The Island Resort

Whew where to start. I’ll start with the massive positive of this experience which was Megan and Brooke on the planning side of the wedding. They have very little control which stinks because they truly are the glue holding this place together. Loved every conversation of panic that they turned peaceful instantly. Now… venue wise and who works at the actual venue…. AWFUL. Truly the worst experience through and through. I am a wedding photographer so I know how things should go and I just can’t say that was the case at this place. From horrible communication anytime any questions or concerns were asked to the planner at the actual venue to not even getting responses from them for days on end…. awful. If I could go back and redo I’d pick a whole new venue together just to not have the stress caused. The day of went smoothly thanks to my planner that literally saved every situation that went wrong. If I could give Brooke and Megan a 10/5 I would but the venue itself…. NEVER AGAIN.

My wife and I booked The Island from our home in DC and Megan and Dana could not have been easier to work with. They answered all of our questions in a timely manner and kept us up to date with any changes. Dana is great and helped us make our wedding dream a reality. She met with the chef to see if we could have a Venezuelan traditional appetizer for our cocktail and made it a reality. She made sure that our guests with eating restrictions were well taken care of. Dana was very flexible and accommodating and even adjusted our invoice last minute when some of our guests got COVID and could no longer make it. She was a great help and our wedding could not have happened without her.

If I could, I would write a novel about the hospitality that was shown to my family and friends and my now husband, Josh and I at the Island Hotel as we planned and held our NYE wedding there a couple weeks ago. Josh and I had truly the best day of our lives and it was owed in huge part to the amazing people at the Island Hotel. To begin, her name is DANA BIRLINGMAIR, and she is an ICON. Dana answered endless questions and thoughts I had for months leading up to the wedding and she made sure the day was everything we wanted. She dealt with last minute changes due to covid so amazingly and things went spectacular. This wedding would also not have been what it was without Miss Ann. She and her team went above and beyond with all catering, room setups, and any other requests, she made sure Josh and I were served and fed the entire evening. The food at the Island was also incredible, we did a taco bar for our rehearsal dinner and a plated dinner for the big night and it was loved by all!!! Venessa helped tremendously with our room block, and a huge thank you to the front house hotel staff for help with the huge amounts of check-ins! All of our family and friends loved their beach view rooms!!! My family stayed in the bridal suite on site (UNBELIEVABLE in itself, highly recommend for wedding party) and Thelma always made sure it was fully stocked with towels and any other items we needed. I just cannot thank this hotel enough for the incredible service and effort for our wedding and seriously it was our favorite day ever and we would HIGHLY recommend this venue for anyone planning a wedding.

Our communication with Megan and Dana was phenomenal. My husband had a blast at our tasting. He showed up very hungry and the Chef ended up pranking him with a tiny steak at our reception, haha! They made every detail feel special and personal. Dana responded quickly to all my emails and helped with every last-minute change I had to make. Our ceremony was on the green and reception in the tavern. Megan recommended so many wonderful vendors and our DJ was AMAZING. Miss Ann and the catering staff made our reception flow smoothly. I think our guests who stayed somewhere else really regretted their decision because the property is so wonderful and the ones who did had a blast! I couldn’t have asked for a better night! Take it from a local couple and book your wedding here!

So many great things to say about this venue and the people that work there! Brooke, Megan, and Brandy went above and beyond for everything and I enjoyed working with all of them! They are all quick to respond, very organized, friendly, and professional. We got married during Covid and they all did a great job of keeping in touch with us about any changes. We had our ceremony on the green space overlooking the water and it was absolutely gorgeous! I looked at a couple other venues with green spaces and none of them compared to the size and beauty of this one! All the staff at the hotel were all very nice and helpful. The staff that served our food for our rehearsal dinner and reception were all amazing! We had a buffet for the rehearsal dinner and a plated dinner for the reception and they both worked out great! The food is delicious! All of our family and friends had so much fun at the hotel. The hotel rooms are newly renovated and everything is very clean! I’m so glad we chose this venue and I would happily do it all over again! Thank you Brooke, Megan, and Brandy!

