Are Private Houses phasing out for Wedding Venues
Are Private Homes Phasing Out For Weddings?
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When to book your wedding officiant
When to Book your Wedding Officiant
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How Much Alcohol to Buy at your Wedding or Event
What is Keys Disease
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How to Tip Your Wedding Vendors
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What to Wear to a Beach Wedding
Whether you are planning or attending a beach wedding, it is a common question to ask, what do I wear?

When to Hire Your Wedding Vendors
When to Hire Your Wedding Vendors
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7 Reasons to Hire Local Vendors
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Chalk another one on the board for the sale list. As I get off the phone with a popular wedding venue that informs me that they are selling their property and the new owner has no interest in doing weddings there, I started to see a recent trend happening. 

See, In Monroe County, Houses that wish to use themselves as Vacation Rentals must abide by strict rules and laws. First, they must list their property for a 28 day vacation rental. Now, there are certain ways that you can get around to this , such as zoning, size, or grandfathered in, but for the most part you need to rent your house for a month. 

Popularity for private houses started rising over the last couple years with places like the Key Largo Lighthouse which sold their property in 2012, and the Butterfly House which sold in 2015 and most recently, H20. Couples found that renting a private house for the week seemed to offer more of a private atmosphere then your resort style venue. Couples could build a wedding from the ground up with their own ideas, and transform the property using just a blank canvas. 

Buying a private home and renting out for weddings or vacation rentals seems like a great idea at first until other complications get involved. If you own a private home, a wedding here and there or maybe once a month seems like it would be ok. But to do a wedding every single weekend can cause neighbors to get upset and make complaints to Monroe County officials leaving you behind with fines. 

Now, some properties are properly zoned to have a wedding in the Florida Keys. Some properties are grandfathered in to have a wedding, and some properties require you to have an onsite duty police officer at the gate to make sure noise complaints aren’t called in.  For what seemed to be a huge rise in the market for private houses seems to be slowing down for these complications. There are still some beautiful properties that still and can rent for a wedding down here in the Florida Keys.  Just make sure you they are legit and not up for sale and that clause is in any contract that you sign. If a property does sell, most likely, the new homeowner is not willing to grant your wedding.  

What I see trending is more towards cottages in the future. I still think private houses will have their niche and you will always have a couple that is geared towards renting a private house for the week and we will absolutely help you out in this process if you are having trouble or concerned.  Feel free to contact us as we stay up to date on Private wedding homes in the Florida Keys! 

Why you may want to book your officiant early

Picture of Written By Kat Newman

Written By Kat Newman

Q. What ONE VENDOR must you hire when getting married?

Officiant, Of Course!​

There was a time, not too long ago, when the celebrant/clergy/officiant performing and legalizing a ceremony was contacted simultaneously, or not too long after the date and venue were selected.  What happened to those good old days? Since everything old is new again (or RETRO, I should say), then perhaps that trend will return. Maybe in some markets, it never changed, but if 2014/2015 are any indication here in The Florida Keys, the shift was definitely towards booking officiants much closer to the wedding date.

Being the inquisitive type, I asked myself “Why?" After a great deal of ruminating, here is what I was able to pull together from the answers rattling around in my head:

Top 6 Reasons on When to Hire your Wedding Officiant Early

  1. Couples are overwhelmed with the other decisions and just don’t get to it
  2. Couples are encouraged to focus on venue, food, photographer first
  3. In destination weddings, there are all the travel, mail and communication issues, uncertainties and research to address
  4. Because a wedding celebrant is such a personal and intimate element of the wedding date, the sheer importance of the choice makes the task more difficult
  5. Couples feel that if they book the officiant early – they will have to address the ceremony early as well
  6. Lastly, they just don’t know where to start
When to book your wedding offiant

The individual creating and performing your ceremony is vital to your day and like, the other vendors, the exceptional ones are booked early. Our calendars mirror everyone else’s and we require time to process your contract/payment confirm and communicate with you as well as build the relationship and assist you in many ways. We want to allow sufficient time to create the ideal bond and perfect wording without applying undo pressure.  Ultimately the final product does not have to be crafted until much closer to your date. The extra time will allow your officiant to make sure you have had a chance to go over all the options and resources that she will make available to you.

