Tying the knot? Here’s where Pembroke Pines ranks among places to get married
If you’re looking to get hitched this year, you might just be in or near one of Florida’s best cities to do so.
Pembroke Pines has landed in the top 75th percentile of the best places to get married in the United States, according to a new study by WalletHub.
The report — released on Feb. 3 by the Miami-based personal finance company — compared 182 cities nationwide in three categories WalletHub says can make or break wedding planning: costs, availability of facilities and services, and activities and attractions for wedding guests.
How did Pembroke Pines fare? The city ranked 122nd across the U.S. and was deemed the ninth best among the 11 Florida cities that made the report.
To size up the city, the three categories were broken down into 26 wedding-planning metrics with varying weights, graded on a 100-point scale and averaged to calculate the score.
Costs, the 40-point category Pines ranked highest in, looked at the average price of a wedding, three-star hotel room, three-course meal for two, and the amount of nearby affordable wedding venues and restaurants.
Facilities and services — worth 30 points — calculated a region’s wedding essentials, churches and chapels, event planners, DJs, makeup artists, bridal shops, florists and more, per capita.
Activities and attractions, also worth 30 points, crunched the foodie-friendliness, popularity as a travel destination, amusement and entertainment options and even weather of a city for wedding guests.
Pembroke Pines’ total score was 40.76. The city ranked 80th in costs, 109th in facilities and services, and 136th in activities and attractions.
If those numbers aren’t as high as you’d like, find comfort that you’re not in Hialeah or Port St. Lucie, which fared worse than Pines, with the former coming in at 126th and the latter at 153rd.
Or, consider an hour-long trip to Miami, which ranked as the third-best spot to tie the knot in the United States.
The 305 is “perfect if you’re planning a beach wedding” thanks to its abundance of vendors and high number of venues, party equipment rentals, makeup artists, bridal shops, bartenders and limousine services, according to WalletHub.
It scored 79.05 out of 100 points and ranked first in facilities and services, 12th in activities and attractions, and 69th in costs.
Part of the Magic City’s charm, says the personal finance company, is its food and fun, proved by WalletHub ranking Miami as the top city for foodies and third best in its most fun cities list.
It’s also “not too taxing on guests’ wallets,” according to WalletHub. We’ll let you determine that for yourself.
Still not convinced? The wedding of your dreams could be a four-hour drive away in Orlando, the crème de la crème of Florida cities to get married in, per WalletHub.
The Orange County city ranked second-best nationwide, scored 70.97 points and ranked second in facilities and services, fifth in activities and attractions, and 38th in costs.
Orlando’s standouts? WalletHub highlights its first-place ranking for most flower shops per capita, high availability of vendors and large number of hotels and attractions, a hallmark of the theme park-famous city.
Here’s how other Florida cities ranked: Tampa (5), Fort Lauderdale (8), St. Petersburg (45), Jacksonville (48), Tallahassee (118) and Cape Coral (121).
Las Vegas was ranked No. 1.
