We have decided to have a Florida Beach or Outdoor Wedding. What do I do now?
Call or email us for date and time availability. The most popular months for outdoor/beach weddings are March through November. But generally our winters are very mild; therefore December, January, and February are still excellent months for an outdoor/beach wedding.
Where are you located?
Our home office is located in St. Cloud, Florida. St. Cloud is a small town outside of Orlando, Florida. We are centrally located in the middle of the state in order to easily service the east and west coasts.
What locations do you service?
Sun Kissed Weddings services a wide variety of beaches. Our "core" area is Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach, Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet, Tampa, St. Pete Beach, and Clearwater Beach. However, we are not limited to these beaches. Please call or email to find out if we service your location.
How soon should we reserve our date and time?
Weekend and Sunset Weddings are the most popular, and therefore are the first to be booked. We recommend securing your date with a deposit as soon as possible. We begin booking weddings one year in advance.
How do we book our Florida Beach Wedding?
Once you've decided the time and date of your wedding, and availability is confirmed through our office, we require the appropriate deposit/payment for the services requested. We accept personal checks and money orders. We also accept all major forms of credit cards. You may call us with your credit card number, or we can email you a secured internet credit card invoice.
In order to start a file for you, we will also need you to submit a "Request Form." This form is located on our "Contact Us" page. Please note: your wedding date is not secured until you deposit is received.
What happens after I book?
Once payment is received our letter of confirmation, contract, ceremony format, Florida marriage license information sheet, wedding day explanation, list of frequently asked questions, vendor referral sheet, and packet of wedding and ring vows will be emailed to you.
We will then correspond via phone and email to finalize all of the plans for your wedding. You may call or email as much as you'd like.
Do you have a list of references?
Yes, our guestbook is located on our "Contact Us" page. There are over two hundred entries in it from past "Sun Kissed Couples." You are welcome to read what they have had to say about their experiences with our company.
Are you our "wedding planner"?
Although we have the skills required to be wedding planners, we are not wedding planners. We are "beach/outdoor wedding planners." Our only focus is making sure that your beach/outdoor wedding is perfect. We are more than glad to make recommendations on hotels, restaurants, reception sites, transportation, etc. But we are not responsible for securing these services for you. Also, we are not responsible for handling any issues that may arise with "other vendors" that you have booked.
With that said, we do love working with you on your wedding. We often get calls from our brides asking for our advice on flowers, wedding outfits, and wedding locations. We do not mind answering these questions at all; and are honored that you ask our opinion.
Do you pick the location for the ceremony or do we?
The location is your choice. We go to County/State Parks, hotels, condos, beach houses, private houses, lake fronts, and other venues. There might be an additional travel fee for "out of the area" weddings. The fee is based upon the services requested. (Some of the locations do charge a fee for the use of the beach as well as a "Special Use Permit," these fees are NOT included in any of our packages.)
However, if you are from out of state, we will be more than glad to recommend excellent locations for a beach or outdoor ceremony.
Please visit our "locations" section for some of our favorite wedding locations.
Can we get married at the location we are staying at?
As long as you obtain permission from the hotel/condo/home owner. Be sure to ask if there is an additional fee for the use of the beach for the wedding. The couple is responsible for any "fees" that may be charged.
Are rehearsals included?
No. There is an additional fee of $400.00. Unless you have more than 6 on each side of the wedding it isn't necessary; as someone from our company will be there the day of your wedding to direct everyone as to what to do. (Rehearsal fee may be higher for out of area weddings.) Also, due to our limited availability, rehearsals must be scheduled at a time that is convenient for our company. Please call us to find out our availability for rehearsals. We will not perform rehearsals later than four hours prior to sunset.
What happens if it rains?
Sun Kissed Weddings has been extremely blessed, and have only had approximately two to four weddings a year not able to be performed due to rain. Although we suggest "Positive Thinking," we also recommend a backup plan. It is the responsibility of the couple to have a "back up" location in case of inclement weather.
If you are having a reception, it can be moved to that location (as long as you have their permission). Also, if you only have a few guests it can be "postponed" until the next day if we have availability. (This option may not be available for "out of area" weddings.) You can also ask your hotel if you can put a "meeting" or "banquet" room on hold. The couple makes the final decision, and is responsible for any cost involved.
We also strongly recommend purchasing wedding insurance. Our wedding contract will cover the importance of wedding insurance, and provide you with information as to how to obtain it.
Why do we have to find our own back-up location? Why don’t you handle this?
We service so many different areas, that it is impossible for us to have back up locations in every location. Also, many back up locations need to be paid for, and couples have different budgets. For these reasons, we allow the couple to make the decision on their back-up plan.