My husband and I had to completely re-schedule our wedding due to Covid and had basically 3 months to plan the entire thing! To say I was anxious and stressed is an understatement, but literally the minute after I met with the Island and toured their venue, I was sold and put at ease. The staff is so welcoming, inviting, and happy. They make wedding planning so much fun and I could not be more thankful for their help. Megan, Brooke, Brandy and everyone at the Island could not have been more kind. I was in a unique position where I had already planned an entire wedding in another state, and I was shocked with how fun and communicative the team at the Island was when comparing to my last venue. They are so great at getting back to you quickly with any question you may have whether it was through email or phone. They provide a wide variety of packages for your budget and they were super flexible when choosing the menu and flowers. Not to give away any fun surprises, but when we had our final meeting the week of the wedding and when we checked into our hotel, there were so many fun surprises and sweet, thoughtful “extras” that made us feel so special and thought of. They have so many options for getting ready the day of including a bridal suite and several other rooms to rent. The bridesmaids lunch when getting ready the day of the wedding was so stunning, we were all joking that we should just take it and use it for the wedding! All of the girls involved with the wedding were present and available when needed that week and during the entire planning process; I never felt out of the loop or nervous about anything with planning. They took care of all of my needs and concerns and I was fully confident in their ability to fulfill my dreams and wishes for my wedding day! Trusting a company with your wedding is a huge deal and something that you should not take lightly. I could not recommend the Island enough to trust in your big day! People always warn you that something will go wrong the day of your wedding, but our wedding day was perfect! We can’t wait to go back and visit all of the staff that we became friends with and spend more time on their beautiful property.

The Island Wedding Company will provide you with the perfect wedding day full of joy and free of stress. Brooke has established a strong leadership culture at The Island and has built a high-performance team that embodies high expectations. Every member on her team including Megan Chafin (Director of Communications), Sarah Harris (Event Coordinator), and Brandy Heuer (Wedding Concierge) take pride in making sure that every need for your special day is met with complete personalization. They truly make your wedding vision flawlessly come to life! My initial wedding plans were unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. Brooke was so supportive during this time and scheduled a meeting with my family to discuss options on how we could handle the situation. What I admire most about Brooke is her honest business practices that are built with a customer focus. She understands how to help resolve problems and is committed to creating a climate of trust and establishing a relationship with her all brides. The way she handled the situation and the support she provided me caused me to make the decision to continue to work with The Island Wedding Company until it was safe for me to have my special day. During the planning process, Megan, Brandy, and Sarah were ALWAYS optimistic, organized, and knowledgeable. As a full- time PhD student and working professional trying to plan a destination wedding, these ladies made the planning process an absolute breeze and stress free. They took care of every detail for the wedding. They even went above-and-beyond to make sure that I did not have to deal with vendors and they even contacted Simply Elegant Bridal to deliver my dress to the hotel so I had nothing to worry about on my wedding day. If you are looking for an elegant and relaxing location to have your wedding, I highly recommend The Island Wedding Company. All their venue options are beautiful, the food is delicious, and the customer service is top notch. Trust them and let them work their magic!

Brooke Wheeler really made our wedding a dream come true. We had to postpone our wedding due to Covid, and Brooke was there for us no matter what, to make whatever changes needed to happen to change our date and was incredibly accommodating in every way. From the moment that we first met Brooke in the lobby of the resort for our tour of the venues to the day we checked out after our week-long wedding, she was always there with a genuine smile, willing to do whatever she could to make us happy. Throughout the wedding planning process, Brooke was the one person we had full faith in; she gave my husband and me a sense of calm, and we knew that she had everything under control for our wedding. Brooke's advice was most appreciated, and I wish I even took more of it when it came to vendors; she truly knows what is best and always has her bride and groom's best interest at heart. Brooke, as a person, quickly became someone we loved and cared about. The wedding team at the Island was on top of everything going on at all times. Megan was also exceptional and there for us when we needed her; you can tell she loves her job and will do whatever it takes to make her brides and grooms happy, and we very much appreciated her. I would highly recommend getting married on the Island, not just for the fantastic venues but also because of the incredible wedding team that works hard to make all of your dreams come true.

My husband and I recently had our wedding at the Island hotel and it was the best experience. Brooke was amazing from start to finish along with the rest of the staff. Unfortunately, we had to reschedule from our initial wedding date due to the coronavirus, but they made sure our new date was just as special. Our guests loved the Island Green and Maui Ballroom venues and the food was on point. I highly recommend this place for your special day.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. My wedding day was perfect! Everyone loved the venue, and we had so many compliments on how beautiful everything was. Brooke and her team take the time to consider all of your wants and needs. They checked on me numerous times and were so organized!

The Island Resort is an amazing venue overlooking the Beach in Florida! Brooke is absolutely amazing and was very accommodating to work with even with the Covid-19 pandemic. My client and I loved the intimacy of this resort. Upon our site visit, Brooke had everything organized with vendor meetings set up with the resort for that weekend and the chef to prepare delicious foods for our tasting. After looking at all of the space options, Brooke was able to shift some things around and ensure all of the space my client was looking for become available so that we could make our Bride's vision a reality. As a wedding planner, it's important to work with a venue that is accommodating and flexible. Brooke definitely is awesome to work with and I look forward to working with her soon with my future clients!