Most planners/venues/photographers will be happy to refer a reputable wedding officiant or you can check out Florida Keys Wedding Officiants here to find some. 

So call your officiant early and improve your chances of booking one who is reliable, professional and the right fit for you.

When to book your wedding officiant

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What is the Keys Disease?

The Keys Disease is a term Locals in the Florida Keys use to describe someone who is apathetic towards everything in life. They are on permanent vacation in their mind, body, and soul. 

A typical example of what locals would call someone with the Keys Disease is 

  • Laziness
  • Calling Out of Work 
  • Fishing All Day
  • Diving Every Day
  • Laying on the Beach
  • Going to Happy Hour
  • Drinking All Day
  • Doing the Bare Minimum

The term Keys Disease is not meant to be a derogatory or a disrespectful one. It is meant to bring light of an atmosphere that we are all too familiar with. 

The Keys Disease

As the picture illustrates above, this is all to common for locals in the Florida Keys. This is, I assume, how the Keys Disease was started. Why on earth would you want to go to work on a day like above.

Another example of someone telling you that you might have the Keys Disease is when you call out of work a lot and barely have enough money to pay your bills, but always are at the beach and the bar. 

Has anyone seen Jen, She Missed work today? 

Yeah, she must be infected with the Keys Disease. 

Whether you know it or not, or if you have been to the Florida Keys or not, you have been affected or came down seriously ill with Keys Disease. 

Who's Infected with the Keys Disease?

What is the Keys Disease? At one point in life, everyone has been affected by the Keys Disease.  The Keys Disease is a list of character traits brought on by sudden apathy and laziness to not want to do anything except fish, drink, and lay in the sun all day. 

Why do People Get Keys Disease?

I could go into a very, very, sarcastic blog here but as I have a concerned client having trouble with some (Non Affiliated) vendors, I figured I could enlighten some new people who may have never heard the term. 

You most likely will get the Keys Disease within your first 6 months of living or being here. Nobody wants to go to work when the weather is beautiful, the skies are clear and ocean is is flat calm. 

How This Negatively could affect you?

Keys Disease on Vacation?

YES!

Keys Disease while relying on someone?

NO!

Now this is a tough one. Anyone at any given moment could be infected with the Keys Disease. In our Industry that we rely on, Weddings and Events,  There are two important things that I would like to get across while writing this. 

  1.  Not Everyone Has Keys Disease
  2. The Keys Disease is more of a Sunday type disease

We work with weddings and events, so you could imagine if a Bride booked someone and they end of having the Keys Disease, sure, its fine for a Sunday not to get a text, call, or an email back, but when days go by, weeks even, that could be a problem. 

View Real Weddings in the Florida Keys

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Heres some Tips On Avoiding Keys Disease people.

1.) Try to use our vendors

I’m totally biased when I say that because our vendors rock. We may not have alot of vendors, in fact, we don’t want alot of vendors. We want vendors who respond quickly, who take their job seriously and perform above and beyond. We monitor our vendors and make sure they are the best of the best. That’s why we love them.

Real Wedding in Key West at Smathers Beach

2.) Take a Deep Breath

If you are running across long response times and feeling that this is getting stressful, take a deep breath. 

Sometimes it happens and sometimes the best vendors are usually the busiest with alot of bookings. Consider the time of year that you are inquiring and know that we have high season times. Know that there are alot of popular Weekday Weddings as well as Weekend ones, Alot of local vendors are not on a set schedule or a Monday – Friday job. They maybe off on Mondays and Tuesdays and you sent an email on Saturday night after they worked two weddings back to back. and yes, sometimes this is the lifestyle we love and why we live down here. We work hard and play hard. We love to go to the beach and go fishing and go the sandbar in Islamorada. I think response times from most of our vendors are usually within a couple hours but don’t freak out if its two days sometimes. It happens.

Browse Florida Keys Wedding Packages

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How to Work with it & When to look elsewhere.

