Florida Weddings – The Ideal Way To Get Married!

Would it surprise you to know that there are more weddings in Florida than anywhere else in the world?

Actually, we don’t know that for a fact, but we DO suspect that more people visit the Sunshine State to get wed than just about any other single destination on the planet.

It’s a winning combination. With places like Lovers Key and Honeymoon Island, Florida is just a natural place to tie the knot, and revel in the occasion both before and afterwards.

Just to start with, there is a seemingly endless array of choice for venues, from the blissful beaches and scenic botanical gardens to unusual ideas like sky-diving or scuba-diving, all the way up to the grand fantasy of a Walt Disney World wedding with the Magic Kingdom as the backdrop.

As you would expect, Florida is also extremely well blessed with all the necessary services for a memorable wedding, from flower arrangers and musicians to cake-makers and caterers. You will be spoiled for choice for wedding gowns and suits, hairdressers and makeup artists.

Wedding Facts & Figures

The other key element of getting wed, Florida-style, is that it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Yes, you can pay $10,000-plus for that Disney flourish – complete with Cinderella’s Carriage – but a basic wedding licence costs just $93.50, and you can get a local notary to perform the ceremony – the equivalent of a British registry office – for as little as $30.

You need to apply at the tax offices of any of Osceola, Polk, Lake or Orange counties, pay the $93.50 fee, and then you are free to stage the ceremony anywhere in the state. The addresses for the four offices are as follows:

Osceola County: 2 Courthouse Square, Kissimmee, FL 34741, tel. 407 742 3500.

Polk County: 3425 Lake Alfred Road, Winter Haven, FL 33881-1492, tel. 863 534 4000.

Lake County: 290 Citrus Tower Blvd., Suite 116, Clermont, FL 34711, tel. 352 253 4589.

Orange County: 425 N. Orange Ave., Suite 350, Orlando, FL 32801, tel. 407 836 2000.

In all cases, both applicants must be 18 years or older, apply in person and must bring a valid passport. In most cases, offices are open from 7.30 or 8am to 4pm Mon-Fri. For the ultimate convenience, each county office can usually provide a clerk to marry you there and then.

For those looking for a same-sex wedding, Orlando is fully in step with the federal Supreme Court ruling in January 2015 that legalized same-gender marriages.

Oh, and do remember that Florida is hot in the summer. Make that HOT. If you opt for an outdoor occasion, try to make it a morning one, or risk melting before you get to say “I do!”

Where to Get Married

Once you have your licence, the key questions are where to get married and who will conduct the ceremony.

In many cases, this is a bewildering choice as the options are truly extensive. There is a super-abundance of scenic natural backdrops, especially along both coasts, where swaying palms and pure-white sands are a given, but also at private locations such as Cypress Grove – a vintage 1925 estate in the Holden Heights area of Orlando – and the lakefront splendour of the Luxmore Grande Estate in Winter Springs, just 20 miles north of downtown Orlando.

On the Atlantic Coast, early-morning weddings are popular, as they offer the rising sun as the ideal backdrop, while the Gulf Coast features gorgeous sunsets to give your photographs that glorious, picture-perfect glow.

For beach weddings you definitely need to arrange all the necessary permitting and seating, etc, in advance, and working with a local company is essential here. Many beachfront hotels also provide wedding coordinators, so it pays to shop around online.

You can also look up a beach-specific specialist like FloridaBeachWeddings.com.

And don’t overlook the many original theme parks and attractions that Orlando has to offer. There are wedding options at the likes of Discovery Cove and Leu Gardens, as well as more eclectic choices such as the Hard Rock Café at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk and the Kennedy Space Center.

Then there are golf courses, hotels and even boats. In downtown Orlando, you can hire the iconic Orange County Regional History Center, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts or the artsy Grand Bohemian Hotel. The choice really is astounding!

The Disney Touch

Of course, it’s hard to overlook the true magic and charm of a Walt Disney World wedding. Here, the purpose-designed and secluded Disney’s Wedding Pavilion provides a genuine fairytale setting, on the shore of Seven Seas Lagoon, with views across to the Magic Kingdom.

This dazzling location has just about everything you could possibly want in a wedding venue, with graceful spires, arched windows, vaulted ceilings and beautifully landscaped grounds. Throw in an array of additional touches, like themed entertainers or even a visit from Mickey himself, and you have the recipe for an unforgettable experience.

The Wedding Pavilion can accommodate up to 250 guests, but there are also several dozen more locations around Walt Disney World that can all be had, for a price, including Crescent Cove Beach in front of the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, the Place de Remy at Epcot, on a Disney Cruise Line ship and even in front of the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

And finally…

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all your wedding needs and requirements, be sure to look up Orlando-based and British-owned Get Married in Florida for an excellent bespoke service that specialises in ceremonies for international visitors, with all-inclusive prices from $850.

For more info, look up the weddings section of VisitFlorida.com.

Want the lowdown on Florida honeymoons? Be sure to check our blog pages next week!

Did you get married in Florida, or are you thinking about it? Give us your thoughts and experiences on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.