South Seas Island Resort is a wedding reception venue situated in Captiva Island, FL. Offering golden sands, turquoise waters, and awe-inspiring sunsets, this romantic destination provides a stunning backdrop for private gatherings of all shapes and sizes. It has everything a couple could need to craft an unforgettable celebration, including invaluable amenities, comfortable accommodations, and wedding specialists dedicated to providing above-and-beyond service.
Located on the gorgeous east coast of the Sunshine State, South Seas Island Resort is less than an hour’s drive from the city of Fort Myers. Secluded and serene, this little slice of paradise blends old Florida charm with modern comfort to provide couples with a picturesque celebration setting. The resort is spread out over 45,000 square feet and offers a selection of enchanting indoor and outdoor event spaces to choose from. Walk down the aisle on the sands of South Beach before dancing the night away with your nearest and dearest in the exquisite Captiva Ballroom. With a total capacity of 500 attendees, each of the spaces can be customized to align with your specific needs and guest list requirements.
The South Seas Island Resort offers a talented team of wedding specialists ready to bring your vision for your special day to life. Priding themselves on their exceptional service, they will strive to exceed your every expectation in crafting a seamless and stress-free wedding planning experience. They have also established relationships with some of the finest local vendors for you to avail of, including photographers, entertainment, florists, and more. For added convenience, overnight guests can avail of the various accommodation options available, from luxurious suites to comfortable villas and everything in between.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
Contact for price
Ceremony:
Contact for price
Bar services:
Contact for price
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices.
Amenities + details
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
Up to 250
Settings
Ballroom
Beach
Waterfront
Garden
Historic Venue
Hotel
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Cakes & Desserts
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Destination Wedding Planning
Food & Catering
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.6
out of 5.0
32 reviews
Top reviews
Newest first
Oldest first
Highest rated
Lowest rated
Sort by
1/21/2021 • Jennifer O
South Seas Island resort has been part of my family's traditions for over 25 years. When it came to picking a location for our wedding weekend, South Seas was our easiest decision. From our first meeting with Malissa, we knew this would be the best place to host our friends and family. Malissa was our South Seas contact and she made the entire experience so incredible! When we needed flexibility to move all of our events outdoors due to COVID, she helped to make our wedding even more amazing than our original plan. The resort has so many incredible locations to host multiple events. We got married right on the beach at Sunset Beach and then our guests traveled in the iconic blue resort trolley to our cocktail hour and reception on King's Crown Lawn. The best part of South Seas is that you have the ability to host multiple events at the resort. We hosted a welcome party and dinner on the beach under the stars and a farewell brunch on the top deck of the resort's waterfront pool. Our guests raved about the food, drinks, staff, and the resort's beauty all weekend long! We are still getting messages from our guests saying they can't wait to travel back to South Seas! If you are looking for a beautiful beach location that is safe (COVID) and fun for all of your guests, South Seas is amazing!
10/14/2020 • Kim W
South Seas was a magical, perfect place for my husband and I to get married for many reasons. Hands down, there is no better private beach setting than Sunset Pointe. No one observed our ceremony except the loved ones we invited and the dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. The tropical landscape and one-in-a-million sunset we had the night of our wedding proved we made the best choice. There are so many venue spaces to choose from and the new Sunset Pavilion was just what we were looking for- a classy, air-conditioned indoor space with a beautiful deck and lawn for our guests to enjoy the fresh air and get the perfect sunset shot. Many have said our pictures look like they can’t be real, but that’s just the undeniable beauty of South Seas and Captiva Island. The food was fantastic, service was incredible, and there is so much on-site entertainment we knew that our guests would be able to have a memorable vacation. From the moment we arrived as Bride and Groom, everything was stress-free and first class. We were able to relax and enjoy the venue’s amenities knowing that our events were in good hands and were ready to be executed to perfection. South Seas is the most picturesque Florida beach resort that we look forward to getting to celebrate our anniversary at for years to come.
