Getting Married - Cape Coral, FL

Updated on March 11, 2008
K.F. asks from Cape Coral, FL
31 answers

well i am planning a beach wedding and have done a lot of research so far....but i cant seem to find the perfect place you know? we are paying for it ourselves so we figure the cheaper the wedding then more money for the honeymoon:) does anyone have any ideas for a simple intimate cheap wedding ? im gonna say there will be n o more than 30 people there if that.and theres going to be no maid of honor or best man just me and him and my dad walking me down the aisle i dont want super fancy my only requirements are that i have a great dress lol but i already have that part figured out...i just need actual planning advice/help..ive even thought of a wedding planner but i was told they are pretty expensive...then i was told if i could find a student who is going to school for planning then i would get them cheaper but i couldnt find any.....well any advice is greatly appreciated~ *K.*

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So What Happened?

thank you so much everyone for all the replies you all gave me some great ideas and im looking into a lot of them......my fiance is out of town at the moment so its kind of hard planning it while hes gone lol well thanks again everyone....*K.*

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L.P.

answers from Fort Myers on

Hi K. my name is L. and I have a limo and Dj service if you have not booked one already. Any questions please give me a call ###-###-####

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K.C.

answers from Fort Myers on

I got married at the Casa Ybel Resort. We had 40 people there. The wedding planner comes with the package. He was wonderful. He told me where to get flowers, helped me order the cake. There are different food options and that determines the cost. We got married in a little gazebo and the reception was near the beach. JUST BEAUTIFUL! Good Luck.

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C.R.

answers from Orlando on

CEDAR KEY!!!!!!! It is off teh west coast!! It is the most beautifull place and they do their weddings GREAT!!! I wanted to get married there but we had over 200 guests and they could only accomodate up to 100 or so. Good Luck and Congrats!

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T.R.

answers from Boca Raton on

First off, congrats on the wedding!!I think the Jupiter inlet is a great place to get married. It's secluded, beatiful sand & grennery with a little lagoon & such you can take fabulous pictures at. My fiancee' & I were thinking of getting married there ourselves next spring.You should contact the Jupiter recreation department about any permit or rental fee.You can pass out some disposable cameras to the guests & let them snap pictures. I have a few phone numbers of people that do civil ceremonies, I'll have to find the business cards though. I'll post again when I find them. That is your best bet for who should perform the ceremony. There are lots of wonderful restaraunts in the area, as well as hotels with banquet rooms to set up the reception, or you could do it right there in the park. It's all about you & what you like. Again congrats! And feel free to email me directly if you need more help!!

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H.G.

answers from Fort Myers on

I know ita little late but we did the same thing we rented a hotel room for the night on ft. myers beach at the holiday inn and theres this little area right off of thier tiki bar on the beach and it so pretty that were we did it we didnt plan it with them we just did it and then theres a tiki bar you can hang out there if you want what we did was is picked a restruant on the beach close by and everyone payed for them selfs turned out good and i still had bride maids and such and it completly worked out then when the family was gone and it was just the friends left we went to sanibal an partied but you could always party right there or head to lani kai or something congrats hun and best wishes

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K.D.

answers from Orlando on

Congrats on your wedding! I planned our beach wedding myself and saved a lot of money vs. hiring a planner. We got married at Sandyport in Nassau in The Bahamas. Then we just stayed on for our honeymoon. We just had 11 people and we got married at the end of a dock over the ocean. If you'd like to see a picture, I have one on my My Space page: http://www.myspace.com/lilscubagirl I'm not sure if you're trying to stay in FL or where in FL you'd like to get married. If you're up for a destination wedding and want help at all with the Nassau info, let me know. Wherever you decide to go, I'd say to visit the place first so that you can really meet people and make plans. You also get an extra vacation out of the deal too!! Have fun!

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J.F.

answers from Boca Raton on

That's what I did 5 years ago....
Try Weddings By The Sea
however when you get married on the beach you have to pull permits... just an FYI....
We got married on boynton beach but sometimes you can get something good @ a hotel were you can get everything included but weddings by the sea will provide charis / archway whatever you want.
Good luck just watch the time of year you get married it's FL And you never know when it will rain.. =)

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S.K.

answers from New York on

I have worked with a planner named Amanada, she operates Piece of Cake Customs. Her email is '____@____.com'

If I had her number on hand I would give it to you, but she responds quickly to emails. Please tell her I sent you to her. I have done babysitting for her weddings before, and perhaps you'll need a sitter to help out while your guests enjoy themselves?

