You've likely seen the vessel parked in the water along the approach to The Pier in St. Pete, a charming little chapel with a faux-clapboard exterior, tall arched windows, a modest but stately steeple reaching for the sky and a white picket fence enclosing it all. Floating Chapel on the Bay is the country's first seaworthy wedding site, and it was brought to America by local entrepreneurs Phil and Janet Henderson, who were inspired by a smaller version of its kind they'd seen in Australia while on vacation.
Making plans for the craft was the easy part; engineering a 50-ton, two-hulled barge with a low center of gravity to Coast Guard standards proved to be much more difficult, not to mention expensive.
"We had two naval engineers that got involved and designed the two formations — the hull first, then the chapel," Phil explained in a recent phone interview. Then the blueprints had to be reviewed, tested and authorized by Coast Guard safety officials in Washington, D.C. "They told me they were gonna be tough on me, 'because you are the first and only floating chapel in America that we've approved.'" Henderson says the measures added about $300,000 to the costs, which, by the time they were finished, totaled roughly $1 million.
But it was money well spent. Apart from the fact that the chapel rocks very little when it's out on the water, the space is quite lovely. Cathedral ceilings and tall sheet glass windows with stained glass arches make the tastefully decorated interior feel spacious. Neat rows of pews seat 100 guests and face an elegant dais. A private bridal sanctuary features a bathroom and seating area with plenty of space for last-minute beauty preparations. And a small outdoor deck provides the perfect setting for post-ceremony champagne and cake.
Since welcoming its first wedding party aboard in October 2004, Floating Chapel on the Bay has hosted several hundred ceremonies and proved itself to be yet another flourishing on-the-water business venture for Phil, who also owns the Caladesi Island Ferry and the Dolphin Encounter Cruise on Clearwater Beach.
Floating Chapel wedding coordinator Jessica Nelson says it's different every time the vessel goes out. "You never know what you're going to see on the water, or what's going on at The Pier or Vinoy Park, and every couple adds their own special touches."
A while back, following a wedding that was held during an air show, two teams of planes performed stunts over the chapel right as the bride and groom made their grand exit. "It's just so cool in St. Pete, because there's always something going on downtown."
Nelson says it's not uncommon for people hanging at the Pier or walking along the waterfront to wave and shout their congratulations when the chapel is gliding through the Bay and the wedding party is celebrating on the deck. And dolphin sightings are a frequent part of the floating chapel experience.
Packages range from $800 to $2,300 depending on the day and number of guests. The cost includes a nondenominational service performed by a gussied-up boat captain, silk flower decorations, all the music for the duration of the cruise played on a top-quality sound system and assistance from the chapel's wedding coordinators. These amenities aren't mandatory — the floating chapel folks are nothing if not flexible — and if you want to personalize your ceremony with your own flowers, certified officiant and music (live bands are permitted), that's fine, too.
Floating Chapel on the Bay is a great alternative to a wedding on the beach. You still enjoy spectacular views of the water, but with added privacy — and without getting sand in your shoes.
This article appears in May 7-13, 2008.