Will there be people on the beach?
Yes. All beaches in the State of Florida are public beaches. We cannot rope off any part of the beach. There are certain times of the year when the beaches have more beach goers than other times. Even "in season" families are usually beginning to "pack up" and leave the beach around 4:00 p.m. Usually around sunset there are only a few couples going for a stroll along the beach. Many of them "watch" from a distance. In all of the weddings we've done we haven't had any interference from beach goers.
Who performs the ceremony?
We provide the Officiant with all of our packages. Our officiants perform over 200 weddings a year, and are terrific at what they do. All of our officiants are licensed notaries and can legally perform weddings throughout the State of Florida.
Please be aware that we cannot guarantee who will be performing your wedding, and cannot take requests for a particular officiant. As mentioned above, we perform over 200 weddings a year, and it is impossible to know who will be available on your wedding date. Also, at this time, we only have a male officiant and minister on the West Coast of Florida. If a male officiant or male minister is required on the East Coast, it is your responsibility to find one. You will have to pay them their fee, and they will not be able to use our ceremony or verses. We will deduct $125 from your package.
Also, please be aware that the Unity Heart of Glass is a part of our ceremony. If you have your own officiant this item will not be provided to you.
How long does the wedding ceremony last?
Your wedding ceremony will last approximately 15-20 minutes. This is the typical length of an average ceremony.
What will the officiant wear? Can we request them to wear a certain outfit?
Our officiants wear outfits that are appropriate for your wedding. They are normally dressed in skirts, dress slacks, or sundresses. Please keep mind that our officiants must wear clothes that are comfortable for the heat. For this reason, we cannot take requests for our officiants to be in suits or other outfits that would be too hot.
Can we bring our own officiant?
Certainly, as long as he/she is an Ordained Clergy Member or a Notary of the State of Florida. However, if you do so we cannot release our verses for the Unity Heart of Glass or Blessing Stones. These items will be removed from your package. We will deduct $125 from the package you choose. (Note: Your officiant will also be responsible for turning in your Florida Marriage License too.)
Can we write our own vows?
Yes, we encourage couples to be creative. We also send a packet of wedding/ring vows to choose from upon receiving your deposit. When couples write their own vows we suggest using "Message in a Bottle Vows." When you write your own vows to one another they are very personal and do not sound right being repeated after an officiant. When you add on Message in a Bottle Vows we place your vows on parchment paper and place them in bottles down by your feet. When it is time to say your vows we have you take them from the bottle. These are $30 to add onto your package. You will also receive a keepsake copy of your vows. Please send your vows to us at least one month prior to your wedding. If you do not add on Message in a Bottle Vows, your vows will be repeated after the officiant.
Can we have someone read a poem, sing a song, or say a prayer?
Yes, you can have a friend/family member read a poem, sing, or lead in prayer. We just ask that you tell us at least one month before your wedding so that we can incorporate them into your ceremony.
Who takes the photographs?
All of our packages include photos by "our" professional photographers. They use 35 mm digital cameras. Your photos will be posted to your online album within 30 days after your wedding. You will then fill in an order form and choose your photos. We will mail your photos to you within 30 days of receiving your order form.
Can I get the additional photographs that you may take?
Yes, we will post all additional photos to your online wedding album, and you can order them from there. (Please note: We will not publish shots that aren't of high quality. Example: Your eyes are closed, or you happen to be looking at another camera.)
Can we see the photographer's work?
Yes, all of the photographs on our website are the work of our photographers. You can also view portfolios of their work on our "Locations" pages.
How long will your photographer take photos?
This depends upon several factors: amount of guests, wedding package, size of bridal party, the wedding starting on time, and the weather. These factors can either shorten or lengthen the amount of time spent on photographs. Typically photos can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to capture. (Note: We cannot tell you ahead of time how long this will take, and you cannot request for us to be out there longer than is needed to capture the amount of photos that comes with your package.)
How long will the whole wedding take?
Again, this depends upon several factors. However, typically the ceremony and photos normally take an hour to an hour and a half to complete.
When does your photographer start to take photos?
Our photographer begins to take photos as your ceremony begins. He/she will then photos throughout the ceremony, will capture family/friend/bridal party photos afterward, and at the very end will take the couple's photos.
Can we book the photographer for our reception?
Yes, our photographers can be hired to photograph your reception, based upon their availability. The charge for their services will depend upon how long they are needed and how many photos you would like. Please contact us, if you are interested in their services, and we will put you in contact with them so that you can discuss packages and pricing.
When will we get our photos?
