Five Questions to answer when planning a Florida Beach Wedding

Florida boasts 1,350 miles of beautiful sunny shoreline, second only to Alaska’s 6,640 miles long coastline, making it a premier location for beach weddings.
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There are several important questions to answer when planning a Florida beach wedding.

1. Which coastline should I choose for my Florida beach wedding?

Florida offers four unique coastlines:

The Atlantic Ocean stretches along Florida's east coast and is the perfect backdrop for a beautiful sunrise wedding. As the sun climbs out of the water the sky over our Atlantic beaches is often a mixed hue of colors.  The Atlantic coast also provides an excellent backdrop for evening twilight ceremonies, especially in spring.

Florida's west coast is known for some of the best beaches in the world. Covered in powder-white sand and set against the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico, you can't go wrong when choosing Florida's west coast for a beach wedding. Sunset beach weddings offer stunning views and great photo opportunities.

The Florida Panhandle also sits on the Gulf of Mexico, but because its beaches face south, the beaches of the Panhandle are beautiful for both sunrise and sunset beaches.
 
The beaches of the Florida Keys are special in their own right, as no two Keys beaches are alike. Caribbean breezes make these beaches some of the most beautiful in the world.

Of course, Florida also offers miles of lakeside shoreline if you opt for an inland beach wedding
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2.  What time of year should I have my Florida beach wedding?

Hurricane season (June 1-November 30) as well as Florida's famous summer afternoon thunderstorms and summer midday heat should be considered when deciding on the time of year for a beach wedding. If you plan on a Florida beach wedding during the summer months, consider morning hours when the sun is still shining and the temperature is still comfortable.

April and May are my two favorite months in Florida when there is little rain, comfortable temperatures, and the humidity of the summer months hasn’t yet arrived.

December through March are also safe months to plan a Florida wedding, but some days in central and northern Florida, especially at the beaches, can be very cold. This is not a problem on South Florida beaches.

3. Will you need chairs for guest seating, an arch where the couple will stand, and any other accessories?

If it’s just you and your fiancé, and perhaps a few guests, you may not need chairs, arches, etc. Just walk out on the beach with your beach wedding officiant and enjoy the moment. But if guests are invited and the ceremony will be longer than 10-12 minutes you make want to rent chairs, an arch, flowers, candles, etc. Most Florida Beach Wedding planners provide these items as part of an all-inclusive package. Alternatively, you can rent these items from a local business for a reasonable price.

4. What wedding vendors should you hire for a Florida beach wedding?

A wedding ceremony officiant- When seeking a person to officiate your Florida beach wedding consider these items:

• Is the person legally authorized to perform weddings in the state of Florida?
• Is the person experienced in planning and officiating beach weddings?
• Is the person someone you feel is a good fit for you?
• Does the person have dozens of positive reviews you can read?
• Is the person a strong communicator with an outgoing personality?

Depending on the size of your event, the style of your ceremony, and how many guests are in attendance, you may want to hire a DJ to provide music and microphones for the ceremony. Most Florida DJs have rechargeable speakers with a built-in amplifier so not having electrical power on the beach isn’t a problem. Alternatively, many couples bring a good quality Bluetooth speaker to play their ceremony music from a connected device.

A photographer is another vendor to consider. Many Florida wedding photographers offer discounted 1-2 hours of photography for reasonable rates, especially if your wedding is on a weekday when wedding vendors aren’t as busy as on the weekend. Alternatively, most officiants are happy to take pictures of the couple and their guests after the ceremony. While the images aren’t professional quality, great shots can be achieved by today’s smartphone cameras. This works great for couples on a tight budget.

5. Where are you going to celebrate afterward?

If you have a significant number of guests joining you for the celebration consider contracting with one of the many amazing Florida Beach Wedding venues. Along our shoreline, you'll find small intimate spaces, large luxury spaces, and everything in between. Most of these venues have all-inclusive packages covering the ceremony and subsequent reception. For groups of more than 20 people, this is the ideal way to host a Florida beach wedding

Florida’s coastline truly is the ideal location for the perfect beach wedding. Answer these questions and you’re on your way to a great day.

If you need more guidance regarding your Florida Beach Wedding, contact Pastor Mike Cassara, a Florida wedding minister who specializes in beach weddings on the Space Coast, the closest beaches to Orlando, and the theme parks. 

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