Castle Otttis Guide - Small Wedding Venue in St. Augustine FL

Table of Contents

• Location of Castle Otttis in St. Augustine, FL

• Castle Otttis Logistics

  • Castle Otttis Wedding Cost

  • Capacity

  • Decor

  • Ceremony

  • Reception

  • Timing

  • Photography

  • Attire

  • After

• Bonus: Stay at the Castle Cottage BNB

Location of Castle Otttis in St Augustine, FL

St. Augustine has a lot to offer to an engaged couple looking for a non-traditional wedding venue. One of the most unique small wedding venues is Castle Otttis hidden in plain sight on St. Augustine’s Vilano Beach.

I do elopement & wedding photography and help plan ceremonies here on a regular basis so I am happy to share my experience and the logistics to make your romantic castle elopement dreams come true!

Castle Otttis Logistics:

Let’s talk about all the must know and frequently asked client questions so your booking and planning with this venue can be a breeze.

But first - this destination is for you if you are a romantic, old soul, love intimate spaces, a sucker for history and architecture and historic beauty.

This venue is not for you if you prefer bright and airy photography, lots of greenery and open spaces. Check out some of my other go-to St. Augustine elopement venues.

Castle Otttis Wedding Cost:

I cannot speak for the owner of the property and Castle Otttis wedding price is always subject to change, but you can plan to budget between $1500-2500 for a small ceremony and photos. This location is not suitable for a reception of any kind. You will need to plan a separate space for your reception. I share some ideas in this blog post.

To inquire with the owner, check out the castle’s website and email.

Capacity:

The capacity requirement is under 25 people, last I checked, but confirm with the owner to be sure.

Decor:

The building itself is very unique, so it is my recommendation not to take away from the atmosphere too much with unnecessary distractions. I highly recommend either no decor to very little decor. I do recommend using an accent bouquet and boutonniere. My go to florist is Soirees for Days.

Disclaimer: Please refrain from costumes, dress up or cos play of any kind at the castle. Be mindful and respect that Castle Otttis was built to honor Jesus and the owners will not tolerate Dracula-like themes of any kind.

Ceremony:

There is an indoor ceremony space with long benches and an altar adorned with a cross. If your guests absolutely can’t do stairs, you may request to use the outdoor space in front of the castle doors and bring your own chairs and a small arch or standing floral accent. My go to decor company is Gathered Rentals & Events.

Other Vendors

You may need an officiant, get your hair & makeup done, spruce things up with live flowers, or wish to hire a musician (alternatively, you can bring your own bluetooth speaker). Check out this helpful page with all my go to vendors. Let them know I sent you!

Reception:

This is not the right venue for hosting a full on wedding reception. You can look into having one inside one of my go to reception venues, if you’d like to add this to your celebration. Photos below are from Roosevelt Room in downtown St. Augustine.

Timing:

I recommend 2 hours for a short ceremony, pictures of family and friends, followed by intimate bridal portraits. I recommend starting 3 hours prior to sunset and finishing up 1 hour prior to sunset (the venue closes at this time as well). Look up when sunset is on your wedding day and then subtract 3 hours from this time for your ideal castle start time.

***YOU CAN GET READY AT THE CASTLE. Arrive in your PJ’s and get dressed at the castle, for maximum comfort. Note: you should be hair and makeup ready before arrival.

Example Timeline (2:30-4:30 timeframe)

2:30 arrival, get ready

3:00 ceremony

3:15 guest photos

3:30 couples photos

Some couples love sharing a first look at the rooftop deck on top of the castle prior to their ceremony or private vows after (if you want to see each other at the altar for the first time). This does not make or break the timeline and it is completely up to you.

Photography:

I recommend 2-3 hours of photography time. Two hours at the castle and an additional hour if you want to take sunset photos on Vilano beach (like the example gallery below) or in downtown. Castillo de San Marcos gets gorgeous sunsets!

To book your photography with me, make sure you inquire here.

BONUS: I can shoot a raw footage of your ceremony (only) with my spare camera on a tripod at no charge. I also like to take short phone videos throughout that you can use to put together Instagram reels, etc. Make sure you let me know if you’d like these services (at no extra charge).

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding an extra hour of coverage for beach or downtown photos at the end! Many of my couples do this.

Attire:

You can really wear anything you’d like. I have seen so many variations: sparkling gowns, long trains, veils, simple elegant silk, and full on princess dresses. You can have some fun here. A nice black tux with a bow tie is a nice compliment to pretty much any dress.

To see galleries of my previous couples, check out my portfolio for inspiration. NOTE: these are sneak peek galleries (I deliver a LOT of photos), ask me for any full gallery to see more.

After:

I can’t help but mention that Castle Otttis is on the same street as Caps On the Water in St Augustine FL, a restaurant that is elegant, fine dining right on the intercoastal. Incredible oysters and quite a view of the sunset! Highly recommending making dinner plans with your partner here after to celebrate. They also host small semi-private receptions here. Inquire with them.

Alternatively, the Reef is an amazing spot to have after-party cocktails or reserve a private room overlooking the water for a reception/rehearsal dinner.

Beach or Downtown After Photos:

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding an extra hour of coverage for beach or downtown photos at the end! Many of my couples do this.

BONUS: Stay At The Castle Cottage BNB

If you like enchanted fairy like spaces with modern amenities and niceties - The Cottage BNB is perfect for you. It’s set up for 2 people comfortably and has the most amazing view of the castle, being as it is owned by the same owner and is literally in their backyard. You can hear the ocean and the babbling brook fountain from their backyard. Add additional time to your photography package to capture Getting Ready vibes, Details with the castle in the background + celebrate with a cake and a champagne pop with Castle Otttis in prime view.

Need a bigger space to fit all your family and friends?

Castlegate Vacation Rental is perfect for up to 14 people and has stunning views of the castle from their spacious rooftop. You can get ready here and we can pop champagne right on the rooftop. BONUS: You can contact the owners to use their on-property space for your reception. Check out the slider gallery below to see what the space and the property looks like.

Below, check out Madison and Griffin’s gallery, all details stylized and put together by me with the help of my vendors: Soirees for Days (florist) and Ashley Taylor (HMUA).