EVERYTHING!! Planning a fusion wedding (especially a big fat Indian one), you need a lot of space, ideally at an affordable rate. The Island is amazing in the fact it offers many spaces BUT each so unique that you may as well be at a different venue each time, which was awesome especially for a multi-event wedding spanning over multiple days. Brooke was my first contact through the hotel and she is just THE BEST!! She listened to my ideas, offered even better ones, and when I went for my site visit went above and beyond! Everyone I met there made me feel like it was going to be all about my wedding and every girl wants that feeling for her special day. If you're looking for a beautiful venue with a responsive and caring coordinator and staff who will make your imagined wedding day come to life, THIS. IS. THE. SPOT!!

I could honestly write pages on how amazing Brooke and her team are. If you are looking for a place to hold your wedding, your way, this is the place for you. Brooke works to make sure each bride has their vision come true for their wedding. Once you are one of her brides, she’s got you. She made our planning process so stress-free which is a blessing during wedding planning. We originally planned a three day wedding weekend with Brooke and her team and planned to have over 200 guests in attendance. When I tell you she went above and beyond for me that is no exaggeration. She had tons of ideas to make sure both our guests and my husband and I had a memorable weekend together. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our November 2020 wedding due to COVID but Brooke and her team were helping us plan the most magical weekend and I am so grateful to them for that. Brooke was honestly made to do this type of work and if you want someone to bring your vision to life and help take care of every detail along the way, book with her at The Island and you won’t be disappointed. Though our wedding weekend didn’t happen, we are already excited to plan more events with her and can’t wait to be back at the beautiful Island hotel!

My fiancé and I have been planning our wedding with Brooke since May of 2019. Our original date was for April 2020 but due to Covid 19 had to postpone it. Brooke and her staff made the transition so smooth that it didn’t even feel like a postponement. New date comes along and we have to postpone it our wedding to 2021. I can’t give enough praise to Brooke and The Island for making our wedding planning the easiest thing in 2020. If you’re wanting a beach wedding this is the place to have it!!! We can’t wait for our wedding day and will write another review then!

The Island staff was amazing and the chef is top notch on attention to detail on all foods. The entire experience was perfect from stay to check out could not have ask for a more perfect place for our wedding.

The Island Hotel couldn't have done it any better! Coming from locals we were amazed at the newly renovated areas this place had to offer. So many different locations and options for getting married and receptions areas. Brooke Wheeler and her staff go up and beyond to making your wedding planning experience so much easier and smoother then I could have ever imagined. There is nothing I don't think they wouldn't do or try to find to make your wedding dreams come true. The ambience, staff, and definitely the food is fantastic. Every person you work with along the way is truly excited to be apart of your wedding experience and makes things as easy and stress free as possible for you. What bride doesn't want that!

We absolutely loved our whole experience with The Island! Brooke was so helpful and made it a breeze planning a Florida wedding from our home in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus, we had to cancel our dream destination wedding plans at The Island. Brooke and the entire staff were so supportive during this time and were a huge help with our change of plans! They were by far the best vendor at handling this unexpected change of events and we are so grateful. I would highly recommend them and we will definitely be back to visit!!!

This venue was absolutely gorgeous and everything that I imagined. Everything concerning my wedding went perfectly. It was the best day ever! Brooke Wheeler with The Island Wedding Company was amazing! She was very responsive and helpful throughout the whole planning process. Everything was set up perfectly and just how I imagined it. She was there on the wedding day through the entire process. Brooke arranged a private area for me where I could get dressed and ready before the wedding. I would highly recommend the Brooke Wheeler with The Island Wedding Company to anyone looking for a gorgeous wedding venue with professional and friendly staff. I love how the greens and palm trees overlook the beach and the Gulf! Just beautiful!

From start to finish Brooke made the entire process as stress free as a bride can be. She was always available to handle and address any of my questions and/or concerns. I also put a lot of faith into her and the vision she had as the space wasn’t even built when I booked my wedding. It turned out to be the best decision I could have made. The space was gorgeous and my vision was made reality.

We had the most amazing time of our lives! My husband and I celebrated our wedding on the beach! Then after the wedding we were suppose to have a reception at the Tavern on the Island which was newly built but that wasn’t planned and The manager Brooke was so amazing to work with she made my wedding our dream wedding! We ended up having our reception in the Maui Ballroom which was absolutely perfect! The food was amazing! On top of that everything was absolutely perfect from the cake, to the DJ (DJ30A) , our coordinator Kristie from Kiss the Bride, our photographe- taygrayphotography! I would like to truly thank Brooke and her staff for making this day unforgettable!

