Florida Beach Weddings: Southeast Florida Sand, Gold Coast Glamour

Jupiter down through Key Biscayne, and the sand here tells the story of just how developed this stretch of Florida has become. Much of it, especially from Fort Lauderdale south through Miami-Dade, has been renourished over the decades, sand pumped back in to rebuild a coastline that dense development and hurricanes have worn down, so it tends to run coarser and more golden-tan than the natural quartz beaches further north. Jupiter and Juno Beach still have a more natural, dune-backed feel at the northern end of this region, genuinely soft and barefoot-friendly. Palm Beach’s sand is kept meticulously maintained, more polished than wild. And down at Bill Baggs on Key Biscayne, a reef sitting six miles offshore keeps the water calm even where the sand itself is fairly ordinary.

Permit rules vary by county and by exact spot, so I’ve noted the basics for each location below. For the full county-by-county process, including who to contact and how far ahead to apply, see my complete guide: Florida Beach Wedding Permits, County by County.

Jupiter & Juno Beach

Sand: Soft, natural sand
Barefoot Comfort: 8 out of 10, the most natural on the whole Gold Coast

Carlin Park, Juno Beach & John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

Weddings at Carlin Park happen on soft, natural sand, one of the more barefoot-friendly stretches on this whole Gold Coast list, backed by sea-grape-lined dunes. Juno Beach, close by, is a simple, unfussy stretch of sand, but what makes it genuinely special isn’t the sand itself, it’s what nests in it: one of the most densely nested sea turtle beaches in the world, with the free Loggerhead Marinelife Center sea turtle hospital right in the park. MacArthur Beach State Park adds 1.6 miles of soft sand and a boardwalk over Lake Worth Cove, with herons, ibis, roseate spoonbills, and ospreys regular sights.

Touring the Loggerhead Marinelife Center together is genuinely one of the sweeter, more meaningful pre-wedding activities in this entire guide, especially if you’re marrying during nesting season. Guests can do the same tour on their own time, or walk MacArthur Beach’s boardwalk watching for wading birds, and Jupiter’s waterfront restaurants along the Intracoastal give everyone a proper place to gather afterward.

If you’re planning a DIY wedding here, here’s what to know:

• Parking: Large lot at Carlin Park; lot at Juno Beach, generally manageable outside peak season; on-site lot at MacArthur Beach, can fill on weekends
• Hotels: Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa sits right on the Carlin Park stretch; Palm Beach Gardens and Singer Island hotels cover the rest
• Camping: None directly at any of the three (see Peanut Island below)
• Food: Jupiter’s restaurant scene along US-1 covers this whole area
• Permit: No detailed county-level schedule published for Carlin Park or Juno Beach, call Palm Beach County Parks to confirm for your group size. MacArthur Beach State Park follows the standard state park rule, apply at least 30 days ahead for anything beyond a small ceremony

The Resorts and Done for You Wedding Packages

Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa offers roughly 1,000 feet of private beachfront, the largest in Palm Beach County, with the ceremony spot tucked into the dunes under sea grapes. Beach weddings here happen on that same soft, natural sand described above.

Palm Beach & Peanut Island

Sand: Polished, manicured sand
Barefoot Comfort: 7 out of 10

Peanut Island & Delray Beach

Peanut Island, reached only by ferry, is the most unusual pick on this whole list, a small island in the Intracoastal with calm water and 17 tent sites, your camping pick for the region. Delray Beach has clean, well-kept sand with classic South Florida beach-town polish and Atlantic Avenue as one of the best walkable restaurant strips on the entire Gold Coast.

Peanut Island has a genuine snorkeling reef right in its calm lagoon, worth building a swim into your day, and the historic JFK Cold War bunker on the island gives guests something unusual to explore between the ceremony and the reception. Delray Beach runs on a completely different energy, Atlantic Avenue at night is one of the livelier nightlife strips in this whole guide, a great fit if your crowd wants to keep the celebration going well past sunset.

If you’re planning a DIY wedding here, here’s what to know:

• Parking: At the Riviera Beach Marina Village dock for the Peanut Island ferry; metered lots near the beach and along Atlantic Avenue at Delray
• Hotels: Riviera Beach and Palm Beach hotels are right at the ferry dock; plenty right along Delray’s beach and downtown corridor
• Camping: Yes at Peanut Island, 17 tent sites; none at Delray Beach
• Food: Nothing on Peanut Island itself, the marina village at the dock has options; Atlantic Avenue at Delray
• Permit: No detailed public schedule published for either. Call Palm Beach County Parks for Peanut Island or the City of Delray Beach for its municipal beach to confirm requirements

The Resorts and Done for You Wedding Packages

The Breakers Palm Beach offers beachside ceremonies for 75 up to ballroom receptions for 400-500 on a fully self-contained resort. Beach weddings here happen on Palm Beach’s meticulously maintained sand, polished rather than wild.

