Florida Marriage License Information

by Amanda Doumanian Reeves Uncategorized

A valid Florida marriage license is required to be legally married in Florida. The marriage license can be issued at any County Clerk’s office in Florida; it doesn’t have to be the county where you are getting married. A Florida marriage license can be issued as early as 60 days before the wedding. For Florida residents there is a three-day waiting period after getting the license before you can be married. If a premarital on-line counseling course is completed, you can get married on the same day you get your license. Out-of-state residents can be married the same day that they get the Florida marriage license. When applying for your marriage license both parties must be present.

We do offer a convenient Florida mail away license service where you can “Show up and Get Married.” No going to the Courthouse!!! This is extremely popular for families and couples that travel to Clearwater or St George Island Florida to get marriage and don’t want to spend their time going to a courthouse.

Witnesses are not required. There is an optional spot for 2 witnesses to sign the marriage license but this is not required. If you truly want to elope with just you and your fiancé- you can 🙂

The Florida marriage license must be presented on the day of the wedding for notary or minister to complete. Whoever performs your ceremony would send the license back to the county where the license was issued. The county will then record your marriage and send you a certified copy of your marriage license. The certified copy of the marriage license is what you would need to change your name.

Ways to Use Rose Petals at your Wedding Ceremony

Ways to Use Rose Petals at your Wedding Ceremony

by Charmaine Doumanian News

You want to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony but not sure how. Check out our favorite ways to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony!

Whether it be on the beach, park, venue, or elsewhere rose petals can be incorporated into your wedding ceremony. We’ve used rose petals to make a heart, down the aisle, lining the aisle, circle, accent petals around an arbor, and much more! Here are some different rose petal options to consider for your wedding ceremony.

Fresh mixed colored rose petals

Mixed colors of fresh rose petals

Rose petal heart ideas

A rose petal heart can have mixed colored petals or a solid color. We always use fresh petals on the beach or on the grass because the artificial petals easily get blown away into the ocean and all around the park. Fake rose pedals need to be picked up, which is super annoying, and are are harmful to the environment.

You can do a pretty flower heart with artificial flowers that are strung together. This is always a good option on a windy day or for a grass location. The string of flowers can easily be picked up and secured into the ground.

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A mound style heart in the sand with fresh rose petals in the center of the heart is a very pretty idea to consider. The heart can be accented with tiki torches and greenery with flowers at the end of the tiki torch posts or shepherds hooks with hanging lanterns or flower balls.

heart in sand with tiki

How about a circular ceremony with rose petal heart in the center of the circle! We love this setup because all of your guests are truly around you. Having a rose heart in the middle of the circle gives the ceremony a beautiful pop of color.

Rose petal heart in center of circular ceremony setup. Siesta Key Beach

Rose petal heart in center of circular ceremony setup at Siesta Key Beach

Lining the aisle

At the beach, park, or inside venue adding rose pedals to line the aisle is a great touch. Adds just a pop of color and really pulls the look together. Here are a few pictures of wedding ceremonies we’ve done with fresh and artificial flowers lining the aisle.

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Wedding at Hotel Duval in Tallahassee, FLWedding Package #1 jim&ann2
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Circle

If a heart is not your thing you can make the flower petals into another shape. We think it’d be neat to have a circle of rose pedals for the couple to stand inside showing their love will go on forever. Another idea we had was to make an infinity sign out of pedals!

Down the aisle

The traditional rose pedals down the aisle is always a great look! Keep in mind if you are having an outdoor wedding ceremony and use artificial rose pedals you need to pick them up…and that’s not easy or fun.

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Cereon

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Shapes down the aisle

If you want to get real creative use flower pedals and make shapes down the aisle. This is a wedding Charmaine officiated at the Kapok Tree in Clearwater Florida. If you create a flower design in the aisle you need to make sure to block the inside chairs (see how they did it hear with fabric) so guests enter into their seats from the outside in….and don’t mess up the design. We can do these designs or you can have your florist or coordinator do it.

Kapok Special Events Wedding Room

 

There are a ton of neat ways to use rose petals at your wedding ceremony. We love working with couples to make their vision come to life! Keep your wedding simple, affordable, and pretty by using rose petals whether it be beach or elsewhere. Contact us to discuss your wedding ceremony ideas: info@abeautifulweddinginflorida.com

Tallahassee Wedding Officiant Awarded 2017 WeddingWire Couples Choice Award

Tallahassee Wedding Officiant Awarded 2017 WeddingWire Couples Choice Award

by Amanda Doumanian Reeves News

A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee Honored For Excellence With 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award® Wedding Wire Couples Choice 2017

WeddingWire, the leading global online marketplace for the wedding and event industry, announced A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee as a winner of the esteemed 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® for Wedding Officiant service in Tallahassee!