5/22/2019 • Luana P
No doubt in saying South Seas is located in one of the most gorgeous locations in Florida. But your wedding day is so much more than that. It’s a day you expect things to run smoothly and as YOU planned. First of all my wedding started more than 30 minutes delayed due to them not communicating properly with vendors and not getting the trolley going on time. They decided to do EVERYTHING their way on my wedding day. Nothing was set up as requested and agreed upon, service was HORRIBLE so bad that my guests ate dry salads (no dressing) and no one who was dancing had cake passed out to their seat. My overpriced 3 course meal turned into a 1 course meal. One of my guests was locked in the outdoor bathroom for 3 HOURS ! & they ended up accidentally locking her in from the outside since they didn’t check or knock to see if anyone was inside.
I did my best to not let anything get to me on the day of my wedding. But man was that hard. And following the wedding it’s been a month and we are still trying to come to a conclusion. Truly, spare yourself the headache and heartache of having to deal with an unprofessional venue. For the amount I paid to have my wedding here I expected MUCH better service and coordination on their end.
Any questions?
3/12/2019 • Elizabeth D
The South Seas was truly a magical place to have our destination wedding. Malissa was fantastic to work with and really worked with us to customize the event to what we wanted. We made it a beach vacation for our family and friends, and everyone raved about the resort, the rooms and the entire experience. We were told by many that it was the best destination wedding and overall jut best wedding they had ever been to. We can't wait to come back to celebrate something else!
5/26/2017 • Theresa V
Absolutely amazing highly recommend!!! Couldn't have been better!!!! All hands on deck celebrity style!!!
1/12/2017 • J E
South Seas as a venue, is absolutely stunning! I have been vacationing at South Seas since I was a little girl and always dreamed about getting married there one day. We had our rehearsal dinner and ceremony outside on the beach and Kings Crown Lawn respectively, with our reception inside Kings Crown. To say our special day was a dream come true, is an understatement!
What made our day even better….was getting to work with our wedding coordinator Kelsey. She literally made the impossible, possible (and multiple times!). Words cannot describe how amazing she truly is. She is kind, sweet, calming, patient and professional. I could not dream of planning our wedding without her and I know our wedding would not have been the same without Kelsey. I only wish all brides were lucky enough to work with Kelsey and I cannot thank her enough for everything she did for my husband and I before, during, and after our wedding!
11/18/2016 • Devin M
If there was a way to give a zero star review, I would. Our experience here was terrible to say the least. I am not one to write negative reviews but a wedding venue is such an important decision that I want give a warning. My mom, my sister and I all flew to FL from 3 different states to meet and visit wedding venues. We didn't have much time here so we packed our schedule pretty tight. We had an appointment at a different venue in the morning and drove 3.5 hours to meet with the wedding planner for our appointment at South Seas. I worked with Ashley to coordinate my visit and appointment.
First, the resort was not located in a very convenient location as it's pretty isolated. Check in started at 4 and we arrived right on time. It was extremely crowded and we waited in a long line to check in. We were given a "discount" on the room but still paid $177 a night for a room in the tennis villas. It was awful. Even if it would have been in pristine shape, it would have been a 2 star room. But it had not been well kept. There was a huge stain on the carpet, and stains on the curtains. The walls had mismatched paint, there were scuffs all along the baseboards and even though it had a balcony, there was no view. The room and even the outdoor facilities were dirty. Even though we were not satisfied with the room, we decided we would still give the wedding venue a chance as I really liked the pictures I had seen online.
I tried to call the coordinator to let her know we were there early and see if we could meet. When I finally got through to someone in the wedding dept, they said Ashley wasn't on the property that day and asked to reschedule. Ashley had confirmed not only with me, but with my mom as well that we would meet at 6. She didn't just not show, she didn't even try to call to let us know she couldn't meet. And the lady that I talked to didn't even seem apologetic for the mistake. I don't understand how you can blow someone off that flew across the country to meet with you and was looking to spend so much money in the hotel. Not only that, but how you don't even attempt t contact us and apologize. It is crazy to me that this is how they treat their guests. And if this is how they treat you before they've made the sale, I cannot imagine how they treat you after. I would never host my wedding at such a place and I would warn anyone considering this venue to beware. Very disappointed.
