Outside the Ballroom: Castle Otttis - St Augustine, Florida

Did you know there's an Irish Castle in St. Augustine!? I've been there plenty of times and I never came across Castle Otttis. It's hidden away from the hustle and bustle of everything because the owners don't want it to be seen as a tourist attraction. It was built about 25 years ago as a "landscape sculpture" meaning it's purpose is to adorn or view the surrounding landscape. The venue isn't open to the public because it wasn't built as a venue for tourists to visit but as an "expression of art." They also hold a Sunday morning service and since it is a place of worship they want and expect guests to show the utmost respect while at the castle.





The castle features 88 windows and there's no glass in any of them! That's one feature of this venue that makes it so different. You can feel the gentle and refreshing breeze coming in from the great outdoors all the time! And the natural light that pours in is absolutely amazing!







This is one of those awesome venues that you'll need to cut down your guest list for; Castle Otttis can only accommodate small, intimate weddings with around 45 guests.



What you need to know about this venue:

Location: PO Box 1754 St. Augustine, FL 32085
Price range: $$$
Ceremony site: Yes
Reception site: No
Outside caterer's allowed: N/A
Parking available: Yes
Valet: No
Outdoor space: No
Capacity: 50
Styles: Unusual/Unique

Outside the Ballroom: This is a series about discovering other amazing venues that exist for weddings and other events, ranging from castles, to traditional antique ballrooms, to bed and breakfasts, to anything that cannot be classified as a modern ballroom or meeting room. We also want to hear from you about the venues you've discovered, so please submit them in the comments or email them to info@pilsterphotography.net with Outside the Ballroom in the subject. For more info you can find it at the Introduction.

Kelly & Hank's wedding featured on Wedding Chicks!

Our awesome couple Kelly and Hank had their wedding at Paradise Cove at Buena Vista Watersports in Orlando. It's recently been featured on the Wedding Chicks blog and you can see the full post here. You can also see more from their wedding on our blog here.

Thinking Different: Transportation for the Big Day

Figuring out transportation arrangements for your wedding day can be a nightmare. The type of transportation you choose can depend on the weather, time of day, and other factors. You also need to know if you are providing transportation for the wedding party. There are tons of options out there for you to choose from. You can find transportation that goes along with your theme or you can choose something that will really surprise your guests, like arriving by helicopter or hot air balloon.

Remember that if your ceremony and reception are at different locations you'll need transportation 3 times that day. First to get to the ceremony site, then to get to the reception, and lastly to leave the reception. A lot of brides that I have seen do something like a limo to get to the ceremony and reception and then go all out for a grand exit.

Limos are great for the couple and bridal party. That way everyone can ride together and the bride knows that no one is missing. They can also be tons of fun. You can play music and enjoy each other's company while riding to the ceremony or reception site.



For larger venues you can utilize things like golf carts, mopeds, or pedicabs. Shelby and John traveled around their venue in golf carts along with their bridal party.



Meanwhile Tracie and Scott treated all their guests to a pedicab parade! It looks like tons of fun and it definitely fit their Key West wedding theme. The bride and groom also went for a ride on a moped.





Another fun and creative choice is to arrive by boat. If your wedding is on a lake this would be a perfect fit. The groom and all his groomsmen arrived to the ceremony on a pontoon boat.



A more romantic but still exciting option is taking a horse drawn carriage. It's very Cinderella like and would make any bride feel like a princess. Jessica and Blake chose this for their big day at the beautiful Church Street Ballroom. Another romantic choice is the Rolls Royce. These are both great choices for a grand exit from your reception.





Some other fun options we came up with for transportation are cable or trolley cars, airplanes, or even surfboards at the beach. How awesome would it be to rent out a hanger for your wedding day and arrive in an airplane!? Or riding the cable cars in San Fransisco down to the Fisherman's Wharf. If you're local to Orlando like we are you can take the I-Ride trolleys.

The Knot and Brides.com have some other really unique ideas for transportation like tractors, gondolas, bicycles and even school buses! You can also search for transportation companies in your area.

We'd love to hear what kind of transportation you had or are planning on having for your wedding!