A Florida marriage license is required for all marriages performed in the State of Florida.
Out-of-state licenses cannot be accepted, nor is a Florida marriage license valid outside of Florida.
The couple must apply together in person at their local Clerk of Court to get sworn in.
Some counties allow you to submit your information online to expedite the process.
Applicants musts present two forms of ID, usually a driver's license and social security card.
If either have previously been married, they must also present proof of marital status.
All applicants are required to read the Florida Family Law Handbook before the marriage license will be issued.
You do not have to be married in the same county where you obtain your license.
The marriage license must be on the premises when the ceremony is performed.
The license expires exactly 60 days from the date of issue.
There is a 3-day waiting period for Florida residents. This waiting period is waived for non-residents.
The cost of a marriage license in Florida is $86.00. There is a $25.00 discount offered for Florida residents who complete an approved premarital course. Also, the three day waiting period is waived.
If you are interested in taking a pre-marital course, we recommend Dr. Justin D'Arienzo. The cost of this online Florida premarital preparation course is $14.97 per couple. Click Here to Register.
The Family Law Handbook is required by the State of Florida to be read by all marriage license applicants before the marriage license is issued. The handbook is available for download below. Once you have both read it, you can visit your local Clerk of Court to apply. Some counties allow to submit your information online to expedite the process.
Click Below for the Florida Family Law Handbook
Beach Wedding Set-up requires adequate access to the beach in order to unload/load equipment to the ceremony site. Set-up will not be available at locations lacking beach access.
Certain locations with limited access may be subject to additional labor fees, starting at $250.
Set-up may not be available during high tide or during inclement weather. Tide and sunset times should be considered when choosing your event location, date, and time.
If an outdoor wedding is planned, Client is responsible for securing a back-up location in the event of inclement weather. If weather related issues arise, we will make every effort to re-create the set-up at the back-up location.
Certain equipment might not be able to be installed during rain or in high winds. If we can wait out a storm for a brief period of time, we will. But if we can't, we will move the ceremony to the back-up location.
No refund will be issued for equipment unable to be set-up due to bad weather or inadequate back-up location.
If there is a hurricane warning, we are happy to reschedule the ceremony for another day, as long as the date is not reserved. Client assumes all risk and liability related to their choice of venue(s) and reserving rental equipment for their event.
We accommodate for ceremonies from sunrise to sunset. For the best lighting, we recommend scheduling your ceremony no later than an hour before sunset. This allows time to get through the ceremony (15 minutes on average), and still have enough daylight for portraits with your family and wedding party, and for your newlywed portraits.
The tide forecast is definitely a factor when setting up beach weddings. There are locations where there is either no beach or not enough beach available during high tide. The ideal time is to have your ceremony as close to low tide as possible. This is so that when the team arrives to the ceremony location (up to 1 hour before the scheduled ceremony start time), there is enough beach available to begin setting up your wedding.
We do not recommend planning a wedding set-up during a time when the tide is coming in, if there is a chance it will reach high tide during your event. We risk damaging our equipment due to a rogue wave, and you risk soaking your wedding guests if it comes up too high.
Let us know if you would like a recommendation on location, date, or time based on environmental factors such as sunset or high tide.
We charge up to $500 extra during the months July-September due to excessive heat and additional help required to set up beach weddings in the Florida summer heat.
Atlantic Hurricane Season occurs from June 1 to November 30. Peak hurricane season occurs primarily in the months of August thru September. Hurricanes can bring severe thunderstorms, extreme rain, and hurricane force winds. Certainly not ideal for a wedding, but more importantly, it would be dangerous travel conditions for our staff and clients alike. Additionally, major hurricanes can cause powerful storm surges, flash flooding, massive damage to vehicles and buildings, and extended power-outages. Client understands the risk in scheduling a wedding during these months.
If Client's event is adversely impacted by a hurricane or other similar natural disaster, there shall be no refunds for payments already received by CBTS. CBTS will use all reasonable efforts to work with Client to produce the Wedding at an earlier (if possible) or later date, subject to availability.
Non-Florida Residents: If you are traveling to Florida for your wedding from out of state during a hurricane warning, and you can avoid it, please do not come. Chances are, gas stations and markets are already running out of valued resources needed by residents trying to prepare for the storm, and additional visitors entering the State of Florida seriously impedes those who live here from obtaining potentially life saving supplies.
If a hurricane warning is issued in the days proceeding your event, it may be prudent to start rethinking your travel plans to Florida and/or rescheduling your wedding to an earlier (if possible) or later date. It just doesn't make sense for Client's families and friends, nor vendors working your event, to put themselves at risk when they have other things to be worrying about, such as preparing their families or homes. Clients, Guests, and Vendors alike won't be able to relax and enjoy themselves, or effectively perform their assigned duties at your event, if Client decides to push forward with it.
In the event of a hurricane warning, CBTS will reach out to Client for options regarding a reschedule of their event date and Client shall be given a deadline for which to respond. Our first concern is the safety of our staff, our clients, and their guests. If a mandatory evacuation is called for, we will heed all warnings and advise our staff and clients alike to evacuate the area before the worst of the storm hits. For liability concerns, we will not allow our staff to work or attend any event for which they cannot safely travel to or depart from.
If you decide to proceed with your wedding, and conditions that day are such that it would be unsafe or impossible for our staff to travel to your event location, or if a mandatory evacuation is called for, CBTS reserves the right to cancel your booking, without recourse. No refunds will be considered.
We charge a Premium Holiday rate on certain holidays to compensate our employees spending time away from their families on these popular holidays, as well as to cover additional time and travel expenses to account for heavier traffic and busier beaches and parking.
Premium Holiday rate applies on the following dates:
New Year's Day • Valentine's Day • St. Patrick's Day • Independence Day • Halloween • Thanksgiving • Christmas Eve • Christmas Day • New Year's Eve