Book cover

0+

Total Weddings

47+

Locations Serviced

13+

Years in Business

2000+

5-Star Reviews

Hot off the Press! Florida Beach Wedding Guide: A Comprehensive Beach Wedding Guide for anticipating couples

A culmination of 9,500+ beach weddings and counting...The Florida Beach Wedding Guide aims to give anticipating couples a running start to planning their Big Day!

Our Most Popular Beach Wedding Locations

Explore Florida Beaches

Find Your Perfect Beach

5 Questions to Find the Perfect Location for your Wedding!

About Gulf Beach Weddings

team photo

Florida Gulf Beach Weddings provides beautiful and affordable Tampa Florida Destination Beach Wedding Packages for all beach locations in Pinellas County, Sarasota County, Manatee County and Tampa Bay. Also we have expanded to do Destin Florida Destination Beach Wedding Packages. Choosing the right company can be time-consuming and exhausting, especially when you are booking online or 100’s of miles away.  Let us take care of all the stressful organizing, so you can really enjoy your big day!

Our team of Wedding Professionals can help with all of your wedding plans:  Intimate Elopement, Vow-Renewal, Small Family Wedding or Second Marriage, Large Formal Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies.

We have pre-designed our Florida Beach Wedding Packages to be All-Inclusive for all group sizes and budgets (1-10, 11-30, 31-50, 51+).  There are nine Beach Wedding Packages we currently offer not including the Proprietary Beach WeddingStudio option, with the flexibility to customize your choice of seven different Flower Decoration options, Chair Sash Color, Arch Fabric, Wedding Music, Ceremony & VowsUnity Sand & Blessing Stones, and much more.

Our Vision

Spreading Joy Through Beach Weddings

Gulf Beach Weddings currently services 6 out of TripAdvisors ‘Best of the Best’ Top 13 nationally recognized beaches in 2023, including 4 out of the top 5! In comparison, Florida currently holds 8 of the Top 25 spots – that’s nearly a third of the entire poll for the United States! Our exclusive Tampa beach wedding locations have been hand-selected over the years to provide the most beautiful and convenient wedding sites for a destination wedding! See all of our Florida Beach Weddings locations. 

Privacy, ease of access, ample parking, lively boardwalks, areas for picturesque photos, palm trees and white sand, limited or no permit fees, and locations close to amenities (but far enough away from the busy beach-goers) are just some of the perks. Each location is geared toward the sunset ceremony; we have personally serviced hundreds of weddings at each of these locations, so you can be sure that they are proven and tested. Check out our Gulf Beach Wedding Reviews and what our couples have to say!

Keep in mind, we are not limited to the locations listed. Over the years, we have created beautiful destination weddings at condominiums, hotels, resorts, private beach houses, the beautiful Straub & Vinoy Park, and the Hyatt Regency on Clearwater Beach. We can setup just about anywhere with permission and access! However, we have found that the locations listed below are the most inviting and convenient in Florida for a destination beach wedding.

Our Mission

We create a once in a lifetime experience, through the Magic of a Beach Wedding

Since 2011, Florida Gulf Beach Weddings has officiated, photographed, coordinated, and organized 9,000+ Destination Weddings from Clearwater Beach to Siesta KeySarasota.  A Full-Service Beach Wedding Company, we offer preferred Tampa Wedding Beach LocationsDestin Wedding Beach LocationsBeach Wedding Vendors, and recommend Reception Locations based on your wedding size.  Our Wedding Packages are All-Inclusive and designed to be simple and affordable, yet elegant.  Just bring your Marriage License and Rings to the Ceremony – we take care of the rest!

On second thought, you don’t even have to bring your Marriage License to the ceremony since we are one of the few Marriage License by Mail providers in the State of Florida. Yes, that is correct – we handle all of the filing on your behalf. Just bring the rings…

Gulf Beach Weddings has been the destination beach wedding capital every since! We can’t wait for your Big Day!

