Thanks to Courtney Murray from Destin Magazine for featuring the SOLARIS yacht for Destin weddings, dinner sunset cruises and more!
Destin Florida is filled with incredible water activities. With crystal clear waters and sugar white sandy beaches as far as the eye can see, our little slice of heaven is an obvious choice for local and destination weddings alike. How many places do you know where you can dine, dance, cruise and get married? You can do all of those and more aboard the beautiful SunQuest Cruise’s SOLARIS yacht! “Where Amazing is Unforgettable”
This family-owned and locally operated business began with Jim Murray and his family in Niceville. Jim was always passionate about the nautical lifestyle and spent his life building ships and yachts in the Panhandle area. Following his passion, Jim discovered a need for a dining and entertainment cruise experience for residents and guests on the Emerald Coast. The idea was born and SunQuest Cruises launched the stunning 125 foot SOLARIS yacht in Sandestin Florida specifically for dinner cruises, weddings and events in 2004. It was especially built for Destin weddings in mind, featuring an open-air sky deck with a bridal platform for sunset ceremonies and a private bridal suite.
SunQuest Cruises is a truly unique family centric business that Jim’s son James Murray carries on to this day. The entire family embraced the business, coming together and spending Thanksgiving and holidays on the yacht folding napkins and preparing the yacht for guests; it was always a team effort!
When James was asked what his favorite part of the job is, he responded, “Offering our guests an experience that they will never forget. Whether it’s a wedding or a sunset dinner cruise, we want our guests to revel in the experience of cruising the local waters on a luxurious 125 foot yacht and enjoying a great meal. The best part is when our customers and wedding couples take the time to share a photo or review of what made their experience unforgettable. Everyone takes away a different memory, whether it’s the food, service, music or the overall experience.” This is the difference that this business in Destin provides, unwavering personal attention to detail for each and every client.
Unlike many water activities that are seasonal, SunQuest Cruises offers a unique dinner cruise experience for all types of holidays, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Fireworks for the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve. They also offer a few signature events including a Mardi Gras Dinner Cruise and the fabulous Sandestin Wine Festival Champagne and Seafood Cruise. Throughout the summer, they offer the extremely popular weekly Fireworks and Dinner Cruises.
Being a locally owned and operated company, staying involved in the community is extremely important to SunQuest Cruises who work with many local charities. Charitable events that they have partnered on include the Florida Public Relations Association, Caring and Sharing, Boys and Girls Club, Billy Gray Ministries, Mattie Kelly Arts Association and various local military organizations including Wounded Warriors. SunQuest Cruises is also a Restaurant Baron for the 2016 Emerald Coast Cattle Barons’ Ball benefiting the American Cancer Society.
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and a wedding aboard the Solaris is guaranteed to be unforgettable! SunQuest Cruises is a full-service wedding company with a team of experienced wedding planners that can plan everything from a sunset beach wedding to a majestic yacht wedding/reception. The proof is in the pudding; SunQuest Cruises and their wedding planners have won the Knot’s Best of Weddings Award for the past 7 consecutive years, WeddingWire awards and many local accolades.
Every wedding on the SOLARIS yacht is as unique as the couple themselves. The wedding planners work closely with the couple and local vendors from start to finish to ensure a smooth sailing process that is personally catered. SunQuest stands out from the crowd in many ways, especially because wedding planning services are included in all of their packages.
James describes a typical wedding; “A sunset yacht wedding begins with the SOLARIS setting sail into the serene open waters with absolute privacy, fresh coastal breezes and unobstructed views of the sunset. The bride ascends the staircase to the open-air sky deck and walks down the aisle to meet her love at the altar. Captain Matt officiates all ceremonies that are sealed with a kiss at sunset. Then the reception celebration begins on all three indoor and outdoor decks, including a full-service bar, award-winning menus prepared on board by our chefs and live entertainment. Many of our couples also take advantage of our location at the all-inclusive Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which offers a variety of accommodations steps away from the SOLARIS yacht.”
SunQuest Cruises is always growing and expanding and now offers their wedding expertise to plan beach weddings and provides the option for delicious off-site catering. SunQuest Cruises has a number of wedding venues available to accommodate any requests by the couple.
SunQuest Catering features a variety of special event menus for any occasion, including fresh local seafood, prime steaks and more to satisfy every palette! They offer unparalleled value, personalized service and always the highest quality food.
SunQuest Cruises also features the 45 foot SunVenture, a motor catamaran docked at the Destin Harbor that cruises daily in the summer. Leisure and group cruises include Crab Island, Dolphin Cruises and Fireworks Harbor Cruises. So step out of the box and experience an adventurous luxury cruise experience that you’ll never forget!
