Let's take a tour...

After an exhausting search for our venue, I was pleased as punch to have our names penned in Carlouel's calendar for our wedding date! So…would you like a tour? Follow me please…

Guests will drive up to the front entrance, and the valet will park their car (unless of course, they are traveling via limo or other transportation!).

As guests enter the front door, they walk into this entryway…

The couches will be removed. I’m imagining some white pillar candles on the mantle of the fireplace on the left, and our guestbook will be displayed on a circular table in the center of the room

Turn to the left, and you will enter the room where the ceremony will take place…

In front of this beautiful stone fireplace (ignore the tables, it will be set up with rows of chairs for the ceremony)…

Don’t you love the cute light fixtures?

I will admit, I am a bit disappointed that there isn’t a mantle on the fireplace…I was hoping to set up an array of different sized white pillar candles on a mantle in lieu of flowers, but now it looks like we’re going to have to be creative with the décor!

Since we are having our ceremony indoors, after it is over, our guests will move outdoors by the pool for the cocktail hour! Carlouel is right on the water in Clearwater, so everyone will have a fabulous view of the ocean, boats, etc. as the sun begins to set!

Guests can stand on the lawn, or sit at a table by the pool, while hors d’ouevres and drinks are served.

I love the idea of some photo ops with the bridal party/family on one of the boat slips…if only we had a boat to go with it!

After an hour of munching on appetizers, our wedding guests will walk back into to main room for the reception!

During the cocktail hour, the staff at Carlouel will flip the room where the ceremony was held and turn it into a beautiful reception site! Where the chairs are for the ceremony, tables of 8-10 will be assembled.

Some tables will run into the next room, which has a hardwood floor…perfect for dancing (note: the floor will be clear, unlike in the pictures here)!

Carlouel will set up the tasting stations for dinner in an adjoining room, so the serving equipment, stations, etc won’t be eyesores in the middle of the reception.

Directly across from the entrance to Carlouel is their private beach that you access by this boardwalk…

I don’t know how I will incorporate the beach in some aspect of the day…perhaps for a sendoff with sparklers?

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Do you drool over your venue? What type of setting were you looking for?

Hunting for a venue…

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The process of selecting our venue was relatively short lived. In an ideal world, I wanted to hold the ceremony and the reception at the same location for the ease of our guests. After some discussion with Mr. Buttons, we decided that we wanted to include the beach in some way, whether it would be to have the ceremony on the beach itself, or to simply find a venue that is nearby/on the beach. Since many of our guests will be coming from out of town, we knew that the individuals attending our wedding would be eager to hit the sand and surf during their time in Florida. I mean, how can you take a trip to Florida and NOT go to the beach? That would surely be a crime, no? After narrowing down some of my criteria for selecting a venue, it was time to hit the pavement, so to speak!

My heart started to sink....slightly...because I knew from the start that beach weddings in FL = expensive (at times).

Option 1 – Hilton Clearwater Beach

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Pro: On the beach, great location for guests

Con: Very limited flexibility for timing and menu, prices are high (especially since there was not much wiggle room on choices)

I scrapped this venue and moved on.

Option 2 – Nova 535

Both images from Nova 535

Pro: Decor is limited (it is a blank slate to decorate), modern and sophisticated

Con: Not the beach, tables/chairs/linens would have to be rented

In the end, even if the venue itself didn't cost much to rent, I'd be adding exorbitant costs for everything else. Option 2 - nixed.

Option 3 - Sandpearl Resort

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Pro: On the beach, the hotel is newly renovated (aka BEAUTIFUL), many menu options

Con: Low ceilings in banquet room, room has no windows, very large food/beverage minimum

The manager was nice enough to mention that if I were to book the smaller ballroom at first, and when my wedding date rolls around, if the grand ballroom wasn’t booked, I could automatically be moved into it at no charge. Well, that is nice…but could leave us with some logistical nightmares (how we decorate a small vs. a large room could be vastly different).

I was feeling rather frustrated. My heart wasn’t singing out that this was the place. Mom and I decided that we’d contemplate it…until we found Carlouel...

Carlouel is a private club, so it hadn’t even been on my original list of venues…I was intrigued to check it out! As soon as Mommy Buttons and I took a tour of the venue, I got the feeling that this location would be the perfect one! It is on the beach, it feels cozy inside, and the kitchen allows you to dictate the entire menu (talk about flexibility!). After visiting Carlouel, Mommy Buttons and I suspended our search for the venue...this was it!

Did you struggle to find your venue?