Congratulation on your upcoming wedding and best wishes for a happy future!

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M.M.

answers from Orlando on

Hi K.,

For food, you could "cater" with Publix deli (we did for ours), resturants do catering, too, make your own center pieces, etc (Michael's has lots of nice wedding crafts and books), and I do know of a couple of people that do things: balloons- A Balloon Creation, Sandee makes balloons, party favors and does event coordinating, too. Her email is ____@____.com's pretty reasonable and does wonderful work. My husband does professional wedding photography and does not charge a high price. This is a link to his site http://www.uniquephotographybyblenus.com. There is a Beach package for $350, which includes film photos, negatives, digital photos, CD-ROM (you can use the photos), 4x6" proofs and 2 hours of time. We do not take money up front, either and will gladly work with you.
Estella Resto is a wedding coordinator that's very good, but I don't know her fee. She does do very small weddings though, and might be able to help you. ____@____.com
Planning a wedding is stressful, and the advice out in the stores (those bride mags are full of expensive ideas!) seems more tailored to spending lots and lots of money. When we married, we found a good cake lady, who pointed me to a couple of independent ladies the helped with the food (they used to work with caterers and went on their own), got lots of food platters from Publix, and my sister in laws made food also. I made my own table centerpieces and bought all the decorations from craft stores. The sooner you start, the more likely you can find what you want, and even on sale! Good luck!
M.

K.N.

answers from Miami on

I was married 5 years ago- at Quiet Waters park. I got a beautiful dress 92 actually) from Ross; and we actually had an area with an aisle made of fence posting & white flowers & paper bells for the vows and walk. Then we had a bar-b-que; and everyone had a great time. We wanted everyone to enjoy "our" day; and it was wonderful. You may want to consider something like what we shared 5 years ago! God bless you on your day!

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A.S.

answers from Gainesville on

K.,

I'm not sure where you live, but there is a place called Kingsley Plantation in the Jacksonville area that is free to use. It is not exactly on the beach but it is on the water and there is a room for a reception.

Also, have you checked with your local beachfront hotels? If you shop around you can usually find something.

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L.

answers from Miami on

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO SAVE MONYE ON YOUR WEDDING, MY HUSBNAD AND I GOT MARRIED 3 YEARS AGO ( AFTER 7 YEARS TOGETHER AND 2 KIDS) WE MAKE OUR OWN INVITATIONS , GOT A $99 DRESS FROM DAVIDS BRIDAL, MAKE OUR PARTY FAVORS OURSELF AND HAD FRIENDS AND FAMILY HELP OUT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. GO ONLINE AND DO SOME RESEARCH, DO A SEARCH FOR BEACH WEDDING AND YOU'LL FIND LOTS OF LINK, I WAS GOING TO DO A BEACH WEDDING ALSO, BUT WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE WEATHER, SO WE CHOSE A RESTURNAT AND USED THEIR BANQUET ROOM. YOU CAN ALSO CHARTER A BOAT FOR 30 AND ITS NOT TOO MUCH MONEY AT ALL. EMAIL ME AND ILL HELP YOU WITH EVEREYTHING, I LOVE PLANNING WEDDING, IVE HELPED ALL MY FERIENDS WITH THEIRS....BY THE WEAY MY SISTER IS A FLORIST AND IS veY INEXPENSIVE!!!

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P.G.

answers from Orlando on

Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine is a great place for a beach wedding.

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J.H.

answers from Fort Myers on

Hi K.,
I wanted to suggest the Naples Botanical Gardens. 2 years ago my husband and I got married there. We were looking for the same thing you are: affordable, outside, intimate (we had 60 guests). It cost about $1500 but that included the banquet room for the reception and you have the whole run of the outside. It's really beautiful there. Check google for the website. I can also recommend a dj and a caterer if you need them.

J.

