Feature Venue: Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club

Feature Venue
Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club



Where do you and your brides begin in starting the menu planning process?
Christine Walker:  Planning the menu is such a big part of setting the tone of the wedding and brides sometimes forget how many details there can be in the world of food.  My job is to make it easier and I work very closely with our Executive Chef George Thorning and the brides to do that.  I first ask what kind of reception the couple has in mind – a formal, sit down atmosphere which is a bit more traditional or a more casual, party atmosphere with everyone dancing and having a good time.  Many of our brides get married on our private beach, but we also have several brides who exchange vows in a church before moving the reception to the Club.  It seems that brides with a formal church wedding more often opt for the formal sit down atmosphere.  Guests usually enjoy a cocktail hour with light hors d’oeuvres while waiting for the bridal party to finish pictures and make their grand entrance.  Either way, we plan based around the bride’s vision of the reception.
 
If a bride isn’t sure, how else do you determine whether dinner will be buffet or sit-down?
CW: Whether the meal is a daytime brunch or evening dinner, sit-down or buffet, we require events to reach a certain minimum for food and beverages combined, depending on the amount of space rented for the wedding. With a buffet, brides can offer guests a variety of food with different proteins, various starches, vegetables and other sides.  Our signature Beach Club Buffet is an increasingly popular choice.  We typically set up the food in our private room, but can also have stations throughout the dining area.  The private room is situated away from the bar and indoor dance floor so when dinner is over, we are able to close off the room and keep wedding guests more involved with the reception – near the bar and dance floor! 
For a sit-down dinner, I like to warn our brides that it takes a bit more planning than they might think at first -- worthwhile for brides who love seating charts and placecards!  Some brides may want to offer up to four meals for guests to choose.  In this case, items must be listed on the RSVP card so the bride can keep track of all guests’ preferred meal orders and make coded place cards to ensure food delivery at each table is smooth and organized.  Other prefer to keep it simple by choosing the same plated dinners for all guests, such as our big favorite, the surf & turf. 
 
Is there a big difference in cost?
CW:Generally, buffet dinners require more food than sit-down dinners since guests can make trips back for seconds or thirds.  The specific items on the buffet or the meal choices for plated dinner have a lot to do with the cost, so it really depends.  I like to put together a few sample menus at various price points for brides, then make adjustments from there. 
 
What are the most requested food items?
CW:The Beach Club Buffet and the surf and turf, as I mentioned, are always popular along with our Lobster Beignets, Crab Cakes, and Sushi.  Of course, when having a sit down dinner, these items are usually done during the cocktail hour.  We also have great carving stations, full salad bars and fresh seafood.  We have so many great dishes that our menu options fill up a booklet! 
 
What else can you do to make your menu stand out to guests?
CW: We don’t just stick to our wedding menu. If the bride or groom has a particular dish that they absolutely love but we don’t offer on the menu, our team of talented chefs can make it happen! We had a bride & groom recently who were vegan and requested an entire vegan menu.  After a tasting in which our chefs prepared a sample meal to satisfy both the bride and groom as well as non-vegan guests, the couple was sold!  Even the bride’s father, a true meat-and-potatoes guy from Oklahoma, said the food was delicious and filling. 
Other menu items that come to mind are late-night snacks like pizzas and sliders that are served about 45 minutes before entertainment stops, “make your own…” bars like a gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese bar, mashed potato bar, etc.  We’ve had a bride arrange for a sno-cone stand to welcome guests on the terrace after the ceremony on the beach.  Needless to say, it was a big hit! More and more brides are including personal touches like favorite snacks to make their big day not just memorable for them, but for their guests as well.
 
What suggestions to you give in determining what type of bar to offer?
CW:  For the bar arrangements, we offer our bridal couples four options: cash bar for everything, open bar with beer & wine (guests pay for mixed drinks), open bar with everything available, or setting a monetary limit.  If a bride says, “Okay Christine, we want to have an open bar with just beer and wine but we don’t want to spend more than $1,000” I will let them know when we have reached $200-$300 within said limit.  A lot of times, the couple (or their parents) decide to keep it open, but it’s a great way to stick to the budget.  Some brides choose not to have alcohol available and we offer sodas plus infusion jars filled with water, tea or lemonade. 
 
What other questions from brides do you answer most?
CW: Since we are in Florida, the “What if it rains?” question comes up quite a bit.  In the 11 years that I have worked here, we have only had to move three weddings.  Unless a bride rents only the terrace, the food is not usually outside, but in the event of rain, we can easily move everything indoors. I like to tell brides that it never rains because we always pay the good weather bill!
 
About the Chef:  Executive Chef George Thorning oversees all kitchen operations, bringing an impressive background with apprenticeships in several of the highest-rated restaurants in his hometown of New Orleans as well as an education from the illustrious Johnson and Wales University.
 
About the Club:  Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club is a semi-private club located on Scenic Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach.  With a Gulf-front restaurant, outdoor terrace, private beach and 18-hole golf course, Santa Rosa has become one of the most popular locations for ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaids luncheons and golf outings.  For more information, visit santarosaclub.com or call 850.267.1240­.