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a Forbes Five-Star property in Manalapan, offers an oceanfront courtyard ceremony on seven private acres accommodating groups from 10 to 1,000. Beach weddings here happen on that same polished Palm Beach-area sand.

Fort Lauderdale

Sand: Wide, renourished sand
Barefoot Comfort: 7 out of 10

Fort Lauderdale Beach & John U. Lloyd Beach State Park

Weddings at Fort Lauderdale Beach happen on wide, renourished sand, coarser and more golden-tan than the natural stretches further north, but easy and forgiving underfoot for a lively crowd. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, close by in Dania Beach, is quieter and more mangrove-lined, a real contrast to Fort Lauderdale’s energy.

Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal setup makes a sunset boat cruise together a genuinely easy, romantic option the evening before your wedding, this city is built around its waterways in a way few others in Florida are. Guests have Las Olas Boulevard’s shopping and dining right there, and anyone who wants a quieter nature moment can paddle the mangrove tunnels at John U. Lloyd, keeping an eye out for manatees.

If you’re planning a DIY wedding here, here’s what to know:

• Parking: Garages and metered lots along A1A at Fort Lauderdale Beach; on-site lot at John U. Lloyd
• Hotels: The densest hotel strip on the Gold Coast, from the Marriott Harbor Beach to boutique options
• Camping: Limited to organized youth groups at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park across A1A, not practical for a couple; none at John U. Lloyd
• Food: Extensive, right along the beach and Las Olas Boulevard nearby
• Permit: Not required for a small beach wedding at Fort Lauderdale Beach itself. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park follows the standard state park rule, apply at least 30 days ahead for anything beyond a small ceremony

The Resorts and Done for You Wedding Packages

Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa offers a quarter-mile of private beach and a “Barefoot Dining” beachfront dinner experience. Beach weddings here happen on that same wide, renourished sand, easy and forgiving underfoot.

Hollywood, Miami & Key Biscayne

Sand: Wide, family-friendly to renourished sand
Barefoot Comfort: 6.5 to 7 out of 10 depending on the spot

Hollywood Beach, Oleta River State Park & Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Hollywood Beach has wide, family-friendly sand similar in character to Fort Lauderdale’s, with the Broadwalk itself as much a part of the setting as the sand. Oleta River State Park is a genuinely different setting, a calm bay beach rather than open ocean, framed by mangroves and Florida’s largest urban park, with manatees regularly spotted in the waterways. Bill Baggs Cape Florida, at the southern tip on Key Biscayne, fronts notably calm water thanks to a reef six miles offshore, with a historic lighthouse as backdrop, one of the only state parks on this entire list that explicitly markets itself as a casual wedding-ceremony location.

Climbing the historic lighthouse together at Bill Baggs is a genuinely great pre-ceremony activity if you’re up for the stairs, and the calm water below is ideal for anyone in your party who wants to swim right after. Hollywood’s Broadwalk rents bikes and rollerblades for guests who want to explore, and Oleta River’s mountain bike trails through the mangroves are a real, if unexpected, activity for anyone staying an extra day.

If you’re planning a DIY wedding here, here’s what to know:

• Parking: Metered lots along the Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach; on-site lot at Oleta River; on-site lot at Bill Baggs, can fill on weekends
• Hotels: Margaritaville and the Hollywood Beach Marriott at Hollywood; Aventura and North Miami Beach hotels near Oleta River; Key Biscayne and downtown Miami, 20-30 minutes, for Bill Baggs
• Camping: None at Hollywood Beach; 14 rustic cabins at Oleta River, though availability has been inconsistent, confirm directly; none at Bill Baggs
• Food: The Broadwalk at Hollywood; Aventura Mall near Oleta River; a few options on Key Biscayne itself, more in Miami proper
• Permit: Yes, the City of Hollywood requires a permit for a beach wedding here regardless of size. Oleta River and Bill Baggs Cape Florida both follow the standard state park rule, apply at least 30 days ahead for anything beyond a small ceremony

The Resorts and Done for You Wedding Packages

Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort offers indoor and outdoor waterfront venues with on-site accommodations for a full wedding weekend. Beach weddings here happen on the same wide, family-friendly Hollywood Beach sand described above.

My Take on Southeast Florida

The Gold Coast is where I send couples who want their wedding to feel like an event, not just a ceremony. This is the most polished, most resort-dense stretch of coast in this whole guide, and the sand reflects that, it’s been reshaped and maintained more than anywhere else on the Atlantic side. But don’t count out Jupiter and Juno Beach at the northern edge of this region, that’s still genuinely natural sand with some of the best sea turtle nesting in the entire country, and a completely different feel from Palm Beach or Miami just a short drive south.

My honest take: if budget isn’t the deciding factor and you want big-city energy, real nightlife, and a five-star property handling every detail, this region delivers that better than anywhere else in Florida. If what you actually want is quiet and wild, come here for Jupiter and Juno Beach specifically, then keep that feeling in mind as your benchmark, because the sand gets more manicured and the crowds get bigger the further south you travel from there.