Brooke, Sarah and The Island were absolute perfection. Starting with Brooke she was an absolute gem from day one. She was super quick to respond and had us sold in a matter of seconds. When I say putting trust in someone, I mean I put my full trust in Brooke. At the time we booked our wedding reception was only half way complete and Brooke promised me her vision would come true and would be finished in time for my wedding. And she was right her vision literally made my heart so happy and it construction was complete well before my wedding. Brooke sent me pictures of the place as soon as it was complete but man pictures didn’t do this place justice it was absolutely stunning. Brooke came to check on me on the day of the wedding and boy she was the sweetest thing on earth. Now for Sarah the worlds best wedding coordinator omg!!! I can’t tell you how many times I emailed her at 3am with a panic attack trying to plan my wedding in only six months and she would respond immediately or by the next morning with words of encouragement and solutions to any problems I was having. She is an absolute gem. The day before the wedding she was a boss which was everything I needed and more. I dropped everything off with her and she told me to go get in the pool and she would make all my dreams come true and she most certainly did..... she was the best thing we could ask for. She was there for me every step the day of solving problems putting things together or just making sure there was nothing I needed. She was absolute perfection!!! And lastly the island omg can you say stunning!!! This place was a beauty every where you turned there was something beautiful to look at. The island green just absolutely made the wedding just amazing every picture taken just came out perfect. Literally my wedding day was a dream come true and I literally teared up the whole way home just playing back all the memories over and over again and falling in love with the day over and over!!!!

Our wedding ceremony on the Island Green was absolutely gorgeous and could not have been more perfect and picturesque! You seriously cannot find a better outdoor, ceremony location that’s not on the beach anywhere else in the area. I took off one star because the driveway leading to the Green was no blocked off with cones as it was supposed to be, and thus there were cars blocking/in the background of some photos. I also had difficulty reaching some of the wedding staff sometimes, but everything got sorted out one way or another and it was perfect. The staff working at the front desk and throughout the hotel were so nice and knew who we were, making sure to congratulate us whenever they saw us. We felt so special! I would choose the Island Green for our wedding every time!

We are still on cloud nine after our daughter’s wedding at the Island FL. Our wedding search began last October and at that time contracted with the Island FL. As a destination wedding; it was paramount that all the details be nailed down well in advance. We found that working with Brooke and Sarah of SLH events absolutely no detail was too small. They both took great care to make sure we delivered our daughter’s dream. We entertained 90 guests at the Island with a welcome bonfire on the beach Friday evening; the beach ceremony on Saturday afternoon and then danced the night away at the tavern on the island event space. It truly was a dream come true; the food was divine, the décor simply perfect, the service non-stop. Many of our guests stayed several nights and enjoyed their rooms; the pools, the beach café and food truck, even the housekeeping and front desk staff was attentive. The moment they turned to be introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rola, the reaction – priceless. A moment you dream of as a mother. Much love Brooke – God blessed us the day we met !

A Leap of Faith Beach Venue!! A hurricane uprooted us just shortly after we settled on our first venue. Our trusted and intelligent wedding planner Clay Keels @signaturewedpc navigated us to The Island FL Hotel for a venue visit. Brooke Wheeler @theislandweddings welcomed us with open arms and a BIG VISION for what she knew The Island FL “WAS GOING” to be. At the time of the venue visit…. There was No ISLAND GREEN (instead, cinder blocks and sand), NO MAUI BALLROOM, NO TAVERN ON THE GREEN (just orange lines drawn on the ground), and NO FIJI ROOM. We could hear and see the wedding passion and design determination in Brooke Wheeler. She was glowing with pride in what she knew this one day would be. So we jumped, we took the “Leap of Faith,” and 7 months later - we had the Most Incredible Beach View Wedding on the Island Green July 26. Our Reception was in the Maui Ballroom and it was absolute PERFECTION for our 130 guests. Our entire wedding party got ready with hair/makeup and fellowship in the FIJI Room. It was such a joyful & unique experience being able to watch @destinmobilemakeupbox transform our family and friends into wedding day beauties in the perfect location of the FIJI Room. Brooke was such a pleasure to work with, she certainly helped us weather even some figurative thunderstorms ( bridal meltdowns do happen sometimes), but Brooke is calm, cool, and collected when it comes to her brides. She will even go to the ends of the “aisle” make sure her clients get every single detail they anticipate. The Island FL venues BEAUTY is UNPARALLELED, but Brooke and the rest of the Island Staff are the BEST IN THE BUSINESS!!

Tyler and I were married at The Island on June 1, 2019. Planning a wedding in Florida from Illinois can be pretty stressful but Brooke Wheeler made everything go so smooth and stress free. We had our wedding ceremony on the beach with a beautiful set up. The reception was on The Island Green. I highly recommend The Island Green! It was perfect and to the side of the hotel. I had so many guests make comments on the food as well. Everyone there goes above and beyond to make sure your day goes perfect! The hotel is under renovations at the moment but don’t let that stop you from having your wedding there because our weekend was perfect! I can’t stress enough how amazing Brooke Wheeler is. I feel like I could reach out to her anytime even after my wedding! I highly recommend The Island and you definitely won’t regret getting married there. We’re all still talking about how much fun it was and how the location is perfect!

