We're from Michigan and would really like to get married on a sandy beach with clear blue water. We're throwing around some locations in Florida, that each have their own set of pros and cons.
1. North Captiva Island- somewhat hard to get to, (ferry only) with a cost of $20-30 per person each way. Not much to do on the island for entertainment/eating. I think we're concerned people won't have fun or feel upset about using a vacation to come to an island like this. People could rent houses and share to lessen the cost. It's also great for us because they do it all, and we wouldn't have to hire vendors for anything but decor and cake.
2. Sanibel Island- easier to access, but cost factors in for our budget and guests at this location. Would require us to find a photographer,dj, and the normal wedding vendors.
3. Clearwater- about the same as #2, but the reception location would be different than the ceremony site. We saw that there is some sort of free shuttle around Clearwater but not sure how reliable that is.
The other completely random idea we're thinking of is, only inviting our parents and siblings and giving each couple $1000 towards a weekend stay at a Caribbean sandals resort. We'd get married there and everyone gets a hopefully more stress free experience.
We kind of feel all over the place and I'm not sure why we're both having a hard time deciding. Seems like every time we're close to picking a location something comes up to make us change our minds again.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.