Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort

e to a wedding on Fripp Island about 5 years ago and thought it was a cute private beach setting so I put it on my list and researched a whole bunch of venues in Charleston, Savannah and the Hilton Head areas. I sent a request in to Nicole and within an hour or two she had gotten back to me with venue options, catering menus, places to stay on the island for my guests and pretty much everything I needed to book the wedding. I immediately called her because I'm a phone person and wanted to get more details. Most of the time when you call a venue you get a voicemail, she picked up on the first ring. I felt very comfortable with her from day one and we continued that very friendly personable relationship with each other the entire year afterwards. She had sent me many different options and she helped me walk through each of the different options over the phone giving lots of details and suggestions for each "the real insiders tips". Nicole was very knowledgeable about weddings and it seemed like she had done many before mine. After our phone conversation, I looked at all the rav reviews online and knew this was going to be one of my top choices. I was excited about scheduling a site tour of the different venues on the island. I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket so I scheduled a site tour with about five other venues that were around the Charleston and Savannah area. I went with my mom and my fiance about a year before the wedding to view all the venues. I toured the other venues first saving the best for last. The other venues were nice but there was always something a miss. Either too expensive, too crowded, or I was going to have to do alot of work to bring things together for my dream wedding. When I was driving to the island, I just knew this was "the one". Fripp Island Restart was by far the best tour experience and event manager experience I had the whole day. Nicole toured us all around the island, showing us reception and ceremony options. We originally wanted an outdoor reception but after looking at the Ocean View Lounge's view of the ocean, we knew that was the choice for us. We had the ceremony right on the beach in front of the venue and walked to the reception right afterwards (super convenient). I wanted to have everything in one place so no one had to drive and we could all spend the weekend together on a beach vacation. We all stayed next door at large and small rental houses and some even made it a longer trip and stayed the week. The setting was very private and relaxing exactly what I wanted in a beach wedding weekend. In regards to menus, I went with the Italian Feast Buffet and was very pleased with the food quality and portion sizes. We got many complements from the guests about how wonderful the food was. In regards to Event Management, Nicole was great! She made menu change after change, had us down for a for a tasting of the food and helped us secure all our guest housing on the island. It was a one stop shop which was wonderful because we lived 5 hours away. I even made some last minute changes because guests dropped out, needed to bring their kids or had crazy food allergies that I didn't know until the day of the wedding that she was able to accommodate.

modating and she was so sweet that I felt no stress through the whole planning process of this wedding. The island was beautiful which made everything that much better. We met with Nicole in August for our tasting of the food we had picked and it was amazing!! At the reception I had many people come to me and tell me how wonderful the food was and how much they liked the venue. They made us feel so welcome that we will visit again! Great place for a wedding venue!!

rissa was such a pleasure to work with from start to finish. She was always there to answer questions, give advice, and even to help us with aspects of the wedding planning process that weren't related to Fripp. It rained on our wedding day and we had to move the ceremony inside at the last minute, but she made this process as simple as possible. Everything was gorgeous, the food was delicious (our guests are still raving about the food, especially the Filet Mignon), and all of the Fripp employees that assisted in our wedding night were incredible. In addition to the amazing wedding and food, Merissa helped make our wedding night even more amazing with a Fripp beach bag, glass of wine, 2 wine glasses, towels, and a sweet card all waiting for us in our room that night. If you are thinking about booking your wedding at Fripp, don't hesitate! We are already looking forward to coming back for our one year anniversary! Thank you Merissa for everything that you helped us with from the beginning to the end!

o end! She is very sweet and professional and wants to make sure that your day goes perfectly! Would highly recommend this venue and staff for anyone looking to have a wedding near or on the beach! Also dont have to worry about a bunch of beach goers in the background! Thank you for everything Merissa you were amazing!

annon were incredible to work with !! they were always prompt to answer my emails and calls and help me with whatever I needed !! No matter what !! Including helping me get a gate pass for a bridesmaid family at 11:00 PM the day before the wedding!!! they work with my budget from the beginning , including to give us discount for our guest!! which helped to have most of them staying at the resort ! they gave me ideas and made sure everything ran smoothly ! their whole staff was amazing during the wedding !! the food was out of this world!! it was just as amazing as it was during the tasting ! my guest were complementing us about the reception for days !! . On wedding day Nicole and her staff made sure we had any drinks and food we needed ! the reception looked spectacular !! my guest were so impress with the natural beauty of the surroundings!, my husband went golfing with some of the guest the next day and totally fell in love with the golf course . This wedding was only the beginning of a family tradition, because we can't wait to be back ! I highly recommend them !! They will make sure you have what you need, and they are very transparent!! I actually got a thousand dollar refund , because they have miscalculate the price of the appetizers! I was so impressed I got that call, because I had already paid everything ! I know for a fact that not every venue does that !!! this are the type of business you want to work with ! they are there not just to make business but to make sure they take care of you too!!! My daughter had the wedding of her dreams with a ceremony on the sand and the most amazing reception ever!! Thanks Fripp!!