Every step of the way, The Island made sure my vision was being completed to the best of their ability! Brooke is such a gem and made me feel like one of her own! Even with last minute weather changes, The Island crew was calm and collected with their new game plans. The wedding itself was an absolute dream! The Island venue is so unique! I would definitely recommend this venue and team to anyone!

As soon as I saw The Island I knew that this is where we were going to become husband and wife. The Island is the best wedding venue in FWB! We did a ton of research into venues, & nothing even came close to The Island. It's an all inclusive venue - you & your guests can stay there for the weekend, the food is incredible & very reasonably priced, they provide all the tables, plates, glasses, & linens that you need. In addition to all this, they have an incredibly helpful staff. The green-space has breathtaking views and made for a perfect backdrop as we said I Do. The ballroom was stunning and the sunset views from the ballroom were incredible. Not only is the view stunning, but the food and service is outstanding. As much as I can go on about The Island, I just have to stop to applaud Brooke because she is the orchestrator that made everything run smoothly. I cannot thank Brooke enough for taking in my vision and making it reality. She is so kind and will do ANYTHING to make sure your day is perfect. Our guests are still raving over our wedding saying that "it was the best wedding we have ever attended!". Thank you so much Brooke and The Island for making our wedding the most beautiful evening of my life.

When we got engaged, we knew 2 things about our wedding: (1) we wanted to get married, locally, in the Panhandle area and (2) that we would have ALOT of out of town guests. Having moved to the area just 2 years ago, most of our family and friends live in other states. It was important to have all of our guests stay in one location, but also be in a location that has beach access (why else would you ask all your friends and family to travel so far?!). Which, come to find out, is difficult to do when you live in a beach town that is made up of predominately condominiums and beach houses. We were also taking into account the fact that some family would be flying and would not have vehicles here. Therefore, we wanted to try and eliminate as much travel within the city for everyone as possible. We looked at 3 venues total. The first two were not really our “style”, but, finally, we did a tour with Brooke at The Island Weddings. Our tour was in October of 2018. The Island had recently been purchased by a new owner and the entire development was undergoing renovations. For those that do not know, The Island Hotel has been around since the 60’s. My parents vacationed there in high school and my brother vacationed there in college! So, we know the hotel and the area well and we were very excited that it was undergoing renovations prior to our wedding. When we did our tour, some of the wedding venues had not been renovated, yet. But we could tell that the venues that had been renovated were beautiful and we could see that the renovations were going to take The Island to a whole new level! From there, it was an easy decision. The Island had the beach front view, the beach access, the ability to have everyone stay in one location, and the option of several different beautiful venues for us to have different events. So, we booked with The Island Weddings! (Also, it was an added bonus that, for anyone who did want to get off the Resort for a bit, there were lots of different restaurant [everything from seafood to Italian to burgers] and right across the street is Island Times where people can rent pontoons and other watersports – and they also have really good food!) Throughout the wedding planning, Brooke kept us to date on the renovations by sending us pictures of all of our venues. It was exciting to see how our venues evolved from a 60’s vibe to a modern, chic look! We know the typical tradition is to have all of your out-of-town guests to the Rehearsal Dinner, but with have a 200-person we wanted to do something smaller, more intimate for the Rehearsal Dinner. Therefore, we decided we would have the Rehearsal Dinner in the Bali Room with our immediate families and the Wedding Party, and a Karaoke Party/Welcome Party in the Fiji Room immediately after the Rehearsal Dinner. (SIDE NOTE: Anyone debating doing a Karaoke/Welcome Party, I HIGHLY recommend! It was so much fun and a great way to get everyone on both sides of the family acquainted with each other!) We had 28 people total for the Rehearsal Dinner and the Bali Room was perfect for this. It felt exactly how we wanted to: Intimate. The food for the Rehearsal dinner was AMAZING. Chef Trevor is an awesome chef and the presentation was spectacular! Everyone was invited to the Karaoke/Welcome Party, which we had in the Fiji Room. It was the perfect size. Everyone had so much fun! (Seriously… even if you are not considering a Karaoke Party, consider it! SO. MUCH. FUN.) Brooke had the awesome idea to use The Fiji Room the next day (wedding day). Brooke helped turned it into a Bridal Suite, which was gorgeous. It is an all-white room, which screams Bridal Suite and furniture was brought in to give a feel of comfort. There was plenty of space to move around and get comfy, get your makeup done or eat. I can’t wait to see the pictures from here! Brooke really has a vision with the different venues and it’s amazing how she can turn one venue into something totally different the next day! We were married at St. Mary Catholic Church in Fort Walton Beach (just about 5 minutes down the road from The Island). Upon our return guests were greeted and guided towards the Island Maui Ballroom and the Island Capri Room. These Ballrooms are on the 6th Floor of the tower and there really are not any other words to describe them other than: GORGEOUS. Both have been beautifully renovated. The best part to us was that it didn’t look like just any other hotel ballroom (you know the ones I am talking about – they have the yellow, reds and greens in the carpet and long yellow curtains…). It was so much better! Hayley Odom, the interior designer for The Island, definitely knows what she is doing. The combination of the beautiful blues, greys and whites, with stunning chandeliers just make the room pop! Both Ballrooms have balcony access which was really nice at night with the breeze. And during the day, it has the most beautiful view of BOTH the Gulf and the Bay. I have never been to a wedding before with such a beautiful view! We had the band, tables and bars in The Island Maui Ballroom and the food and a few extra tables, as well as, a seating area in The Island Capri Room. And, yet again, Chef Trevor killed it! The food was SO GOOD! (For anyone who likes re-stuffed baked potatoes, Chef Trevor’s a must try! He served them in smaller sizes, so, you can even pass them as an appetizer!) Everyone truly seemed to have an awesome night and we could not be happier that they did! Overall, I could not be more thankful for Brooke and The Island Weddings. Weddings can be stressful, and Brooke truly helped us every step of the way and made it so much easier on us. Brooke pulled off an amazing weekend for us, our family, and our friends, and we cannot wait to make many more memories at The Island in the future!

