The Inquirer and Mirror

Claudia Kronenberg Photography With its easy beach access and stylish ambiance, The Summer House is one of several island venues perfect for hosting a waterfront wedding.

For others, the island setting serves as a reminder of innocent childhood summers’ past: Boogie-boarding in the surf churned by an oncoming storm. Mini-charcoal grills and Kadima tournaments at Great Point. Evenings in town, blackberry ice cream melting down a waffle cone.

So whether you simply long for the casual elegance of a beach destination or you’ve loved the island longer than you’ve known your fiance, a Nantucket wedding is an unforgettable experience.

The Wauwinet

“Privacy Please” best describes weddings at The Wauwinet. Tucked between the Atlantic and Nantucket Harbor, and adjacent to the Great Point wildlife sanctuary, the retreat is an idyllic choice for a bride who relishes the island’s scenic beauty, along with the finest in amenities and service in a country inn atmosphere.

During the first weekend in May and the last of October (which marks the opening and closing of the season) wedding parties take over the entire inn.

“Couples appreciate it because they have a staff of about 100 people working for them and there’s no competition with anyone else. It’s nice because guests can also add on to their stay and make a mini-vacation of it,” says general manager Bettina Landt.

While there’s a two-night minimum, it wouldn’t be surprising if even a burly uncle gets teary when it’s time to leave.

Whether the wedding party is up for smacking a few down-the-line winners, or if Coronas and croquet are more their speed, the Wauwinet offers a variety of complimentary activities for all energy levels. The girls may enjoy a bridesmaid lunch trip to Sconset via the inn’s 1946 “Woody” while the guys can be guys and off-road it out to Great Point for some surfcasting. Mountain bikes are also provided to cater to the sporty set who will enjoy some the island’s more than 25 miles of paths.

Rehearsal dinner
If you don’t desire to take over the entire inn, but are craving to add a taste of Topper’s into your wedding weekend, the Wauwinet does allow for rehearsal dinners to be held throughout the season (with the exception of July and August) in either one of its private dining rooms, or outside on the back deck.

For a bit of adventure, reach the Wauwinet via The Wauwinet Lady, a private charter which leaves from Straight Wharf and can fit a party of 26. Sipping cocktails and munching on hors d’oeuvres, occasionally sprayed by the surf while watching the coastline off the starboard bow creates a unique pre- dinner reception.

Rehearsal dinner parties can choose from a buffet or a three-course dinner. The sunroom, which can sit 14 at one table, makes a nice, intimate setting to delight in an Heirloom Tomato Salad followed by Potato Crusted Maine Scallops accompanied by shrimp tortellini with a spiced carrot emulsion and pistachio butter. The Topper’s room can seat 28, while the upper deck serves 48.

Wedding Day/Dinner
Say your “I do’s” on the Wauwinet’s back lawn which looks out on the harbor, or exchange rings in true island fashion in flip-flops on the beach. A monsoon can’t even dampen the ceremony because a tent can be erected on the lawn to keep every dress dry.

For the formal wedding dinner, head a stone’s throw away to Topper’s, where new executive chef David Daniels, who hails from The Federalist in Boston, serves up colorful cuisine with creative presentation. The adjacent main dining room, Topper’s Room and the Sunroom can accommodate a crowd of 150, yet the wainscoting, plush upholstery and original artwork keep the space cozy and elegant. Daniels will wow those with a penchant for seafood with his Lobster and Crab Cakes, along with a main course of Pan-Roasted Atlantic Halibut plated with a Risotto of Summer Truffles, Exotic Mushroom Purée and Asparagus. The wedding cake provided by the bride, along with Topper’s array of cookies and petit fours, will provide everyone with a sugar rush to spark their post-dinner groove on the dance floor.

It’s important to remember that the Wauwinet only has 35 guest rooms and cottages which would accommodate around 70 people. While the remainder of the guests could stay in comparable inns or bed and breakfasts in town, renting houses in the Wauwinet area might also be a good idea so that everyone can be close to the action.

The White Elephant

Weddings at the White Elephant are like childhood summer afternoons when activity was at your fingertips but sometimes you just chose to laze in the sun. White wicker chairs dotting the harborside lawn evoke feelings of slower times, and guests can sip pomegranate martinis and watch sailboats slip away from the docks.

