Wedding compounds make the big day a little easier

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The Beach Plum Inn can accommodate ceremonies and receptions for 20 to 200 people with a variety of options. — Photo by Ralph Stewart

Planning a destination wedding can be complicated and even more so on Martha’s Vineyard, where accommodations, though plentiful, are limited in season and most guests will probably show up without cars.

One way to keep the arrangements as simple as possible and avoid spending time and money shuttling guests back and forth is to choose a wedding compound.

There are a handful of Vineyard options for keeping your guests all in one location, and hosting some, if not all, events on-site can save you the expense of renting venues. It also provides a sense of togetherness, in addition to a great convenience for your guests.

The Hob Knob Eco-Boutique Hotel

The Hob Knob compound in downtown Edgartown includes a charming hotel, in addition to two elegantly appointed guest houses located just across the road. The hotel, a converted 19th century gothic revival home, has been transformed into an eco-friendly boutique hotel with period-appropriate furnishings and tasteful details reflecting a country-chic aesthetic.

The hotel is one in a row of hotels and inns on Edgartown’s Main Street that help define the town’s colonial charm. Despite the colonial feel, the hotel features modern amenities including a spa with sauna and steam room, a fitness room, and flat screen TVs. The hotel has 17 rooms of varying sizes.

Parties booking the entire hotel have use of the dining rooms, the grounds, and the wraparound porch for entertaining up to 50 guests for dinner or 75 for cocktails.

The guest houses, just a hop away on a quiet lane, are sumptuously furnished and the main house includes an outdoor pool with a large poolside area and terrace with fireplace – a popular spot for outdoor gatherings that can accommodate up to 75 guests.

The living room/dining room/sitting room configuration is ideal for mid-sized indoor gatherings. A second private home has four suites with fireplaces, a fully equipped dining terrace, and an expansive great room. Both houses feature gourmet cooks’ kitchens for use by guests or caterers.

Other options for small receptions, rehearsal dinners, or other parties are the two dining rooms in the hotel and a spillover among the grounds on either side of the hotel, and the spacious wraparound porch.

The proximity of the Hob Knob to classic ceremony sites like the historic Old Whaling Church and beautiful photo op spots such as the Edgartown lighthouse and South Beach, and plentiful shopping and eating options, make the compound a convenient yet cozy getaway location.

For more information, visit hobknob.com or call 508-627-9510.

The Winnetu

The Winnetu Oceanside Resort is located right at popular South Beach in Edgartown. The compound offers both hotel accommodations and adjacent rental houses with three to five bedrooms each. The hotel complex features 54 hotel studios, suites, or cottages and there are also a large variety of adjacent house rentals.

The resort features two heated pools, a fitness center, massage rooms, outdoor yoga classes, a lifesize chess set, and recreation room. There is also a comprehensive children’s activities program.

However, the real attraction is the beach just steps away. South Beach is popular for its surf and socializing. The Winnetu staff can create a magical beach wedding setting that features charming touches from the private pathway down to the ceremony area.

The hotel’s oceanview restaurant, Lure Grill, can accommodate parties of up to about 150 guests and the restaurant’s outdoor deck is a great spot for large cocktail gatherings.

Not only can the complex provide for all of your catering needs, they also offer unique transportation options. Guests can travel to and from the ceremony or reception site on an antique jitney, a four seater wagon, or a pair of antique firetrucks. To accommodate guests arriving without cars, the hotel staff can arrange to book passage on the Island Queen ferry from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs and transport guests to and from the boat.

For more information, visit winnetu.com or call 508-310-1733.

Robinson’s Wedding Compound

Just down the rural road from South Beach is the spacious Robinson’s Wedding Compound.

Robinson’s property includes five houses that can accommodate up to 40 people, an outdoor pool, and tennis and volleyball courts. It’s a self-contained resort with fully equipped kitchens, barbecues, dishwashers, and washers and dryers. Guests supply their own linens. It’s a casual, yet elegant – and affordable – arrangement.

The deck around the large outdoor pool is the perfect spot for a cocktail party. There are also areas that can be tented for parties of any size. The compound owner also operates two local restaurants and a catering company that can supply anything from prime rib to a seafood buffet, so Robinson’s is truly a full-service wedding compound.

For more information, email mvweddingcompound@aol.com or call 508-674-3595.

Beach Plum Inn & Menemsha Inn and Cottages

The complex that includes the Beach Plum Inn and the Menemsha Inn and Cottages, perched above the ocean on a series of tiers of field and forest in Menemsha, affords some of the best views to be found on the Vineyard.

The connected properties offer accommodation for up to 80 guests. Between small, rustic cottages to an elegant two bedroom house featuring ocean views and a fieldstone fireplace, guests have a wide range of accommodations to choose from.

The complex has the nostalgic feel of a magical summer camp for adults but features amenities such as a tennis court, fitness center, flat screen TVs, and whirlpool baths. Activities include ping pong, basketball, horse shoes, croquet, and yoga classes. There is even a small herd of alpacas on premises. The Inn can also provide guests with passes to the nearby exclusive Lucy Vincent Beach.

Wedding parties often end their evenings sitting around the firepit toasting marshmallows while listening to the sounds of the surf and the bell of a nearby buoy. Wedding flowers can often be provided from the property’s gardens and the complex even has its own justice of the peace on the staff.

The property can accommodate ceremonies and receptions for 20 to 200 people with a variety of options. The Beach Plum Inn Restaurant boasts a spectacular sunset view over Menemsha. The Tea House and its outdoor deck at the Menemsha Inn can host slightly smaller gatherings and there are many areas on the property that can be tented for the events of all sizes.

Owners Sarah and Bob Nixon also own the popular Home Port Restaurant just down the road, also in Menemsha. Guests can walk to and from the inns to the restaurant for rehearsal dinners or small weddings.

For more information, visit beachpluminn.com or call call 508-645-9454.

More wedding compounds

Captain Flanders House in Chilmark: 508-645-3123, captainflandersinn.com