Most of the time it’s really not a problem. If you are new to planning your wedding and came across this page then great. You are already ahead in the game. Contact Us as we can help you out or browse through our vendors and venues to get an idea of what you may be interested in and see some of the best. If you are already knee deep in your wedding planning and just started reading this and placed down some deposits and finding out vendors are not responding back to you (like a week +), just remember to relax. Start looking at alternatives and finding out about receiving your deposit back. You should never have to wait more than a week to receive a reply unless otherwise noted from your vendor that they will be out of town or the office for that week or two. Which leads me to my next subject.

What is Keys Disease

You are the employer

I know that dealing with the Keys disease can be frustrating and it frustrates us at times as well when trying to contact a venue or unknown vendor via email. I can only imagine how you would feel living hundreds if not thousands of miles away not really knowing what is going on. 
 
Be honest when talking or emailing with your vendors. Let them know that you are on the antsy or anxious side (and yes its ok to be those things) when  planning a wedding from so far from home. See if they can mark your emails as priority or let them know its ok to reply in a couple days but if you could just send me an “I’m working on it” email so I know you got it. If you haven’t yet. Get a Wedding Planner to deal with directly! 
 
 
 
You are the boss and seeing your dream day turn into a reality is why these vendors are here. It’s why we are here. We love it. 

In Closing

In Closing, I’m going to take the boat out and go fishing! Take Care! 

Picture of Florida Keys Wedding Center

Florida Keys Wedding Center

Destination Wedding Information for the Florida Keys and Key West

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How to Tip your Wedding Vendors

First, to start off on How to Tip your Wedding Vendors, tipping is not mandatory, it is supposed to be an expression of gratitude and a thank you for their good service. 

Gratuity can sometimes be overlooked and not thought of, so putting gratuity into your wedding budget can be helpful when calculating all your expenses.  

Make sure to check ALL contracts,  gratuity might already be included in the bill. Especially for vendors like Caterers and Bar when staffing is included. 

If a business owner gave you a nice discount, provided an extra service free of charge, or just really impressed you with their services, it is nice to give them something a little extra as to show your appreciation and gratitude. 

A gift card or maybe a small gift is always thoughtful for a vendor that wasn’t too involved in your wedding, but you still want to show your appreciation. 

How to Tip your Wedding Vendors AFTER the service they provided.  I think it is more appropriate because as a Florida Keys Wedding Coordinator myself,  I have had couples hand me cards to pass out before the wedding but some of those vendors, either showed up late or did not provide the service that was contracted. And of course the couple was not to happy to pass along that gratuity they expected to give. 

If you do not have a day of coordinator you can always place someone in charge to hand out gratuities at the end of the night like one of the mom’s – father’s – maid of honor, or personally give them out yourself.

Gratuity Guide

Wedding Coordinator – 50+ or Nice Gift – No tip is necessary but if you feel like they worked their butt off for you, you can give a gift or tip at the end of the wedding along with a big hug 😉 

Hair & Make-up – 10-20 % Just like if you were going to the Salon 

Officiants – If it is your Pastor / Family Member / Friend that is doing this as a free service. A Nice gift is a appropriate, maybe treat them to a nice dinner after the wedding. As for a vendor $25 – $75 is more common but not necessary. 

Florist – Not Necessary but if you absolutely LOVED them and they were personally there to make sure everything looked as you designed, consider mailing them a nice gift. 

DJ’s – Owners of the company or not, I feel like with my experience this wedding vendor always receives a tip and the biggest tip! $50 – $200 – Why? Well because they are in charge of the mood of the night – If everyone is dancing and having a blast, the couples always end up placing a little extra in the envelope because they just danced their shoes off.