Claudia Kronenberg Photography Toasting the happy couple comes easy on the outside deck of the harborside White Elephant.

A quick stroll down Easton and North Beach streets leads to a shopper’s paradise of quaint cobblestone streets to explore and enjoy a morning coffee. The hotel’s Brant Point address offers guests the best of both worlds and is the perfect choice for the bride who wants her guests to both enjoy and get to know the island she adores.

While the hotel is available for receptions from the end of April until Christmas Stroll, late spring and early fall are reserved almost exclusively for wedding weekends. During these times, you can rent out the entire facility, which personalizes your wedding. Guests can cozy up by the fireplaces in some of the hotel’s 53 guest rooms and suites decorated with casual classic Nantucket elegance. Families can choose from 11 quaint one- to three- bedroom cottages nestled among the gardens.

Rehearsal dinner
With views across the harbor toward Monomoy through the window, the private Ivory Room can accommodate a rehearsal dinner party of 25. Black and white sailing photos adorn yellow walls the color of the farm-fresh corn and drawn butter on a plate of steamed clams and mussels which comprises the rehearsal dinner’s clambake menu. Or indulge your guests in the true New England experience with a raw bar brimming with littlenecks, oysters and shrimp, followed by Nantucket mixed greens, red bliss potatoes and a steaming one-and-a-quarter-pound lobster. For those brides especially skilled with the lobster crackers, a two- pound selection is also available. I’d also suggest a bib.

Wedding Day/Dinner
For a bride who has cut her fiance’s high-school lacrosse team off the guest list, and prefers to take her vows among an intimate gathering of 50-60, the harborside lawn is an idyllic ceremony location. Soon after, the party can get rolling with cocktails on the lawn or deck. The butler-style wedding hors d’oeuvres menu offers a range of tastes, featuring simple favorites such as Mini BLTs with Bartlett Farm Tomatoes and Applewood Smoked Bacon to more sophisticated Smoked Salmon Phyllo Flowers.

In the adjacent sunroom and foyer, guests can dine by candlelight on dishes which capture the local flavor of the island. A great aspect of wedding dinners at the White Elephant is that brides can formulate their own menus from a delectable array of à la carte choices or station selections.

The bride and groom are treated to a complimentary night’s stay. Also, inquire about the “Icing on the Cake Rate,” for family and friends of the wedding party. In consideration of their neighbors,

Claudia Kronenberg Photography The Westmoor Inn is as elegant inside as it is outside.

The White Elephant only allows for unamplified music until 10 p.m. Guests may want to hit the town afterward, and consequently may enjoy some eggs and strong coffee the following morning at brunch. Larger guest lists can choose from accommodations at the following properties also operated by Nantucket island Resorts: Harbor House Village, The Jared Coffin House and The Cottages at the Boat Basin. The Jared Coffin’s House private dining room can host a dinner for 70, while the Harbor House’s Madaket Room and Hearth can host 100 and 150 people, respectively.

The Westmoor Club

A stone drive leads to the stately yellow clubhouse set among 12 acres of rolling lawns and it’s obvious why the Westmoor Club is a wedding reception haven. “The setting is fantastic – being on top of the hill, the sunset colors across the sky,” says assistant manager Justin Brawn. Located off Cliff Road, Westmoor boasts views of town, while enjoying the quiet secluded feeling of a country estate. Watch out for bridesmaids and groomsmen canoodling on the croquet court.

Claudia Kronenberg Photography The Westmoor Club, above, is the picture-perfect location for an island wedding, with its Victorian clubhouse, finely manicured grounds and sumptuous fare.

While member events are encouraged during the season, the club occasionally holds sponsored events.

The clubhouse only contains seven guest rooms, yet this may be a nice option for older guests, or those with young children who can easily slip off after the cake if they desire to tuck in early.

The Westmoor Club offers the flexibility for brides to tailor their Nantucket wedding to a “T.” Some brides may desire an entire Westmoor wedding extravaganza including a ceremony on the North Lawn, and both the rehearsal and wedding dinner at the club. Others may just prefer to utilize the patio for cocktails overlooking the moors or a farewell brunch Sunday morning.

Peter Wallace, the executive chef and previous owner of Òran Mór, will collaborate with the bride to create a wedding menu combining her favorites infused with his creativity and expertise on island flavor.

