Venues We Love: Hotel Galvez & Spa, Plus EXCLUSIVE Booking Offer

Hotel Galvez

Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Galvez & Spa

You guys… We are SO excited to set our sights on Galveston this week: specifically, the gorgeous Hotel Galvez & Spa, aka the “Queen of the Gulf,” aka the most storied resort on the Texas coast, aka one of our favorite spots for destination weddings (at a destination VERY close to Houston proper)!!

OK, so here’s the scoop: A couple of weeks ago we were thrilled to randomly select bride-to-be and I Do! Wedding Soiree attendee Paige as the winner of our awesome Hotel Galvez Romance + Spa + Brunch Weekend Getaway GIVEAWAY. She was pretty thrilled, too (“OMG, I’ve never won ANYTHING before, I’m so EXCITED!!” were her exact words).

This week Hotel Galvez is back in our spotlight again, and we’re showcasing just how fabulous your event — whether it’s your dream destination wedding, engagement party, bridesmaids’ weekend or bachelorette escape — can be at this one-of-a-kind historic property.

Hotel-Galvez

Photo: Lindsay Elizabeth Photography

Our most beloved Hotel Galvez celebration spaces? Let’s start with Centennial Green. If you read our magazine, follow our blog and/or get with us on social, there’s no doubt you’ve seen pix of beautiful wedding ceremonies on this spectacular expanse of lawn stretching out toward the Gulf of Mexico just off in the distance.

Hotel-Galvez

Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Galvez & Spa

For indoor wedding ceremonies and regal receptions, the historic Music Hall is an enduring Hotel Galvez favorite—maybe it’s the ornate arches…or the soaring ceilings…or the dazzling chandeliers? Maybe all three??

Hotel-Galvez

Photo: Adam Nyholt

And for tropical pool views AND indoor elegance, we swoon for weddings that take advantage of both the Terrace Ballroom and Veranda. Seriously, can you imagine anything more awesome than “I do’s” on the lawn, followed by cocktails overlooking a beautifully landscaped terrace, segueing into a feast focused on Gulf seafood and Southern favorites, accompanied by your nearest and dearest?

Akil Bennett | Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer

Photo: Akil Bennett Photography

Oh — and one last bit of good news as you fall into your Hotel Galvez wedding fantasy: Get your Hotel Galvez wedding contract signed by April 30, and you’ll score your choice of ONE of the following fabulous upgrades, just for being a Weddings in Houston reader (not available on previously signed contracts)!

  • Dark Mahogany Chiavari Chairs
  • Gold Chargers
  • Champagne Toast
  • Sunday Brunch for 6 Guests
  • Large Poolside Cabana for 6 Guests

Haven’t visited Hotel Galvez in person yet? Now’s the time! Click here for contact information, and schedule your Hotel Galvez & Spa tour. And make sure to tell them you found them on the Houston Wedding Blog!!

Galvez-Select Studios

Photo: Select Studios

Hotel Galvez & Spa Special Wedding Offer

Photos: Adam Nyholt ~ Venue: Hotel Galvez ~ Decor: Lavish Affairs ~ Wedding Dress: Weddings by Debbie ~ Hair & Makeup: Hotel Galvez Spa

She’s the Queen of the Gulf…and her magnificent wedding spaces, including the 9,300-square-foot Centennial Green, are the jewels in her impressive crown. If your fantasy is a destination wedding, but you’re looking for a destination a little closer to home, the magnificent Hotel Galvez & Spa, overlooking the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, may be just the location you’re looking for. Say “I do” outdoors, as a gentle ocean breeze flutters the floral garlands of your altar canopy…then dine and dance the night away in the gorgeous Galvez Music Hall or stately Terrace Ballroom. Make a weekend of it, and invite guests to take in Galveston’s historic architecture, oceanfront attractions and Historic Pleasure Pier. However you choose to have your Hotel Galvez wedding, it WILL be wedding you’ll never forget.

Book your Hotel Galvez wedding by Dec. 31, 2015, and you’ll receive a complimentary Hotel Galvez signature cocktail as part of your libation menu, plus a complimentary upgrade to elegant chiavari chairs for your reception. There’s no better time to book your Hotel Galvez wedding than right now. And no place better to be swept away in a seaside wedding fantasy come-to-life!

