But many places still off limits
Laura Layden
It just got a little easier.
The "Wedding Beach" is back in business.
The city quietly reopened the beach end and access at Eighth Avenue South on Feb. 17, marking the occasion with a small celebratory event, recognizing the hard work of the employees who made it happen.
Due to damage from Hurricane Ian, the accesss had been closed since the storm hit in late September.
With the reopening, Naples has resumed issuing permits for beach weddings, which it had put on hold, so it could focus on clean-up and ensure safety.
For now, the city will only issue permits for beach ceremonies on the "Wedding Beach," said Chad Merritt, the city's director of parks, recreation and facilities.
Asked when permits will be granted for other stretches in the city proper, he said: "When we are able to recover/repair more of our beach accesses from storm damage."
"At that point, we will reevaluate our condition.," he said.
The emergency berm is designed to protect coastal property left vulnerable by Hurricane Ian, until there's a more permanent fix. The barrier will stretch from Marco Island to
Barefoot Beach, with nearly half of the sand going on Naples beaches.
More:Collier commissioners approve $24 million in funding for emergency beach berm post-Ian
Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar has emphasized the need to put safety first.
Due to safety concerns about its beaches, the city cancelled its traditional New Year's Eve fireworks off Naples Pier in December.
The city has 40 beach accesses. More than half of them remain closed, and beach parking is still limited, due to storm damage.
Other ways to get married on the beach
There are still multiple ways to get married on the beach in Collier County, not just at county-owned beaches and parks, but at private hotels and other waterfront venues.
The cost of a permit is $100 an hour from setup to break down, and the ceremony must end by sunset, said Peg Ruby, an events and marketing coordinator for the county's parks department.
Coastal hotels and resorts continue to host beach weddings.
That includes the Naples Grande and Edgewater Beach Hotel, as well as the Hilton and JW Marriott resorts on Marco Island.
In the county, a few harder-hit beachfront resorts are temporarily out of the wedding business, including the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, which is still recovering from wind and water damage. While restoration and rebuilding are well underway, the iconic property on Vanderbilt Beach isn't expected to reopen until mid-2023.