Beach Ceremony....HOT or NOT??

So I know I am going to get some backlash on this one but here is my take on beach ceremonies...


Let's start with...this is F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!
It rains & pours, is hot and steamy and sometimes very cold and breezy, which changes from day to day and minute to minute. So what will your weather be like on Your BIG Day a year from now?? Not sure...ya me either. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good old beach wedding but their are elements that you may not be thinking about. 

www.clearskiesphoto.com

Let me just break it down into my thoughts:


WEATHER:
As I stated earlier, this is Florida and you never know the weather.  So in case of rain do you have a BACKUP PLAN? Most Brides do not, and then it rains. They don't like the fact of reserving a space and being out that $500+ if it does not rain and the wedding does go on the beach. Some hotels will allow you to use one of their rooms as a backup plan if you are using them for the reception and they have the availability but what if they are super busy and book out. Also you may not think about LIGHTING. Most weddings end up with a squinty-eyed Bride & Groom and guests throughout the whole ceremony because...well the sun is shining and bouncing off the sand and water. But if you wait to long or late for your ceremony then your pictures will be of shadow people.


ATTIRE:
What are you and the groom wearing? Are you taking into consideration the heat, humidity or rain? Trust me, your dress gets HOT under there.What about the guests? Most guests will dress formally when invited to a wedding, even a beach wedding. So when 80 year old Grandpa passes out from the heat you will get what I am saying. About 90% of weddings do not start on time so now your guests are waiting OUTSIDE probably 45 minutes or more until you walk down the aisle. Not so fun.


RENTALS:
So while all these guests are standing in the heat maybe you should think about renting chairs for them to sit in. Again going back to 80 year old Grandpa and Grandma...how long can they stand in the heat?? Also take into consideration your decor like candles for example will blow out if they are not in the right kind of containers. Who will be responsible to set out all your decor or chair rentals and pick them up when you are finished?

www.clearskiesphoto.com

CHILDREN:
Ok so imagine you are a 5 year old and can't understand for the life of you why Mom & Dad has brought you to the beach to only allow you to stand there and "look pretty". There will be NO playing in the sand and splashing in the ocean is out of the question. How cruel are your parents....well on a good note at least they are WATCHING their children. Most parents do not know how to parent these days and a missing child at a beach is DISASTER waiting to happen. So keep a close eye on those babies who will potentially be screaming and crying while you walk down that aisle since they want to go play and be a kid!!


PUBLIC BEACH:
I am sure you have been to the beach and said..."OMG what are they wearing". Well be prepared for that guy in yellow speedos with his half naked girlfriend in a thong to be in the background of your photos since this is a public beach. While you think that most people would step out of the background while you are saying "I DO", but NO...NO they don't. They will stand there and watch, right smack in the middle of it. Oh and don't forget about the washed up seaweed, trash on the sand and trash cans everywhere. Now even though this is a public beach you still have to get PERMITS from the city. Yes the city needs to know what you are doing and get paid to be in the know, but think they are blocking off space for you...uummm nnnnooooo.


PARKING:
Since we have established that this is a public location and everyone who comes to Florida wants to go to the beach....where will all your guests be parking?? You say that is not your problem they will find a spot...not cool. Guests could be circling and circling to find parking or park so far away they have to walk a mile. Next option is to park illegally, which I do not advise because the Beach Police are just waiting and wanting to ticket you. Don't move that illegally parked car in a timely fashion and your car gets towed. And going back to your 80 year old Grandparents (yet again, I know) they know have to walk a mile in the heat to get to your wedding only to stand for an hour. Poor Grandma & Grandpa :o(

www.clearskiesphoto.com

PHOTOS:
Well of course I will start off saying make sure your photographer is LICENSED & INSURED but my next thought is how qualified are they to shoot your beach wedding?? Make sure you have seen "BEACH WEDDING PHOTOS" in action and talk to your photographer about locations and timing. A great photographer will lay it all out on the table for you about what to expect and not just accept the job just to get paid.


PLANNER:
Ok so while you are off getting ready who is queuing everything or instructing the guests? Who will let the officiant know you are ready to walk down the sandy aisle, which is actually a pretty far walk? I guess you could just yell...that is acceptable...NOT! A planner is their to keep everything on track and make sure your rentals, decorations, backup plan and schedules are all on track. This should not be a "option" if you have money left over, this is a necessity!! You will thank yourself for that headache & stress relief later!!

