Jacksonville waterfront beneath a blue sky Jacksonville, Florida

April 16, 2027

Travel & Stay

A thoughtful guide to getting here, choosing your side of Jacksonville, and making the most of the wedding weekend.

Find your home base

The Weekend Guide

One city.
Three ways to stay.

Jacksonville is wonderfully spacious—which also means the Beaches, Southside, and Orange Park are not next door to one another. Choose the home base that fits the weekend you want, then plan to drive between events.

Getting Here

Fly into Jacksonville.
Then rent the car.

Jacksonville International Airport is the closest airport. Rideshare is available, but a rental car will make the weekend far easier—and usually far less expensive than crossing the city by Uber more than once.

Airport

Jacksonville International Airport

Airport Code

JAX

Our Recommendation

Reserve a rental car

Visit the JAX airport website

Where to Stay

Choose your
version of the weekend.

There is no single “right” area—only the one that matters most to you. Here is the honest tradeoff for each.

01

The Easy Choice

Orange
Park

Large oak tree draped in Spanish moss
Southern garden atmosphere

Best forWedding-day convenience

Choose Orange Park if being close to the ceremony and reception matters most. The Hilltop Club is here, so this is the calmest option when it is time to get dressed, arrive, and celebrate without a cross-city drive.

Wedding venue

The Hilltop Club · 2030 Wells Road

Suggested Hotel

Holiday Inn & Suites Orange Park — Wells Road
02

The Coastal Choice

The
Beaches

Sea oats silhouetted against a pink Florida sunrise
Florida coast at sunrise

Best forTurning the wedding into a beach trip

Stay near Jacksonville Beach or Atlantic Beach if you want sunrise walks, coastal restaurants, and easy access to the weekend moments happening on this side of town. Just leave a generous buffer for the wedding-day drive to Orange Park.

Suggested Areas

Jacksonville Beach · Atlantic Beach

Suggested Hotels

Holiday Inn Express Jacksonville Beach Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jacksonville — Atlantic Beach

A Better Lay of the Land

Jacksonville,
properly oriented.

The airport is north of the city. Orange Park and the venue are southwest; the Beaches are east; and the Southside sits between them. The river—not downtown—is the clearest landmark dividing the weekend.

Approximate orientation

Not a driving route

Jacksonville wedding weekend orientation map Jacksonville International Airport is north. Orange Park and the Hilltop Club are southwest, the Southside is southeast of downtown, and the Beaches are farther east beside the Atlantic Ocean. DOWNTOWN JAX AIRPORT NORTH ORANGE PARK THE HILLTOP CLUB SOUTHSIDE TOWN CENTER · BAYMEADOWS THE BEACHES JAX BEACH · ATLANTIC BEACH ST. JOHNS RIVER ATLANTIC OCEAN Jacksonville wedding weekend orientation map Jacksonville International Airport is north. Orange Park and the Hilltop Club are southwest, the Southside is southeast of downtown, and the Beaches are farther east beside the Atlantic Ocean. DOWNTOWN JAX AIRPORT ORANGE PARK THE HILLTOP CLUB SOUTHSIDE TOWN CENTER · BAYMEADOWS THE BEACHES JAX BEACH · ATLANTIC BEACH ST. JOHNS RIVER ATLANTIC OCEAN

Airport to either sideAllow 35–45 minutes

Beaches to Orange ParkAllow 45+ minutes

For the easiest wedding dayStay in Orange Park

One Last Note

Plan around the moments you do not want to miss.

Check the weekend schedule before booking so your home base works for the events you plan to attend.

View Weekend Events

Drive times are approximate and can change with Jacksonville traffic.