Planning A Clearwater Beach Destination Wedding

By boones

Hailed by TripAdvisor as one of the top beaches in the United States, Clearwater Beach near Tampa offers an extraordinary setting for a destination wedding. Immerse yourself in the island atmosphere, enjoying the soft, pristine white sands, the soothing sounds of crashing waves, and the beauty of the painted skies. Running an event entertainment company in the Gulf Coast Area of Florida has introduced me to brides, grooms, families and friends from all over the United States. We figured we would share some insights and tips to the happy couple from our 15+ years of spinning tunes and capturing moments of beach weddings around the Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater area

East Coast or West Coast?

When planning a Florida destination wedding, one of the biggest decisions is…well…the destination. As a long time resident of the Gulf Coast, I’m kind of biased. The biggest benefit of a Gulf Coast wedding is the Sunsets!!! Every night you get a fabulous sunset over the calm gulf coast waters, which make for an ultra-romantic setting and great backdrop for photos. The east coast of Florida has the romantic lighting of the “golden hour”, soft pastel skies and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

What time of year?

Ideally, you want to come when it’s best for you and your guests. If you’re both teachers and you have the Summer off, a Summer wedding might be ideal. However, Summer in Clearwater Florida is HOT! Be prepared for the heat and plan your tuxedos (think light colors), wedding dress, hair and make-up accordingly.

Planning a beachfront ceremony during the Winter months is a popular choice among our northern couples. The beaches are less crowded and experience less rain. Additionally, winter weddings in Clearwater Beach can be more affordable, with off-season rates for hotels, restaurants, and other services.

With warm, sunny weather and a refreshing breeze during the Spring season, you will be surrounded with beautiful Gulf beach island weather on your Florida wedding day.

While Fall days in Florida are warmer than most, you won’t be as hot as in the summer, but you can still enjoy swimming at the Gulf beaches.

Have a Plan "B"

Even with 240 days of sunshine during the year, Gulf Coast weather can be unpredictable. Make sure your location or venue has a backup plan that you are comfortable with in case of inclimate weather.

Find The Best Venue For Your Destination Wedding

The Clearwater/St. Pete area has a wide variety of venues for your wedding. You can choose a Beach Wedding for a toes-in-the-sand ceremony, a Beach Front Wedding on the property of one of the many beachfront venues, or a traditional wedding at a church with reception to follow at one of Clearwater’s numerous banquet facilities.

Many of the beachfront hotels & resorts provide access to their own beach for ceremonies with a short walk to either the indoor or outdoor reception area for cocktails, dining and dancing.

For additional help on choosing the perfect event venue, check out our Ovations series in our blog for some of our favorite digs!

The Music

Everyone knows that music is essential to any great wedding reception. If your budget allows it, a good DJ that can keep your reception run smoothly, read the crowd and assist you in crafting the perfect soundtrack for the night. In addition, they probably have additional gear, like lighting, backup equipment, logo projections, additional mics to set the atmosphere and keep the celebration going smoothly. Many beachfront resorts have a ‘preferred vendor’ list, where you can choose professionals that have performed there in the past and conform to their rules and regulations and have good standing with the venue.

Boone’s Professional Events is endorsed by many wedding and corporate event venues throughout the area including The Hilton CWB, Wyndham Grand, Hyatt Regency, Isla Del Sol, The Fenway Hotel, The Florida Aquarium and more.

See What Others Are Saying...

Planning a destination wedding for St. Pete Beach, FL from Colorado for our daughter could have been very stressful, but it wasn't when I found Jeff Boone's Professional Events. Jeff communicated with me during the planning process and verified everything we wanted for the beach ceremony and reception. We collaborated on every step of the ceremony and reception. Jeff is extremely organized and when he says he will do it, he does! In addition to Jeff being one of the best wedding and reception DJs, he got everyone on the dance floor, we highly recommend having the photo booth. Our guests had such a great time with the music, photo booth, and props. Don't search any further, Jeff Boone is outstanding and helped make our daughter's destination wedding truly fabulous and memorable!

“When we chose Jeff Boone of Boone’s Professional Events to handle the music for our wedding and reception, that choice was resoundingly validated = by the amazing job that Jeff did! For months prior to our wedding, Jeff’s “communication skills” and literature made us feel very confident that our needs were being met. At the wedding itself, and the reception thereafter … Jeff was very flexible and allowed us to call some last-minute ‘audibles’ that really helped put our own stamp on the entire day. Jeff navigated all this with us from 1500 miles away in advance of our wedding, and he really helped make our special day incredible. We are confident he would be the very best choice for anyone considering a true professional.” Thank you again, Jeff!

DJ Jeff Boone and Megan Boone were amazing!! They were both so easy to work with. They do monthly check in's so you don't lose track of the wedding day countdown. Their website you use to build your music requests and photo booth design is great - so easy to use!! On the day of, the music, the lights, and the Photo Booth were all awesome! The photo booth was definitely an huge hit!! People loved it!! Everyone had such a wonderful time!! Great job to all of his team!!!! Thank you for making our day so special!!!!

Jeff was a pleasure to work with and his responsive time was always very quick every time I had questions! The sound for our outdoor beach ceremony wedding was excellent. He made sure to keep people dancing with the songs and played all of my requested songs I had asked for. We also had up lighting throughout the room, which looked perfect and matched our wedding color theme. I would highly recommend!

Ready to Party?

If you’re ready to get started in your Holidy aEvent Entertainment Planning, give us a call. Jeff Boone has over 15 years of experience providing disc jockey, lighting and photo booth services to residents, businesses and visitors of the Tampa/St. Pete area. We have developed great relationships with a lot of event venues and vendors around SW Florida and can help make your planning less stressful. From weddings, birthdays, Mitsvahs, Quince’s and anniversary parties to corporate events, galas, get-togethers and school functions, Boone’s Professional Events can help make your event memorable!

727-475-4789