The historic Yacht Club sits right on the bay in Stone Harbor. It has been a gathering spot for fishermen and community members for over a century; the building, which accommodates up to 225 guests for a seated reception, opened in 1911 and still retains its original whimsical layout. It overlooks boat slips and is an easy walk to Stone Harbor’s shopping district. The place has a nautical, lived-in character that makes wedding guests feel like characters in the island’s long history.
Meghan and Brad spent many summers visiting Stone Harbor and nearby Avalon. They met on the Villanova Club Swim Team in 2014. The two became fast friends but couldn’t escape the friends-to-lovers pipeline that comes with good looks and good chemistry.
For Meghan and Brad, 7-Mile Island is more than just a spot down the shore —it was where they met, where they got engaged, and now, where they said, “I do.” Their wedding ceremony at The Yacht Club of Stone Harbor overlooked the bay, and dancing in the ballroom made the night feel endless.
“We knew we wanted to get married in Stone Harbor or Avalon,” Meghan said. “It’s a place that’s so special to both of us, and when we walked into the Yacht Club, we knew it was the perfect venue.”
Meghan told Weddings by the Beach that she wanted both a touching ceremony with good views and a roaring party afterwards. “We wanted to be surrounded by our closest loved ones and to throw a great party. The Yacht Club went above and beyond to ensure that the night flowed exactly how we wanted it, maximizing time on the dance floor,” she said.
The ballroom has beautiful wood flooring and nautical accents. A massive wooden built-in bar lets guests grab a drink without having to leave the music behind.
All that to say: the space might make you feel like Seven Mile Island royalty.
Meghan and Brad are the first-to-wed in their generation within each of their families. That means excitement was especially high, but it also means that each family came into the planning process without much experience. But they found the process relatively stress-free. Meghan said: “We worked closely with Dominque Davison at the Yacht Club, who went above and beyond for us. She was with us every step of the way to share her expertise in weddings and to ensure that our vision could come to life.”
There were a few things that were must-haves for Meghan and Brad: a venue with space for the ceremony and reception, good food, and a large dance floor. The venue offers full-service drinks and food and is a popular eatery even in the dead of winter. We’ve already told you about the bar and dance floor, but we’d be remiss to leave out the bar boat docked right by the yacht club. Guests loved climbing aboard for a drink.
But really, none of that would matter without the sweetness of Meghan and Brad’s families. A wedding feels like a high-stakes event; many family members were meeting the ‘other side’ for the first time and it represents a new beginning. The ceremony itself, with blue skies above, wasn’t officiated by a priest, but by the bride’s best friend. Meghan said that she will always remember the “overwhelming feeling of love and pure joy” of a wedding on the bay.