G.H.

answers from Miami on

Dear K.,

I would call a couple of Cities where beaches are and see what requirements you can make to have a small wedding service on the beach. You might just need a permit from the city where you want to have the ceremony.

Are you having the reception there as well?

If you need any help. Let me know , by e-mail me at ____@____.com.

Sincerely,

G. H.

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I.L.

answers from Miami on

(wow, i'm really late-you're probably married already! lol) hi K.~how exciting and congratulations! well, i don't know what your budget is, but my husband and i married at the pelican beach resort which is now the pelican grand beach resort (http://pelicanbeach.com/). it is not too far north of sunrise on a1a. anyhow, we had the wedding of our dreams there for much less than many hotels that are not even on the beach (at least in october 2006 when we married). included in your package is the wedding-planning talents of their coordinators. you can call them whenever and ask them whatever and they will answer your questions or concerns. we married on the sand and then had our cocktail hour and reception on the 11th floor verandas. it was incredible. good luck and let me know if end up there! I.

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A.S.

answers from Orlando on

I live in Mims-which is near titusville and I'm not sure if you have ever heard of playalinda beach or not but it is a very nice and secluded beach. It actually was known a long time ago for being the nude beach in the area. But it is no longer...everyone wears clothes!It is about 30 mins from oviedo so I'm not sure if this is too far from you or not. I have seen a lot of weddings there and they are always very beautiful. My father and stepmother got married there as well.There is seperate parking for each ramp that goes to the beach and there are a few that have a small pavillions overloking the beach. You might want to go check out the area as it very large. I like to think of it as a more private beach. Hope this helps.

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K.L.

answers from Boca Raton on

We had an intimate smaller wedding like yours and you should definately check out the Sugar Cane Island Bistro in Jupiter. They have a great upstairs room for such things and a beautiful view. They do a great job and have an AMAZING cake that they will make for you.

Also try the Jupiter Beach Resort and the Hilton on Singer Island.

K. L.
www.abbabyboutique.com

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M.C.

answers from Boca Raton on

K., my husband and I got married May 20, 2006 on Lantana Public Beach. It was exactly as you describe. We had only 30 people and there were no frills. We had our reception at the hotel next to Pete Rose's in BB. I would be more than happy to help you achieve your dream low key wedding. We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon, yup that's were the money went! But, well worth every penny! Good luck and congrats. M.

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R.J.

answers from Orlando on

hello

well for starters congratts on your upcoming wedding. I planned my wedding and i have help family and friends plan there and that is my goal is to become a wedding planner once i have both kids in school full time i will start business. So if you like you can hire me for it since you where looking for student i would be cheap since you will be my first paying customer. Where would you like to get married is there a beach that you love and then we can start from there. Here is my email address and if you want you can email me with the type of thing you like and want and i would love to help and let me know what your budget is. ____@____.com

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L.H.

answers from Miami on

where are you getting married (where in FL?)
anyway how about at a Park on the beach- rent a shelter...
also a notory public (is that what they're called?) can marry you so if you have a friend you want to perform the service then all s/he has to do is become one...
OR you can get married at city hall- just the paperwork I'd guess- and then have the ceremony & have any one you want to officiate...

a nice touch are candles in glass 'hurricaine' holders...

if you're going to have it catered (& why not find an inexpensive caterer?) then maybe they can help with decorations/candles, etc?

boxes of wine and a keg of beer are cheaper than bottles of alcohol I think?

do you have a friend or family member who's into scrapbooking? s/he could make you your wedding album- buy disposable cameras & give them to each guest then have baskets around w/ signs telling them to put finished cameras in them (keep them from the kids as they waste them!)- you develop the film, choose photos & give to person to make you an album...

just some thoughts to start off with...

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J.P.

answers from Orlando on

K.,

I was supposed to get married on the beach and although my wedding was a disaster due to tropical winds, a fire breaking out in the hotel, and the a/c being taken out during the storm, well, it was an interesting time.

I reccommend looking at "Holiday Inn Ocean Front Cocoa Beach". I was not interested in the holiday inn at all and something told me to check it out anyway. I thought it sounded too plain and well, not posh if you will, however, they have a beautiful beach set up complete with columns and fabrics, and a satin runway to the "alter" ect.