Ceremony music or band members : $25.00 – $50.00 per member

Photo / Video – If they own their own business not necessary – If they just made you smile through out the whole night – A nice gift or $50 – $100

Baker – Not Necessary, most of the time you do not even see the baker. They deliver to the venue and drop it off, unless it is a private owned baker and they take their time to deliver themselves and set it up, place flowers or whatever other extra decor you had for your wedding cake. Nice Gift or $25.00 – $50.00

Catering Manager / Staff – Be sure to check your contract as most of the time gratuity is included, if not for the catering manager – $50 – $100 and each server $25 

Bartenders – These guys should always be taking care of – Some companies do not allow the bartenders to place tip jars at a wedding, Why? because they are serving free drinks and guests might not have any cash on them to give.. $50 – $100 per bartender is appropriate

Picture of FKWC

FKWC

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Florida Beach Wedding Attire

What to Wear to a Beach Wedding in Florida

As a Guest, one of the first things you ask yourself when you are invited to a beach wedding is “What do I wear?” 

Whether you are planning or attending a Florida beach wedding, it is a common question to ask, what do I wear? Is it beach formal, beach casual or a black tie wedding? 

Some questions to steer you in the right direction are 

  • What time of year is it?
  • Is the reception indoors or outdoors?  
  • How Many Guests are Invited to the Wedding?
  • Is it Ceremony only or ceremony and reception dinner also? 

As a guest to find this information, look to see if the couple has a wedding website or if they placed a dress code on their invitation cards.

Pro Tip

You can get a great idea by checking out the wedding venue itself. Is the wedding venue at a high end resort or a beach cottage, or maybe a fancy or low key restaurant. 

If it is located at a high end resort or private beach house estate then it might be safe to say that were looking at a little more beach formal or maybe even black tie.  

For Small cottages, bungalows, and restaurants can, and might be, a little more laid back and casual.  Black ties are mostly uncommon considering most of the event is typically outside. 

Beach Wedding Attire Categories

  • Beach Casual

  • Beach Formal

  • Black Tie

  • Shades of White

#1.) Beach Casual

Beach Casual Attire is the most common attire that we see at a beach wedding worn by guests. It’s comfortable and convenient.  Here are some great examples below. 

HIS

  • Beach Casual 
  • Linen shirt
  • linen pants/shorts
  • Khakis
  • Shoes could be sandals or boat shoes

HERS

  • Beach Casual

  • Sundress, short or long

  • Sandals

  • Bright Colors in Spring and Summer go well

#2.) Beach Formal

Beach Formal is also a very common attire that we see. This gives you ideas for a more formal style event but dressing for the elements of the beach such as Sun, wind, water and salt.  Here are some great examples below. 

HIS

  • Beach Formal

  • Linen shirt

  • Linen pants or Khakis.

  • Sport Jacket.

  • No Tie.

  • Shoes should be dress shoes

HERS

  • Beach Formal

  • Sundress, short or long

  • Sandals

#3.) Black Tie Affair

Although somewhat uncommon, This gives you an idea of a formal affair – and is laid out below. Typically a black tie wedding event will be held at a beach ceremony and ballroom reception indoors. If thinking this is what to wear to your beach wedding, we would suggest confirming with the bride or groom before proceeding. 

HIS

  • Black Tie

  • A tuxedo

  • A tie

  • Bowtie

  • Dress shoes

HERS

  • Black Tie

  • Cocktail dress

  • Long evening gown

#4.) Shades of White

Another Common and popular look is the all white or shades of white with white top and off white or khaki bottoms or a long white sundress. This is particularly popular because of being on the beach in the hot sun and sand.  

HIS

  • Shades of White

  • Breezy Pants

  • Linen Shirt, Short or Long Sleeve

  • Jacket

  • Shoes can be anywhere from sandal to dress

HERS

  • Shades of White

  • Breezy all white dress, short or long.

Soles of Your Feet

Another common question and factor is shoes. Can I wear high heels in the sand ?   What kind of sand does the property have? Will I have trouble walking around on the Wedding Day?

Some things to Consider When Asking What to Wear to a Beach Wedding?

Depending on your venue, sand can either be packed in and easy to walk on or fluffed and a mission for high heels.  Don’t be scared to contact the location to ask questions:

What kind of sand do you have, packed in or fluffy?

It is a very common question. If it is fluffy sand – no worries all you have to do is make it past the cocktail hour and then kick off your shoes and relax – After all, It is a beach wedding.

