GULF BEACH WEDDINGS

If you choose to be married in Alabama, you can no longer obtain a marriage license before your ceremony. Instead, you are required to sign a Marriage Certificate and file it with the Probate Judge after you are married. This will make it easier for our destination wedding clients.

Just follow these four simple steps:

Couples no longer need to go to the courthouse.

1. Fill out the "Marriage Certificate Form" and print it. DO NOT SIGN IT!

2. Fill out the "Certified Copy Request" form and print it.

3. Obtain a money order or cashier's check for the $73 Baldwin County filing fee and add $3 for each certified copy you request. (For example, $76 for one copy, $79 for two copies, etc.) The money order or cashier's check must be made out to the "Probate Judge"

4. Notarize and file the certificate and copy request to Baldwin County. (UPS has a notary)

If you would like a stress-free service that handles all of your Alabama marriage document needs, contact Steve and Bev Horn. Their service at AlabamaMarriageNotary.com will take away all the stress and doubt in the process.

For $170 (which includes the $73 Probate filing money order, they will:

1. Collect your information through a secure, helpful proprietary questionnaire you can access on your phone anytime.

2. Fill out and print their Alabama Marriage Certificate, ensuring its accuracy, and bring it to you the day of your wedding for your signatures. They will notarize the certificate on the day of your wedding. 

3. Provide unlimited phone/text consultation regarding the process to ensure your certificate is accurate.

4. Purchase your required Probate Judge Money Order ($70 to file, $3 for one copy).

5. File the documents with the Baldwin County Probate Judge and ensure that you receive a certified copy at your home.

By Appointment ONLY

A marriage license may be obtained Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the:

Clerk of Circuit Court’s Offices at Santa Rosa County Administrative Center,

6495 Caroline Street, Suite A, Milton, FL 32570

(behind McDonald’s) (850)983-1966

South Santa Rosa County Service Center,

5841 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL32563

(next door to THE ZOO) (850) 981-5570.

M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building

190 W Government St

Pensacola, FL 32502

(850) 595-4300

Okaloosa County Courthouse

101 East James Lee Blvd.

Crestview, FL 32536

(850) 689-5000, ext 4450

Courthouse Annex Extension

1940 Lewis Turner Blvd.

Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32547

(850) 651-7200, ext 4450

You can schedule your virtual appointment to get your marriage license here.

The following MUST be provided when applying for a marriage license for Pensacola, Perdido Key and Destin Weddings:

1. One of the following: Valid driver’s license, military I.D., alien registration card or passport

2. Know your social security number or alien registration number

3.Know month, date and year previous marriage ended

4.Cost of License $93.50 without pre-marital counseling

5.Cost of License $61.00 with pre-marital counseling (must bring certificate of completion of course)

If both applicants ARE NOT a resident of the State of Florida, then no waiting period is required.

If either applicant is a resident of the State of Florida, then Florida does require a three day waiting period from the date you apply for your license. If both applicants have taken a premarital preparation course within one year prior to applying for their marriage license, from a course provider registered with the Clerk of Courts in Florida the waiting period will then be waived.

If there is a storm, we can have your wedding on the next day, or you can choose another date (taking into consideration our availability). If it rains, we can wait for up to one hour for the rain to stop or we can reschedule for the next day. Being flexible with your wedding time can be very useful. Sometimes, we may need to move the wedding time to avoid the rain. If it’s a light rain, bring umbrellas, the ceremony will go on! Consider buying Event Weather Insurance - great for hurricanes and storms** Having wedding insurance is essential for many reasons, but most importantly financial and because life is unpredictable (oh, hello 2020!). Consumers Advocate has analyzed wedding insurance options and completed [this in-depth][4] research to help you during the planning process for your big day. Make sure to shop around to find an option that fits your needs and budget.

eWed Insurance offers both liability insurance and cancellation insurance.

eWED INSURANCE SERVICES, LLC

DAVID BERKE

TEL 332 256 8359

EMAIL DAVID@EWEDINSURANCE.COM

WWW.EWEDINSURANCE.COM

The retainer is necessary to hold and confirm the wedding date and will be applied to the total cost of the wedding package. The retainer is non-refundable; NO EXCEPTIONS; it goes toward paying the retainers to the vendors used for your wedding day, administrative fees, planning the wedding, answering email etc. The remaining balance is due 30 days before the wedding date.

If you cancel your wedding with less than 30 days before the ceremony, the full amount for all payments made shall not be refunded.

You have the opportunity to reschedule your wedding ceremony one time, as long as it is over 30 days from the ceremony date, and the new date is available. You will also need to put down an additional $300.00 non-refundable deposit to reserve this new date.

Refunds of payments (not deposits) are given for any wedding canceled over 30 days from ceremony date. If it is within 30 days of your ceremony date, no refunds, or rescheduling is available.

Yes, we try to find a spot that is less crowded. Usually, many beach tourists will start packing up and leaving around 4-5 pm, so if you have a sunset wedding, there should be significantly fewer people on the beach.

IOur time is very important as it is ours. We will wait 10 minutes as a courtesy, after that a penalty will be applied in the amount of $50.00 for every 10 minutes we have to wait. If you are more than 40 minutes late your beach wedding may be canceled. Setting a time is very important for your photography as well. One hour before sunset is the best time; if you are late and we run of "good light", we cannot be held responsible for the quality of the pictures.