Ok, so now that I ranted on why I think Beach Ceremonies

may not be the greatest idea let me give you some suggestions:

1. Instead of a Beach Ceremony have your ceremony and reception at a beach front location, like a hotel or restaurant  Then just go out on the beach and take pictures, weather permitting of course. At least this saves you from the "back up plan".


2. If you are having a beach ceremony then have a casual reception too. Let the guests know of their invites to "dress casual" so they will be prepared for the weather if it is hot. If it is cold then don;t worry your guests will come dressed for that.


3. Have refreshments for your guests at the ceremony location. Maybe it is a cooler of bottled water or a drink station with lemonade and tea. If it is cold consider having a hot chocolate station. It is better to have guests who are happy at your wedding rather then dying of heat exhaustion or freezing to death.


4. Chairs are a must! you may say that you are only getting married for 15 minutes but those guests are standing there for an hour. 


5. Think about what the kids could be doing to keep them busy and not fussy. Set up buckets with instructions for a game like Seashell Bingo. Have drawings of seashells they need to collect for your decor at the reception. Make them feel apart of your wedding.


6. Since more then likely you will be having your reception at an actual location consider renting a bus or trolley. Have your guests park at the reception location and bus in your guests. This will help with the parking situation and also timing. Have the bus pick the guests back up and take them back to the reception location.  Your guests will thank you for this!! 


7. If possible have people on crowd control. While you can't block off a public beach you can have people to ask random passerbys to please be courteous and stand out of the way at least for the 15 minutes while you say "I DO". Let's try to save your pictures from those banana hammocks. 


8. Hire an AWESOME photographer (www.clearskiesphoto.com), which you should do regardless. This is not the time to try out the cousin or friend of a friend that just recently got into photography with their "Black Friday Deal" on a camera. You will regret those bad pictures FOREVER. How long is forever...ask your spouse in 20 years when you won't stop b*tching about those crappy photos every time you see them or every anniversary.


9. Hire a professional Wedding Planner or at least a "Big Day Coordinator". They are there to keep the sanity, schedules and fix any situations that occur. They will be your best friend throughout the process BUT do not hire "the best friend"...hire a professional who does this for a living. They know how to deal with all situations imaginable and then some. They can recommend QUALITY VENDORS and will keep all vendors in check and accounted for on all those special moments and keep things running smoothly from one event to another. They are well worth every penny and are probably not as expensive as you may think.

www.clearskiesphoto.com

Photos were taken from a wedding that Tania from Clear Skies Photography and I did at the Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. This was a PERFECT location for the ceremony & reception as well as the accommodations for the Bride & Groom and the guests. This allowed the amazing photos to be shot without the risk of the "what-if weather" that Florida is know for and threatening a beach ceremony. For more information on the Casa Marina visit www.casamarinahotel.com

From Vendor to Vendor: Why you MUST be a LICENSED & INSURED BUSINESS... (NO EXCUSES!)

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE stickler for businesses being licensed & insured but why??? (Yes I know this will be a never-ending battle, which I am totally prepared to fight on behalf of all businesses.) If you want to and choose to operate as a "business" then I feel you should be doing the right/legal things that other business owners do...like pay taxes for one. If you want to roll with "the BIG Dogs" and put yourself out there then DO IT! Don't try and cut costs by skipping the legalaties that protect YOU and YOUR BUSINESS as well as those clients who are contracting your services. Believe me it is NOT expensive to have and maintain your licenses and insurance...actually running the business will cost some $$$. 

(On a personal note so that you can see it is NOT that expensive: I pay my LLC - $145 every year, my city business license $45 every year and my current business insurance is $45 every month = $730 a year.
** Please Note: This only covers the legal paperwork of owning my business and is in no way the total cost to run my business which is currently upwards of $5,000 a year just to OPERATE it and make ends meet...with NO profit.**)

You are building a business mainly based on your reputation... 

so why would you risk it by NOT being Licensed & Insured?? 

Why are Business Licenses Required?

Licenses are required for three main purposes:

• To identify your business and make sure you are accountable for your actions
• To protect the public health and safety
• To keep track of your finances for tax purposes

Business License

Business licenses, permits and registrations are a necessary requirement for a business to operate. Business licensing fulfills several functions in our society. As a general rule, business licensing is part of its compliance and accountability to its stakeholders which can include local, country, state and federal government as well as customers and vendors. Depending on the business location, the necessary licensing process can be complicated and costly, fraught with liability exposure for the business owner. On top of that, it may not be easy for the new business to find out about all of the licenses, permits and registrations it needs just to open its door and to keep its door open. The licenses, permits, registrations vary by location of the business including where its product are produced and sold and by the business' industry.