We will process your photos within 30 days after your wedding, and post them to your online album. We will send you an email letting you know once they are online, and will attach a Photo Order Form for you. You will then select your photos and return the form to us. We will mail out your photos within 30 days of receiving your order form.
We are having a reception a week or two after the wedding? Can we have our photos quickly?
We get this question a lot. We will do our best to get your photographs to you as soon as possible and will make a note in your file that you need them early. But please keep in mind that we often have several brides requesting this at the same time, and so it isn't always possible. Also, we can't be responsible for how long the United States Postal Service may take to get them to you. We will do our best, but no promises.
Can we pick our photos up before we leave town?
Due to the very busy nature of our business, we are frequently out of the office. Plus, we can’t guarantee when your photos will be ready. For these reasons, we do not allow this. We place all photos in the mail.
Can we provide our own photographer?
Yes. You can hire your own photographer. We will deduct our fee from the cost of the package if you have your own photographer. Currently this fee is $250.00. (In order for this fee to be removed, we must know prior to your wedding that you are having your own photographer. If our photographer shows up on the day of your wedding, without us knowing, there will be no money subtracted.)
Can I hire my own photographer, and still use your photographer too?
No, we do not allow this. Two photographers, unless from the same company, do not tend to work well together and can often get in each others way. This is because both photographers will have a different style of shooting. For this reason, we ask that you remove our photographer if you will have your own. We will deduct $250 from your package.
Can our family and friends take photos?
Yes; it is always nice to have several people capturing your wedding day. We just ask that they are courteous and stay out of our photographer's way, and his shots. We permit photos to be taken throughout the ceremony and up through the family/friend/bridal party photos. However, we will ask everyone to stop taking photos when it is time for the "couple's" photos. This ensures a higher level of quality.
Can we hire a videographer for the day?
Yes, you are more than welcome to. We have several wonderful videographers listed with our links on our "Contact Us" page. You may hire one of these, or hire your own.
Can we bring our own decorations?
No, we cannot allow any decorations other than ours to be brought out. We are covered by liability insurance. This insurance is not valid on other decorations brought to the wedding. (This does not apply to wedding bouquets, wedding supplies such as ring bearer chests or flower girl baskets, or other items that may be used in the ceremony. This solely applies to actual decorations that are to be used on the beach.)
Also, we are often asked if we can set up "third party" supplies that are brought to our weddings, such as chairs or tents. Sun Kissed Weddings cannot handle any decorations or supplies that are not our own. There are no exceptions.
Do you provide music?
Unless otherwise noted on a package, all music is ala carte. The fee is $50. We will play mood music prior to the ceremony, the processional and recessional music, and music while the photographs are being taken. We also recommend "live" music from a harpist, violinist, cellist, guitarist, etc. We will provide you with a list of local musicians upon booking.
Can we bring our own music or cd player?
We do not allow you to bring out your own cd player. When you add music on through us we provide the cd player, music, and a staff member of Sun Kissed Weddings to run the music. Our staff member knows what songs to play and exactly when to play them. It flows more smoothly this way.
Can we provide our own music CD, or request certain songs be played?
No. We used to allow this but were running into too many problems with scratched, damaged, or improperly recorded CDs. Now we only permit our music to be used. The couple may choose from Traditional Wedding Music for the ceremony and mood music by various artists afterward, or may choose Tropical Steel Drum Wedding Music and steel drum mood music afterward. As stated above, there is a $50 fee for music to be added.
What if I want specific songs to be played?
You will need to hire a DJ for the ceremony or hire live musicians. As stated above, we do not allow for you to bring your own cd player.
Can we have a friend or family member play "live" music at our wedding?
Yes, you are more than welcome to have someone play live music for you. Please just let us know ahead of time so that we can make a note of it in your file, and can show the person the best place to set up.
Can we bring our own wedding flowers, flower girl basket, ring bearer chest, etc?
Yes, you may bring out your own wedding flowers and ceremony items such as flower girl baskets and ring bearer chests. We do not require you to purchase these through us. Please note, if you put rose petals in a flower girl basket that you bring they must be fresh or dried petals. Silk petals can blow away too easily and are not permitted on the beach. You may also put seashells in your flower girl basket.
Are the flowers and greenery in (and on) your setups real?
No, the flowers and greenery on our arches, aisleways, and tiki torches are silk. As are our palm trees. It is too hot on Florida beaches for real flowers and greenery to survive all day. However, we use only "high quality" silks for our setups. Often we have people standing directly in front of the arch ask us if the flowers are real. They can't believe how beautiful the flowers are.
Are any of your flowers real?
Yes, all wedding bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, presentation roses, pomander balls, and rose petals are created with "real" flowers.