It also has an upstairs deck outside you can rent for the evening recepetion at only $500.

They have to cater the food but it was DELICIOUS! especially the mashed potatos they made custom ordered for me (because I didn't like their other choices). They had a variety to chose from ranging from $12 per plate to $45 per plate. I do remember there were a lot of options in between!

Anyhow, you can also do your reception inside, but the set-up for outside is perfect with the deck overlooking the ocean and close to the stars, palm trees.. ahh..

what a nice day it would have been if everything hadn't gone wrong. Anyhow, you can look them up online and their pictures don't do them justice. Stop in their one night at dusk and have dinner or something just to feel the ocean breeze! ahh.. wish I were there now. :O)

Also, if you are in need of wedding favors I own Simply Cookies Company, and we do everything from small wedding favors for $2 - $4 per bag depending on style selected extravegant centerpieces.

Below are suggestions and not limited to shape, size or color:

$2/bag = heart or bell shape sugar cookie iced satin white w/ initials to match wedding colors

$3/bag = above with glitter or choice color and your initials in alternating wedding color to match
OR
Satin finish with a silver, gold or pearl specialty edible metallic initials

$4/bag = Large glittering heart sugar cookie on bottom and nesting heart outlined in glitter with iced initials in coordinating wedding color

**Other shapes available.

We have a picture online of a centerpiece I did for another wedding if you'd have use for something more extravagant but please note we are currently redoing and updating our site.

Anyhow hope that helps with a few of the things you may be looking for. Congrats!

J. R. Patellis
###-###-####
____@____.com
www.SimplyCookiesCompany.com <-- for pic of wedding centerpiece

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

I planned my husband's and I's wedding... we had everything, paid for everything, and spent about 5000.00. I had a few tips that I learned along the way. Granted, you sound like your not going to have one as big as I did, but you could still use the advice!

First, Hobby Lobby and Michael's have exclusive sales on wedding items in their store... 50% off entire departments. I took advantage of those. They also have sales on their flowers, 50% off. You could get your flowers there and have someone you know arrange them. All the supplies are there. Because you have the beach theme, it could be pretty inexpensive. Granted, hobby lobby is cheaper than michaels, but the rag shop might have a few things. Hobby lobby is available online, so price your stuff between the stores to find the best deals. If you choose the beach, try maybe having the wedding at sunset, and get some glass bowls with lit votives resting on colored sand or even the beach sand and some shells. Arrange those so that they outline your walkway... if you want a runner, I'd maybe get some cheap sheer from the fabric dept... but for the beach, I think the candles are pretty. Find things that won't be easily distroyed by wind... the shore tends to be a bit windy.

Have you tried looking at some halls, or party places to get married in? I am new to the area, but I'm pretty sure they have some little buildings with space for rent for any occasion. You can have the wedding and reception in one place, which saves money, dont have to worry about the weather, and is easier to decorate. It can be inexpensive, but it depends on the prices. Oriental Trading company has some things that might interest you... if you can find some cheap little glass bottles and some pliable paper that is pretty, print your invitations on them, roll them up, stick them in the bottles as if they were meant to be messages from the sea. Dollar stores have great glasses for cheap that could be used for party gifts for guest... anything.

My best advice to you is... keep your eyes peeled for the bargins at craft and dollar stores to get as much as you can. Dont think that it will come off cheap either... glasses and things look just fine plain and costing only a dollar. Ask around, dont be afraid to carry a pad and a pen with you to jot things down to research. It all pays off in the end. It's a bit of work, but wouldn't you rather spend time you can afford than money you cant? Good luck and hope you have a great time planning your wedding. If you have any more questions, you can email me at ____@____.com

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S.R.

answers from Burlington on

Hi K.,

I didn't have a beach wedding, but I planned our wedding myself with the help of my mom and we did it rather inexpensively. I'd be happy to help you with questions you have, feel free to email me at ____@____.com. A friend of mine had a small beach ceremony, so I'll ask her for details.

Best of luck,
S.

