Our Photographers in St Pete Beach

 Weddings in St Pete Beach

Beach Wedding Tips from our Photographers St Pete Beach

Review on Wedding Wire (Wdg o5.23.17)
“We had a fantastic experience with the team at Celebrations! They were very professional and very attentive to detail to ensure that every picture was perfect.  The team was very happy to take as many great pictures as they could and to make use of the fantastic backdrop that we had at the Don CeSar hotel. We also used Celebrations for the videography which included drone footage. Everybody at the wedding enjoyed the drone and the footage that we have received back is truly spectacular.  The team stayed throughout the night and continued snapping away during our reception which went on late into the night. We had excellent communication with Celebrations throughout the whole process (which was very important as we flew from England for our wedding) and I would highly recommend their services.” -Katie Dobslaw, Wdg at Don CeSar

From  The Don CeSar to The Bilmar on Gulf Blvd, we know the best spots for wedding photos.   Whether it’s the  unbelievable view of the Presidential Room at the Grand Plaza, or the unique little bridges & waterways of the Tradewinds, we are very experienced at doing wedding photography on St Pete Beach.  For Downtown St Petersburg, see our St Petersburg Photography Gallery.
In shooting a wedding on St Pete Beach, a photographer needs to be in decent physical shape, or it will affect the quality and the amount of pictures taken.  The heat from March to October can be “brutal”, and thus the photographer has to know how to manage it, not only for himself but for the Bridal Party & Family.  We will therefore try to do as many family pictures indoors or in the shade as much as possible, and have the Portraits & Bridal Party shots for the beach.  Therefore, venues like The Don CeSar or Tradewinds that have alternate areas indoors or at least in shade are a plus.   A St Pete Beach Photographer must also deal with extreme “brightness issues”, which the Florida sun and the white sand, therefore, we like to do the pictures as close to sunset as possible especially if there are no clouds in the sky to diffuse the harshness of the sun.  We know all the major beach venues and will shoot at the locations of your particular venue that will give us the most optimal lighting for that time day, as well as trying to keep you and your family and bridal party as comfortable as possible.

The best view in  St Pete Beach is undoubtedly from The Presidential Ballroom of the Grand Plaza Beachfront Resort.  We average about 10 weddings a year at this popular St Pete Beach Venue so we are very familiar with it.  You can see more on this Grand Plaza Promotional Video that we shot in 2015.  We also have a Pinterest page solely dedicated to our photography at Grand Plaza Weddings.  The 2 beach ceremony areas have a very tropical look with Palm Trees lined up down the aisles.  The only areas indoors for Photography is either the Lobby, which can be crowded with the hotel guests or the reception ballrooms.  The first floor Imperial Ballroom makes it more convenient to get sunset pictures on the beach and can accommodate more guests that the Presidential Ballroom on the 9th floor.  The Grand Plaza also has a nice wooden bridge on the south side amidst tropical vegetation which provides a great background for wedding photography, especially in the mid afternoon when it can can be very bright with the white sand.

Next door to the Grand Plaza is the Sirata Beach Resort.  Like the Grand Plaza, the Sirata Beach Resort has limited areas indoors for photography, however, it does have a few areas under cover that will allow a photographer to get outdoor pictures even if it is raining.  On the picture to the right it was pouring rain during sunset, so we shot on the 2nd level balcony, just outside the Majestic Palm Room, where we could keep the bride dry and was able to capture some amazing pictures. It turned out better than a sunset. The sky was a orangeish brownish color, it was like a studio backdrop.  The Royal Palm Ballroom is on the 8th floor and gives the guest both a view of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Intracoastal Waterway.  If you want a real beach experience, the Coconut Palm Room is a Permanent Tent Pavilion on the beach, which makes it convenient to step out of the reception for beach pictures.  The Majestic Palm Room is the largest of all the ballroom is on the 2nd Floor near the Courtyard Balcony and is ideal for a large wedding.

Next on our Photographers St Pete Beach Tour is the Tradewinds Grand Island Resort.  The Tradewinds we love for all the tropical landscaping and variety of backgrounds with its green grass, gazebos, swans, rivers, and little bridges all on property.  The Tent Pavilion at the Tradewinds is great for larger weddings.  The video below was on the beach at the Tradewinds and the reception on the Breck Deck which is located on the north part of the property.

If you looking for the water scenery but do not like to get dirty with the sand of the beach, the St Pete Beach Community Center is ideal as it sits on the Intracoastal Waterway near the Cory Causeway bridge.   There are no parking issues or dealing with the public crowds like many of the other St Pete Beach wedding venues.  It has a wrap around balcony for the cocktail hour with a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway.
If you are looking for a location that is not your typical “beach venue”, you may want to check out the Post Card Inn.  The Post Card Inn, has more of a rustic, nautical feel to it.  Rustic & Nautical are typical too words that don’t go together, which is what makes Post Card Inn Unique.  The lobby area has some great, wood backgrounds that make for some creative backdrops for wedding photography.  The courtyard has beautiful oak trees.  It provides more of a casual atmosphere that many brides absolutely love.  See our Little Book below of a wedding at The Post Card Inn