Photo of Cliff and Liza wedding on beach

Destiny by the Sea

Liza and Cliff wanted an elegant and intimate wedding, something just between themselves. Having ruled out a destination wedding or a cruise ship wedding, they embarked on a search for an elopement package, somewhere in the Northeast, close to home. Cliff describes that everything they saw on-line, however, seemed “cheesy, artificial or mechanical”. Sometimes it takes a woman’s intuition and Liza reminded Cliff of the wonderful New Year’s Eve dinners they had enjoyed at the Castle Hill Inn. Maybe they had an elopement package…

Cliff and Liza. Don’t their names suggest a soap opera mega-couple or the hero and heroine of a romance novel? If you choose to think of them in this way, as I do, it helps to know that when their relationship began, Cliff was a widower and also Liza’s divorce attorney. I think I have the name for the book: Kismet.

Picture of Cliff and Liza Wedding at Castle Hill
Blue Flash Photography

 

After inquiring of Castle Hill by email, they were put in touch with Lisa Christina, who would coordinate all the aspects of their experience. Whether a wedding is big or small, all brides and grooms have at least a thousand considerations. The elopement package at Castle Hill Inn is designed to allay the couple’s concerns and add a big healthy dose of beauty, romance and magic.

At the top of Liza and Cliff’s elopement wish list was for the timing of the ceremony to coincide with the best lighting for pictures, as well as the incorporation of some religious customs into their ceremony.  Lisa at Castle Hill provided complete access to the related vendors so that the couple’s questions could be addressed directly.

Blue Flash Photography
Picture of Cliff and Liza on steps to beach at Castle Hill
Blue Flash Photography

 

Lastly, Cliff and Liza inquired if our pastry department could make them a wedding cake. Well, how could we say no to these two? They were the envy of the Dining Room with their cake displayed on the table.

Picture of Cliff and Liz's Wedding Cake

The elopement package at Castle Hill consists of a two night stay in a beachfront accommodation (available Monday through Thursday), a welcome romance amenity, flower arrangements, the ceremony with officiant on the ocean facing back deck off of your room, complimentary gourmet breakfast room-service, a six-course dinner for two in the Dining Room with wine pairings (the most romantic dinner imaginable), two 60-minute spa treatments in the Retreat at Castle Hill by Farmaesthetics, your own personal photographer, and a Castle Hill Keepsake to remember it all by.  A customized elopement cake by Castle Hill has also been added to the package. (Thank you, Cliff and Liza, for setting the trend.)

Picture of Castle Hill Beach Room Photo of Scented bath at Castle Hill

In my last communication with Cliff and Liza, they said that the package itself was incredible but the personal attention by Lisa Christina is what made the experience special and memorable. Lisa has since left Castle Hill and taken a position as a personal chef. She has passed the torch on to our Front Desk and Reservations Supervisor, Kate Rooney, for coordinating the elopement packages. Kate has been with Castle Hill Inn since 2015 and is a guest favorite. She always receives glowing reviews and guests frequently ask for her by name. Her enthusiasm is infectious. She is more than thrilled to be putting together the elopement packages for some very special guests.

Shea C Nelson