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S.E.

answers from Melbourne on

My friend just got married on the beach in Cocoa Beach. She used a lady named Joanie. Her website is www.beachweddingsbyjoanie.com. Thats all she does. She performs the ceremony, she brings the photographer, she sets up the archway and chairs and stuff. And she takes it all down afterwards. You just show up. It was really neat, and inexpensive. Then we just had a party at my house which we made really nice. We set up a cake table and put favors on it and napkins they had their names put on, etc. I set up a few tables out back with cream table cloths and hurricane lamps with a candle in the middle surrounded by seashells (I bought all that stuff at the dollar store.) We just called ahead for Olive Garden and had someone go pick up food on the way back. You can buy whole trays of stuff like lasagna. We also had a chocolate fountain with strawberries, etc. A neat little touch we did on the back porch where the tables were set up were a strand of white lights we bought along with a bunch of fake white roses (All dollar store) and when you take the rose apart, you can put it back together on top of each light bulb and then wrap green garland around it and the roses light up. Plus we bought plastic flowers that float in the pool and hold candles in the middle. Actually that lady would put on a reception for you outside at the park on the beach for extra also. Research it, maybe there is someone in your area that does the same thing. You can see hoe she decorates the archway and stuff on her website. Hope that helps.

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N.E.

answers from Daytona Beach on

First congrats on the wedding. I was mrried last yr. we went to the court house.( what i wanted didnt want a big wedding for reasons) but we had a nice recepttion. I got my cake from publix. it was really good I choose how i wanted it. even though they messed it up it was still good. My husband, his auntie and myself did the table pieces and favors. my mom also helped with buyin stuff. His auntie took the pictures and she had some really great ideals. A ideal is buy some lil bottles of bubbles. and give one to each guest. and have them all at the same time blow the bubbles.and have them take pictures. its very pretty. His auntie had that ideal. But for our 5 yr he wants to have a big wedding . lol. hope this helps some.

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B.A.

answers from Daytona Beach on

K., if you are looking for someone to assist you with skincare and make up for your special day, I am in Flagler Beach. Beach side weddings are so memorable.
B.
____@____.com

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F.H.

answers from Boca Raton on

My husband an I got married on a boardwalk just south of the Deerfield pier in Deerfield beach. There is an Embassy Suites right across from it. I wanted to wear a big dress too, and wasn't too crazy about walking in sand with it. Check out www.weddingsbythesea.net. They did a good job with our wedding. We got a marriage license at the courthouse for them to perform the ceremony and we also had to get a permit from broward county to "rent" the area on the boarwalk. It sounds complicated, but it wasn't. The nice thing is that you may be able to make arrangements with the Embassy Suites to have your wedding indoors if it's raining. Your guests can stay there too and there are many mom-and-pop little motels in the area that are very affordable too.

Congratulations and good luck!

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G.

answers from Miami on

Okay so I don't check my e-mail very ofter, but hopefuly I can help you. I just got married April 7 and we had a beach wedding at the SeaWatch in Lighthouse Point and it was amazing! The food was great for 20 people with prime rib, seafood melody and open bar we paid with tip tax etc 1,200.00. We also hired a separate company calabrations that provided the officiant the chairs the arch and music. (By the way THEY WERE AWSOME!!) talk to Pat she charged me about 500.00 http://www.celebrationswedding.com/BeachWeddings.html
Well I hope you have a great time and oh Pat helped me plan everything with about two weeks notice!

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B.H.

answers from Melbourne on

i love weddings! congratulations!!!!

have you thought of renting a gazebo or a larger size tent and setting it up on the beach or if you are near a lighthouse you could even set it up there. day, evening or night time weddings will require a certain set of rules so i would check maybe with a life gaurd on who to speak to about planning it. it would be done pretty cheap with the favors and extra stuff like that if you are going to do that kind of stuff. good luck, B.

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N.D.

answers from Boca Raton on

Congratulations! My best friend just got married in February at this little place right on the beach in Jupiter. The wedding was supposed to be on the beach, but it rained so we moved the ceremony inside of the little building where they were the reception was being held. It was perfect and she didn't spend much money on it at all. She hired an inexpensive (but good) caterer and got a few friends and family to help with the set-up and centerpieces and everything. It was great. Very nice, but small and intimate and it definitely did not break the bank! I'll ask her the details and get back to you. I also have friends who own a great little property in Costa Rica (in case you're still looking for honeymoon ideas!).

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