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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
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
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?
we also visited about a thousand places and I was getting way discouraged! Either it was perfect but way out of budget or gorgeous but not the feel we were going for. I’m glad yours turned our so well!! I lurve beach weddings!
Mr. Library and I went to one location that was just plain awful first even though we had heard great things about it. Sneeze guard salad bar anyone? No thanks! Our second venue ended up being ours. It’s so pretty and very flexible. I cannot wait to see how you decorate yours!
I always thought the Don CeSar would be a great place for a colorful wedding…but now I live in Atlanta, GA! We had no questions about where we wanted to get married - the town we live in is so quaint and so homey, we HAD to make it part of our big day!
Can’t wait to hear more about your venue (and see more pics!!).
I am having a hard time finding a venue for our reception. I think I’ve emailed/called almost 20 places by now! We want to go somewhere which will allow us to hire our own caterer and bring our own booze but that’s proving to be a harder than I imagined!
We only visited two places… but I did a LOT of research online first, so I pretty much knew what I was getting with both places. The ugly carpets at venue 1 somehow didn’t make it into the photos online, though. 
I pretty much had my mind set on my venue since before I got engaged! I half-heartedly emailed two other options just to compare prices but there wasn’t any real doubt in my mind as to what we’d end up choosing… I think yours is gorgeous tho, great choice!
So glad you found a great place! I’m really struggling with the venue thing - doing some research and such - I’m just not sold on anywhere! It also has alot to do with the fact that tons of people we know are getting married around the same time so it’s tough to pick a spot that nobody’s getting married at around the same time!
Venue searching was so stressful! I think because it’s by far the largest check you have to write…
I can’t wait to see more of your planning!
@Miss Pencils: Thankfully, we didn’t visit all that many places…but the prices were killing me!
@Ms. Library: Ew yikes!!! I’m glad you did find a great place though!
@catybarb: The Don would indeed be beautiful…but the prices aren’t for the faint at heart!
@cjp454: That was one of our original thoughts…but it didn’t work out that way for us…it was SO hard to find somewhere that lets you do that!
@Miss Spaniel: Ewwww ugly carpets could definitely ruin the look of the venue…good thing you saw those on the visit!
@Miss Trail Mix: Awww that is so cool! I’m glad you are getting what you wanted! 
i considered so many places. i didn’t even visit that many because of the prices–decorating a blank slate can be really expensive, so i’m with you on scrapping nova 535. can’t wait to see more pictures of your venue!
Congrats!
I feel like we (me) did sooo much research and considered so many places. It is incredibly difficult to find an affordable reception space in NYC/Northern New Jersey, especially if you don’t want to be at a place that has multiple weddings going on at the same time.
We considered so. many. freaking. places. But, in the end, I think we found what was right for us. Congrats on finding the right place for you!
Yay! The venue search can be such a daunting task - I like the idea of the fully customizable menu - what fun!
those were all great options. i can’t wait to see more of carlouel
i love that all your choices were so different. Ironically, our wedding venue choices were basically: I had an idea (let’s call it Venue A), we went to go visit there, and hubby didn’t like it. I liked it, but was willing to compromise. Venue B happened to be a place we stopped in on the way back from Venue A; we both liked it but it was 2X the original budget we planned. So, we ended up with Venue C - the town center in his neighborhood that had better looks than both A and B and cost 1/4 of the budget! Whew….
I totally compromised on my venue…glad you took the time to find the right one!
I love your venue, just p.s.
Our venues required no searching or choosing… It was always wedding at the church I grew up in and reception at my parents’ house. Too much Father of the Bride watching for me!
A did a lot of research online but only ended up going to two reception venues. It was a pretty easy choice for us. I’m glad you found what you wanted!
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Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FL Age and Occupation: 24, "Working on it" Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial Services Engagement Date: June 13, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2010 Venue: Carlouel Yacht Club About Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
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