In short, The Island is an AMAZING wedding venue, and it keeps getting BETTER. I was married on The Island Green on March 16th, 2019. I was the FIRST bride to have a wedding at The Island’s newly created and renovated venues. My wedding planning story is anything but typical. I live in Panama City Beach and had my entire wedding planned in my neighborhood there. But, Mother Nature had other plans… 4 months before “I Do,” Hurricane Michael devastated our town, our venue and life as we knew it for us and many of our friends. Without wasting time, we set-forth to find a new venue, which was much harder the second time… Until I saw The Island and met Brooke, The Island Wedding Company Owner/Operator. I think my Mom and my planner questioned my sanity at the mention of wanting my wedding at The Island. When we toured, the GORGEOUS green space (The Island Green) over-looking the Gulf was a kiddie splash-pad… but I saw the vision, and if you looked at my Pinterest, you could see, it was everything I ever wanted but couldn’t find anywhere else in the area. I put A LOT of blind faith and trust in Brooke (and her team) to have my venues (one which was new construction and the other being totally renovated) ready by the big day, and they delivered. At that moment, I realized that everything happens for a reason and that, while the hurricane may have cursed us and our town in more ways than fathomable, it was also a blessing which led me to the wedding venue I dreamed of having. Brooke and the designer did an amazing job creating venue spaces fit for any theme. Brooke is SO kind and accommodating. She truly wants to please her brides, making sure all of their wedding dreams come true, and she will do just about anything to make that happen. In fact, Brooke had a baby ON OUR WEDDING DAY, but was at The Island just a day or two before advocating and making sure everything was taken care of for us. On the day of, she was texting with my planner to check in, all the while in labor with her first child. Although, not ideal to have the venue coordinator absent, Brooke made the effort to be as present as she could. Throughout the rushed process, Brooke advocated for us and never hesitated to call or meet with us when we needed her. There were certainly bumps in the road, as is true anytime construction is involved, but the venue spaces exceeded my expectations, and Brooke always made an effort to present any problems with a solution. The Island was the perfect wedding destination, allowing my guests to stay and PLAY all in one place. We had our rehearsal dinner/welcome party just across the street at Island Time/Dock on The Island, which was also AMAZING – SO MUCH FUN (Chef Tommy is killin’ it and was an awesome host). Our ceremony took place on The Island Green overlooking the Emerald Coast, and the reception was in the 6th floor ballrooms with beautiful views of the bay AND the Gulf. Soon, they’ll have another venue constructed (The Tavern on The Island – the plans sound and look DREAMY) and many more renovations to the property, which will continue to make The Island unbeatable as a wedding venue destination. I wish I could relive my wedding weekend over and over and over again! -- Just a short side-note ... Take EVERY CHANCE to be FULLY present on your wedding day. It goes by SO fast and is a very overwhelming day. Before you know it, you'll be on your honeymoon or living married life and wishing you could go back in time.

