Dream Wedding.

Great Location near fun bars and good food. Very nice place to stay near the beach!

The Emerald Grande was the most inviting, helpful, and beautiful wedding reception location on the Emerald Coast! The helpfulness of the wedding coordinators was UNBELIEVABLE! Not only did they help plan the reception but they helped set up the rehearsal dinner, a mani/pedi session for the bridal party, as well as accommodating all of our guests. I could not be more happy with the way things happened. Not to mention-- the food was AMAZING, and the envy of all of my friends.

My husband and I were married at the Emerald Grade in March 2011. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to (and I'm really glad it was mine!!) We were married on the Captain's Deck at the back of the resort, overlooking the bay and the gulf. The Emerald Grande was such an exquisite venue for our ceremony and reception! My favorite part about the ceremony location, other than the view, was the staircase. When I walked down the staircase, with my dad, to the ceremony, I felt like a princess! We had the reception in the EG ball room and it was wonderful. The decor in the ballroom (absent our decorations, flowers, etc) were very elegant looking. Also, the food was excellent! I would recommend the Emerald Grande to any bride looking for her fairy tale wedding! I most certainly got mine!

It was perfect!! The atmosphere, the people, the food, the views, the location; I could go on and on!! Everyone had a great time who stayed and came to the wedding. I love where it is located and near to soo much. It's location and amenities worked out wondeful for destination wedding! Again it was a perfect day!! :-)

The Emerald Grande was a dream venue for our wedding. Every guest, not matter how far they traveled was throughly impressed with every aspect of the Emerald Grande. The staff is very friendly & helpful, the rooms are AMAZING with perfect views, the food is so delicious & the entire complex is one huge photo op for those wedding portraits! They offer many options to help make your wedding affordable, so it's worth calling & getting more info. After our wedding, we felt we got everythiing we wanted & more...all of our guests could not stop raving about their awesome weekend at the Emerald Grande.

We loved our reception! The food was excellent, the location was great and everyone had a good time. But the coordinator was not very responsive and the lady we had to deal with to reserve rooms was not pleasant to work with. However, we were surprised to find a bottle of champagne with our names & wedding date etched into it when we arrived at our room after the reception was over! I loved it.

The staff was kind and knowledgeable. They were willing to work with a budget and cater to our needs. The food was amazing, but not all of the selections we agreed on were presented at the actual reception.

the location was gorgeous. the service was not the best. it took a long time to get things done, but the location made up for it in my opinion.