Yes, you can! Please read this: Bringing your own officiant.

We also have ceremony samples ready for you (:

We expect the couple to inform their guests that once their photos are taken, the guests are expected to leave the site. This is typically a maximum of 15 minutes after the ceremony. This way we can we begin breaking down the decorations after the wedding to avoid doing it in the dark and for safety reasons.

This also gives the couple a chance to be alone with the photographer for romantic shots and to actually ENJOY the fact that they just got married!

No. Both alcohol and smoking are prohibited on the beach, however, smoking is allowed in the parking lots and on the street.Throws must be biodegradable (flowers, bird seed, or bubbles). Chinese wishing lanterns (or any decoration being sent off in the air or water) are not allowed. No silk rose petals are allowed!No glass decorations are allowed on the beach.We are very eco-friendly and take pride in removing every single thing we bring to the beach to leave the beauty for someone else to enjoy.

Our company has hundreds of designs for every taste that will let your personality shine through. Please don't assume that we can recreate other companies' setups. See our options by clicking 'learn more' bellow every package.

No. The reason is that the chairs get mixed up and we don't want this to happen. We also don't use decor that is not ours, as this will confuse our future customers.

The officiant will read the traditional vows and you can read your own vows as well (: Just let the officiant know that you have your own vows. Find more inspirational vows.

See this link for wedding signs. They are free of charge; just mention in the questionnaire that you want to use them.

http://www.yourdreambeachwedding.com/wedding-signs

If you choose a Friday or a Saturday sunset, we suggest putting a deposit down as soon as you have decided to hold the date. We book one year in advance with June being the busiest time.

The best time is one hour before the sunset, as it's cooler and the light is great for pictures. If you are planning a reception, you may want to choose an earlier time of the day. Sunrise weddings are very beautiful as well, if you are a morning person. If you are late and we run of "good light", we cannot be held responsible for the quality of the pictures.

No, the reason is that we may not be available for a different location or different time.

Yes, but no later than 10 days before the wedding.

No, it’s recommended to go with the smaller package and add chairs as soon as you know the final number.

It takes up to 7 weeks, but if you were married in June or July it could take a little longer. After downloading your online gallery, you can start to order prints. I recommend Mpix.com for your prints and albums. The online gallery contains all the high resolution pictures ready for you to view and download.

The ceremony takes about 15 minutes. After the ceremony we take family pictures, bridal party pictures and couple pictures for another 45 minutes.

Please check our locations page. We recommend visiting the wedding location the day before the wedding.

When arriving at the wedding site, please notify the wedding coordinator (call or text). Please remain in the car, your wedding coordinator will tell you when to make your appearance.

You can find more info about the wedding ceremony scripts here.

Read the order of events of the ceremony.

A rehearsal is recommended if you have more than six people in your bridal party. You can also practice and have a DIY rehearsal. During the rehearsals, we only practice walking down the aisle.

Our Company will not be considered in breach or in default because of fire, earthquake, flood , hurricane, explosion, strike, riot, war, terrorism, pandemic or similar event beyond reasonable control (each a" Force Majeure Event"). The deposit is still non-refundable, however you can reschedule your wedding with no additional fees. I highly advise adding to your insurance coverage or getting event insurance. Specifically, make sure it covers communicable disease outbreaks (because this typically isn’t included in a standard event cancellation insurance policy) as well as adverse weather, natural disasters, labor disputes, acts of terrorism, failure to vacate, non-appearance, and illnesses. Definition of illness could cover disease outbreak but I would confirm this. With this insurance, you must have it before canceling or making a decision but it will help cover / regain costs of extra expenses. For example, a vendor can’t transition to 2023 or you have to re-buy your invitations–these all are things covered under event insurance. Insurances such as Progressive, All State, Farmers and Markel Insurance have this type of coverage.

At its simplest, a sand ceremony involves a symbolic blending of the sand from two vessels into a single vessel. The meaning is clear: The blending of two different beings, the bride and the groom, into a single, inseparable unit that is their marriage - the joining of their lives. As hard as it would be to separate out those grains of sand, that's how difficult it is to separate these two people. The vase is yours to keep forever.

Please visit the sunrise and sunset calendar.

We have a team of wonderful, expirienced photographers that have a similar style and editing techniques. One of them will be your photographer. To see more of their work, please visit our instagram page.

There are many options for your reception.

Make sure your guests know that the wedding is actually on the sand so they can dress appropriately.

Ensure everyone knows to bring sunglasses, hats, visors, etc. - you don’t want them to miss your first kiss!

Consider sandals…or why not go barefoot?

Surveys show that is very common for couples after the wedding to regret not getting a video of their ceremony. You can either hire a professional or ask a friend to record yours.

Entertainment is an extremely important part of your wedding. Hire a DJ or, even better, have live music.

Song selection is a critical element of your wedding. The songs you will select will bring sweet memories every time you play them.

Bring a lipstick with you; your pictures will look better with a little gloss on your lips :)

Don't try to tan at the last minute, as you will only end up with a red face. Don't forget to use sunscreen too, men in particular tend to forget sunscreen and play games on the beach the day before the wedding. Not a good idea!

Some florists may have exclusivity clauses, meaning that the bride is only allowed to use them as their florist.

We are not a florist, we are a rental company, and so this allows us to work with florists who have contracts that do not allow other florists.

If you have a big bridal party, or have a big family, please consider purchasing extra photography time.