Our History

  • 2001

    Local Notary Services Offered.

  • 2007

    Launch of ‘Gulf Beach Weddings’ as a website and Brand Marketing push. To create ‘Affordable, yet Elegant’ Beach Wedding Packages on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

  • 2011

    In 2011, Founder turns down CBRE offer to pursue Gulf Beach Weddings full-time. Expansion into Manatee & Sarasota Market (particularly Anna Maria Island, Lido Beach, and Siesta Key).

  • 2015

    Best and Brightest Year to Date. New Create Your Dream Wedding tool on the Website is launched – interactively choose your location and custom package options! Grow to 30+ Employees & Vendors.

  • 2017

    Purchase of Property in Destin, FL off Main Street.  Let the permitting begin…as we tip toe into the Panhandle area to serve more clients and beaches!

  • 2018

    Named to ‘Inc. 5000’ and ‘Seminole 100 List’ for the first time…successfully service 7 of the Nations top 25 beaches!

  • 2019

    Completion of Destin Office/Warehouse Property – Spring 2019.  Named to ‘Inc. 5000’ and ‘Seminole 100’ for 2nd time – successful multi-market Tampa-Destin beach locations to clients.

  • 2020

    First Full Year in business using the New Warehouse/Office in Destin, FL. COVID-19 shuts down the US economy, Travel, beaches and company. We are in it for the long haul!

  • 2021

    Busiest year on file for Gulf Beach Weddings. Nearly 1/4 of weddings moved from 2020 into 2021 as Covid restrictions were consistent across the nation. 980 Weddings performed this season!

  • 2023

    Gulf Beach Weddings is a Published Author. ‘Florida Beach Wedding Guide ©’ launched in three different formats: Softcover on Amazon, Kindle, and Audiobook. NEW ‘Pre Designed Styles’: Beachside Boho, Rustic Romance, Southern Charm, Timeless Elegance, Coastal Seaside, Shorely Nautical, Tropical Paradise.

WHAT WE OFFER

Destin Beach Weddings

At Florida Gulf Beach Weddings We Offer!

  • Marriage License by Mail option for Out-of-State Residents and International Couples
  • $100 Active Military Discount (*Does not apply to Intimacy Package)
  • 24/7 Email and Phone Call Support
  • Access to our Private Reception Location – Affordable Banquet
  • 365 Availability:  Midweek (Monday – Thursday) are always the best choice and you will find the beach far less crowded, making for a more romantic ceremony.

At Florida Gulf Beach Weddings We Do Not!

  • Restrict You to Certain Days of the Week
  • Charge Extra for Sunset Weddings or Weekends
  • Charge Extra for Meetings, Conference Calls, or Emails
  • Charge Extra for Bridal Aisle Way
  • Charge Extra for Recorded Wedding Music

IS A GULF BEACH WEDDING FOR ME?

Here’s the thing…Beach weddings are not for everyone. Before you set your sights on a beach wedding, ask yourself some questions:

  • If you want to have hundreds of guests, dreamed of walking down the aisle in six-inch heels and you just prefer rigid formality over a good time, a beach wedding may not be for you.
  • If you have a mother, grandmother, aunt or big sister who is going to run the show and control every element, then a beach wedding may not be for you.
  • If your idea of a good time doesn’t include lounging in the sun, enjoying the country’s best beaches and reuniting with family and friends over drinks at the beach bar, a beach wedding may not be for you.
  • If you have no interest in water sports, outdoor activities, late nights, long talks, good friends and 60–75-degree weather in January, then a beach wedding may not be for you.
  • If you are not interested in sand between your toes and own at least one pair of sunglasses, then a beach wedding may not be for you.