Sanctuary Cap Cana Destination Wedding by Adam Nyholt

WEDDINGS IN HOUSTON SPRING 2015 | REAL WEDDING FEATURE

Brooke & Austin ~ November 23, 2013

Like their Aruba engagement, high-school sweethearts Brooke and Austin’s destination wedding was set in a stunning seaside locale. The couple joined 75 of their closest friends and family at the Dominican Republic’s luxurious Sanctuary Cap Cana for a weekend celebration full of sun, sand and spectacular ocean views. The pair’s ceremony took place on a private island, where a white-linen-draped, orchid-bedecked chuppah “was the perfect backdrop to say, ‘I do!’” the bride notes.  For their reception, the couple treated guests to a light-up dance floor where everyone let loose—they were on vacation, after all! “Our favorite memory of the wedding day was how laid back it was,” Brooke says. “It was so easy to just take a deep breath and truly enjoy our special day.”

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Photos: Adam Nyholt ~ Reception: Ballroom at Sanctuary Cap Cana ~ Wedding Dress: Brickhouse Bridal ~ Registry: Williams-Sonoma

Buy I Do! Tix and WIN: Hotel Galvez & Spa Luxury Getaway

Photos: Hotel Galvez

It’s been the crown jewel of Galveston for more than a century, and today, the magnificent Hotel Galvez & Spa sparkles more brightly than ever. Maybe that’s why Texas brides book early to make sure they secure the Galvez for the destination wedding of their dreams, and a chance to say their sacred vows on the hotel’s historic Centennial Green, overlooking the shimmering blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Perfection.

Whatever you envision for your perfect wedding, we have the inspiration, ideas and expertise to make your wedding dreams come true–and we’re gathering them in one place, for one evening only, Thursday, Feb. 12, in downtown Houston. That’s when we unveil The I Do! Bridal Soiree, Houston’s one-of-a-kind luxury bridal experience. Top vendors and experts, stunning floral and design displays, 2015 bridal couture, gourmet food and cocktails from renowned Jackson and Company, live entertainment and $$$ swag bags for each and every bride. It’s not just a bridal show, it’s a spectacular cocktail party, created to indulge you, your friends…and yes, your groom, too (did we mention the exclusive Groom’s Lounge, with fine whiskey, prime steak and more?).

Purchase your all-inclusive I Do! Bridal Soiree tickets THIS WEEKEND and you are automatically entered to win an incredible Hotel Galvez & Spa romance + spa “Spring Fling” getaway, giveaway, including one weekend night luxury accommodations for two at the magnificent “Queen of the Gulf” plus a $200 spa credit you can use however you’d like (bridal-prep facial treatment? couple’s massage? a little bit of both?). Our winner will be announced live at the I Do! Bridal Soiree. Get your tickets now. And get ready for WOW!

Blush and Pink Destination Wedding by DC Stanley Photography

WEDDINGS IN HOUSTON FALL 2014 | REAL WEDDING FEATURE

Jessica and Dustin ~ June 1, 2013

One more reason to attend professional networking events: meeting the love of your life. Handsome Dustin caught Jessica’s eye at one such Houston event; four years later the pair shared their vows in an intimate St. Croix destination wedding, with 55 of their loved ones on hand to join in the celebration. Jessica radiant in flowing Pronovias, her groom resort-dapper in his pale gray suit, the Houston-based paramours partied beach-style—with the help of rum cocktails, a tropical-inspired menu, and DJ-spun tunes—then enjoyed a lazy Virgin Islands recovery with their best friends and closest family members.

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Names: Jessica Lewis & Dustin Priemer ~ Proposal: Perfection “at the end of an amazing european vacation, on a pier at sunset in barcelona, dustin simply said, ‘i love you very much and i want you to be my wife’” ~ Number of Guests: 55 ~ Wedding Dress: Pronovias from Houston Bridal Gallery ~ Photography: DC Stanley Photography ~ Registry: Macy’s; Williams-Sonoma ~ Honeymoon: Anguilla