11/14/2016 • Rachael S
I cannot say enough good things about South Seas! Everyone has been so amazingly friendly and helpful! Rhonda, our coordinator, was incredible and helped us every step of the way! We love love love south seas! Worth every penny! We had the best wedding ever!
7/08/2015 • Knottie32918104
We worked with Kelsey at SSIR on my daughter's wedding, and what a doll Kelsey is! No detail was too small for her to attend to and complete! Additionally, the service by Eric at check in / check out, by Neil throughout the weekend, and by various other staff including security, accounting and housekeeping was truly exceptional. Not only did they respond to an emergency, but after we checked out, ensured three important items left in the Villa or lost were either shipped or personally delivered to a remaining member of our party. We LOVE SSIR, and its Staff - thank you for a weekend of a lifetime!
Room Tip: We loved our Lands End Villa for its spaciousness
Response from the Vendor on 07/09/2015
Thank you for choosing South Seas Island Resort to celebrate your daughter's wedding. It was a pleasure having you, your family, and friends stay with us. We wish you all the best and look forward to your return.
With warm regards,
Rhonda De...
cherd
Dir of Catering & Conference Services, South Seas Island Resort
6/13/2015 • Tricia C
We first fell in love with South Seas from the beautiful pictures online, especially of the King's Crown Lawn, which we were considering for our wedding ceremony and reception. We stayed in love through our visit to the resort to see whether the site is as gorgeous as the pictures (it is) and then again through our eventual wedding and honeymoon there. Every person we came in contact with was beyond helpful, friendly, and generous. For example, when we went to pick up the top tier of our wedding cake the day after our wedding at the reception location, the director of catering asked what we planned to do for the day. After mentioning planning on brunch and some mimosas, he sent someone out to buy us mimosas to send us off with! Another South Seas staff member offered us a pool cabana after hearing that our planned outdoor wedding had been moved indoors due to a thunderstorm that blew in at the most inopportune time (literally minutes before the ceremony was set to start). I have to admit, I do not envy our wedding catering manager, Kelsey, for having to break the news to the occasional bride this happens to. But she does so with evident sympathy. She is a pleasure to work with and really cares about making your wedding day go as smoothly and as perfectly as possible.
The King's Crown Dining Room was recently renovated and was the perfect backdrop for the simple elegance we were looking for with our wedding. We had the best possible wedding day at South Seas and a spectacular time during our stay. I would highly recommend this venue to future brides for their destination weddings. It is simply beautiful.
Response from the Vendor on 07/09/2015
Congratulations on your recent nuptials! Thank you for choosing South Seas Island Resort for your beach wedding. We're delighted to read of your experience, and we wish you all the best in your new journey together. We look forward to welcom...
ing you back again soon.
With warm regards,
Rhonda Decherd
Dir of Catering & Conference Services, South Seas Island Resort
5/13/2015 • Knottie57182406
On April 28, 2015, my fiancé and I were married on the Kings Crown Lawn at South Seas Island Resort. Our special day was beyond perfect. The venue was stunning and the food was exceptional. The lawn was spectacular and the inside of the Kings Crown had just gotten brand new hard wood floors and chandeliers which looked beautiful. As for the food…..during our tasting months before, we enjoyed several fantastic options. Of course we wondered if when served to 100 guests the food would be just as good...well I have to say it was. It was AMAZING in fact. Two of the three entrée options included steak and I had several guests comment that their steak was as good as if they were in a 5 star steakhouse. Everything from the hor d’oeuvres to the dinner were presented beautifully and delicious. Also, it was a plated dinner and everything came out on time-the staff was wonderful, they never missed a beat.
