Beach or Ballroom Reception?

I would say the biggest concerns would be heat and wind. We got married on the beach and had an outdoor cocktail hour but indoor reception in May also in Florida. It was pretty warm and I think people were happy to get inside for a bit. Personally I would have loved it all on the beCh but I was worried about some of our older family and friends. Good luck. I’m sure it will be beautiful either way.

I didn't have have a beach wedding, but I did have a ballroom wedding. We got married in July on one of the hottest days of the year. Our wedding was 100% indoors. We attempted to do some photos outside, but we couldn't stay outside very long because it was so hot. Even with the air turned all the way up, some guests said it was still too hot inside. Given that April can be very warm in Florida and that you aren't allowed tents which would provide coverage from the sun I would have an indoor reception. My other suggestion would be to look up the average temperature for where you are located during the week you plan on getting married to give you kind of an idea of the weather. I wish we would have done that because according to the research I did after the fact we got married on what is generally the hottest day of the year where we got married. Had I realized that I would have picked a different date, but we were limited on dates as my brother, my brother-in-law and my sister were also getting married the same year as my husband and I. I had wanted a mid-September wedding because I didn't want to be unbearably hot on my wedding day, but my brother-in-law booked his venue for the last day in August so I didn't want our weddings to be too close. They ended up being six weeks apart anyways.

I would go with a ballroom reception over 5+ hours on a beach in formal clothes any day. As a guest, that doesn't sound appealing at all.

Key west is the besttttt. I would say have your Ceremony out on the beach for sure — maybe the cocktail hour too! Though I suggest having your reception indoors because of the heat/humidity. I’ve seen a lot of brides that provide a basket of flip flops for guests during the ceremony to avoid walking through the sand in nice shoes or heels. I’m getting married in Sanibel in July, but I was in Key West in December and it was pretty hot. Though if your reception is around sunset, it would be a bit cooler.

As someone who doesn’t love the beach for longer than maybe 3 hours...I think a ballroom reception would be nicer. If you did a beach wedding, would you put down flooring for things like dancing and how would the food work? I’m just thinking of the sand factor, especially in Key West because I know that sand is REALLY soft so it may be hard to have some of those moments if you were planning on them without some kind of support. You’d also just have to have a backup plan in case it rains. Are you from Florida? I lived there for about 2 years and remember it rained without fail every day around 3 pm. So at least plan around that!

I agree with everyone else - if you are asking your guests to be dressed formally, a reception on the beach would not really be comfortable.

Ceremony and maybe cocktail hour, sure, but, as someone who has sunburned in England twice...

And, as Allie said: ...sand. So much sand!

Ceremony and maybe the cocktail hour on the beach with reception in the ballroom. The heat, wind, and sand will get to everyone by the end of the night. I lived in FL for several years, and attending my fair share of beach weddings; after the ceremony and cocktail hour, people are ready for a break from the wind and sand.