Brooke is amazing!!! If you are needing a venue for your wedding I highly recommend working with Brooke! She made everything go smoothly and we had no issues at all throughout the day. Brooke was awesome to work with and we would 100% recommend booking with the Island for your big day!!

I cannot say enough good things about Brooke and this venue. If you're looking for a place to get married on the beach, but want more options, this is the venue for you. It has the beach, a gorgeous lawn, and stunning ballrooms all in one place. I'm a wedding photographer and I've shot weddings at many beach locations and the Island is the PERFECT beach wedding location. It is easily my favorite venue in our area.

The wedding I photographed was alboslutely gorgeous at The Island! I would recommend any of my brides to get married at this wonderful location! The staff was just incredible, Food tasted amazing, and the view was perfection!

My husband and I were married at the Island on November 11, 2018. We had been planning our wedding for a year and a half, and one month before our date, Hurricane Michael came through and ruined all of our original plans in Panama City Beach. Frantically, my family and friends began searching for a new venue and accommodations for 50 people. I actually received a call from Brooke, who had heard of our situation and reached out to me. That was the first sign of good things to come! She had an opening for our date and promised she and her staff could make our wedding an amazing day, even though we only had two and a half weeks left by then. Over that time, I was in contact with Brooke and/or Jackie Gibson, the sales manager, almost daily. They kept our unconventional timeline smooth and went above and beyond to make sure we would still have the wedding we dreamed of. November 11th came and the day went without a hitch! It was absolutely perfect, and I was able to enjoy myself the entire time thanks to Brooke working hard in the background. We loved the beautiful beach with driftwood arbor for our ceremony and the Island Canopy for a gorgeous reception. And it was so nice that we could just walk to our rooms when the night was done, no transportation required! We also had our rehearsal dinner at the lobby bar Nineteen 66 the night before and had a great time then too. I cannot say enough about how hard and how quickly Brooke, Jackie, and the rest of the staff at the Island RL made our wedding dreams come true. With the short timeline, I put all my trust into them to make our day magical without having seen the place or knowing anything about it, and they sure did deliver! Having a wedding at the Island is a choice you can feel good about, because they truly care and will do whatever it takes to pull off an incredible day. We are forever thankful to them for hosting the best weekend of our lives!

I had my wedding at The Island on Saturday, Oct 13, 2018. I honestly cannot say enough about this hotel. They’ve made so many accommodations for me and my guests. We planned this wedding for about a year and a half and being in New Orleans, they made it so easy for me. Jackie and Katie are gifts from heaven! They truly made my wedding dreams come true. Any concerns or questions i had, they answered in the same day. They made accommodations for me and a couple of our bridal party to come in the day Hurricane Michael hit. The renovations are beautiful, the staff is so friendly including the housekeeping staff. They made the Milliet wedding a dream come true. Thank you again for everything!

This past weekend we had our wedding ceremony and reception at the The Island by Hotel RL on 10/13/2018 and it was a dream come true. I had booked and planned the entire wedding in under 3 months and I have Brooke Wheelers, The Island Weddings Manager, and Jackie Gibson, The Island by Hotel RL Sales Manager, to thank for making it all happen for us. Jackie and Brooke were very involved in the entire process from start to finish. They both put in time and effort to help make the process painless and were extremely accommodating. The week of the wedding, the Florida Panhandle was hit by hurricane Michael. This caused great concern for our family and guests, however, Jackie and Brooke kept in contact the entire time keeping us updated on the storm and the condition of the venue. We were lucky enough that the storm didn’t cause any damage to the beach and the plans remained unchanged. Having the entire event at The Island by Hotel RL made it extremely easy for our guests to enjoy their weekend at the beach and eliminated the burden of finding transportation on our wedding day. Brooke did an amazing job taking care of the-day-of details and coordination, while Jackie handled the event crew and catering. This allowed for my family to relax and enjoy every bit of our special day. On the day of the ceremony, we hadn’t heard back from our photographer all morning – Brooke immediately alerted my mom and called around for a backup photographer. She was able to find a replacement that could be onsite for both the ceremony and reception. This really showed us that this isn’t just a business for Brooke, she genuinely cares about her brides and will go above and beyond for them. We’re so grateful that she was the one there for us on our wedding day. Our beachfront ceremony was incredible. I was very nervous about it not being completely private, but the way they set up the chairs and arbor right at the edge of the beach makes it so intimate and you really don’t notice anything else around it. Immediately following the ceremony, we had a cocktail hour and reception under The Island Canopy. I highly recommend the outdoor canopy on a fall night. It was a blast and perfect for the number of people we had in attendance. The Island crew accommodated to time changes and the food was good. Service during the reception was timely and efficient. The presentation was on point and both Brooke and Jackie were there the entire time to make sure everything ran smoothly. We were beyond impressed by The Island by Hotel RL and highly recommend anyone getting married on the Emerald Coast to book with them. We would like to thank The Island staff and of course Brooke and Jackie for making our wedding day a dream come true.

