Miami Beach eyeing beach wedding fee

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Those wanting a surf-side wedding in Miami Beach, Fla., may soon have to pay for the privilege, officials say.

Max Sklar,, Miami Beach's director of culture and tourism development, said the proposal to charge a fee was prompted, in part, by a major increase in the number of beach weddings in the city, The Miami Herald reported Saturday.

''The cost to monitor the gatherings, the temporary structures, the people driving on and off the beach, it is going up,'' Sklar said.

The proposed fees, which could run up to $250 for a beach ceremony, would not affect the rest of Miami-Dade County, Fla.

Some members of the public have opposed the Miami Beach measure, saying there should be no fees for a ceremony held on public property.

"I don't think it's right for a city to charge to get married on the beach,'' Tanya Baker, a 39-year-old recent beach wedding bride, told the Herald. "It's open to the public.''