Why Business Licenses are Important

For compliance purposes: business licenses, permits and registrations serve the purpose of advising the licensing authorities that the business is functioning and meeting safety, soundness and tax regulations for the authorities. This is especially important if the business has employees or sells taxable goods and services. This means the business intends to comply with governing laws and regulations and intends to report to the authorities, the information the authorities require for the business to operate. An example is that a business generally needs to procure a federal tax identification number so the Internal Revenue Service can collect taxes on the profits of the business. Failure to do so can have far-reaching civil and criminal penalties for the business and its owners significantly impacting the corporate liability protection for the owners. Another example is that most local governments require a business to procure a business license in order to open their operation. Failure to do so means that the business will not be allowed to operate which also can significantly impact the profits and corporate liability protection for the owners.

• If, for example, a when a restaurant in Colorado Springs opens it needs obtain the necessary licenses and permits from the city, the county, the State of Colorado, and the federal government. The city will probably insist on a basic business license and may be the licensing authority to issue a health permit and a license to sell alcoholic beverages. However, in some states, the state or county authority may be the authority to issue these permits and licenses. The restaurant will need to register with the State of Colorado so it can collect sales tax receipts and withheld payroll taxes. The restaurant will need to register with the Internal Revenue Service so it can also collect different taxes including withheld federal and social security taxes and federal unemployment taxes.
• For accountability purposes: the business licenses, permits, and registrations can assure customers and vendors that it is capable of providing the service or product they are expecting.
  1. For a customer, an example is a patient would be interested in going to a physician licensed to practice medicine. In many cases, not only does a doctor have a personal professional license, but his practice may be part of a medical institution required to obtain a state issued occupational license for the practice.
  2. For a vendor, most local, county, and state governments offer lists of business licenses, permits and registrations. Vendors can obtain these lists and contact the business to sell their product or service, helping the business to succeed.

What Is Business Insurance?

 The term "business insurance" encompasses all the different types of coverage available to protect business owners from losses. Through business insurance, you can cover your property and business vehicles, insure against legal claims against the business such as liability or workers' compensation, and also provide health insurance for your employees, among other things. 

Why Do I Need Business Insurance?

 Even if you don't think your business has enough assets to be sued, or if you believe because your business in incorporated, you're shielded from personal liability through the so-called "corporate veil," you still need business insurance. Why? 

Because absolutely anyone can be sued, judgments can be collected through wage garnishments and bank account seizures, and even corporate veils can be pierced under certain circumstances; indeed, the smaller your business is, the more likely that you can be held personally liable for debts through your personal assets. 

Your business needs business insurance because of the many risks and potential threats to its successful and continued operation; good, tailored business insurance policies can help protect you and your venture as much as possible. 

Even if you have a successful business, disaster could strike at any moment and force you to shut your doors. Companies typically carry insurance to mitigate the risk of unforeseen damage. Although it might seem tempting to cut costs by forgoing insurance, business experts like the Small Business Administration (SBA) highly recommend maintaining a business insurance policy.

Considerations

You need business insurance to cover acts of God and general liability, such as malpractice. A patient, for example, might sue a doctor's practice if the nurse accidentally gives him the wrong medication. If you have a business in a flood zone, a flood could destroy your business property and allow competition to move into your market while you rebuild.

Legal Requirement

States often require certain types of business insurance. If you have employees you must purchase worker's compensation coverage through the state or a commercial provider, according to the SBA. Six states require businesses to carry disability insurance, but companies in states that do not require insurance commonly offer it as a benefit.

Benefits

While property insurance covers the damage to any business, even if you run a home business, it does not reimburse you for lost profits. Business interruption insurance pays you for lost sales until you get your business up and running again after a disaster. If you become disabled or too ill to run your company, disability insurance provides a percentage of your income. Additional insurance for overhead provides for expenses, such as supplies and inventory, needed to run your business while you are disabled.

Expert Insight

You should not rely on liability waivers to protect yourself in case of malpractice or accidents because they usually never cover you completely, according to business attorney Nina Kaufman. In some states, you cannot use waivers at all to protect a business from liability.

Tip

Try to purchase all of your business insurance from a single company. Business owner's policies cover the most common types of insurance needed by a business. When starting a business do a risk-management audit to identify potential liabilities and what an accident might cost. Do this risk management analysis every year. Always select with a licensed agent familiar with the risks associated with your type of company.

info obtained from: http://www.companiesinc.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com, http://www.legalzoom.com