Are you Planning a Beach Wedding?

For the Couple

You can better inform your guests on what to wear to a beach wedding by creating a wedding website and placing the attire information on there or by placing a hint on your wedding invites- see below for the different styles.​

Consinder a shoes optional sign to make your guests feel more comfortable about kicking off their shoes.

Weather

Consider the time of year that you are getting married before you pick out an outfit. Even though this is a beach wedding, that does not mean it stays hot. During the winter months it can get very cold and even in spring months an offshore breeze can drop the temperature dramatically, especially if you have been out in the sun all day. 
If you are getting married in the Florida Keys,  check out our calendar page to see what the average temperature is for your wedding day. 

How to Fly with your Wedding Dress

TSA INSTRUCTIONS

You can bring a wedding dress through the security checkpoint for screening, but we strongly recommend that it is packed safely in a garment – style bag or other packaging to protect it during the screening process. We also recommend that you contact your airline to determine their policy for bringing and stowing the dress on the airplane, as well as how it fits into their carry on bag. 

Consider contacting a Dry Cleaners to schedule for your dress to be steamed the day before the wedding. 

Picture of FKWC

FKWC

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Building Your Wedding Vendor Timeline

Planning a wedding in Florida  maybe different than planning a wedding on the mainland and Knowing How and When to Hire Your Wedding Vendors may help you with Costs, Wedding Planning, and A Reduce in Stress!

Now, Our Wedding Vendor Timeline is going to be a little different than other websites that you may visit, and there is a reason why. 

Now that you may have your Wedding Checklist all marked off, Looking and choosing on When To Hire Your Vendors  is different because are options are alot less limited. 

#1 When To Book Your Wedding Planner

YES, this should be the first thing we search for When to Hire Your Wedding Vendors. Considering the fact that they have the word Wedding Planner in their name, it may mean that they do this for a living.

 So many couples often tell us that they are not interested in a Wedding Planner or want to plan it on their own. And that may be fine, but at least try talking to a Wedding Planner First. Feel them out, you may end up having to come back to them when the ball starts rolling. If you are already starting to get stressed and you haven’t even chosen your venue yet, then I would definitely recommend getting a local keys wedding planner. 

We have come across people who don’t want to hire a wedding planner until they have locked down their Wedding Venue location which makes sense, but after you have locked in your Venue, consider looking at Hiring a Wedding Planner First! 

When to Book your Wedding Planner

#2 When To Book Your Wedding Caterer

Assuming that we have a wedding venue already selected that does not provide food or wondering how to buy alochol for your wedding , selecting the Caterer for food and bar options would be number 2 on our list for When to Hire your Wedding Vendors. Wedding Venue, Food, and Rentals, are going to be your three biggest expenses and finding the right caterer will help you stay align with your budget. If you are planning for a rehearsal dinner and brunch, take your guest amount and times it by three for easier calculations. Many caterers down here in the keys provide easy to elegant dishes, from buffet, carving stations, and plated options. Make sure to do tastings with them, talk to them about their style and see portfolios. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Read reviews and be patient. 

Check Out Our All Inclusive Packages if wanting something all together. 

#3 When To Book Your Wedding Officiant

And coming in at Number 3 is When to Book your wedding officiant. We may be one of the few and only wedding websites that recommends that you book your wedding officiant early. Why? You are going to need an officiant. That’s a fact. Whether it is a family member, friend, or local keys licensed officiant, you are going to need one. Officiants down here in the keys book fast and there are not that many to begin with. Finding one that you connect with and have a great rapport is a huge plus and we recommend you put down the deposit asap when you find that one. 

When to Hire your wedding vendors
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#4 When To Book Your Wedding Photographer

Almost all of our Florida Keys photographers and videographers are independent. Meaning they do not work for a corporation who has an unlimited amount of wedding photographers on hand. What you see is what you get, see why we hire only local vendors. I (Personally and unbiasedly) feel that we have some of the worlds, yes worlds, best photographers right here in the Florida Keys and having them capture your wedding event is a treat for all. Wedding Photographers, especially the good ones, get booked up very quickly. Sometimes more than a year + in advance. A photographer cannot perform multiple weddings on a day so finding one that you love and securing them is key and a relief. 