re at the Sand Bar next to the beach. Definitely get a golf cart!

indoor back-up space look just as beautiful as it would have been if our wedding was to be outdoors as planned. The banquet staff is very attentive and friendly and the food was out of this world! I'm still getting compliments on how great the food was and how the staff made all my guests feel welcomed. Kathy and Merissa also helped my out of town family and friends find perfect accommodations and kept us all in the same area which made for a fun-filled stay while on the island. We did both our rehearsal dinner and ceremony/reception at Fripp and I would not have done it any other way. We picked the perfect location for our special day and we could not have asked for anything better. Our day was perfect thanks so Kathy and Merissa!

g related. I would highly recommend this resort for a wedding destination and/or reception caterer.

small(ish) budget and gave us every possible option (even when we panicked a month before about the weather and our outside venue). On the day of the wedding, she went above and beyond and turned the dinning room of our rented beach house into a real wedding venue buffet complete with food, desert, decor, servers, etc. (I also want to compliment the catering at Fripp Island. Every single one of our guests raved about the food! ) It made our wedding day spectacular! If anyone is contemplating a beach wedding...this is absolutely the best place to do so!

ours before the wedding was supposed to start, the rain stopped and the sun came out! Ellen was right there watching the forecast for us! :) It was an AMAZING day that we all still talk about. I wouldn't change a thing.

thing else was done online or over the phone. I honestly can not say enough about the staff, their friendliness and their dedication to making my day perfect. Merissa was so helpful and accommodating. Even on my most stressful days of trying to plan this from 4 hours away, she reassured me that everything would be fine....and it was!

a delicious buffet meal. Everyone on the staff truly cares about their guests. They are accommodating, flexible and easy to work with. The day of the wedding, everything happened without a glitch. My guests raved about the food! (Some of the favorites were the grilled cheese bar, mashed potato bar, and prime rib station). The whole weekend was perfect. The staff helped with early check-in for guests when they could, they helped us find the perfect wedding night cottage to stay in, and packed us the perfect picnic basket of food ( since we didn't have much time to eat at the reception). One of the best parts is how affordable Fripp is compared to other south Carolina beach venues. We looked into four other locations on the beach and Fripp was by far the best priced for the beautiful location. We would HIGHLY recommend this venue to anyone looking for an intimate nature filled location with amazing service !

oposed. We knew how beautiful the island was, and Ellen Starling was ready to meet with us the weekend we got engaged if we were ready to begin discussions. Living in Atlanta, we were a little wary at first of planning a wedding from 5 hours away. However, Fripp made our planning experience so easy and enjoyable. They took care of all of the "little" details for us (bar, caterer, linens, tables, chairs, etc.), so we were able to focus on the larger decisions that were imperative to creating the perfect weekend. Ellen was unbelievably accessible and was so great to work with; our wedding would not have been the success it was without her help. From helping us find the perfect accommodations for our bridal party, outlining every logistical detail, to even helping us find a condo to rent for our honeymoon the week of the wedding after an unexpected hurricane wiped out our original destination. When gnats were swarming us during the rehearsal, Ellen even had a fix for that! We could not have anticipated a better wedding weekend. The Bonito Boathouse with its views across the marsh was the perfect island locale for the rehearsal dinner; the lawn with its views of the ocean was the most gorgeous backdrop for the ceremony; the Tidal Hall lent itself to the best party of our lives with southern-style wrap-around porches overlooking the lawn and the beach, a built-in bar with an excellent selection, and the most mouth-watering food that our guests are still raving about. Our guests have time and again told us how much fun they had at the wedding and on Fripp the whole weekend. If I could do it all again, I would not change a thing! A special thanks to Ellen and all the Fripp staff for an incredible experience!

