Turtles Before Tables: Florida Turtle Season Wedding Rules

Aug 28

What Turtle Season Means for Your Florida Wedding

Planning a beachfront wedding in Florida? There’s one tiny guest you may not have accounted for — sea turtles!

Along much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 through October 31. If your wedding falls within those months, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning your big day.

Keep the Lights Low ✨

Bright artificial lighting can confuse nesting turtles and hatchlings, so beachfront venues may have restrictions on lighting that can be seen from the sand.

This can affect café lights, uplighting, spotlights and other decorative lighting near the beach. Turtle-friendly lighting generally means keeping lights low, shielded and using approved long-wavelength colors.

Before falling in love with a specific lighting design, check with your venue and planner first!

Nothing Stays on the Beach Overnight

Chairs, arches, signs, umbrellas and other wedding décor may need to be removed from the beach after your event.

If your ceremony is directly on the sand, make sure your vendor team has a plan for breaking everything down that evening.

Give the Turtles Their Space 🐢

If you happen to spot a sea turtle during your wedding weekend, consider yourself lucky — but admire her from a distance!

Avoid flash photography, flashlights or approaching a nesting turtle. And if there's a marked nest near your ceremony location, don't move or disturb it. Your venue and planner can adjust your setup around it.

Rules Can Change Depending on Your Venue

This is the big one! Turtle season regulations aren't exactly the same everywhere in Florida. Counties, cities and individual beachfront venues can have their own requirements.

If you're getting married on or near the beach between May and October, ask about turtle-season restrictions early in the planning process, especially before finalizing lighting and décor.