Florida Keys Wedding Vendors
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#5 When To Book Your Wedding Hair & Make Up

Finding the right wedding hair and make up artist may be harder than it was finding the person you are going to marry. A true make up artist that can do hair is something that is a gift and finding one that is open and available for your date needs to be locked up asap. Be sure to do some trial runs with your top artists that you have in mind and when you find the winner be sure to leave a deposit. There are alot of local keys salons down here but very few that will travel to your keys wedding venue and even fewer that can execute your vision. 

Florida Keys Hair and Make up
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#6 When To Book Your Entertainment

Ahhh, yes. The Entertainment! Whether a smoking cool DJ & MC, A Caribbean Steel Drummer, or even a solo pianist or a 3 piece stringed band. Picking what moves the peoples feet is definitely a fun choice and leads us to Number 6 on our list. We do highly recommend choosing from our list of Wedding Vendors. If you go with someone else please check reviews, ask for videos of recent events to see how they interact with the crowd. Check their facebook page and other correlating pages for any positive feedback. When you feel comfortable. Pull the trigger.

When to Hire Wedding Vendors
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#7 When To Book Your Wedding Transportation

Wedding Transportation may or may not be a necessity depending on the Wedding venue that you selected. If you are going to host your event at a larger resort where most of your guests will be staying then getting transportation to that event may be left to a couple people needing a taxi or using uber. If you have your wedding event at a private house or a cottage where parking is limited than having transportation may be necessary. We do not like to condone drinking and driving so if most of your guests will be coming from an offsite location then factoring transportation into your budget would certainly be ideal. Transportation comes in at number 7 and while there are quite a few companies to choose from, busy season could lead to more of these companies being occupied the day of your event, so we suggest scheduling with them sooner than later.  

*Helpful Tip: Using Emerald Transportation for airport pick ups and drop offs can be a great way to save time. Most car rental companies in the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale area are often packed with long lines. Using them to pick you up and drop you off here at a car rental spot where its fast and convenient

When to Hire your Wedding Vendors
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#8 When To Book Your Wedding Florist

Wedding Florist and Decor comes in at number 8 and here we can take a little bit of time. Most couples usually jump to flowers and decor in the planning process but it isn’t necessary. We should save this toward the end of planning and see what our budget allows. The reason we put them on the lower tier of the list is because unlike an officiant or photographer. A florist or decorator can handle multiple weddings in a day. Chances are they will be available to execute your flowers by just dropping them off and their availability will be alot more flexible and open.

Florida Keys Wedding Decor
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#9 When To Book Your Wedding Rentals

Wedding Rentals such as tables, chairs, linens, and other items can be put at number 9 on your vendors list. This will be probably the 3rd chunkiest part of your outgoing budget. So its necessary to make sure that the other vendors that we need have fallen into place before we start scrolling through rental items that you may need or want. Decor can be a part of your wedding that starts to sky rocket unexpectedly so this is why we suggest waiting til the later time before we start adding unnecessary items into our cart. Make sure you get what you need first and allow the budget to dictate the things that we want afterwards. 

When to Hire your Wedding Vendors
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#10 When To Book Your Wedding Cake/Baker

A Baker or Pastry Chef is number 10 on our list as they can also host multiple weddings in a day. Be sure to try several tastings with your baker to make sure you pick the one you like the best.

When to Hire your wedding vendors
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#11 When To Book Your Wedding Enhancements

And last but not least on our list is your unique wedding entertainment. These should be one of the last vendors that you choose to book with and the reasons may seem obvious. This should be the last part that we use to fill or go under our budget for costs whether you are looking for fireworks, a Magician, cigar roller, ect…  These vendors are not a high priority vendor and most of them should be available for your wedding day unless it is a Holiday Weekend. 

When to Hire your Wedding Vendors
Browse Unique Wedding Vendors

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Destination Weddings - Vendor Checklist

There are many reasons why we think you should Hire Local Vendors for your Destination Wedding Below!

