By Lauren Tjaden

If you want a romantic wedding, the Florida Keys are a natural choice, whether you’re pledging or renewing your vows. Turquoise waters stretch in every direction, dotted with islands. The temperatures are almost always balmy, inviting you to ditch a layer or two of clothes. And the sunsets are legendary, providing the perfect backdrop for your celebration.

Popular sites for shore-side ceremonies and celebrations include parks, beaches, restaurants, tiki bars and resorts.

But the Florida Keys offer more than sun-drenched allure for weddings. They also offer utterly unique ways to tie the knot. If you’re a bride who wants to walk off-the-beaten-path to the altar, read on to discover ideas for the wedding in the Florida Keys that perfectly matches you and your beloved.

PICTURE PERFECT IDEAS FOR A FLORIDA KEYS WEDDING

Clouds of exotic butterflies

Intimate and peaceful, the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory in Key West is perfect for small weddings. Butterflies are everywhere, lighting on flowers or your arm, fluttering in the air like bits of magic – and making your ceremony one-of-a-kind. After a champagne toast in butterfly-embossed glasses, a special butterfly release will cap off the evening.

Say ‘I do’ to dolphins  

Imagine getting married in the water-- with a dolphin as an attendant. Dolphin Research Center in Marathon brings the fantasy to life. Your ceremony will include an orientation with your own trainer at a private dock and a dolphin swim. 

Get a presidential seal of approval on your vows

Located a mere two blocks from the commotion of famed Duval Street in Key West, you’ll find former president Harry S. Truman’s Little White House, set in a manicured garden. Graceful and historic, it’s one of the largest wedding venues in Key West. Your wedding party can tour the Little White House, filled with original furnishings that were used by President Truman. And your wedding rehearsal dinner will be one-of-a-kind with your guests seated around the presidential dining room table.

A wedding for a mermaid

At Jules Undersea Lodge, snuggled in a Key Largo lagoon, you can get married underwater—and have your honeymoon at five fathoms deep.

If you can Scuba dive, that is.

With bragging rights as the only underwater hotel in the United States, the Lodge is situated on the ocean floor, 30 feet deep, with windows offering views of the surrounding marine life. You’ll have to dive to get to your rooms.

The Lodge’s Underwater Wedding and Honeymoon Package gives couples exclusive use of the lodge, and comes complete with a ceremony, flowers, music, and a feast of steak or lobster.

Christ of the Abyss, John Pennekamp State Park

Christ of the Abyss, John Pennekamp State Park

- - Peter W. Cross for VISIT FLORIDA

More diving into commitment

You can take the plunge with an underwater ceremony at the bronze Christ of the Deep statue, thanks to Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo. The Resort specializes in underwater weddings, whether you’re yearning for an intimate ceremony or an enormous soiree.

Couples dive down with a notary to exchange vows written on a slate and check the “I do” box to seal the deal. The Resort provides the bride with a flower-filled conch shell for her bouquet, while the groom gets a tuxedo T-shirt. Guests can dive with the couple, snorkel above them, or wait on the dive boat during the ceremony.

Amoray’s 45-foot catamaran or the lush bayfront resort are options for your reception.

Heart of glass

It’s better than any room with a view: the Key Largo Princess boasts a 70-foot glass bottom, plus viewing windows totaling 280 square feet.  You and your guests will experience the stunning coral reef – without getting a toenail wet—on this luxury private charter. With the ability to hold 125 people, you can invite everyone you know to witness your betrothal.  

Sail away

Blue Ice Sailing invites you to make your vows aboard the Blue Ice on a private sunset wedding sail. The ceremony can be as simple as salt water, or a lavish experience. Either way, no one will ever forget your special day.

At the end of the World

The Southernmost Beach Resort Key West isn’t the end of the world, but it is a mere few steps to the southernmost point of the United States. Whether you’re yearning for a private beach ceremony, an elegant poolside cocktail reception, or a bash for 150 guests on the beach, the Resort is dedicated to making your dreams come true.

Check out more wedding ideas and information from Key West and the Florida Keys’ visitors’ services. 

PLACES TO REMEMBER

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