Gulfside Beach wedding information:  The following are frequently asked
questions regarding your beach wedding ceremony.  We strongly recommend
reading the following information before reserving your beach wedding:

Do I need a Florida Marriage License to get married in Florida?  Yes!  You must obtain your own marriage
license.  You can obtain your Florida marriage license in any county in Florida.  It does not have to be from the county you are
getting married in.
Residents of Florida:  There is a three-day waiting period after you apply for your marriage license
Non-Florida Residents:  There is no waiting period.
At this time, a Florida marriage license is $93.50,  and is not included in any of our packages.
You must obtain AND bring your marriage license to your wedding ceremony.

Can the beach wedding packages be customized or changed?   You will be able to choose your decorations,
flowers, ceremony and vows from our selections pages.  However, we have put together packages for a reason, to give our
couples the best value for their money.  Therefore, the packages are sold just as they are:  All-inclusive beach wedding packages.  
If there are some items you may not want (for example, the sand ceremony),  we can eliminate them from your ceremony, but  
no credit or substitutions will be available.

Do you assist with coordination of the ceremony?  While we are not wedding coordinators, when you purchase a
package from us, AND use our officiant and photographer -- then we will be assisting you.

Beach Wedding Attire (including hair & veil):  Any type of wedding attire is great for a beach wedding.  A bride's
dress can never be too formal, even if the groom is opting to wear khakis and a dress shirt.  Brides keep in mind for your hair and
veil:  Even on the best of beach days, there usually is a breeze, so remember to have extra pins to pin up unruly bangs or fly-away
curls.  A short veil can be  beautiful at a beach wedding, but a long veil can easily be twisted in the wind.  Veils should be able to be
easily removed if it is getting in the way.

Who is responsible for obtaining permission in front of private residences/condos or hotels?  You
are responsible for obtaining permission from private residences, condos, or hotels where you may want to
have your ceremony.

Do I need a permit to get married on the beach?  In some areas, a permit is needed.   You will be responsible for
any permit or parking fees.  In the Okaloosa Island area,  If you are having more than 48 people (total), a permit is required and
additional fees will apply (unless you are having your ceremony on private  property)

Are there private beach wedding locations?  All beaches are public beaches.  We make the most effort choosing our
sites that are less congested.  There will probably be people visiting our beautiful beaches.  However, they are usually most
respectful of your wedding celebration.

What happens if it rains? Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather.  We will make every effort to have the ceremony
on the beach.  If we can wait out a storm for a short period of time, we will.  But if we can't, we will try and move the wedding to
your reception venue (decorations may not be able to be used at the alternate ceremony site).  We are not responsible for finding
you an alternative site.   Some parts, or all of our set-ups might not be able to be installed during inclement weather.  If there is a
Hurricane Warning, we would be happy to reschedule the ceremony for another day (based on availability).  

Who is responsible for finding an alternate indoor site?  It is your responsibility to have a back-up plan.  We will
set-up our decorations only once.


Can we meet you in person to discuss our wedding?  We wish we did have the time to meet all of our
couples.  However, all of our communication will be by email or telephone.  We explain all of our packages, and what is included in
each package, directly on our website.  We have offered a marriage license page, along with important links to obtain your
marriage license.  We also have our selections pages that will have all of your selections (and we have a lot of them!)
photographed and numbered, for your convenience.  We have an information video posted on our selections pages that will
explain to you exactly how your beach wedding will work.  Once you reserve with us, you will receive an information packet, filled
with a time line, worksheet, contract, and envelopes to return the completed paperwork to us.  We make it easy and
stress-free(and no hidden fees).


Do you perform vow renewals and commitment ceremonies?  Yes!  Licenses are not needed.  
For a vow renewal, you already have your official marriage certificate.  A commitment ceremony is exactly what it sounds like:  
making a commitment in front of family and friends.  However, it is not legally binding.

Who performs the ceremony? A Florida Notary performs the legal marriage ceremony, vow renewal, or
commitment ceremony.

Can you provide a minister perform the ceremony?  Yes, there is an additional charge for their service.

Can we bring our own officiant or minister?  Yes, you can bring your own minister or officiant.  Just
remember, the officiant must be licensed in the State of Florida to perform ceremonies.   However, no credit or substitution will be
issued for bringing your own officiant or minister.

How long does the actual wedding ceremony take?  The average beach wedding ceremony takes
approximately 15 minutes.

Do I have to find my own beach wedding location?  We have locations available for your beach
wedding.  If you want to have the ceremony at a location of your choice:  It must have reasonable beach access for us, and your
guests.  For private properties,  you need to obtain permission from the owner/manager.

Can we have the wedding ceremony take place other than the beach?  Yes,  but only some
of our decorations are adaptable for other areas, such as outdoor decks, country clubs.  We will still have to have reasonable
access, plus permission from the  venue.

Do you set-up and take down the ceremony decorations?  We set-up and take down our own
ceremony decorations.  We only use our own decorations, chairs, table, etc...   This is for the safety and enjoyment of you and
your guests.   We have taken the up most care, creativity and work to produce our own decorations that can be secured properly
at the beach.

For the packages that have a guest limit number:   If you purchase one of our smaller wedding
packages that have a guest limit number, and you will have more guests that expected, you will need to upgrade to the next
package that can accommodate the additional guests.  The  Beach Beginnings, Perfect Beginnings, and the Nautical Knot  
Packages are set-up specifically for smaller weddings.  They are not meant for larger weddings,  so please don't choose one of
these packages if you are having a large wedding (penalty charges will apply).