think of anything that wasn't exactly what we hoped it would be. I am a General Manager at a Country Club so I am very familiar with all the hard work that goes into an event of this nature and how important it is to pay attention to the little details. The Fripp staff definitely did that every step of the way. We did the rehearsal dinner, the reception and a brunch the next morning right there at the resort and all three functions went off without a hitch. Kathy Kluttz and Merissa Liscombe were truly remarkable. They were wonderful to work with were ultimately responsible for making the entire weekend relatively stress free and overwhelmingly enjoyable. I have to admit, I was not exactly thrilled that my daughter wanted to get married on the beach and not have the reception at my Club. But now that it's over, I can't imagine not doing it at Fripp Island. It is without reservation that I highly recommend Fripp Island Resort and their wonderful Staff to anyone looking for an incredibly special venue and unforgetable experience.

y guests said it was fantastic food. Ellen was the perfect coordinator for our outdoor event. She made sure we got exactly what we wanted and was very flexible about our special requests. Everywhere on Fripp is gorgeous which made it easy to take pictures anywhere on the island. This beach is the perfect place for weddings and parties, I couldn't have been happier with everything!

, when I had a question or concern. I was thrilled with how cheerfully they handled my personal requests an attended to every detail. The flexibility in service and billing was greatly appreciated. We started out with first look pictures on the beach by the ocean, then had the ceremony on the lawn by the beach club overlooking the beach. The reception room was set up and ready to go. The chairs were set up and the staff assisted with flowers and decor. The resort had a list of dependable vendors to help us that day. After the ceremony, the resort catered an outdoor cocktail reception with open bar and passed appetizers to everyone's delight. When we started the reception upstairs in the ocean view room, everything was perfectly set up. Our guest made many positive comments on the quality of the food, and the resort provided a dance floor which was in use most of the night. The bartenders were superb, with great service. Everyone had a fantastic time. I would definitely use Fripp Island Resort again for another wedding or special event. Working with experienced professionals really made the difference to have a successful event! They also took care of all the accommodations for a guests, and everyone was thoroughly pleased with their choices. My daughter was ecstatic with the upgrade in their accommodations. This was unexpected and I commend the resort for their generosity and special attention!

location wedding suited us. It wasn't until my fiance suggested we get married at our favorite resort, Fripp Island, that my plans started falling into place. First, I called up the event manager, Ellen, and I was so excited after that initial phone call. She was just as excited as I was about getting married on Fripp Island. She was so helpful and gave me a list of all the local vendors near there and even helped me stay within my budget for the big day. On the wedding day I was in such a hurry trying to set up all the decorations and didn't have enough to get everything ready. I was very distraught to say the least and then Ellen told me not to worry about a thing and that she would have everything set up just the way I wanted it. I felt so taken care of! She really went above and beyond her duties to help make my day perfect! The wedding was only something I could ever dream about because it was that perfect! Everything was in order and was in place. The views were just breath taking and the pictures are seriously to die for! The scenery was only something I could get from having my wedding at Fripp Island. I highly recommend this venue to anyone and everyone!

, and activities for your guests. There was so much for our friends and family to do I wasn't worried about anything.The staff at the resort is very friendly and accommodating. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding venue. My friends and family are still talking about the wedding!!

still felt very beachy! The upstairs dining room was set up beautifully by Ellen Starling and her staff who dutifully put out all the linens and table decorations I had brought. Thanks to their coordination and diligence, I was able to relax and enjoy the party I had spent so many months planning and stressing over! The food was a definite step up from any wedding food I've had before. The guests loved their dinners, especially the balsamic-glazed salmon! (You MUST try it if you like salmon.) Most of all, our family and friends loved their mini-vacation on the island. We drove around all weekend in golf carts, visited pools, beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, and more. It was such a great experience, I want to do it again! (But not really. ;)

ere planning from a different state. My only recommendation to a planning bride would be to ensure you clearly communicate with the staff prior to the wedding day. There were a few hiccups on the day of the wedding (none that anyone else would notice), but I think we could have benefited from clearly communicating who would be "in charge" throughout the reception and what our expectations were for the rehearsal dinner. None of these issues were noticed by anyone except us, so they were truly not a big deal, just something to keep in mind. That said, if I could get married everyday for the rest of my life, I would also go back to Fripp Island Resort for it.

ve out of town and were planning from afar. Everything about our experience was great!

ly suggest looking into this venue for your wedding. Plus, there are tons of hidden locations around the Island that provide for beautiful photo opportunities.