Still not sure if a beach wedding is for you? See all that apply:

  • You rarely (if ever) are accused of being overly formal.
  • You don’t take life too seriously and get a thrill out of seeing the people around you let loose and have fun.
  • You love turquoise water, dramatic sunsets, alabaster-white sand, and natural beauty over anything man made.
  • You don’t want to begin marriage with nothing in your bank account or (even worse) in debt. Use the savings to put a down payment on a new house.

Why Choose US?

Our Beach Wedding Packages include:  Wedding Ceremony Site, Bamboo Arch & Decorations, Gazebo Arch Upgrade, Chairs w/ Cover & Choice of Sash, Tiki Torches, Bridal Aisle, PA System with Recorded Wedding Music (Bluetooth Enabled), Photography, Video, Live Wedding Music, Professional Ceremony Officiant, Recording of Marriage License and Day-Of Coordinator.  This also includes Setup, Beach Raking, Take Down and Cleanup.

Pre-Designed Wedding Packages

You may add any or all of these to our Wedding Packages:  Custom Colors and Aisle Way Features, Barefoot Beach Shoe Basket, Sunset Champagne Toast, Rose Petal Aisle Way (@ Select Locations), Tent Option for Cake Cutting, Wedding Signs and much more…Please see our ‘About Us‘ page for more History & Mission Statement.

Beach Weddings

*Flowers provided in the above picture are custom and provided by a local florist. Arch & Fabric provided by Gulf Beach Weddings.

Wedding Planning Process

graphic showing the wedding process
  1. Initial Booking
    • Date/time reserved and blocked off on calendar
    • Vendor deposits are issued
    • Permit reserved
  2. Support period
    • Phone call, email, and/or meeting support
  3. 60-days prior
    • Obtain Marriage License: Florida Marriage License by Mail Program (through GBW) or at the Local Clerk’s Office where you are to be wed.
  4. 30-days prior
    • 30-day call ahead in which we confirm all details, go over a timeline of the ceremony, and answer any last minute questions.
  5. Ceremony
    • Say “I Do!”
    • Congratulations!
  6. Within 10-days
    • Fill out bottom portion of Marriage License and File.
    • Officiant’s Responsibility.
  7. 2-3 weeks
    • Recorded Marriage License received and mailed to couple direct.
  8. 4 weeks
    • High-resolution edited images (via email link) of wedding photos.
    • High-resolution 10-12 minute HD video delivered of ceremony.
    • *If applicable

FAQ

Common Q & A about a Florida Beach Wedding

Recommendations on Timing, Beach Location, Seating, and Public/Private Beach Locations

Over the course of 12+ years and over 9,000 Weddings performed on the beach – we have learned a few things.  We make these recommendations available here in the FAQ’s section, via phone/email support, or meeting in person.  More importantly, we have learned what ‘not to do’!  For example, Saturday mid-day or even early afternoon is not the best time for a wedding (beach goers, parking, traffic, etc.).  We instead recommend before 11am or after 5pm to avoid the busiest time of the day on Saturday/Holidays during High Season (March – November).  If you will be in town for the week, we highly recommend Monday – Thursday (non-holiday weeks)!  Further, the only way to have a completely private location would be on Private Property facing the Gulf of Mexico (this typically requires the homeowner/management company to obtain the permit). All set up materials and chairs are taken down following the ceremony as all municipalities require us to be off the beach and out of the park by ‘dusk.’

We recommend all guests seated during the ceremony.  There are several reasons for this:  Line of Sight for the Photographer and overall organization of the event/ceremony.  Therefore, if you are expecting 20 Guests = 20 Chairs.  Children would be personal preference and we recommend ‘Beach Wheelchairs’ which can be booked direct through an outside vendor for elderly guests or those not able to walk on the sand.

Certain locations are more private than others – we do our best to represent these here (Tampa Beach Ratings – Destin Beach Ratings).  The Permit obtained does not guarantee us a location, allow us to rope off the beach/reserve parking, block off the boardwalk, and/or guarantee any amount of privacy.  All of the locations we service are located in Public Beach & Neighborhood Access points, therefore not Private Beach.  If you have specific questions regarding this, please don’t hesitate to call/email us anytime.

