If you are planning a wedding and looking for a beach wedding venue in South Florida then you may very well be considering a location in Broward County. This only makes sense because Broward County is home to many great hotels and country clubs that are perfect for a warm weather wedding. When someone thinks about a Florida wedding they often think of a beach wedding venue. Well I have to tell you there are no shortage of great locations that are located directly on the beach. Every venue has something unique to offer, however I have found that in addition to a beautiful beach location, and a luxury venue, many brides are also interested in a fun nightlife filled with opportunities for dancing, dining and other activities. If this is the case then Fort Lauderdale beach should be on you list of places to visit. The Fort Lauderdale beach community is loaded with clubs, bars, fine dining that ranges from grab a burger, to siting in a white table cloth fine restaurant. The beach at Fort Lauderdale goes for miles. If you are the type of person who likes to get up early and run on the beach or if you prefer to rise later and explore the area Fort Lauderdale and Broward County has something to keep you entertained.
As a wedding photographer who has been working in South Florida for over 15 years I have worked at almost every venue in the area, from the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale to the W Fort Lauderdale and even the Fort Lauderdale Hilton, I have worked at them all.
As a photographer I love the fact that the hotel sits directly on the beach, almost all the Fort Lauderdale hotels sit on Atlantic Avenue on the opposite side of the sand. This means that the beach at the Marriott is free from outside tourists and also free of trash left my visitors. Guests can go from crashing in the waves to relaxing in the huge hotel pool in by just walking a few steps. The hotel has an tremendous terrace that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, this terrace is the perfect place for taking awesome ocean view pictures. If brides and grooms want pictures that show the ocean without getting sand on their feet to only need to pose on the ocean terrace. In the evening for hotel will cast a shadow across the trace which makes for soft beautiful lighting. If you are looking for more drama in your wedding photo then a walk to the hotels swimming pool location will remove the hotels shadow and allow for more direct lighting. As a South Florida wedding photographer, I have found that then biggest factor in taking pictures at the Harbor Beach Marriott is not having enough time to stop and shoot pictures are all the great locations the hotel has to offer.
While visiting the Marriott Harbor Beach you may want to spend some time visiting other awesome places. If you are looking for more action a wild nightlife then what you will find in Broward County take a drive to Dade County and visit South Beach. South beach is South Florida totally unique wild tourist beach area. Lined with restaurant and clubs South Beach is a non-stop party scene. There are many nice high-end luxury hotels in South Beach and I have photographed many weddings there as well. However, I have found that the crowd at this area is vastly different than the Broward crowd. While in South Beach you should also visit Lincoln Road with is also lined with Clubs and Fine Dining. In addition the the eateries and Clubs Lincoln Road is also lined with great shopping. Even though to wild action in South Beach is completely different than Fort Lauderdale it's still a great option if you are looking to check out something different.
If being in nature is more your speed then just up the road from The Harbor Beach Marriott is the Bonnet House. This is a historic museum and garden which is nice to visit as well. If you are willing to travel north to Delray Beach you can visit the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. This is a very unique place with a huge lake that is a sanctuary for wildlife. The landscaping is straight out of a Japanese wonderland. I have also photographed many weddings and elopements at this beautiful place. Most people to visit the Morikami take to walk around the lake and check out the Bamboo trees and the bonsai garden as well at the tea house. If you are looking for another really cool unique place to visit then check out the Wynwood Walls, this place is made up of graffiti walls that feature the most amazing artwork. It's a completely unique place. In addition to the creative walls there are restaurants, shops and special events that take place here.
Planning a South Florida wedding, If you are planning a wedding in at the Harbor Beach Marriott or any other place in Southern Florida I would love to help you find the perfect location as well as assist you with you wedding planning needs. Although I'm not a wedding planner, I work with many of the area's best wedding and event planners. Some of the planners I have worked with specialize in small elopements and weddings under 40 guests, while other event planners will only do events and weddings over 150 guests. Either way, I would love to hook you up with the best wedding planner to fit your needs.
If you would like to see more pictures from the Harbor Beach Marriott below are a few links to other awesome wedding pictures I have taken at this picturesque wedding venue.
BELOW: This is one of my favorite pictures taken at on the ocean terrace. The best man rode into the reception with the maid of honor on a bike for two. Afterwords we took the bride and groom and the bike out for a few fun photos. Fun wedding picture at the Harbor Beach Marriott
BELOW: This fun beach photo was taken after the wedding ceremony directly on the beach. The wedding party was wild and willing to jump into any picture I dreamed up. I love it when a have a crew of such willing and photogenic people. Fun Bridal Party on the Beach Photo.
BELOW: This link will take you to a complete article I wrote on Harbor Beach Marriott Wedding Photography. The article is filled with great information and lots of additional pictures. Enjoy. Getting Married at the Marriott Harbor Beach.
Over the years I had shot a really wide range of weddings that the Marriott Harbor Beach. Some have been really large 300 person weddings and other have been as small as 12 guests at a beach ceremony, Some have been very expensive high end affair and others not so pricy, The hotel has a great catering staff the is experienced in wedding and event planning. One call to the hotel's special event and wedding department and you will be connected with someone who is an experienced wedding professional. How do I know how dedicated the staff is? I have been shooting South Florida weddings for over 15 years and over the years I have worked with some of the hotel wedding planners at other high end luxury hotels. I an tell from experience the crew that the Marriott is top notch.
I hope you enjoyed reading this information. If you are planning a wedding in South Florida I would love to help you with your wedding photography or planning process. In addition we also offer full wedding videography as well.
Call me at (561) 737-5561
Jeff
Location: 3030 Holiday Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.