The day was perfection due in large part to the efforts of the South Seas Island Resort staff. While the entire staff was exceptional I have to point out our wedding coordinator at the resort- Kelsey Holloway- in particular. Over a year ago my parents, fiancé and I were in Captiva looking for a venue. At the time Kelsey was working for one of those venues. While we ultimately decided South Seas was the ideal spot for our wedding, I remember Kelsey making it a tough decision because she had made such a positive impression on me. When my Mom and I were later told that there was a new wedding coordinator at South Seas and her name was Kelsey I was very hopeful it was the Kelsey I loved from my prior visit to this other venue. It turned out to be Kelsey Holloway and my first impression was correct. Kelsey was professional, attentive, patient, accessible, calming, organized and a complete delight for my mother and me to work with the entire time. She worked well with our vendors and went above and beyond to ensure our special day was perfect. It was a true gift to have her as our wedding coordinator.
Overall, I would recommend South Seas Island Resort, Kelsey Holloway and the entire staff to any bride-to-be. You won’t be disappointed!
Response from the Vendor on 07/09/2015
Congratulations on your recent nuptials! Kelsey has been such a tremendous addition to our team - as she is truly dedicated to delivering an unforgettable destination wedding experience. We appreciate your trust in choosing us to host you, yo...
ur family, and friends and we look forward to welcoming you back.
With warm regards,
Rhonda Decherd
Dir of Catering & Conference Services, South Seas Island Resort
3/26/2015 • Jami H
Our wedding at South Seas was everything we dreamed it would be and more! Every staff member went above and beyond to make our day perfect. Our guests complimented that it was the best wedding and reception they had ever attended. The food was outstanding! Kelsey, the catering manager is absolutely fantastic and will make sure every detail is exactly as you wish for the wedding and reception. The location is breathtaking, with many sites to offer within the resort, depending on your desired location. Our location was at the Kings Crown Lawn for a morning wedding and morning cocktails, followed by a wonderful lunch reception. Perfect!
1/08/2015 • kpriest15
From beginning to end the staff was friendly, welcoming, and extremely helpful. Given that this was a destination wedding for us, the catering sales manager was very flexible and made sure that all of our questions were answered in a timely fashion. She was patient, professional, and responsive. She also provided an excellent list of recommended vendors that were all fantastic.
The food and service were outstanding.
11/21/2014 • Alexis L
I have had my heart set on getting married at South Seas Island Resort since I was a little girl. We planned for an outdoor rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception. However, mother-nature just wouldn’t cooperate. The back-up locations that South Seas provided were amazing and just as beautiful. The staff is so friendly and professional. Our coordinator Lexie Shireman was truly amazing; she was extremely helpful and was there for us for the whole time. She brought everything together seamlessly and was so much fun to work with. Again our experience at South Seas was awesome and our guest had such a great time too and loved the venue and friendly, caring staff. We love South Seas Island Resort and the experience was worth every penny!!!
11/14/2014 • Kate L
We recently had our wedding at South Seas and could not have had a more perfect wedding. The scenery speaks for itself (amazing), the staff, planners and catering were fantastic to work with and made the whole process easy for us as we were planning the wedding hundreds of miles away. Our coordinator Lexie was fantastic. She guided us through the entire way, was available during our entire stay and even checked in with us after the wedding, on her day off. We 100% recommend having a wedding at South Seas and your guests will thank you as well.
4/25/2014 • Kristin M
I cannot say enough about the South Seas venue and staff. We met with countless venues while scouting for wedding sites, but we knew our search was over as soon as we were through the first South Seas Gate. Firstly, Captiva Island in and of itself is a beautiful draw. South Seas resort encompasses a huge portion of the island. We loved the idea of our guests having a true vacation while at our wedding. Many of our guests extended their stay 5+ days. It was a great opportunity to spend quality time with them before our event. Many are planning on traveling back every year now.
Planning with South Seas was a great experience, due to our amazing coordinator Lexie Shireman. We were so lucky to have Lexie walk us through the planning process. She was very responsive, knowledgeable, flexible, and a joy to work with. We threw A LOT of details and requests at her and our wedding turned out perfectly. Lexie mad our day perfect!
