Blissful Beach Weddings
Commonly asked Questions and Answers
Blissful Beach Weddings is a licensed company of Barefoot Weddings, Inc.
Where are you located?
We are located in North West Florida called the panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico servicing Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Destin, Crystal Beach and surrounding areas. Blissful Beach Weddings meet with couples at the offices of Barefoot Weddings in Fort Walton Beach
restaurants, airports, area maps and things to do while you are here.
How do we book a "Blissful" beach wedding.
Keep in mind that Friday & Saturday sunset ceremonies are the first to be booked .
We will be able to provide you the sunset time for the date upon your inquiry.
Once the date and time availability is confirmed through our office- pick the package you are interested in and pay the Deposit that is required with that package.....this will save your date and time. There is a Request Form available on this site that can be printed, filled out, and mailed with proper deposit/ payment. We accept personal checks, money orders, and credit cards. A request form can also be filled out by us with you on the phone with credit card payment. If you plan to send a request form in via mail, we ask that you still call the office and let us know so that we can "pencil" in your time slot while we wait for payment.
After the payment is received, a contract will be sent to you via email or mail along with other information regarding the ceremony. You will receive a ceremony format with examples of music selection, a packet of vows to choose from, marriage license information as well as directions to the courthouse and offices.
Changes to your package can be made as well as ala carte items added at any time (some items depend on availability) You may call or email as often as you like with your questions and concerns.
As the date approaches we will contact you to set up an appointment to meet with you before the day of your ceremony. At that time you may bring your marriage license, we will go over the ceremony, review any vows that were chosen, and finalize any other details. Feel free to bring friends and family if you want.
What about the location of the ceremony....do you pick the location or do we?
The location is ultimately your choice. We first ask where your accommodations will be. If they are on the beach side then we like to have the ceremony there. Always ask the hotel/condo that you are staying at for permission to have a ceremony and ask if there are any FEES for the use of the beach. The couple is responsible for any FEES that are charged. Do not rely on the "reservation desk" to give you permission......ask for the event coordinator, catering manager, ect. We have run into last minute "head honcho's" not aware of a ceremony going on:(
If it is not convient at the beach side hotel/condo OR you are not staying on the beach OR you just do not want to THEN we locate the NEAREST PUBLIC BEACH ACCESS for you to drive to. Sometimes these are more convient in the fact that they have more parking, pavilions in case of rain, restrooms, ect. Please take a look at the LOCATIONS page to view a few of the venues.
Okaloosa County will require a permit for the county public beach access for weddings with over 49 people. This fee is $200 ($100 refundable deposit) We are required to file for that as we show our proof of liability insurance as well as accessing permission from other agencies and a notarized hold harmless agreement.
**FOR THE ABOVED MENTIONED REQUIREMENTS...BLISSFUL BEACH WEDDINGS WILL NOT ALLOW OUTSIDE DECORATIONS TO BE BROUGHT BY THE COUPLE OR FAMILY MEMBERS AS OUR INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER THEM**
The permit from the county is not applicable to the ceremonies behind your hotel/condo/beach house as they claim this as private property.
If you are staying outside of our service area and we travel to your location, TRAVEL FEES will apply. If you are outside of our service area, we will first refer you to one of our affiliated companies.
Will there be other people on the beach...do you have a private beach?
Most likely there will be people on the beach and all beaches in the State of Florida are public beaches. We cannot “rope off” any part of the beach.
There are obviously certain times of the year when the beaches have more beachgoers than others.
Most people are “packing up” and leaving the beach around 4:00. Then there are usually couples going for strolls along the beach. Many of them “watch” from a distance. There are some areas that are less populated than others. In all of the weddings that we have done we haven’t had any interference with beach goers. WE, AS A COMPANY, CANNOT ASK PEOPLE TO MOVE AWAY, LEAVE, ECT.
Where will you set up on the beach?
The location on the beach is usually not determined until we arrive to set up. We will look around for the best spot at that time taking into account where the boardwalk ends, where people are still lounging, ect. We do not want the guest or the bride to have to walk too far in the sand. The arch or decorations with the heart shaped alter area is usually set at an angle towards the sun for best lighting for pictures. We will always do our best to angle shots as to eliminate any people or distractions in the background. Keep in mind that photo programs can always take care of unwanted things in your pictures.
What happens if it rains?
No, we do not watch the weather channel...hahaha Florida weather can change very quickly. It can rain all day, the sun come out for your ceremony, and then the bottom falls out again right after! Our motto: Positive Thinking with a backup plan.
It is the responsibility of the Couple to have a "back-up" location in case of inclement weather.
This means checking with your hotel/condo/beach house if they have pavilions, rooms, ect to move the ceremony to and if it would have to be rented or booked ahead of time. Also, keep in mind when choosing your venue like a public beach access if it has pavilions to move under. If you are having a reception, check to see if the ceremony can be moved to that location. We will consider postponing until the next day in sever cases based on availability and an added FEE will be charged depending on the setup and labor needed. There is also an indoor Chapel for use that holds up to 30 guest based on availability. You may want to consider WEDDING INSURANCE
Where is the best place to stay....do you do cakes....where can we have a reception....what is there to do.....who can do my hair....ect?
Blissful Beach Weddings is not a wedding coordinator per say. We only deal with the aspects of your CEREMONY...the decorations, the officiate, the ceremony, ect. This keeps us focused on giving you the BEST WEDDING CEREMONY on the Emerald Coast. We do however have a page of VENDOR REFERRALS...these are local vendors providing what they do best. Everything is listed by category and we hope that this will help get you started in finding your accommodations, flowers, cakes, salons, restaurants, ect. You can also visit the
Who performs the ceremony?