Should I wear a wedding veil?
Wedding veils are beautiful, but do not work well on the beach. There is usually wind coming off of the ocean and veils, no matter how short or long, are easily blown around by it. Brides who wear veils often spend most of their time trying to hold it down or keep it out of their face. For these reasons, we do not recommend that you wear one. Many brides will opt for fresh flowers in their hair or a decorative hair clip instead of a veil.
What kind of shoes should we wear?
We recommend shoes that are easy to walk in on the beach. A lot of our couples choose to go barefoot. Other couples wear either sandals or flip flops.
Do you provide chairs?
Yes, we do have chairs available of the ala carte list. Chairs do not come in any of our packages. However, keep in mind that most of the guests will have a camera or camcorder in hand and do not sit in the chairs provided. We do not recommend a chair for each guest. You might want to consider only having chairs for the immediate family or any elderly guests. We will provide up to 50 chairs for a wedding. If you need more than that we will partner with a chair rental company. These chairs rates are normally higher than ours because the rental companies charge a chair fee, delivery fee, set up fee, take down fee, and taxes. We will contact you with the price if you need over 50 chairs.
How do we obtain a Marriage License?
You must apply together in person at the Clerk of the Court. Both of you must have a State issued Photo ID (or passport for International couples), and know your Social Security Number. If you are not a Florida resident there is NO waiting period, you will receive your marriage license that day. Florida residents have a 3 day waiting period. The marriage license fee is approximately $100. This fee can vary slightly from county to county. If either of you have been divorced/widowed in the past 6 months, you must bring a copy of your divorce decree/death certificate. If it has been longer than 6 months, you will be asked the County/State that the divorce/death occurred in and the date.
(We will send you a "Florida Marriage License Information Sheet" once you book with us. This sheet will cover the process in greater detail and will also contain a list of local marriage license offices.)
Why can’t you get our marriage license for us?
Florida law requires that the couple appears together in person. For this reason we are unable to handle this for you.
Is there any way for us to apply for a marriage license before arriving in Florida?
If you won’t have time to get your marriage license while you are in Florida, you can get a “Florida Marriage License by Mail.” There are several companies who are licensed to handle this for you. In our experience, we have found that some companies are more reputable than others. We recommend using Sherry Matthews for this service. Her contact information is included on our “Contact Us" page, and is also included on our Florida Marriage License Information sheet that is sent with every contract. (Note: This service is not available for Florida Residents.)
What happens to the license after the ceremony?
We will mail the marriage license back to the court. The Clerk's office will then mail you a certified copy. This can take anywhere from one to four weeks. Once the marriage license is mailed in, we will have no access to it. So, please do not call or email us and ask us when the license will arrive. If you have questions on this you will need to call the Marriage License Department where you got the license from.
Can we turn the marriage license in ourselves?
We ask that you allow us to mail the marriage license back to the court. We've had plenty of couples tell us they were going to take it back themselves, only to get a call a week or two later that they forgot to turn it in. Marriage licenses are only valid for 10 days after your ceremony, and they need to be handled immediately. We find that couples have so much on their minds when they first get married, that it is best for us to handle it.
What happens if we have to postpone?
Any deposits/payments will be applied to your new date. When you are ready to reschedule please call us for date and time availability. (Note: Only one postponement is allowed, and must take place within one year from the original wedding date.)
What happens if we have to cancel?
ALL DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. If you paid in full at the time of booking you will be refunded the difference of the appropriate deposit along with any other costs incurred of the amount paid in full.
Do you handle the reception?
No, we do not handle receptions. Our top priority is your ceremony. We want to make sure that your beach or outdoor wedding is perfect. However, we are more than glad to make recommendations for reception locations. We also provide you with a list of caterers, banquet halls, restaurants, dinner cruises, and cake makers upon booking.
Do you offer a cake cutting or champagne toast on the beach?
We do not offer this service.
Can we bring our own cake out to the beach?
Yes, you can bring your own cake. But you will also need to bring all of your own supplies: cake table, cake riser, cake cutter, napkins, silverware, etc. This tends to be a lot of work. Normally we find it is best for our couples to have a cake cutting back at their home, hotel, condo, or at a restaurant. A list of cake companies and caterers will be provided to you upon booking.
Can we bring out our own champagne and toasting glasses?
Many beaches in Florida do not allow alcohol, and none of them allow glass on the beach. Due to this we do not recommend even attempting to bring them out. A lot of beaches are patrolled by the police and you can get in trouble. We are not responsible if you bring these items out.
Florida Beach & Outdoor Weddings
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Florida Beach Wedding Frequently Asked Questions
