September 2014

The summer is over and the second wedding season on the Gulf Coast is starting up.  We have had a gorgeous summer.  The first wedding season here is from March through the middle of July.  Then the heat and humidity set in and the weddings slow down.  September through November is another big wedding time here as the heat is gone and so are the tourists.  The area is much less crowded and the weather is still wonderful. 
I have heard a few folks in the wedding biz around here talking about starting up second businesses in the south part of Florida for the winter time when it is cooler here and warmer there.  Sounds like an interesting proposition.  I will have to look into that as well.  Wouldn't that be a nice change?  To go further south from December to March and enjoy their scenery, while still working the wedding biz and then come back up here for the summer.
If you think outside of the box, there are endless possibilities. :-)

Spring Break

It is that time of year again here on the Emerald Coast.... spring break.  The college students have invaded our area once again.  This will be a familiar site for us locals for the next 5-6 weeks as the colleges let out and the kids let loose. 
The sheriff's department is out in force and have made many arrests for underage drinking so far.  The legal drinking age is 21 and I would dare say that the majority of those out on the beaches are not that old.  Hopefully they will all have safe vacation, enjoy the sunshine and beaches and get back to school in one piece.  A little more tanned and hopefully with some fun stories to tell.

Planning

This is the time of year that a lot of Bridal Shows are happening.  I attended two this weekend. 
On Saturday, I attended the show at Tiger Point Country Club in Gulf Breeze, FL.  This is a great venue and they have a new director of events.  I met with quite a few Brides to be and they are excited about the venue and upcoming wedding.
On Sunday, I attended the Emerald Coast Bridal Faire.  There were a lot of B2B (brides to be) in attendance.  This is a great event if you ever get a chance to attend.  There were lots of vendors and everyone has some great ideas and suggestions.  I talked to many brides and they were all excited to get the planning set up.
I was working with a wedding planner this weekend, Exception Florida Weddings.  If you get a chance, check out her website.  She is a full service wedding planner but can help out with as little or much as you need.

Some suggestions when planning your wedding, if you are doing it without a planner:
Pick your venue - decide where you want to have your wedding.  If you doing it on the beach that is easy but you still need to decide which beach area you want to have it at.  If you are doing it at a hotel, then you need find their availability, pricing and what services they provide.
Pick your date - You would think you pick your date first, but I have found if you have an estimated date, you are more flexible in finding your venue. 
Next you are going to want to choose your officiant and photographer.  Getting these professionals firmed up is important because they will be getting booked up and you want to get the people that you are comfortable working with.
Then you are going to decide on decorations, colors, wedding party etc. and all the other little details.

This is just a brief outline of what you are going to want to do.  And as always, if you have any questions or need any help with any of this... feel free to contact me! 

Congratulations and Happy Planning!

2013 Recap

2013 Weddings recap



I would like to thank all of the 2013 couples that I have worked with for allowing me to share in their special day.  2013 was a very successful year for me and I hope for you too.

Don't hesitate to contact me if I can help with your special day in any way. 

I hope 2014 brings you love, happiness, health and many smiles. 

Happy Holidays

Winter is the slow time for weddings, especially beach weddings.  Although I did have three weddings last week, which was a pleasure.  I think most people are working on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's and wait for warmer weather to get married.  But this is prime engagement season.  Lots of people give and receive rings during the holiday season.  So if that is what you are doing, don't forget to book your wedding date as soon as possible, especially if you are planning a summer wedding.  Summer is the prime wedding time and we get booked up.  Of course I always do my best to accomodate last minute weddings. :-) 
I also wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year.  I hope that you spend it with family and friends and make some wonderful new memories.

Congratulations to all the newlyweds for 2013 and to all the couples that are getting engaged this holiday season.

Where to stay....

I get a lot of questions on where to stay while here on the Emerald Coast.  My usual response is ... it depends.  It depends on what you want to do while you are here, how many people you have with you and whether you have an adult party or you have children with you.
Most of the condos/houses require a min of 3-7 night stay.  The chain hotels do rent for one or two nights though. 
Some suggestions ....
If you have a large group of people that are going to be here with you usually renting a house is the best deal.  It costs more per night but when you break it down by the bedroom or person, it is usually quite reasonable.  By doing this, you are able to take advantage of cooking onsite as well, which can save quite a bit of money.  If you have children, you can usually have a floor that is child friendly and then an adult floor for those that don't want to be woken up by the kiddies in the morning.  A lot of the wedding parties that I do go this route with everyone staying at the house and then they have a reception at the house as well.  You can check out www.vrbo.com for rentals by owner.
If you have a smaller group or people would like their own space, there a lots of condos on the beach.  The condos on Miramar Beach (although the listing says Destin) are across from the beach, but it is an easy walk.   There are quite a few townhouses on the beach for rent in Miramar Beach as well.
If you have children or want a quieter time, usually Miramar Beach is where you would want to stay or Holiday Isle in Destin.  Destin condos are closer to the restaurants, bars and other activities.
http://www.emeraldcoastfl.com/the-beaches/destin.aspx
If you are not familiar with the area... there are three basic areas in the Destin area.  Destin East (Miramar Beach, Crystal Beach, Henderson Beach), Destin Central (Destin, Holiday Isle) and then Destin West (Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach).   There are restaurants and activities all along these areas and with the exception of Fort Walton Beach (which actually is not on the beach) they all have the beautiful white sand and gorgeous water.  When people (from out of town) refer to Destin they could be talking about any of these areas. 
Destin Harbor is where the fishing boats and charters are, there are also rentals for pontoon boats, jet skis.  This is also where you will find the parasailing and snorkling activities.  But that is for another blog post.
If you have any questions, you can either submit a comment here or shoot me an email at jfrasernotary@yahoo.com. 
No matter where you stay, I am sure you will enjoy your time here!

Sand ceremony ideas

I just wanted to share a few ideas for the sand ceremony.  Some folks are intimidated on what kind of keepsake vase to get.  There are many types of vases out there and you can get many types.  My first suggestion to think about is if you are travelling here for the wedding, then you will want to get a vase with a stopper or top.  This will make it easier to travel without worrying about it spilling. 
Another thing to think about is how many people are participating in the ceremony.  If it is for two people you don't know a really big vase, but if you are including your children then you might want something a little bigger so that all the colors will show. 
Some folks get the vase engraved with their names and the date and others don't.  It is another personalized decision that you will make for the ceremony.
Below are some samples of ones that we have used at the ceremonies that I have done.