Many couples dream about getting married in Florida destinations. Florida wedding themes range from sand castles to Cinderella’s castle. For those getting married in Florida, the key is early planning, early booking, and attention to detail.
Where Cinderella meets Prince Charming
If you’ve dreamed of a fairytale wedding, there is no place on earth better to make your Florida wedding dreams come true than Walt Disney World.
Large weddings are family affairs, and family gatherings are always special at Walt Disney World. Disney can make special themed arrangements for bachelor and bachelorette parties, receptions, and rehearsal gatherings. Walt Disney World is also the most popular honeymoon destination in the world.
Wedding packages combine food and beverage, flowers, décor, music, photography, video services, special transportation and entertainment, hair and makeup, and spa services.
Disney’s Intimate Weddings for small gatherings feature wedding cake, champagne toast, and a violinist. Locations include Sunset Pointe at the Disney’s Polynesian Resort, with Cinderella’s Castle as a backdrop across the Seven Seas lagoon or the New England-style rose gardens of the Wedding Gazebo at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
The sky is the limit with Disney’s Custom Ceremonies. The bride can arrive in a vintage Rolls or Model A, or by horse-drawn landau. A Cinderella coach is available, pulled by a team of six Welsh ponies guided by a driver and two footmen. Fantasy options include flying doves, private fireworks, trumpeters, harpists, bagpipers, butlers, and confetti cannons. Locations include the non-denominational Victorian-style Wedding Pavilion, the rose gardens at Cinderella’s Castle, or a romantic courtyard in your choice of Epcot’s exotic international pavilions.
Disney also lets you get swept away on a Cruise Wedding on one of Disney’s cruise ships. Onboard Ceremonies take place while on the cruise, and include live pianist, flowers, champagne and cake reception, and other special services. Castaway Weddings are held at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
Beach Dreams
For others, a Florida beach wedding is their dream. You’ll find plenty of wedding options at all the major beach destinations. However, to avoid party crowds and hard-packed sands, your best choices are on the Gulf Coast near Tampa Bay. Spread along a narrow, 3-mile stretch of the Pinellas Peninsula on the Gulf Coast, Clearwater Beach straddles the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and tranquil Tampa Bay to the east, and it’s soft white sands are perfect for sunset weddings. Nearby Sanibel and Captiva islands offer the perfect tropical Florida beach wedding setting.
In Miami, you might look into hosting your wedding and reception at a classic hotel like the Biltmore or the Raleigh. The fountain-filled gardens and a grand-scale palace of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens can create a pretty and picturesque backdrop for your big day.
Taking the Plunge
For the unconventional, underwater wedding are available at Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo. Featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” this unusual honeymoon hotel has portholes looking out at sea life five-fathoms below the surface.
