Planning a Destination Wedding – Clearwater Beach, Florida

How to handle the details that make a Florida wedding unique.

Clearwater Beach, Florida Wedding

Destination weddings are a growing trend and can provide a very exotic and romantic experience if planned correctly.  The key to putting together a successful destination wedding is often in the details.  If you want to be able to plan a destination wedding on a budget, you can save money and time by choosing a destination in the United States.  For a warm, tropical atmosphere, one popular location is the sunny state of Florida. With a plethora of beach locations, Florida is a perfect choice for an affordable and beautiful ceremony.  The beaches along Clearwater Beach offer several options in a variety of price ranges.

Choose a location
The first and most important choice is where your wedding will be. Variables to take into consideration are weather, price, packages available, and ease of travel.  The farther south you go, the hotter it will be. Beaches on the Gulf coast often experience calmer weather.

There are many wedding companies that will assist you in planning a beach wedding in Florida. There are no private beaches in this area, so there may be other people on the beach.  However, if you plan your wedding in the evening, beach traffic has generally cleared out.  Many hotels offer wedding packages and allow you to have your ceremony on the beach located directly behind the hotel.  Another great beach location is Sand Key Park, which is a small stretch of beach located in Clearwater Beach.  Many wedding planners cater exclusively to ceremonies on this beach.

Take care of the Legalities
Before you get too far into your planning, make sure you know the requirements for obtaining a marriage license in your chosen locale.

• To get married in Florida, you may obtain a marriage license at any Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. It does not need to be obtained in the same county in which you will be getting married.
• No blood test is required.
• For Florida residents, there will be a three day waiting period.
• For non-Florida residents, your marriage license is valid immediately.
• Witnesses are not required to get married in Florida

Make hotel and travel arrangements
It is often a good idea to look for a packaged deal with hotel and airfare.  When planning a destination wedding it’s important to consider all of your guests’ needs.

• Choose a hotel and book a block of rooms at a discounted rate.  Since your guests will be traveling to attend the event, you can eliminate their need to rent a car by planning your reception, or even your ceremony, at the same hotel your guests will be staying in.
• Many hotels also have beach front access and provide wedding planning services.
• The nearest airport to Clearwater Beach is Tampa.  Don’t forget to include this information in your invitations.

Arrange for meals
When you have a destination wedding, guests may expect more than just the reception dinner.  The most common meal that is expected as part of a destination wedding is a breakfast to be served the morning after the wedding.  Other meals you may plan before the wedding are a luncheon the day before the event for bride and bridesmaids and a similar event for the grooms and groomsmen, and a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding for close family and friends.  The day of the wedding, you may chose to plan separate breakfasts for the bride and groom with their family and attendants (be sure to plan these events at separate locations if you do not want to see each other before the wedding).

Plan events
Remember a destination wedding is a vacation not only for you and your spouse-to-be, but for your guests as well.  Take time to research local areas of interest.  If you don’t want to plan specific events for everyone, consider putting together a small handout of options for them, or post this information on a wedding web page.

• Clearwater Beach is a great spot for dolphin watching cruises.
• There are lots of great gift shops and restaurants located along the beach.
• For a wonderful evening event, don’t miss Sunsets at Pier 60.
• Each evening around sunset, the pier comes alive with performers, vendors, and live music.

Give your guests a warm welcome
A wonderful way to welcome your guests to your destination wedding is to provide small welcome baskets for them in their hotel rooms when they check in. You can include things like local maps and brochures, travel sized soaps and lotions (in your wedding colors, and with custom labels if you like!), monogrammed candles, and candies or snacks.

Find the perfect dress
Many bridal shops now have a special section dedicated to dresses for destination weddings.  Things to keep in mind for a destination wedding gown are the weather and type of ground you will be walking on. Florida is generally hot and humid unless you plan a wedding during the winter months.

• You will probably want a lighter, more flowing material.
• Trains are optional for gowns of this style. If you will be walking through sand, keep in mind that the longer the train, the more sand you will be pulling behind you. Don’t let the fear of a dirty dress stop you from choosing a dress with a train, though! Sand doesn’t stain like dirt, and for a dress you only wear once, you shouldn’t worry about a little sand.
• Remember that it is always breezy on the beach and therefore you should NOT wear a veil regardless of length, or wear your hair down or with bangs or hair stings off the side of your face.  You will end up trying to fix or keep them in place instead or looking radiant during the ceremony.

Choose your flowers
Flowers can be a very tricky thing when planning a beach wedding.  It is often very windy, and the heat and humidity will cause your flowers to quickly wilt.  The best solution is to use silk flowers.  You can order silk bouquets online, or go to craft shops and put together the bouquets yourself.

The most important thing to keep in mind when planning a destination wedding is to have fun! Non-traditional weddings provide you with lots of freedom to design a ceremony that will truly reflect you as a couple and the new life you are entering together.

Photo Source: earthone flicker photo