South Florida Wedding Venues: Miami & Palm Beach
A guide to the Gilded Age mansions, oceanfront resorts, and bayfront estates that make South Florida one of the most storied wedding destinations in the country.
South Florida is where old-world grandeur meets the water. Across Palm Beach and Miami, the region holds a concentration of Gilded Age estates, historic landmark mansions, and five-star oceanfront resorts that rivals anywhere in the country, set against the Atlantic, Biscayne Bay, and the Intracoastal.
The two metros have distinct characters. Miami runs from the Italian-Renaissance drama of Vizcaya and the historic elegance of Coral Gables to the modern, art-forward luxury of Miami Beach, weddings here can be classic or boldly contemporary. Palm Beach is the home of Gilded Age formality, the Flagler legacy, and grand oceanfront resorts, a place where weddings lean toward timeless, black-tie grandeur. This guide covers the venues that define both.
The perspective is a grounded one, rooted in years spent around South Florida’s venues and the way they actually host an event, from how a room flows to how the light moves across a bayfront terrace at golden hour. For the broader picture, see our full venue guide. If you have already chosen a venue, find it below. If you are still deciding, start with the planning metrics before evaluating individual properties.
Rental and site fees at South Florida’s luxury venues generally run $10,000 to $40,000+ for the space, with resort minimums layered on top. Total wedding budgets at the marquee properties commonly land between $100,000 and $500,000+, and full-scale celebrations at the very top tier can exceed that. Guest count is the largest single driver.
Intimate: 20–80 guests
Mid-size: 80–200 guests
Grand: 200–500+ guests
The region spans genuinely intimate historic rooms to oceanfront ballrooms seating several hundred, so capacity rarely limits the vision.
Peak-season dates, October through April, book 12 to 18 months ahead, and the flagship venues like The Breakers and the Flagler Museum often go 18 to 24 months out. Prime Saturdays in high season are the first to disappear.
Miami Wedding Venues
Italian-Renaissance estates, historic hotels, and modern bayfront glamour.
The Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore is Coral Gables’ grande dame, a 1926 Mediterranean Revival landmark crowned by its iconic tower, with vaulted lobbies, a grand ballroom, and a sweeping courtyard. It is the historic-hotel flagship of the Miami area and pairs naturally with Vizcaya as the two anchors of a classic Miami wedding.
Where Vizcaya is outdoor estate romance, the Biltmore offers full-service grandeur under one roof, indoor ballrooms, colonnaded terraces, on-site lodging, and a level of old-world hotel service that suits large, formal celebrations. Its architecture gives couples a range of settings, from intimate courtyard ceremonies to grand ballroom receptions, without leaving the property. See our complete Biltmore Hotel wedding cost and venue guide for pricing, capacities, and lodging details.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Vizcaya is Miami’s answer to a European estate, an Italian Renaissance villa on Biscayne Bay with formal gardens, sculpture, fountains, and waterfront views that photograph unlike anywhere else in the country. A historic landmark, it delivers a fairytale, old-world backdrop in the middle of a modern city, and it is one of the most sought-after wedding settings in South Florida.
It is primarily an outdoor venue, which is central to how you plan it: the gardens and bayfront terraces are the draw, and during the rainy season a tent is typically required to cover the reception, an added cost worth budgeting from the start. Pricing runs on a rental-plus-ceremony-fee model that varies by day and season. For couples who want architectural drama and genuine romance, Vizcaya is the definitive Miami choice. See our complete Vizcaya wedding cost and venue guide for pricing, capacities, tenting, and timing details.
Ancient Spanish Monastery
The Ancient Spanish Monastery is one of the most distinctive wedding venues in the country, a medieval Spanish cloister built in the 12th century, dismantled, shipped to the United States, and reassembled in North Miami Beach. It is among the oldest structures in the Americas, and marrying within its stone arcades and gardens is unlike anything else in South Florida.
Where the region’s other landmarks lean Gilded Age or Mediterranean-revival, the Monastery offers genuine medieval atmosphere, weathered stone, cloistered walkways, and manicured courtyards that photograph with a quiet, timeless gravity. It suits couples who want a ceremony rooted in real history and a setting no other Miami venue can replicate, at an intimate to mid-size scale.
Palm Beach Wedding Venues
Gilded Age grandeur, the Flagler legacy, and grand oceanfront resorts.
The Breakers
The Breakers is the flagship of South Florida weddings, a Gilded Age oceanfront resort on 140 acres of Atlantic beachfront, opened in 1896 and rebuilt in Italian Renaissance style in 1926. A National Historic Landmark still run by the Flagler family that built it, it is the venue almost every serious list of iconic Florida weddings returns to.
What sets it apart is range within a single property. The resort offers a dozen distinct wedding spaces, from grand ballrooms to intimate rooms to oceanfront lawns. The Ponce de Leon Ballroom is the largest at roughly 15,000 square feet and divisible six ways; the Venetian and Mediterranean ballrooms bring frescoed ceilings and ocean views. It hosts everything from intimate gatherings to full-scale, multi-day celebrations up to several hundred guests, with in-house catering widely regarded as among the finest of any resort in the country.
The Flagler Museum
The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, known as Whitehall, is a Gilded Age Beaux-Arts mansion built in 1902 and a National Historic Landmark. Once called more wonderful than any palace in Europe, it is the architectural counterpart to Vizcaya across the state, marble halls, grand columns, and panoramic views over the Intracoastal Waterway.