We hosted two main events at South Seas. We held a welcome reception Beach BBQ at the beach, and our wedding was at King’s Crown Lawn. Both of the locations were beautiful. The catering department at South Seas provided a vast menu to choose from and our guests are still talking about the food. The service was wonderful and the courses were timed perfectly with speeches and such. Our experience with South Seas was a dream come true.
2/17/2014 • Christina S
This resort has amazing views and ceremony/reception/rehearsal sites no matter where you are at here. The staff is so accommodating and nice. Lexi went out of her way to make sure my day was special!
8/26/2013 • Maria V
The island is perfect! Relaxing and great customer service! Thank you for a great experience.
6/18/2013 • Renae Y
South seas met and exceeded all of our expectations for our wedding. Rhonda was a fantastic coordinator and did a great job of keeping stress levels low as we went through the process. The facilities and accommodations were top notch and all of our guests were blown away by the resort
4/24/2013 • Jackie M
South Seas is beautiful location to have the wedding. We had ours on the Kings Crown Lawn and Indoor building. It was a great venue and the food was great. The rooms were also clean and accommodating. We did have some trouble with timeliness of answers, rooms and set up from the resort as well as trouble with the front gate in letting our guests in.
2/05/2013 • Heather K
The service as well as the food were both excellent from the cocktail hour to the cake serving.
12/09/2012 • Jenn S
South Seas Island Resort knows how to put on a great wedding. Coming from Los Angeles I was nervous about our semi-destination wedding. We looked at every option on the islands and chose this venue primarily because it's the only one on Sanibel/Captiva that easily accommodates the 10pm noise ordinance and allows the party to continue as late as you want. But overall it ended up exceeding our expectations: the staff is very professional, the food was as good as I imagine wedding food can be, and the property provides guests with tons of activity and dining options to keep them entertained. I had a lot of customized things for our wedding and none of them were overlooked. Our beach ceremony and indoor/outdoor reception at the Kings Crown were absolutely breathtaking. Many guests commented that the lights strung in between the palm trees made the lawn feel like a tent! If you're planning a semi-destination wedding that's not very small and looking at Sanibel/Captiva, SSIR is the way to go. I could not have been happier with how our special day turned out.
7/01/2012 • Sara N
My husband and I were married at South Seas on May 20th and after months of planning, we walked away thinking that nothing could have possible gone better. We had about 100 people and 3 different dinner events, Friday night at Kings Crown, Saturday night at Sunset Luau, and Sunday Wedding at the Cove and reception on the lawn and each event was flawless! We have heard from over 20 different people that this was the best wedding they have ever been to. John Blaharski, our wedding coordinator, was many things to us at South Seas and we couldn't have done it without him:
Organized - I always felt that John had a great grasp on the plans and I felt very comfortable leaving many decisions to his better judgement. We had not seen the property prior to committing to South Seas, so it made us feel at ease that John was always on top of everything from the rooms, to the lighting, to the timelines, to the transportation, to the menus, etc.
Flexible - It seemed like whatever we wanted, John found a way to make it happen. This included my husband and I's trip down the waterslide in our wedding attire after the wedding reception! To this day people are still telling us that that was one of the most memorable parts of the wedding and it was all thanks to John!
Committed - When I ran into an issue, John was always right there to fix it. I came to Captiva with the security tag still on my dress for the rehearsal dinner, and John somehow took it off of the island and found someone to remove it in time. I'm still not sure what I would have done without him!
Solutions-Oriented - John always knew the balance between telling us what to do, and letting us decide. He obviously knew the venues better than we did, so we really appreciated his candor when we were deciding the logistics of each of the events. Although it was always clear that we could do what we thought best, he made us aware of the various options and their implications before we settled on a decision. We really appreciated the unique ideas and solutions that he brought to the table.
The Pre-Wedding Experience - The planning prior to the wedding was also a great experience. I felt like the entire team was very accommodating with our unique requests, which was very important to us. The chef and John were both very helpful with our requests to keep the meals Vegetarian/Kosher and to put together theme dinners so that each night had a different look/feel. It was also meant so much to us that John was so flexible with his meeting times during the planning phase. Both my husband and I work a lot and John was always readily available to talk to us at night and on weekends. I think he even took our call on Mother's Day when he was at dinner with his family. The commitment that he showed to us prior to the wedding made it clear to us that the event was in good hands.
