Perfect Bed & Breakfast for Weddings and Anniversaries!

As a travel writer, I write about many Florida Bed & Breakfast inns, but somehow, someway I left out the Cedar House. I noticed on an independent Bed & Breakfast site that all 32 reviews regarding Cedar House were positive. So it is time that I did my duty and presented this inn as one of the classiest lodging establishments in the United State's oldest city: St. Augustine.





The home was constructed in 1893 and has been largely restored to its original charm and Victorian elegance, boasting a cozy, charming parlor, a sun-lit dining room, a wedding garden, a gazebo, an outdoor Jacuzzi, and seven wonderfully decorated Old Florida bedrooms, wrapped in nostalgic porches and balconies.


Cedar House has been featured in the Palm Beach Post, the Charlotte Herald, Southern Living Magaine, Birmingham-England's Post, and the Orlando Sentinel. Of over thirty Bed & Breakfast inns, a poll conducted by the St. Augustine Record rated the Cedar House the finest inn for both 2008 and 2009. In addition, it has been voted one of the top 15 "Most Romantic Hideaways and Best Weekend Escapes in Florida."


Fees for lodging vary by season, but in the off-season it's feasible to book a room at Cedar House for as little as $139 per night. That, of course, includes personal service, luxurious accommodations, and a scrumptuous gourmet breakfast served on elegant china and lace. Just think about it, that is approximately the price you'd pay at a fairly nice hotel that offers, at best, a passable continental breakfast.





Now permit me to get down to the most important thing about this inn: the proprietor, Cynthia Humphrey. Whent he author wrote this, she had only been the grande matriarch of the place for about six months, but she definitely doesn't let any grass grow under her feet. Unlike most B & Bs, the place is drawing at least as many younger adults as older ones, and close to 70% originate within one hundred miles of St. Augustine. Imagine what will happen as word spreads.


Perhaps the most suitable word to describe this palace is celebratory. Cynthia spent ten years planning events for the Ritz-Carlton so she came in with a rare skill set in that area. She loves to surprise people with extra-special ways to celebrate birthdays, reunions, family get-togethers, vow renewals, and weddings. She described a family event in which they rented the entire inn for a pajama party. What a great idea! And in her first six months at the House she has helped organiza 30 weddings. I don't mean wedding receptions, I mean weddings. The lady is amazing.





Now for the little touches that distinguish an outstanding inn from a good one. The staff at the Cedar House provide top drawer service, including little bonus extras that take guests by surprise. There are always fresh homemade cookies sitting out and a top choice seems to be the coconut, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies dipped in Ghirardelli chocolate. Breakfast is an elegant, delicious two-course event and if you were to stay overnight for twelve evenings, you would not eat the identical thing for breakfast twice. Signature dishes include Apple-Pear-Pecan Bread Pudding drizzled with maple syrup and cinnamon butter, Cheddar-Artichoke Souffle with a mixed sausage grill, or perhaps Banana Royale which features homemade banana bread stuffed with bananas foster and topped with whipped cream and crushed praline. This is not your mother's Bisquick pancakes.





What would make your birthday or anniversary special: a deluxe personalized cake, roses and St. Augustine chocolates, a quaint horse and carriage ride, or maybe a fabulous gourmet picnic? Cynthia wants to make any special day for you one you will never, eve forget. Prepare yourself-you're bound to hear more good things about this inn, and it will be definitely deserved.








Debra Fortosis