Fort Lauderdale wedding guide: beach rules, license, costs and vendors

Your Broward County marriage license

Source: Broward County Clerk of Courts

• The standard license fee is $86 and includes a 3-day waiting period before the ceremony for Florida residents.
• Take a premarital course from a provider registered with the Broward Clerk and bring the original certificate: the fee drops to $61 and the waiting period is waived.
• Couples who both live outside Florida are exempt from the waiting period. You do not need to live in Broward or in Florida to get a license.
• Both of you apply in person at the same time with a valid government photo ID and your Social Security number. No blood test.
• Walk in Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Central Courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale (540 SE 3rd Avenue, 954-831-7283) or the North (Deerfield Beach), South (Hollywood) or West (Plantation) regional courthouses.
• The license is valid anywhere in Florida for 60 days. Your officiant returns it to the clerk within 10 days of the ceremony.
• Want a simple civil ceremony? The clerk performs one for $30 once your license is in effect, walk-in only. Personal checks are not accepted.

Statewide rules and other counties: Florida marriage license guide

Getting married on Fort Lauderdale beach

We did not find a City of Fort Lauderdale page that sets a wedding-specific beach permit, fee, lead time or guest limit, so we will not guess at one. What the city does publish is a set of beach rules, an outdoor event permit process and weekends when no events are permitted.

When you need a city permit

• Reserving any park or recreation area for exclusive use requires written approval from Parks and Recreation in the form of a permit (park rules, section 10.1). Roping off sand for guests counts.
• The city says outdoor event permits are required for certain events, and applications are now submitted online. Questions go to the special events team at (954) 828-4349 or (954) 828-5348.
• Grills and generators on the beach need city approval or a permit, and fireworks (sparklers included) are only allowed as part of a special event the city authorizes.
• The city's rules say all commercial photography and filming on the beach is prohibited without prior written permission from the City Manager's Office. Ask your photographer and videographer how they handle this before you book.

Beach rules that apply to every ceremony

Sources: Parks and Recreation rules and Ocean Rescue beach rules

• No alcohol on the beach, except at times and places the city permits or licenses. No glass bottles or containers at all.
• No digging holes and no tents or fencing. The Ocean Rescue version of the rules lists canopies too.
• No speakers, PA systems or amplified instruments that disturb other people.
• No dogs or pets on the sand, except service animals and the posted Canine Beach area.
• No balloon or sky lantern releases in city parks and recreation facilities.
• Personal property and any temporary setup must be removed right after your event. Without an exclusive-use permit, the beach stays open to everyone around you.

Quiet weekends on the barrier island

The city has named quiet weekends along the barrier island, effective November 2026, and says no events will be permitted on them. If your plans need a city event permit, avoid these dates:

• Nov 13 to 15, 2026
• Dec 25 to 27, 2026
• Jan 29 to 31, 2027
• Feb 5 to 7, 2027
• Mar 19 to 21, 2027
• Apr 9 to 11, 2027
• May 21 to 23, 2027
• Jun 25 to 27, 2027
• Jul 23 to 25, 2027
• Aug 13 to 15, 2027
• Sep 3 to 5, 2027
• Oct 1 to 3, 2027
• Nov 12 to 14, 2027
• Dec 24 to 26, 2027

Nearby options in Broward

• Lauderdale-By-The-Sea: the town says private groups under 25 guests do not need a special event permit; other groups use its special events application. Town Hall: 954-640-4200.
• Pompano Beach: the city's beach wedding page lists a $25 non-refundable application fee plus a $130 rental fee (954-786-4111). More in our Florida beach wedding permits guide, which covers seven cities' rules.
• Hugh Taylor Birch State Park: this state park sits between the beach and the Intracoastal. Its three picnic pavilions hold about 50 people each and rent for $80 per day plus tax. The park page does not mention weddings, so call the park at 954-564-4521 before you plan one there.

Sea turtle season: March 1 to October 31

Loggerhead, green and leatherback turtles nest on Broward beaches. From March 1 through October 31, the City of Fort Lauderdale works with Broward County, FWC and others to correct lighting that breaks sea turtle rules. For a wedding, that shapes the evening plan:

• FWC asks beachgoers to use natural starlight at night and avoid flashlights and phone lights on the sand. Hold the ceremony and beach portraits before dark.
• Clear chairs, decor and gear off the sand before sunset, fill any holes and pack out every bit of trash.
• Stay back from nesting turtles; FWC treats 50 feet or less as too close. It is illegal to disturb nests, eggs or hatchlings.
• FWC lighting guidance says decorative string lights should not be turned on near the beach until nesting season ends on October 31. Save string lights and sparkler send-offs for an inland venue; the city's beach rules count sparklers as fireworks anyway.

Weather, hurricanes and golden hour

• The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts the peak on September 10, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October.
• The National Weather Service in Miami found the South Florida summer (rainy) season begins around May 21 and ends around October 17 at the median, and that 69% of yearly rain fell in it, based on records at Miami International Airport, south of Fort Lauderdale.
• Sunset in Fort Lauderdale runs from about 5:30 p.m. in late November and early December to about 8:15 p.m. in late June, by NOAA's solar equations. Check your exact date on the NOAA Solar Calculator and build the timeline back from it.

Book a covered backup for any outdoor date. Our Florida wedding weather and hurricane season guide has the lightning rules and a backup checklist.

What a Fort Lauderdale wedding costs

We found no published cost study for Fort Lauderdale or Broward alone. Here are the two large surveys and the closest geography each offers.

• The Knot surveyed 10,474 US couples married in 2025. National average: $34,200 for ceremony and reception, with 117 guests at $292 per guest. The South and Southeast average is $31,300. By guest count: $17,100 for 1 to 50 guests, $27,200 for 51 to 100 and $43,300 for more than 100.
• Zola puts the national average at $36,000 for 2026. Its city figures assume 150 guests and do not include Fort Lauderdale.

The surveys define categories differently, so treat these as starting points and get written quotes.

When to book each vendor

This timeline comes from Zola's booking guide, which assumes a one-year engagement. With a shorter runway, book the one-wedding-a-day vendors first.

Our book these 5 wedding vendors first guide explains the order in more detail.

Find Fort Lauderdale wedding vendors

Browse every Fort Lauderdale wedding vendor, or go straight to a category. Each page has a free quote form.

• Wedding planners in Fort Lauderdale
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• Wedding cakes and bakers in Fort Lauderdale
• Wedding DJs in Fort Lauderdale

Looking nearby? See vendors in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Miami, or the Top Rated 2026 Florida wedding vendors. Shooting portraits in Miami? Read the Miami wedding photography guide.