We are extremely excited that you chose to have your wedding in the Florida Keys. I’m Sure as you may have figured out by now that the wedding venue decision process probably wasn’t easy and picking which vendors to choose isn’t that far behind. 

In this Article we will go over why we choose local vendors vs. other vendors from out of town. How you can appropriately make the right choice in this big decision for your Florida Keys Wedding. 

Hiring your local Florida Keys Wedding Vendors

First off, let me state clearly that we think there are some absolutely wonderful wedding Vendors that are located all throughout the State of Florida and we have met some from other countries that we wish could live here as well. Some vendors that we have worked with from time to time  are probably considered to be more “Local” than Locals.  Any vendor that we recommend that is not local. Has gone above and beyond day in and day out to execute some of the Worlds best weddings.

# 1 Weather

Now normally weather wouldn’t be number 1 on my categories but since we are having such strange weather lately its all I can think about. Hiring a Local Vendor knows our weather and it is very different than that on the mainland. 

 Sometimes intuition has to take over because an iphone app only does so much. Seeing the clouds break off from the Florida Keys Waters and knowing the difference between “This is something we should prepare for” or “This is a 5 minute quick rain” can be a huge difference when breaking down a section of the wedding to closing it off. Our rain is very much different than that on the mainlands. They are usually very quick spurts that last 10-15 minutes.

 Cold weather is very rarely a factor but when the winds are blowing it can make a huge difference and affect your guests. As we are preparing for a wedding tomorrow I look and see that winds are blowing 12 mph off the Northwest and that the venue we are going to is facing Due west with an abundance of trees facing the Northwest so we should be in the clear for wind. Things like that happen from time to time without even us realizing it.    

Reasons to Hire Local Vendors

# 2 Setting the Tone

Another Reason for Hiring a Local Wedding Vendor is setting the tone of your wedding. 

This is fun for us. Not just speaking on the day of the wedding, but doing this as a business. Its fun, We Vendors enjoy it. And when We start seeing friends on the vendors list it starts to get even more fun. Don’t get me wrong. We are all here to take our job seriously, but your wedding is supposed to be a fun and joyous occasion and we hold it as such.

The moment the sun breaks dawn on your wedding day and you begin to open your eyes there is a level of excitement. Its butterflies, its anxiousness, is it everything you dreamed it would be? When us vendors start arriving to your venue, local vendors know each other, we click. We laugh and start setting a vibe for your wedding. Your guests are happier, you are happier. We feed off each other and try our best to execute another amazing wedding. Behind the scenes on the next day we have lunch together, talk about your wedding and how fun it was. How Grandma broke it down on the dance floor and how we cried when vows were exchanged. This is everyday life for us and we love spending it with our community. 

Reasons to Hire Local Vendors

# 3 Local Means Local

Continuing from number 2, Hiring Local Wedding Vendors mean they are local vendors. Duh, I know, but chances are the venue that you’re booked at, that vendor has worked there hundreds if not thousands of times. 

 They know where the electrical outlets are, they know the staff, they know the property inside and out. The other day I saw one of my favorite photographers, Jannette De Llanos say, “The sunset is going to peak right here at around 6:00pm so I need you here by 5: 50.” And she knew the exact angle to hit that moment. Its repetition. Its knowing that in Winter the sun sets more to the South and in the Summer it sets more to the North.

If an emergency happens, chances are the local vendor will know who to call, where there may be a back up. Travel fee? Nope. They are there. Your outside vendor may charge a “Travel Fee” that puts them to be more expensive than the local vendor. Although this may not seem like much, Your local vendor uses those attributes to their advantage and why wouldn’t you want a someone who has a leg up on the competition.