I was an Event Manager for weddings here in Michigan for 4 years, so I will be the first to admit that I probably wasn't easy to handle, but John took my demands, added his own little twist, and turned our wedding weekend into a masterpiece.
I highly recommend a wedding at South Seas... you won't be disappointed.
1/15/2012 • Anne V
My entire party received incredible rooms with incredible views. We had some stress leading up to the wedding but mostly everything came together in the end and, John, our planner, was there to do whatever I needed him to do. We were married on the beach and it was a day I'll never forget. I wouldn't have gone anywhere else.
11/21/2011 • Tice P
South Seas is first rate! The setting, the accommodations, the staff, the services and the activities make this the perfect place for a destination wedding. I felt completely at ease and the guests raved about their weekend at the resort!
10/17/2011 • Marie G
The catering manger outdid himself with superior service day of the wedding.. everything from tending to us girls.. to getting extra flowers when my florist made a mistake..John and his staff were excellent.. it couldnt have been a more perfect Venue... We hope to go back and visit on an anniversary!
6/24/2011 • Sandy B
I highly recommend South Seas, Teresa, my wedding coordinator was fantastic. She made planning a destination wedding easy. All of my 100 guest had a wonderful time and couldn't believe what a wonderful resort they have. Many can't wait to go back and vacation with their families. It was my dream wedding come true.
6/15/2011 • Samantha P
South Seas was the first venue I contacted when planning a Sanibel wedding. I was immediately in love with their beach, Sunset Cove. However, they are a 100% pet free facility, which I respect, but this was a deal breaker for us.. I would have loved to have worked with South Seas. Their coordinator was so nice and helpful, I hated to not work with her. It is pricey, but for a intimate beach wedding, I highly recommend South Seas Resort!
5/04/2011 • Jacqueline R
South seas is a great place for an island escape in the US. The catering sales team was outstanding, especially on the day of. My wedding unfortunatley ended up being close to the exact time of a thunderstorm, but the south seas team pulled it together to swtich some things around that made the day even more spectacular than how I planned it. They really care about making your day special. They have a very organized and reliable staff.
Everyone came to south seas from different places in the US, everyone raved about it. It was an excellent way to have a family vacation while celebrating!
My only negative comments are:
- The venue is a longer drive than expect from ft. meyers airport.
- The place is very family friendly. This can be a good or bad thing depending on your wedding type.
- Rooms are a bit pricey, but the views are worth it!
10/23/2010 • Shannon B
All I could ever imagine. The wedding planner and her assistant showed up at every event we had scheduled. Everything went smoothly. They called to make sure we were doing ok the day before and came by the room to check on us. It was a great experience!
6/28/2010 • Arielle K
This place was special to us because my husband and I met in Captiva. We didn't even look at any other wedding locations because we are familiar with South Seas and know how beautiful the property is. We had our ceremony on the King's Crown lawn and then the reception followed in the King's Crown building space. Although we did hire an outside wedding planner, the event coordination staff at South Seas was very hands on and helpful. The catering staff was also amazing. The food was delicious! We worked with the chef, Sebastian, who helped us design a unique tapas menu which turned out wonderfully. People were raving about the food which made me so happy since good food was a top priority for me. I would recommend South Seas to anyone who would like to get married in Southwest Florida. The only negative I can think of is that the place is a bit pricey but thanks to our wedding planner, we were able to negotiate some of the prices down to what we thought were fair.
I wish I could do it all over again!
5/10/2010 • Diane E
Our venue was beautiful inside and out. Inside it was very cozy and elegant and outside was a picturesque backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico. We saw the most beautiful sunsets as well as dolphins and manatees. Our pictures on the golf course say a thousand words.;There are seasonal bugs called 'noseeums' that bite.
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.