The Couples’ Choice Awards recognize the top five percent of wedding professionals on WeddingWire who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. The prestigious awards are given to the top local wedding professionals across more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.

The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.

Christen’s review wrote, “Amanda was wonderful! She really made us comfortable during the ceremony and she helped us to overcome the little bumps in the road that we were met with. Overall, it was an incredible experience and I feel very fortunate to have had her there with us on the most wonderful day of our lives. Thank you so much!”

“The Couples’ Choice Awards’ ninth year features one of the most impressive groups of dedicated and acclaimed wedding professionals yet,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “It is our honor to work with high-caliber merchants, such as {Enter Your Business Name}, who not only make a couple’s big day possible, but also contribute to the more than 2.5 million U.S. reviews represented on WeddingWire. We congratulate all of this year’s winners on their achievements.”

As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee is highlighted on WeddingWire, which is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals in the U.S.

A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee is thrilled to be one of the top Wedding Officiant services in Tallahassee on WeddingWire. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We truly value all of our clients and appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn a 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award.

For more information about A Beautiful Wedding in Florida Tallahassee, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.weddingwire.com/abeautifulweddinginfloridatallahassee

To learn more about the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers around the world are able to read over 3 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses globally. It provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 15 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 800 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding Ceremony

Ways to Include Your Dog in Your Wedding Ceremony

by Amanda Doumanian Reeves News

Your pets are part of your family so it makes sense that you’d want them with you on your wedding day. We’ve officiated thousands of weddings and had the joy of meeting many family dogs; actually we’ve met horses, cats, birds, and more! Hah! It’s becoming increasingly more popular to include your dog in your wedding ceremony.

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We are pet lovers so we understand why you’d want them to be there with you on your special day. We love when you ask us for ideas on how to include your beloved dog in your wedding ceremony. Before deciding on having your dog in your wedding ceremony think about the following:

  • Does the venue or place you are having wedding ceremony allow dogs?
  • What will you do with the dog after the ceremony?
  • Will your dog bark at guests?
  • Who will be in charge of the dog?
  • Are you a easy-going couple who will laugh at your dogs unplanned actions? For example a bark or an excited run into your arms.
Their dogs wanted a kiss too :) Picture by Corbett's Media.

In the middle of the ceremony Ann’s dog jumped right into her arms for a quick kiss!

If all of the above are in check and you’ve decided to move forward with having your dog at your wedding ceremony here are some of our favorite ways to include your dog in your wedding ceremony:

  1. Take “family” wedding pictures together. Have your dog at the wedding and take pictures together. Dress them up in a suite tie or a wedding veil. Most often times a friend takes the dog home before the ceremony and reception so every can enjoy, but you still get “family” pictures together.
    Dogs in ceremony are becoming more and more common
  2. Have your dog be the ring bearer. Some people even tie their real rings to the collars; we don’t advise doing this. One time George Jr officiated a wedding with a highly trained competitive show dog. When the bride whistled the dog rain down the aisle, jumped up to the his Mom (the bride) and gave her the rings!
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  3. Have your dog be a “groomsman” or “bridesmaid”. Dress your dog up in it’s wedding attire and have him/her walk down the aisle with one of the members of your bridal party. This way they are standing close to you during the ceremony.
    This sleepy dog was the best man at a wedding officiated by George Jr.
  4. Mention your dog in the wedding ceremony. This can be added to any part of the ceremony. For example,
    • During the ring exchange, “(Bride’s name), I give this ring to you as my promise that I will walk with you and (Dog’s name), on and off the trail, wherever our journey leads us; living, learning loving, together forever.
    • During the ceremony the officiant reads, “Throughout the past years (Bride and Groom) have built a beautiful life together filled with family and friends. They have built a beautiful home together, which now includes their little hairy dog child, (Dog’s name).”
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  5. Remember a beloved dog that is no longer with you. The loss of a pet is very difficult. For many couples a dog is their first “child” and they will love them forever. A sweet way to remember your past pets is for the Officiant to say, “Before we commence the vows let us take a moment to remember (family members and close friends). Though he is absent physically, we invoke, through our thought and prayers, his loving presence. We pray that God might multiply beyond measure the blessings from him to Bride and Groom.  We’d also like to remember Bride and Groom’s dog (Dog’s name) who is no longer with them, but will always be remembered as their baby.”

If you can’t figure out any ways to include your dog in your wedding ceremony:

  1. You can have a framed picture of your dog at the wedding. It’s a sweet way for your dog to be included without the worry of a crazy outburst 🙂
  2. Include the poem “How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali in your ceremony
  3. Give your dog a shout out. Have your officiant mention your dog in the ceremony.
Me with at their St. Petersburg Pass A Grille Wedding Ceremony

St. Petersburg Pass A Grille Wedding Ceremony

Terry and Roger happy married with their fur babies :) Photo by Lance Oliver

Terry and Roger happy married with their fur babies 🙂 Their stayed in the house for the wedding ceremony then they took “family” pictures together.