7 Reasons to Hire Local Wedding Vendors

# 4 Soul Purpose

I spelled Sole like Soul because to me they are one in the same. For almost 90% of our local wedding vendors, This is their only means. This is how they pay their bills, put their kids in soccer practice, and buy their equipment, ect.. Now I’m not trying to guilt trip anybody. Sometimes you may have a friend of a friend who will perform the services for free, or you may barter out a deal from a family member. There are countless ways to score a good deal for your wedding vendors and thats ok. If you hire a wedding vendor from an outside location we would still love to meet them and see how they perform, However, if you are debating between an outside vendor from another area and a vendor located in the Keys, you may want to consider this when deliberating between those options. Too many times, we have seen an outside vendor with mediocre talent and execution run off after the wedding and no one has seen that person ever again. Do they do this for a living? Where did they come from? Our vendors put their heart and soul in what they do and it shows. 

 Now I’m not trying to guilt trip anybody. Sometimes you may have a friend of a friend who will perform the services for free, or you may barter out a deal from a family member. There are countless ways to score a good deal for your wedding vendors and thats ok. If you hire a wedding vendor from an outside location we would still love to meet them and see how they perform, However, if you are debating between an outside vendor from another area and a vendor located in the Keys, you may want to consider this when deliberating between those options. 

Too many times, we have seen an outside vendor with mediocre talent and execution run off after the wedding and no one has seen that person ever again. Do they do this for a living? Where did they come from? Our vendors put their heart and soul in what they do and it shows. 

Reasons to Hire Local Wedding Vendors

# 5 Reputation

Ok, So this is a big category for us, and while I think these are all important, being a local vendor here in the Florida Keys gives us a sense of pride. This is a small town and a we are held by the standard in which we execute our weddings and conduct business. 

Yes, we can all be friendly and happy but we are serious about what we do. All of us. Trying to not to sound so cut throat, but references and reputation can make you or break you. If you are a slack vendor, chances are you’re not going to be recommended by anybody and eventually find another occupation. 

 Now, on the other hand, finding a new vendor that We work with and they are spot on is a great feeling. It leads to new friendships and successful networking. Its what we do. Day in and Day out.

 An outside vendor could care less. They are 100 miles away and I’m not saying that they all have this attitude, but some miscellaneous vendor from who knows where could care less about their reputation for the Florida Keys. Here today and gone tomorrow. If they sucked, it doesn’t matter because they are in Orlando for their next wedding while we are left to save face.  

Reasons to Hire Local Vendors

# 6 Traffic

Yes, There can be traffic in the Keys. Sometimes its not much but there is a difference between being tardy and being late. Traffic can make that difference. 

 Just recently we went through what locals call “Hell – Week” and that is the week between Christmas and New Years. Its crazy packed down here. Hours of stop and go traffic and occupancy is at 100%.

  In season (tourist) there are all kinds of events, festivals, and things going on. A local vendor knows whats going on and where, and how to divert that traffic the best they can. There is only one road down here and knowing whats going on can help us get to your event on time. After all, that’s what you are paying us for. 

Local Wedding Vendors

# 7 Larger Corporations

And Last on our List of Reasons to Hire Local Wedding Vendors is because of Larger Corporations

First lets define Corporation. Whether it be photography, videography, DJ, lighting, catering, or any other vendor that you can think of, there are companies that advertise DJ services or Photography services but they are a company based out of California or New York and they have DJ’s listed with that company that they rent out. 

Let me explain a little further. You contact this company that sets you up with “Mr. DJ” and you have been back and forth with “Mr. DJ” but when it comes time for your wedding. “Mr. DJ” is now Peter whom you never spoken with, Doesn’t know your timeline, and is kind of winging it. Sounds fun? I didn’t think so. Talk about seeing a couple get stressed out on their wedding day. We have seen it time and time again. Vendors here may have corporations or referral services, but the vendor that they align you with is the vendor that will be performing your wedding. 

Hiring Local Wedding Vendors

In Closing

Will we recommend an outside vendor? YES! Absolutely! An outside vendor is sometimes a necessity, but they will be scrutinized 10 times more than a local vendor. As I wrote earlier, we have nothing against outside vendors, but we have so much respect for our local vendors. We want your wedding to go off without a hitch, yet, we want it to be fun, exciting, and most of all memorable. Based off our experiences in working with weddings from beginning to end, local vendors seem to contribute all that and more.

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