Bandon was a dream in assisting us and taking what we said we wanted and making it happen. Beautiful place to stay.

I could say the place could be updated but for the most part they were very very helpful. The service was excellent and i honestly enjoyed my wedding and reception here.

My reception was beautiful! The staff was really nice and great to work with. We were allowed to decorate our tables with our own style.

We absolutely LOVED The Ramada. We planned our destination wedding from our computer so we knew we would have to take everything as it was once we got there. I chose this venue for our reception because it was affordable (both for the venue and for our out-of-town guests to stay). I was not disappointed! The Forum Room was on the top floor of the hotel overlooking the beach and the bay area. The hotel grounds were beautiful and allowed us for many photo opportunities. I also chose this hotel because it is in walking distance to The Boardwalk which hosted our 'after party'. The food was delicious (we are still getting compliments on it) and the package was perfect for what we wanted. I think the best part was the experience. The catering manager, sales manager, bartender, wait staff and directors brought us so many 'above and beyond' feelings towards the venue. If you are looking for a place with a lot of character and wonderful package, this is definitely it! Some things to note: They offer a free space for the wedding outside the hotel. We did not do this due to high traffic on the beach. We ended up finding a free public beach down the street (2-3 miles) and it was perfect! Also, the rooms are a little out dated, but they were clean and the hotel grounds made up for it! Besides, we wanted our guests to be able to make the trip from out of town and it was affordable! I would recommend the Ramada to any of my friends. I think we might even take some anniversary trips there.

Everything was wonderful!!!! Brandon Lester, the catering manager, was so helpful & quick to respond to our questions. My wedding was planned 90% through email & when I got there it was exactly what I had pictured. The food was fantastic! I highly recommend the seafood buffet! The forum room was perfect for the reception. The view from there is amazing!!!

Found the Ramada by looking online for a destination wedding near Destin that was affordable. Emailed the sales lady, and went down to visit. It was perfect, great menus to chose from, and even got to meet the chef and sample some of the food. We booked immediately. Even had a change of staff during the process. Always kept me informed, let me know the changes, and always kept in touch. Great rates and staff was wonderful! Food was amazing. It was a stress free experience.

Amazing viwes/no problems with planning. Everyone was great and it was perfect!

I opted to have a beach wedding in front of the resort with my reception in the Forum Ballroom overlooking the Gulf and Santa Rosa Sound. Unfortunately my wedding was rained out so the wedding AND reception were both held in the ballroom, and I cannot give testimony to the beach setup. Most of my interaction with the Ramada was great - their staff was friendly and helpful and were willing to find a solution or answer if they didn't have one readily available. Unfortunately, one month before my wedding as I was paying the final expenses they said that I needed to have my band approved by the manager (a requirement they had never mentioned before during the year we had been in contact and was not in my contract). The manager then said that they were not approved and I would have to find someone else. Obviously, replacing a vendor after you've not only paid for them but that close to the event is a crapshoot and most of the time impossible. I had to fight tooth and nail to keep the band I had hired, but had no problems with them otherwise.

The two ladies I worked with, Amber and Jessica, were great! They both were available throughout the planning. Jessica offered great suggestions and keeping cost down and creating a wonderful experience for guests. -- The food was delicious! Far exceeded our expectations of wedding food. The hotel and room itself is somewhat dated but with the right decorations and lighting it turned out BEAUTIFUL!

I love the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort. Amber and her staff were amazing and very easy to work with. I couldn't have ask for a better vendor. The Ramada really live up to their motto. "You do your thing.. leave the rest to us. Great to work with, catered to my needs and I am glad the Ramada was my vendor for my wedding and reception.

Very friendly

We loved our experience with the Ramada! The Sales Manager, Amber Campbell, was great throughout the entire planning process. She willingly and rapidly responded to all of my emails and calls, making the planning process an ease, even with us living hundreds of miles away. The Catering Sales Manager, Brandon Blesi, was so helpful, and made sure all our catering went off without a hitch. And this does not even begin to cover the wonderful service of the entire staff, for our Rehearsal, Reception, and Brunch the following morning. It rained our entire wedding weekend, but they had beautiful locations throughout the resort for photo opportunities, and we held the ceremony in the Reception Room, which was quickly transformed. Overall we could not have asked for a better Wedding Day!

I had my wedding here in May 2010. The staff was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the location was amazing! There are so many places for great pictures in the gardens and on the private beach. The prices were also very reasonable.

I loved how accomadating the staff was.;The lighting was not very good for pictures. Make sure you photographer has special lighting