 

St. George Island Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony

St. George Island Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony

by Amanda Doumanian Reeves News

I LOVE being a wedding officiant. I get to see SOO many beautiful weddings, meet the most amazing couples, and help people on the happiest day of their lives….WIN WIN WIN! Last week, I got to do something SUPER awesome! I helped Jessica organize, plan, and officiate a St. George Island SURPRISE vow renewal ceremony.

Jessica and her husband, Billy, were visiting St. George Island, Florida to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary. They had talked about renewing their vows in the future but never made a final decision or planned details. So Jessica thought for their 10 year anniversary while on beautiful St. George Island it would be the perfect time to renew their vows. So she hired me to make it all happened as a surprise to Billy! After about 80 emails, we had come up with a surprise plan that we both loved!

On October 9, 2014 I drove to St. George Island. When I arrived, I sent Jessica a text message and she met me in the bathroom near the lighthouse (her and Billy were walking around taking pictures around the lighthouse). Jessica gave me her video camera so I could capture his reaction. I told her that I’d text her when I was setup on the beach and ready for them. I had wrapped a BIG box with a bow on top. Inside the box were three balloons- two white ones (one for Billy and one for Jessica) that would fly away once the box was opened and one red heart that would pop up once the box was opened.  The outside of the box had a sign that read, “Bill, Open the Box”.  I walked out to the beach and found a spot for the box. Then I walked about 100 yards away to pretend that I was talking pictures of the beach. I texted Jessica that I was ready for them.

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She got Billy to go for a nice walk along the beach (secretly leading him to the box). I saw them coming towards the box and got so excited! Billy saw the box and Jessica said “Look it says for you to open it!” and he said “What did you do? Haha!” Confused and stunned he walked over to the box and opened it. The balloons popped up and the red heart read, “Welcome to your Vow Renewal”.

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I then went over and introduced myself and welcomed him to his St. George Island Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony. He was so shocked and loved it! We proceeded to have a beautiful ceremony on the beach. A kind beach goer even videoed the ceremony for them. After the ceremony I presented them with a commemorative certificate and took some pictures of them together on the beach.

Me with Jessica and Billy at their St. George Island Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony

Me with Jessica and Billy at their St. George Island Surprise Vow Renewal Ceremony

It was a beautiful day for a St. George Island Surprise Vow renewal Ceremony. Billy and Jessica are a wonderful couple and I feel so privilege to have been a part of their special celebration. I love helping couples create the ceremony of their dreams…and if that includes a SURPRISE I’m totally in and would love to help you too!

 

 

St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages

St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages

by Amanda Doumanian Reeves News

St. George Island is a beautiful paradise on a barrier island, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola Bay.  St. George Island is in Franklin County, Florida. It’s about 85 miles from Tallahassee so we travel to St. George Island for a lot of beach weddings. We have officiated small beach weddings and large ceremonies. Ceremonies on the beach and in the houses along the beach. Whatever you want we can work with you to make happen.

Walk way to St. George Island wedding

Walk way to St. George Island wedding

We know that St. George Island is a small area, it’s only a 28 mile long island, so it is sometimes hard to find affordable available experienced wedding vendors. We offer complete St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages including, but not limited to, wedding ceremony officiant, chairs, decorated bamboo arch, rose pedal heart in the sand, photographer, day-of-coordinator, and sand ceremony setup.

Rose pedal heart in sand

Rose pedal heart in sand

 

4 post bamboo poles with decorated wtih sand ceremony setup

4 post bamboo poles with decorated with sand ceremony setup

If you’re looking for someone to help you create your St. George Island wedding ceremony please contact us.  Many couples travel to St. George Island and rent a big house then have to coordinate family and friends, reception, and putting the ceremony together. Hiring us to be your St. George Island wedding officiant and setup your wedding ceremony will relieve a lot of the pressure and allow you to enjoy your day much more. We’ve love to create a St. George Island Wedding Ceremony Packages that fits your needs 850-322-0911. We can help you arrange a big ceremony, small, surprise, elopement, or just couple ceremony.

 

Please note- We are happy to offer these St. George Island ceremony packages and more as a way to make your planning easier AND allow you to truly create your own ceremony. We do NOT charge additional fees to officiate ceremonies that include sand ceremonies, unity candle ceremonies, readings, and etc. We only charge for those additional items if you ask us to supply the materials — couples that supply their own items and setup will NOT be charged.