Customizing Our Wedding?

Yes, of course! Feel free to add readings, prayers, poems to your liking. You may choose your own ceremony to include family and friends – this is often recommended during the ‘Unity Sand’ portion.

Please provide us with a printable word document of your ceremony via email 2-weeks prior (we will make sure everything flows and sounds right)!

This is a fun way to include family members, but also add personal vows to really make your Wedding Day unique!

Dream WeddingStudio® & Permit Fees

Our Wedding Packages are designed to be All-Inclusive in Nature. However, as we move toward more Fully-Custom Offerings – there is simply no way to eliminate these additions/upgrades, etc. This is also what makes it more fun – you can completely Customize Your Beach Wedding Ceremony specific to your style and taste! Please Check out our proprietary Beach WeddingStudio: Dream Beach WeddingStudio

Permits: These are not included with the Wedding Packages we offer, since each Municipality has a different set of Rules & Regulations, thus Permit Requirements.  The Beach Ratings’ Pages offer this in more detail and are automatically integrated to the Wedding Package as you make your selections:  Tampa Beach RatingsDestin Beach Ratings

Unity sand, Blessing Stones, extra fees?

There is absolutely no additional charge for any of these! Unity Sand and/or Blessing Stones are a fun addition and included with all of our Wedding Packages.

How does parking work?

All locations are subject to Public Parking.  Certain locations include the Entrance Fee (Henderson Beach State Park for example) however, we are not allowed to reserve parking spots.  For this reason, we have recommended time frames for everyone to arrive:  Ceremony Timeline.  Further, we recommend avoiding the middle of the day on Saturday/Holiday weekends (+$150 Premium).  Most locations have metered parking and can range from $2.50-4/hour or a flat fee ($5-25) for the day.  Please Contact Us if you have specific questions in this regard.

Can our pets be include in the ceremony or wedding party?

Technically No (as a rule of thumb). However, Yes at some locations.  Please Contact Us or the Beach Municipality to confirm.

Can we have singers and music during the ceremony?

Yes – the PA System is included with all of our Wedding Packages. Please confirm ahead of time so we set out the appropriate Microphone and extension chord!  We do offer several instruments for Live Music if this is of interest: Wedding Music

Do you offer rehearsal services? If so, how much and when?

We do offer rehearsal services conducted by an Officiant and takes place the afternoon prior to the ceremony. The cost for a rehearsal is $250 for all beach locations (+$50 for Travel outside Okaloosa & Pinellas Counties).  This pays for the Officiant’s time and travel. We will conduct a full rehearsal and ‘run through’ of the ceremony only (music and decor will not be provided). Typically, this is not necessary unless you have a very large wedding party (more than 8-10) as we are able to go over everything the day of the ceremony when you arrive at the beach. The main benefit for electing to have a rehearsal is to determine the approximate wedding location, flow from the parking lot, staging area, and other site specific requirements. Keep in mind the Wedding Dreams Package and above includes the dedicated ‘Wedding Coordinator’ at the ceremony who will direct and coordinate your guests. Beach weddings are typically more casual and the ceremony is very straight forward in terms of its coordination. Please note the beach may be more or less crowded the day of the actual event (For Example: A rehearsal conducted on Friday afternoon will have far less beach goers than the following Saturday time frame).

Here is the link to our Online Templates: Ceremony/Vows

May we use our own officiant?

Yes, you may use your own officiant. An Officiant Waiver Form is required.

Keep in mind our Officiates are familiar with The Order of Ceremony for our specific Company. This may differ should you decide to have a friend/family perform the same. If you use your own officiant we are not responsible for any aspect of the ceremony, guest control, signs or marriage license information.

We have a number of professionals who have been doing Wedding Ceremonies for decades. Many are former Pastors, Non-Denominational Ministers, Notary’s, and Rabbi’s. Please inquire should you have any further questions!