We provide an Officiate with all of our packages. They can be a Florida Notary Public or Ordained Minister. Most of the time we sign as an Ordained Minister. We are ordained with a non-denominational affiliation as to accommodate all areas of faiths. Our package prices include the owners of the company to officiate and they are Female. If you would like to request a Male....we do charge an additional $125.00 as we have to hire outside help. You can have your ceremony as religious, non-religious, or spiritual as you like....it is your ceremony:)
Can we bring our own Officiate?
Certainly, as long as he/she is Ordained (does not require a specific state) or a Notary for the State of FL.
We will deduct $125.00 from the Package you choose.
NOTE: We will not release our ceremony which includes the verses for the heart of sand and the Blessing stones. Only Officiates directly affiliated with Blissful Beach Weddings are provided this information with whom a confidentiality agreement has been signed.
If you would still like for us to perform our portion of the ceremony then we will not deduct any fees and only perform the Unity Heart of Glass, Blessing Stones, and Shell Lei ceremony.
Can we write our own vows?
Yes, we encourage couples to be creative.. We also send a packet of different vows/ ring vows to choose from upon receiving deposit. When couples write their own vows- we suggest the “Message in the Bottle Vows” - as the vows are usually more “personal” and do not sound right being repeated after the Officiate.
Do we have to do vows?
Vows are optional. Some couples get very nervous thinking about having to speak too much or want a very short simple ceremony. The traditional "I do's" are a part of every ceremony and the extra marriage vows do not have to be performed.
Can we add to the ceremony or take away?
Yes, many couples want a poem read, or a prayer said, or a special scripture inserted. Some prefer not to have the shell leis during the ceremony but would like to take them home.
Who takes the photographs?
All of our packages include photos by “our“ photographers. We have many couples ask if they are “professional”- no they are “free-lance” and shoot for Blissful Beach Weddings only. Many of our photos on the website are from our photographers at our ceremonies.
We strive to provide our clients with quality photos... however weather conditions may affect the outcome. If you are scheduled for a sunset wedding and arrive more than 15 minutes late- we may not be able to take the amount of photos in package... there will be NO adjustment on costs.
You will be provided with the amount of pictures in your package on a CD after the ceremony. You may request a release form for reprinting (we have never had a problem with couples printing) We will also upload them for on-line ordering at your request.
Can we provide our own photographer/ videographer?
Yes- we will deduct $100.00 from the cost of the “package”..If you do hire another photographer we ask that we are informed as we will automatically discount the package and let your photographer shoot. It gets too confusing to shoot along side the main photographer as well takes up both their time and ours trying to "wrestle" all the shots necessary.
We have found that most of the guests come with a camera/ camcorder in hand.
*** Here's a Camcorder Tip for Friends and Family-****
Be sure to take your Camcorder equipment out of the A/C at least an hour prior to the ceremony... when you go from A/C into the heat- the dew condensation will not allow most camcorders to work. Also, tell them not to put it on "pause".. you can always edit it...
Can we bring our own decorations for the beach?
** Effective Immediately ***
Any person(s), companies or individuals, using Florida State Park Recreational facilities for weddings and/ or receptions must show proof of liability insurance. This includes, and not limited to, wedding decoration, tent/ chair rental companies, musicians, caterers, etc. For more information.. contact Fl State Park Recreational Services. ** Our insurance DOES NOT cover any decoration/ services other than our own**
Do you provide music?
Yes. Music is an a la carte item- the fee is $60.00. You can choose from our selections or provide us with a CD of your own. We then upload it to our IPOD. We choose to use an IPOD as it does not skip like some downloaded CD's. We will play “mood music” as the guests arrive on the beach, the processional and recessional, then put the mood music back on during the photos being taken. You may also provide us with any special request to play during the ceremony. There is no limit to the number of songs.
Do you provide chairs?
Yes, we do have chairs available on the ala carte list. However keep in mind that most of the guests will have a camera/ camcorder in hand and do not “sit” in the chairs provided. We do not recommend having a chair for each guest. We recommend half the amount of chairs for the number of guest...this is for immediate family or for any elderly guests or guests with health problems.
How do we obtain the Marriage license?
Both of you must apply in person, together at the Clerk of the Court. Both of must have a State issued photo ID (Drivers license)** make sure it is not expired- if you are not a FL resident there is NO waiting period, you will receive the marriage license the same day- Fl residents have a 3 day wait. The fee is $93.50 paid to the court house. If either of you have been divorced within the past 6 months- you must bring a copy of your divorce decree. If it has been more than 6 months- you will be asked the County/ State and date the divorce was finalized. Read about obtaining your license by mail .Click here to read more and get directions
What happens to license after the ceremony?
Blissful Beach Weddings will hand deliver the license to the local County Clerk's office where the license was obtained the following business day.
The clerk's office will then mail the couple the certified copy. If the license was obtained through another county in the State of Florida- it will be priority mailed to them the next business day. We do suggest that IF you will be in town the next business day after the ceremony AND IF you need your certified copy right away that you should take the license in person back to the court house and get your certified copy immediately to take home with you.
What happens if we have to “postpone”?
Any deposits/ payments will be applied to your new date. Please remember to plan your new date as soon as possible so that the date and time can be reserved. Your deposit does not guarantee your new date. (ei. please do not wait 9 months to book your new June date as we would most likely already be booked)
What happens if we have to cancel indefinitely?
All deposits are non-refundable. If you paid in full at the time of booking you will be refunded the difference of the appropriate deposit along with any other costs incurred of the amount paid in full.
Do you handle the receptions?
No, we do not- however we are more than happy to refer you to area restaurants, caterers, etc. Please look at our links to area vendors page.
