Miami wedding photography: best spots, permits and prices

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Source: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

• A Portrait Photography Permit is $250 on weekdays and $350 on weekends. You pay a non-refundable $25 deposit online and the balance at the Admissions Booth. Permits are issued rain or shine.
• Arriving in a bridal gown, suit or tuxedo, formal attire or matching outfits counts as a photo session, so staff will expect a permit.
• One permit admits 5 people in total, including the photographer, the couple, makeup artists and assistants. Anyone else buys general admission.
• Regular permits cover the gardens only, not the Main House. A Premium Early Access permit ($450) gives near-private garden time from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
• Permits are capped each day. If your date sells out, you cannot shoot that day.
• Wedding ceremonies are not allowed under the permit, and performing one ends the shoot with no refund. Drones, filming, music, balloons and thrown petals are also banned.
• Video needs a separate commercial filming permit, requested at least 30 days ahead. Tell your videographer before you book.

Miami Beach (beaches, parks and streets)

Source: City of Miami Beach Film and Print Office

• Miami Beach runs its own Film and Print permits, separate from Miami-Dade County. The city says its Film and Print permits are free.
• A single photographer with only handheld gear, no models, assistants or crew, no large props and not blocking sidewalks is exempt. Add a second shooter, an assistant or lighting crew and you need a permit.
• Every permit needs a certificate of insurance and a notarized indemnity agreement.
• The city says first-time citywide permits average about 2 business days of coordination. Drones need an approved flight plan and an officer, and are not part of a citywide permit.
• A beach ceremony is a separate Ceremony and Team Building Permit: up to 150 people, apply at least 14 days ahead. Details are in our Florida beach permit guide.
• Contact: 305.673.7070 or film@miamibeachfl.gov.

Beach ceremony rules for Miami Beach and six other cities: Florida beach wedding permits

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (Key Biscayne)

Source: Florida State Parks

• This is a Florida State Park, not a county park. Popular ceremony spots are the sand with the Cape Florida Lighthouse behind you and the palm walkway in the lighthouse grounds.
• Beach wedding permits start at $150 plus tax. Lighthouse Grounds weddings start at $500 plus tax and need a Special Event Ranger for the whole event. Guest count, time and special requests can add fees.
• Request a special event permit application by email with your date, time, location and guest count (address on the park page). Permits can be booked up to 6 months ahead.
• Vendor liability insurance must be submitted with the application. Alcohol, bonfires, fireworks and drones are banned, and so are balloons, confetti, rice and dropped flowers.
• For a portrait session alone, Florida State Parks say photography is free unless it disrupts park operations, but a permit is needed if the shoot will affect visitors or resources. Allow at least seven days, and liability insurance is required.

Miami-Dade County parks (Matheson Hammock, Crandon and others)

Source: Miami-Dade County Film and Entertainment Office

• Still photo shoots on county parks and beaches generally need a permit from the county Film and Entertainment Office (filmiami.org).
• The exemption is narrow: a handheld camera or one tripod, a cast and crew of fewer than three people, and no exclusive use of the site. A couple plus one photographer is already three, so plan on applying.
• County procedure requires permit holders to provide insurance indemnification for Miami-Dade County and pay any direct costs.
• Matheson Hammock parking is $7 plus tax on weekdays and $10 plus tax on weekends and holidays.

Coral Gables and Venetian Pool

Source: City of Coral Gables

• Venetian Pool's media permit page lists a non-commercial still shoot (weddings, quinces and portfolios) at $115, covering the photographer plus four people during operating hours. The city fee schedule published September 15, 2026 lists $120 per day for fiscal year 2027, so confirm the current rate.
• Submit the permit and insurance at least two weeks before the shoot. Rush orders add a $15 fee. Contact 305-460-5306 or VPinfo@coralgables.com.
• Elsewhere in the city, Coral Gables film and photo permits are due at least 14 business days ahead, and the certificate of insurance cannot be waived. City Hall is currently closed to photography and Ingraham Park does not allow it.
• Private venues, including hotels such as the Biltmore, set their own photo rules. Ask the venue directly.

Wynwood, downtown and City of Miami parks

Source: City of Miami Film and Entertainment Office

• Wynwood, Brickell and downtown sit inside the City of Miami, which permits commercial photo shoots for each date and location. Apply at least 3 business days ahead (7 with a street closure). Insurance is needed to finalize the permit.
• City of Miami parks require a film and photography permit for professional portrait sessions, and the parks handbook names engagement and wedding portraits and quinceañeras.
• Murals on private walls and gated spaces belong to the property owner. Get permission before shooting inside any private courtyard or business.
• Contact: 305-416-1337 or filmoffice@miamigov.com.