Hotel Effie, A Haven for Wedded Bliss

By Rebecca Padgett 

Envision it — a beautiful, luxurious, all-inclusive location where you can host your entire wedding weekend. You begin the weekend with rooftop drinks overlooking emerald waters. Your rehearsal is on-site at a highly acclaimed restaurant. On the wedding day, the bridal party gets pampered at the spa and salon. You follow with a golden hour ceremony on the beach, where your guests are just steps away from a gorgeous ballroom and a delicious meal prepared by the culinary team led by famed chef Hugh Acheson. You end the night, happily married and knowing you will see your friends and family off at checkout the next day.

This place exists. This place is Hotel Effie.

Couples are attracted to ease, versatility and beauty when it comes to a venue. Hotel Effie, which opened in early February in Miramar Beach, is ideal for the couple who seeks the sublime beach wedding experience.

Located on the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort property, this new hotel features four wedding venue options, 250 guest rooms and suites, four culinary concepts, a luxury spa, spacious meeting spaces, a rooftop lounge and pool and many more enviable amenities.

“Hotel Effie is like a self-inclusive world,” said Sunni Dupree, general manager of Hotel Effie. “Once you arrive, you won’t need to get back in your car because everything you need is right on property. We blend comfort and relaxation with amenities and activities to accommodate an experience unique to every guest.”

The hotel interior is contemporary coastal with a cool color palette and an emphasis on eye-catching art. The hotel lends itself to being adaptable to your wedding theme.

The Juniper Ballroom is 13,000 square feet and can hold 1,200 people with the ability to be split into up to six separate spaces. The Silverbell and the Elderberry ballrooms each have a capacity of 90 people. Aside from weddings, these rooms can be used for wedding showers, receptions, rehearsal dinners and more. Each ballroom has audio visual capabilities. There is always the option to have the ceremony on the beach or anywhere on the lush 2,400 acres of site property.

Guests love a good meal. Give them an exceptional one by utilizing the culinary expertise of in-house, James Beard-award-winning celebrity chef, Hugh Acheson. The catering team can help you craft a menu that is unique to your wedding and exceeds expectations of a catered event. The dynamic dining team also includes mixologist Kellie Thorn and sommelier Steven Grubbs, each of whom can guide your palette towards perfect pairings.

If you or your guests are hungry throughout your stay, there are dining options morning, noon, night and late night. Start with coffee and pastries from Sweetbay Coffee, lunch or dinner at the signature restaurant Ovide, and a nightcap and light bites at Ara.

Ovide’s menu has a French flare with local, coastal influences. Your guests will flock to Ara Pool + Lounge, an open-air rooftop space featuring cabanas, loungers, outdoor games, creative cocktails and Spanish-inspired tapas, all with panoramic views of the Gulf and bay.

Your entire wedding is in capable hands when you select to use the on-staff planning experts, who will facilitate events and work closely with you to capture the vision of your wedding day.

While your planner has you covered, go enjoy a spa day as a couple or a bridal party at Spa Lilliana, which offers an extensive menu of services to pamper and put yourself at peace. The 10 treatment rooms offer massages, facials and body treatments with OSEA products, a spa line based in Malibu. The salon includes manicures, pedicures, makeup services and hairstyling, and it specializes in bridal services. Upon request, they even offer in-room spa services.

Whether you extend your stay or select the Emerald Coast as a honeymoon destination, Hotel Effie is a paradise for the newly married. Check into any room or suite and check out from the outside world with feather-soft beds, in-room services, luxury bath products and scenic coastal views.

Weddings and honeymoons should be composed of bliss and beauty. Hotel Effie provides that and more — all paired with excellence in customer service and unforgettable experiences.