Did you know that The Florida Keys are the second most popular wedding destination in the United States? Only Las Vegas hosts more ceremonies than the Keys. Islamorada certainly shares in the wedding celebrations that take place all year throughout the Florida Keys. There are a variety of gorgeous venues, excellent caterers, talented photographers and wedding service providers in Islamorada. However, one local couple is taking the concept of “full-service” wedding planning to the next level.
Paul and Magda Bates, owners of the Coconut Cove Resort & Marina, are proud of the services they provide to couples that choose their resort to host their special day. A few months ago, the Bates hosted the wedding of Michigan natives, Scott and Jenna.
For this special couple’s wedding, Paul and Magda arranged various aspects of the wedding that would normally be outsourced to multiple different providers. Not only did they plan the entire event, but Magda also served as the florist, photographer and decorator. Paul, an ordained minister, officiated the nuptials. Paul is also a licensed airline pilot for a major carrier; after the wedding festivities had ended, he was the one flying the happy couple to their honeymoon destination in St. Lucia. Paul and Magda are used to wearing many hats to pull off fabulous weddings at their resort, but being the pilot that flew the couple to their honeymoon destination made this particular wedding special for the bride and groom, and for the Bates as well.
Paul describes the newlyweds Scott and Jenna as “a really sweet couple, a real love of a lifetime”. Islamorada Times congratulates Scott & Jenna on their marriage and also gives a big hats off to Paul and Magda Bates for creating a very unique Islamorada wedding experience for this special couple!
Coconut Cove Resort & Marina Inc in Islamorada was formerly known as Windley Key in the 1940s. After being closed for a number of years, the property became overgrown and was in major disrepair. Paul Bates put in a lot of hands on work to fix-up and reopen the new Coconut Cover Resort & Marina in 1993.
The resort is a private seven acre eco-resort built for world class weddings. The property has 20 rooms, a restaurant, two bars, a gym, a marina and specializes in doing the finest weddings in the world for over 20 years.
Paul & Magda have won awards in every wedding category you can think of: florist, fine cuisine catering, wedding minister, fire works displays, photography, wedding planning, and wedding décor. The couple lives onsite at the resort with their five children.