WEDDINGS F.A.Q.

    The Shoals Restaurant has hosted many memorable wedding ceremonies and receptions. We can honestly say that the attendees and wedding parties of these events are consistently overjoyed with the experience and quality of our services. Having a ceremony surrounded by tropical greenery and above crashing surf can contribute much to a most unique and special nuptial ceremony and celebration. In order to establish the highest level of quality and service, we wish to communicate all pertinent policies relative to our services. Thanks for reading! :-)

SIZE/LIMITATIONS/HOURS

Q: How many people can the Shoals accommodate?
A: because of limitations of parking and the fact that our hotel and restaurant are extremely busy on weekends, we can accommodate various size parties depending on the day of the week and service hour requested. Although we have done upwards of 60 attendees, we can only accommodate over 50 if there is ride sharing or remote parking and a shuttle.

Q: What hours of the day can we have our wedding?
A: Often the ceremony is held just prior to serving the meal. Our food service hours are fixed and are as follows: Lunch (Monday through Saturday) 11:30 am to 2:30 PM, Sunday Brunch 10:30 am to 2:00 PM, and Dinner every night 5 PM to 8:30 or 9:30 PM (later on weekends).

FOOD SERVICE

Q: By having a ceremony there, do we need to also have to have food service?
A: Yes.

Q: Do all the ceremony attendees need to be included in the food service?
A: Normally yes. The Cliff House has limited parking and whatever number we agree on for your event will be within the limits of what we can provide for the convenience of our wedding guests, room guests and other Shoals customers.

Q: Can we bring our own food to the Shoals?
A: For the exception of the wedding cake, subject to the cake cutting and serving fee, no food or beverages will be brought into the hotel by the engager.

Q: Can we have our food served outside?
A: Because of the fact that the Cliff House Inn is a quiet retreat type experience for room guests, we only serve sit-down meals inside. We can have appetizers and hors d'oeuvres as well as libations outside before or after your ceremony (depending on size of the wedding and the day and time).

Q: Do we need to pre-order menu items?
A: Yes. We require a pre-order off of our banquet menus for parties of 14 or more. Each party is limited to the number of selections off of these menus. You can review the banquet menus and winelist here.

ROOM RESERVATIONS

Q: Do I need to make room reservations for my wedding?
A: The hotel and restaurant function as two independent entities. The Cliff House Inn sells out rooms as much as two months in advance. The Cliff House Inn does not accept multiple room block bookings and normally each guest would have to reserve independently of one another. There is a strict two-night minimum stay requirement for weekends (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Reservations for a room can be made toll free 1-800-892-5433.

Q: Is there any room or wedding services discounts when I book my wedding there and/or get rooms?
A: No. The hotel and restaurant serve as separate entities. Since the Cliff House sells out every weekend in advance, there is no discounts possible.

Q: Is it possible to rent the entire Cliff House Inn and restaurant for our wedding?
A: Unfortunately not. We have regular customers that come frequently, and pleasing and serving the majority of our customers while also doing a first class job on your wedding, is our number one priority.

Q: What kinds of receptions do you offer?
A: The Cliff House Inn is a quiet retreat type property. Consequently, our receptions tend to consist of tranquil, intimate, small celebrations that include a memorable ceremony above the surf and dinner (or lunch/brunch) following. We are limited in terms of music that might disturb room guests or neighbors.

BEVERAGE SERVICE

Q: Do you have a bar at the Shoals?
A: We are permitted to serve wines and champagnes (and beer) when accompanied with food service.

Q: Can we bring our own wine, champagne and/or other beverages?
A: No. The Shoals is already a popular and busy restaurant and we are not able to justify our inability to provide our basic services to all of our customers. The Shoals allows regular dining guests to bring a bottle of their own wine or champagnes for a corkage fee, however, we do not extend this service to large parties (15 or more) because of the extensive staffing and setup expense to these affairs.

Q: Do you have nonalcoholic beverages available?
A: We have nonalcoholic champagne (Ariel Brut) as well as sparkling cider, nonalcoholic beer (Becks) and soft drinks and sparkling waters.

Q: Does the Shoals have a dance floor?
A: We do not at this time.

OTHER SERVICES

Q: Do you provide flowers for weddings?
A: No, but we can recommend some local florists. Please see our links page for this information.

Q: Do you provide a podium (lectern), chairs, and an arch?
A: We have an arch available at no extra charge. We do not have a podium, or extra chairs, but these can easily be rented by the customer and delivered to our location. Please see links page for phone numbers.

Q: Do you prepare the wedding cake?
A: Because wedding cake preparation and decorating is a highly specialized endeavor, we refer our customers to nearby bakers that do this for a living. The Shoals prepares remarkable other homemade desserts. Please note that we do charge a cake cutting and serving fee of $3/person per slice for lunch and $4/person per slice for dinner.

RESERVING/CONTRACT/DEPOSIT/PAYMENT

Q: Is there a deposit required to reserve a wedding? Is it refundable?
A: We require a $200 deposit to reserve a wedding. It normally is applied to the final tab. It is refundable in cases when we receive at least a 72-hour advance notice of canceling (prior to the event date), otherwise it is forfeited.

Q: Are we required to sign a contract?
Yes. Our contract can be printed from here and must be sent to us, along with the $200 deposit within at least two weeks prior to your wedding date, in order to secure your reservation spot.

Q: Can we bring our own alcohol or provide our own bar at the Shoals?
A: Because we are licensed by the ABC, we are responsible for all alcoholic beverages served here. Therefore we strictly do not allow any alcohol brought in without our immediate supervision and control.

Q: What is your policy about rain?
A: The 72-hour notice is required rain or shine.

Q: What is your policy about tipping or service charges?
A: A 20% service charge will be added to the final tab. It is inclusive of all of our services, including the ceremony fee, etc.

Q: What if we add more guests or subtract?
A: Whatever the number of people are on record by 72-hours prior to the event date, this will be considered the guaranteed number, not subject to reduction, and charges will be made accordingly. The Shoals cannot be responsible for service to more than 5% above the guaranteed number of people.

Q: Can we pay by credit card or check?
A: We accept Visa, Mastercard, Diners, Discover, or Carte Blanche, or cash. Checks are normally not accepted unless prior arrangements are made and under special circumstances.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Q: What next? How should I proceed with my wedding or other event?
A: Decide on your date and time and number of people. Make out the event form. Our banquet coordinator will contact you. Review our banquet menus and winelists and make your selections. Print the contract (for weddings and larger events) and mail it along with your deposit check. Make any arrangements you might have for flowers, wedding cake and any rental items and you are on the way to making your wedding a reality.

Fees and Services | Weddings FAQ | Events/Banquets/Meeting FAQ
Banquet Menus/Winelist | Deposit Agreement
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