Beach, garden, rooftop or estate: what to check before you fall for a photo, and the questions that save a setup.
What matters most when you pick a place?
Comfort and fit come first. The place has to hold your guests, give you shade or shelter, and let the setup go in without a fight.
A proposal for two and an elopement for twenty need very different things. Before you look at a single photo, write down how many people will be there, what time of day you want, and whether anyone needs a chair, shade or a short walk from the car.
In Miami the sun decides a lot. An open beach at two in the afternoon in July is hard on everyone, including the flowers. The same beach at sunset is the reason people come here. Pick the hour before you pick the place, then check the place at that hour.
Which kinds of places work for a proposal or an elopement?
Four kinds cover most of what we set up: the water, historic estates, rooftops, and parks and gardens.
Each one trades something. The beach gives you the widest sky and the most wind. Estates such as Vizcaya give you architecture and gardens, with fixed opening hours and permit rules. Rooftops give you the skyline and privacy, and depend on the building. Parks are green and quiet, and usually the easiest on a budget.
- On the water: Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Key Biscayne, Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Historic estates: Vizcaya, the Ancient Spanish Monastery, the Biltmore
- Rooftops: Miami Beach waterfront, downtown Miami, Fort Lauderdale
- Parks and gardens: South Pointe Park, Crandon Gardens, Coral Gables
Can you choose from photos, or do you need to visit?
Photos show the best angle on the best day. If you can, go at the hour you plan to use it.
Stand where the setup would go and look around. Where is the sun? Is there a lifeguard tower, a parking lot or a construction crane in the background? How far is the walk from where cars can stop? Take a few phone photos from the spot and send them to us.
If you are planning from out of town, that is normal for us. Tell us what you like and we send you places we have set up at before, with photos from real days rather than the venue brochure.
What should you ask before you book a place?
Ask what is allowed, when you can get in, and what happens if it rains. Get the answers in writing.
These are the questions that most often change a plan late:
- Are decor, candles, petals and music allowed, and is a permit needed?
- How early can the setup crew arrive, and when must everything be gone?
- Is there a fee for photography, and does the place have its own hours?
- Where do guests park, and is there a restroom nearby?
- What is the plan for rain or strong wind?
What about Vizcaya?
Vizcaya needs a photo permit and has set garden hours. Our Vizcaya Garden Experience starts at $1349 and includes the permit.
The gardens are open for photos from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, so a sunset proposal there is not possible. The package covers up to 60 minutes of photography, the permit for photo access, and coordination on the day.
How do you weigh looks against logistics?
Cut every place that fails a must-have, then choose the most beautiful one left.
Make a short list of things you will not give up: the time of day, the number of guests, shade, an easy walk. Anything that fails one of those is out, however good it looks online. Among the places that pass, pick the one you keep thinking about. That order saves weeks of going back and forth.