Claudia Kronenberg Photography Tents can be erected on the grounds in case Mother Nature decides to crash the party.

To keep a cap on noise, bands must play indoors and like every other spot on the island, they must stop at 10 p.m.

Galley Beach

Drive down Jefferson Avenue, where on front lawns American flags wave in the ocean’s breeze, and you’ll reach Galley Beach. It is as if the structure is nestled in the dunes, along with the oceanfront rooms of the adjacent Cliffside Beach Club. The Galley is the only wedding reception site where guests can watch the sun set into the ocean, while its orange glow casts a rather magical late-day light across Brant Point.

“It’s a wonderful place. Guests can spill out of a tent onto the beach,” says Geoffrey Silva, who owns the restaurant with his brother David. The beach, which is flat and well-maintained, is the perfect spot for a tented event for 100- 250 guests. Furthermore, you’re sure to be in good hands with Silva, who’s been running private events for the past 20 years.

If you have your heart set on Galley Beach, it’s wise to make your plans at least a year in advance. Silva likes to invite the future couple to the island beforehand, so that they can meet him in person and see a wedding reception in action.

The Summer House

It’s hard to rival the charm of Sconset where rose-covered cottages line narrow lanes and children frequent the Market for their famed gigantic cookies. The Summer House, perched on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic, exudes a romantic and relaxed vibe, the perfect escape from the hubbub of daily life. It’s also the perfect setting for a bride who wants her wedding style to celebrate the enchantment and understated beauty of old Nantucket.

Each of the Summer House’s 17 cottages boasts an English-style decor, featuring hand-painted floral designs, white eyelet sheets and country pine antiques. After an afternoon in the Low Beach surf, guests can pamper themselves before the rehearsal dinner with a bubble bath in their cottage’s marble Jacuzzi tub or enjoy a cocktail on their private outdoor seating area. Anyone who enjoys snuggling up by the fire should request “Penrose,” which has a working fireplace and once even donned the cover of New York magazine.

Rehearsal dinners at the Summer House are casual and “party-like,” says chef Charles Salliou. Reminiscent of his days whipping up fare in Miami, lounges by the pool are pushed together to create inviting seating to socialize. A rehearsal dinner is perfect for this tented poolside lawn with the breeze off Low Beach rustling cocktail couture as guests enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres such as little cups of bisque, skewered scallops in shells.

An ice-cream bar or crepe flambée will be the sweet topping to a perfect evening.

Can’t get enough of Sconset? Want to forgo shuttling guests to and from town? You can have your wedding ceremony at The Summer House either on the beach, or under a tent. Go from “I do” to “let’s dance” before you can say “Wow, we’re married!”

“The Summer House is one of the most beautiful settings,” says Salliou. “Most brides have seen a wedding there, or else dreamed of having their wedding at the Summer House since they were little girls.” (While most weddings take place in the shoulder seasons, four weddings are held in July and August, so book early if you want to be a summer bride). To make your dream a reality, brides should first call Chef Charles to set up an appointment. His personality is unmatched, and Salliou looks to get to know the bride, and understand how she pictures her wedding.

“Everything is custom-made,” he says. “There’s not two brides the same nor two budgets the same. Therefore, there’s no menu.” Two-hundred guests under a tent by the oceanside pool can revel in a raw bar, sushi station and oyster bar displayed with ice carving. The can then indulge in a delectable three-course sit- down dinner perhaps featuring a summer house salad, baby lobster tail wrapped in kataif, baked halibut with Chardonnay cream and morels or roasted tenderloin with perigourdine sauce. When the cake is brought back to the kitchen to be cut, Salliou jazzes things up to create a dessert plate. With drizzles of coulis, a scoop of sorbet, fresh fruit and mint, the cake is served as “a magnificent, eye-pleasing work of art,” he says.

The Summer House also owns four in-town properties. The Pineapple Inn, 29 Fair Street and an India Street location. Like the Sconset cottages, each historic inn offers the finest amenities in a setting that exudes Nantucket charm. While sipping fresh-squeezed orange juice on the porch of an old whaling captain’s mansion or grabbing a morning cappuccino in the formal dining room, wedding guests staying in town will be equally pleased as those staying in Sconset.