Can I have petals or bird seed  to throw at our wedding?  You can only use real petals, and in
some areas (St. Augustine, for example), petals are not allowed.  We do not recommend bird seed as it attracts too many birds.  
Bubbles and tiny seashells may be used.


Deposit questions and information.  A deposit is required to reserve the date.  Your deposit is non-refundable,
NO EXCEPTIONS.   Your deposit will be applied to your package price, so it will be deducted from the total price of the package.   
For every credit card transaction, please add a 3% credit card transaction fee to your payment.

Cancellation Policy:  If you need to cancel within 31 days of ceremony date, you will have the option to reschedule one
time, up to six months from the original ceremony date, based upon availability.   If you cancel within 30 days or less from the
scheduled ceremony date, no refunds will be issued, and no rescheduling will be available.

When is my final payment due?:  Final payment is due 30 days before the ceremony date.  If you are scheduling
your wedding 30 days or less from the ceremony date, payment in full is expected at that time.


What if my final payment is late?:  If your final payment is not paid within 30 days of ceremony date, a cash
payment will need to be made.  It will be too late at this time for credit card or check payments.


CEREMONY TIME:  We will give you a scheduled wedding time.    When available, we will have you select your wedding
time.   Keep in mind, later in the day is better -- less visitors at the beach, etc...    If you are late for your own wedding, late fees
will be assessed, and, will have to be paid before the ceremony starts.   If you are more than 45 minutes late,  your wedding will
be cancelled, no rescheduling or refunds will be due.   Promptness is requested due to the changing tide conditions, other
weddings that may be scheduled, courtesy to your waiting guests, etc...

Can I have a Sunrise or Sunset Wedding?:  As good as these sound, keep the following in mind.  Sunrise:  
The sun rises very fast, and very early.  If you are not on the beach exactly on time, you will miss the sunrise.  Sunset:  A lot of
the beach parks close at Sunset.  You can have your beach wedding close to sunset, but you must be on time.  Remember, the sun
will wait for no one!  Ceremonies scheduled one hour before sunset are considered sunset ceremonies.

Are there extra charges for having a bridal party or wedding guests?  We do not charge to
have a bridal party or guests.  However,  if you have over 48 guests, a permit is required (in some areas) and additional charges
will apply (depending on the number of guests).     Note:  Some of our smaller packages do have guest and bridal party limitations.  

Some Holidays will have extra charges added to the package -- which Holidays?:   
Easter Weekend,  Memorial Day Weekend,  July 2 - 6, Labor Day Weekend,  Thanksgiving Weekend, Christmas Eve, Christmas
Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day.

What kind of music will I have at my ceremony?   For the Packages that include music:
We will play a song as the bridal party is walking (if you don't have a bridal party, this music will be played right before the
ceremony is set to start), the bridal march for the bride, and a song that will be played once you are pronounced man and wife.    
If your package includes your music choices, you will be able to choose the music from our selections pages.    If your package
includes just the traditional bridal music, you will still have the choice of traditional or island-style (steel drum).  All music will be
played on an amplifier.  

Ceremony photography information. Photography that is included in our packages:   We use our own staff
photographers.   If you want to have your own  photographer, our photographer will not be present and no credit, or substitutions,
will be issued (remember, they will also need to help you coordinate your line-up, since our photographer will not be there to
perform this task). Also, any of our "props" that our own photographers use,  will not be available.  We take photographs right
before, during and some posed photos of the bride and groom immediately  after the ceremony.  You will have the option of
purchasing additional photography time:  This will include many more photos, use of our props, and all of your photos on a free
photo CD.   We are not responsible for any equipment malfunctions.   We are not responsible for full editing of our photographs.  
Our main goal is to take the best photos possible, but some things, including weather, natural lighting, timing, equipment
malfunctions, disruptive guests, other people on beach, may have an effect on your photography.    Our photographs are informal
photographs of the ceremony and informal and posed pictures before and after the ceremony.

When does the photography start, and how long does it take?  We start the photography when
the ceremony is about to begin.  We take photos during the ceremony.  We  take some posed photos of the bride and groom  
immediately after the ceremony.   If you have purchased the additional photography time:  The after ceremony photos will take
approximately 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the number of guests, guest and family cooperation, etc...   If you are late for your
ceremony, you will also forfeit some after ceremony photography time and no credit will be issued.

Can the photographer also take our reception photos?   No.  Our photographers  are our own staff
photographers.    They  are available for our beach wedding ceremonies only.  Contact Kayla Michelle Photography for reception
photography.

How do we receive our photos?:  You will receive your photos on a free photo CD.  You will be able to take this
CD anywhere and make as many prints, in the sizes that you want.  Your photo CD can take up to 45 days to receive, and they will
be mailed to you.

Do you take care of the reception?:  No, but once your wedding package is reserved, we can recommend
reception venues and/or restaurants in the area.

Do you help with hotel reservations?:  Once your package is reserved,  We can certainly recommend hotels in
the area you wish to stay.  

Most important, why should you choose us for your beach wedding celebration?:  
Beach wedding celebrations are our business.   We are licensed and insured.   We treat each and every wedding ceremony with the
special dedication you deserve.  You will be purchasing an all-inclusive, affordable beach wedding package, but you will have many
choices.  So, your wedding celebration will be uniquely yours!  


A Florida beach wedding is a beautiful and unique experience.  Our goal is to
make your wedding day one of the best days of your lives.  We want your
Florida Beach Wedding celebration to be the best for you, and for us!
GULFSIDE BEACH WEDDING INFORMATION:
Answers to some of your most important questions!
Ready to reserve your Florida Beach Wedding?
CLICK HERE
Gulfside Beach Weddings
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