For couples who value legacy and architecture, few settings compare. The estate offers several historically rich spaces, including grand interior halls, garden courtyards, and even Flagler’s private railcar, accommodating weddings of up to roughly 250 to 300 guests. It photographs as pure old-world grandeur, and it books further ahead than almost any venue in the region.
Across Palm Beach, Miami, and the coast
Beyond the flagship estates and resorts, South Florida holds a deep bench of luxury and boutique venues, from beachfront five-stars to intimate villas and genuinely unique historic settings.
Four Seasons Palm Beach
Oceanfront five-star luxury with landscaped courtyards, cabanas, and a spa, ideal for sunset ceremonies with indoor, air-conditioned comfort for the reception. The modern-resort counterpart to The Breakers.
The Colony Hotel
The pastel-pink, unmistakably Palm Beach hotel, a favorite for stylish, modern couples who want playful sophistication. Its vintage-meets-modern aesthetic is made for editorial portraits.
Eau Palm Beach
Seven acres of oceanfront elegance with the grand Royal Poinciana Ballroom, crystal chandeliers, and a luxury spa. A five-star destination for larger, full-production celebrations.
Faena Hotel Miami Beach
Art-forward, theatrical modern luxury, the contemporary counterpoint to the region’s historic estates. Bold interiors and oceanfront glamour for couples who want a distinctly modern Miami statement.
Villa Woodbine
A Mediterranean villa set in a lush tropical garden in Coconut Grove, the intimate hidden gem of the Miami scene. Old-Florida character and European flair at a genuinely personal scale.
The Addison
A historic Mediterranean landmark bridging Palm Beach County and Miami, banyan-shaded courtyards and timeless architecture, one of the region’s most beloved mid-luxury settings.
Bonnet House
A historic barrier-island estate spanning roughly 35 acres between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, tropical grounds, a historic home, and genuine seclusion between the two metros.
Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne
Oceanfront five-star luxury on its own barrier island minutes from downtown Miami, with beachfront ceremony lawns, grand ballrooms, and full resort service for large, polished celebrations.
We can help you choose
Every South Florida venue photographs and flows differently across the seasons. If you are weighing options, we are glad to talk through the trade-offs.
Begin a conversation →When to Marry in South Florida
The prime season. Dry, warm, low-humidity weather ideal for outdoor ceremonies and bayfront receptions. This is when the marquee venues book first and prices run highest, so secure dates 12 to 24 months ahead.
Warmer and more humid, with better availability and pricing. A strong value window for couples flexible on weather, though outdoor plans want a solid backup as the rainy season edges in.
Hot, humid, and the core of the rainy and hurricane season. Outdoor venues like Vizcaya generally require tenting. Best suited to indoor, air-conditioned ballrooms, and the most affordable window.
Afternoon storms are common much of the year. For any outdoor or garden venue, a tent or indoor backup is not optional, it is part of the plan. Build it into the budget from the start.
Questions About South Florida Wedding Venues
What is the most iconic wedding venue in South Florida?
The Breakers in Palm Beach and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami are the two most iconic. The Breakers is the Gilded Age oceanfront resort synonymous with luxury Florida weddings, while Vizcaya is the Italian Renaissance bayfront estate that defines Miami grandeur. The Flagler Museum and the Biltmore Hotel round out the region’s flagship historic venues.
How much does a South Florida wedding cost?
At the luxury venues across Palm Beach and Miami, total wedding budgets commonly range from $100,000 to $500,000+, with venue and site fees alone running roughly $10,000 to $40,000+ before catering minimums. The Breakers and comparable full-production venues can exceed that for large, multi-day celebrations. Guest count, season, and production scale are the biggest drivers.
What is the difference between a Palm Beach and a Miami wedding?
Palm Beach leans toward Gilded Age formality and grand oceanfront resorts, weddings there tend toward timeless, black-tie grandeur at venues like The Breakers and the Flagler Museum. Miami spans the historic estate romance of Vizcaya and the Biltmore through to the modern, art-forward luxury of Miami Beach, so it accommodates both classic and boldly contemporary visions.
When is the best time of year to get married in South Florida?
November through April is the peak season, dry, warm, and comfortable, and ideal for outdoor ceremonies. It is also when the top venues book first and prices peak. Summer months bring heat, humidity, and the rainy and hurricane season, which favors indoor, air-conditioned venues and requires tenting at outdoor sites like Vizcaya.
How far in advance should you book a South Florida wedding venue?
For peak-season dates, 12 to 18 months is standard, and the flagship venues, The Breakers, the Flagler Museum, and the top resorts, often book 18 to 24 months ahead. Prime high-season Saturdays are the first to go, so for a specific date at a marquee venue, begin as early as possible.
Do outdoor South Florida venues require a tent?
Often, yes. Primarily outdoor venues like Vizcaya typically require a tent to cover the reception during the rainy season, and afternoon storms are common much of the year. For any garden or bayfront venue, a tent or indoor backup should be budgeted from the start rather than treated as a contingency.
Planning a wedding in South Florida?
By The West is a wedding photography and videography studio with roots in South Florida, documenting weddings across Palm Beach, Miami, and beyond. We would be glad to talk through your venue, your date, and your vision.