Planning a Florida Beach Wedding

Looking for a destination wedding location? Let’s talk about a South Florida beach wedding! The convenience of celebrating your wedding day in South Florida are many:

• South Florida offers a variety of scenes to fit everyone’s interests, from the vibrant pulse of Miami's Art Deco district to the serene tranquility of the Everglades

• The variety of multicultural and delicious food and drinks to celebrate

• The amazing weather! No matter how cold it can get anywhere else, the weather in Florida is perfect all year round

• South Florida is the largest travel hub of the country, conveniently connecting us with the Caribbean, as well as the rest of the Americas and Europe

Miami Beach Elopement

Florida Beach Wedding Locations

South Florida has so many gorgeous beaches that finding a location to accommodate your wedding ceremony won’t be hard. Some of our favorite beaches are:

• Key West

• Key Largo

• Islamorada

• Miami Beach

• Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park Beach

• Haulover Beach

• Dania Beach

• Hollywood

• Fort Lauderdale

• Pompano Beach

• Deerfield Beach

• Delray Beach

• Palm Beach

• Sanibel

• Fort Myers

• Naples

• Riviera Beach

All these fabulous sea sights have something to surprise you and provide you with everything you dreamed of, and even more! And these locations have hotels and resorts that offer reception packages for all budgets, some even provide free nights for the couple after their wedding celebration. Best of all, many of these resorts have in-house wedding coordinators who will assist you in your beach wedding planning. 

Wedding Ceremony - Islamorada, Florida

Unity Knot Ceremony

Photography by Lenisse Komatsu

Venue Islander Resort

Beach wedding costs and permits

If you are on a budget and love a good DIY project, you can fly solo and plan for an affordable beach wedding. But if you truly want peace of mind, consider hiring a local professional wedding coordinator to help you bring together your wedding vision, especially if you’re out of state. Your coordinator can help you select the best locations for your wedding and connect you with the right wedding professionals.

Bilingual, interfaith beach wedding

Ron Wood Photography

Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach Marriott Resort

There are some other things to take into account, like beach permits. Some beaches, like Pompano Beach, require a permit, and others, like Fort Lauderdale Beach, do not. Is this a large wedding or a micro-wedding? You probably do not need anything beyond your officiant, an arch, a photographer, and your guests for a short, intimate elopement. If your beach wedding has a larger party requiring chairs or more, you will need a permit. How much is a beach wedding permit in Florida? Every city has different costs and paperwork, so it’s best to check beforehand. 

Beach Wedding - Boca Raton, Florida

Keep in mind this is Florida and the weather might not always lean in your favor, so plan for a secondary location in the off chance of rain. If you’re staying in a resort, ask if they offer an alternative like a ballroom.

Marriage license basics

You can apply for your marriage license at any Florida county courthouse.

• Identification: a picture ID such as a driver's license, state ID card, or valid passport; both parties will also have to provide their Social Security numbers, but do not need to provide their Social Security Cards

• Fees: $93.50. Marriage license fees can be reduced by up to $32.50 if you complete a licensed Florida premarital course

• Your marriage license is valid for 60 days after being issued 

• There is no waiting period for Out of State or International residents, Florida residents need to wait 3 days after obtaining their license 

• Your Wedding Officiant will sign your marriage license to make it official

• The license must be sent back to the Courthouse within 10 - 12 days of getting married

  More about marriage license information here.

The I DO moment

And, of course, essential to your ceremony: Your Florida wedding officiant! Finding the right officiant is critical for a romantic ceremony and memorable experience. 

Important considerations:

• Your officiant should be flexible to travel and celebrate your wedding ceremony at the location of your choice

• If you are including special wedding rituals, make sure your officiant is open to celebrating them with you and knows how to perform them 

• If you want specific characteristics, like a bilingual or interfaith ceremony or a male/female officiant, make sure those are available 

• See if your officiant feels comfortable celebrating large and small weddings 

Your wedding officiant should match the formality of your wedding ceremony - Hutchinson Island

A great wedding officiant can make the process of getting married easy and will have a ceremony package that fits your ceremony goals. One last but important aspect to consider. Look for a professional wedding officiant for such a special occasion like this. While it’s sweet that your dad or aunt wants to officiate your wedding, a professional officiant will have the experience and demeanor to handle unpredictable situations that can come up.

Your Vows can be printed and held by your officiant

Oceanic Pompano

Stephen Alex Photography

The wedding officiants at From Engaged To Married offer a free Getting To Know Us consultation call, where we can answer any questions about your South Florida wedding. Best of all, we offer all-inclusive Florida beach wedding ceremony packages!

We believe in inclusivity and equality, and we proudly celebrate weddings for everyone. We are LGBTQ+ allies, love is love!

From Engaged To Married is formed by an amazing team of professional wedding officiants specializing in personalizing every step of your wedding ceremony, from beginning to end, and everything in between, making your special day memorable.

For more information, call 954-951-2070 or email us: hello@fromengagedtomarried.com, and we'll help you plan the wedding of your dreams.