Do the Rabbi and Priest charge the same fee as the notary and minister?

Rabbi’s and Priests have a different fee structure than what is included with our packages.  Based on availability, the fee for the Rabbi and Priest is to be discussed and paid direct. Often, many Priests do charge significantly more than your Pastor/Non-Denominational minister ($350-1,500 just to give you an idea on pricing).

We do have 1 priest on-staff who is a retired reverend that can be requested – please Contact Us for availability.

Outside vendors and direct booking?

We have a number of Outside Vendors (Photographers, Videographers, Live Musician, etc.) that are all Professional and wonderful to work with.  These can be added to the base wedding package.

You are more than welcome to use your own Vendors as you see fit – keep in mind we are not responsible for any service provided for outside vendors, booked or paid for direct.

Why are their Travel Fees?

Due to the cost of just about everything going up (Gas, Materials, Insurance, Hiring & Training, Travel associated) we have seen our costs rise dramatically since the beginning of 2021 and into 2024.  Across the board, everything we do has increased 10-50% in some instances.  Further, many of the setup crew, coordinators, and vendors do not live directly on the beach (this is particularly True in the Destin area as many come from within a 25 mile radius). Therefore, to offer the same high-quality personnel/experience at a fraction of the hotel and competitor rates – many of our Team Members travel in.  We simply pass this savings on to the customer directly, only adding a small travel cost associated to your wedding.  This is automatically updated as you make selections during checkout (i.e. no hidden fees!).  Just another way Gulf Beach Weddings has found a way to offer the best to its clients!

Wedding Cancelations / Refundable Deposits

The deposit plus any fees spent on your behalf for items and/or services associated with your wedding are non-refundable.  The deposit is paid to individuals, municipalities and companies to reserve the date, time, permits and services at the time of booking. This includes but is not limited to permits, flowers, cakes, supplies, outside deposits to specialty vendors (Officiate, Setup Crew, City / County Permit, Photographer, Videographer, Live Musician) Marketing, and Office Work, etc. to reserve the date, time, permit and venue on your behalf. The deposit is forfeited as part of holding the date, time and location.

We are able to postpone the wedding once, schedule permitting, moving the date/time/location out for up to 365 days (See Below). Please consult us in this regard as we will need to move all vendors/bookings to the new date all at once and this is handled on a case-by-base basis. Within 90 days of the original booked date, the total amount is non-refundable – this includes all outside vendors.  If cancellations are made within 90-days, the couple agree to hold harmless and release all further financial, legal, reviews associated, Chargebacks, PayPal Disputes, Gulf Beach Weddings LLC and its associates and ancillary vendors/employees from all further obligation.  All wedding deposits and payments are non-transferrable.  Vendor payments outside of 90-days forfeit a $150 deposit per vendor, inside of 90-days all payments sent to booked vendors are non-refundable.  We encourage couples to purchase Wedding Insurance via Travelers Link (Rates Chart – Brochure). Event Insurance is also available when reserving the Affordable Banquet Reception Hall (Link).

Here is the link: Cancellation Policy

When a postponement occurs, we are essentially planning two weddings in this regard. Any changes to the original registration date will incur a minimum of the following: $175 reschedule + the cost of a new applicable permit(s) associated.

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Florida Marriage License / Clerks of Court

We are registered providers by the State of Florida for the Marriage License by Mail program, specifically designed for out of State and international residents. You may also obtain the Marriage License locally in-person at a nearby Courthouse prior to the ceremony.  Please note many of the Clerk's Offices now require an appointment.
  • Tampa Counties: Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota County
  • Panhandle Counties: Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Baldwin County, AL (Alabama Ceremonies)
The couple must obtain a Florida Marriage License to get married in the State of Florida. Florida Residents have a 3-day waiting period and there is currently no waiting period for out of State Residents. Learn More

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