ANNA MARIA – Four days before their Oct. 10 wedding, Ken and Deni Schimpf learned that the short-term vacation rental property they booked as a wedding venue wasn’t zoned to host weddings. With guests arriving from as far away as Alaska, the couple feared their wedding was in jeopardy.
West Manatee Fire Rescue District (WMFR), the city of Anna Maria, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), CrossPointe Fellowship church and others worked together to find a solution.
“The fire marshal took a broken man and immediately gave me hope for how we were going to take this terrible situation and make it even better than the original plan,” Ken said.
That hope became reality when the community helped arrange a beach ceremony at the Willow Avenue beach access in Anna Maria.
“This was the right thing to do for the couple to have their wedding in spite of their last-minute challenges,” Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short said. “The beach wedding made their ceremony even more special. The city accelerated its (special event permit) approval process and made this happen in less than 48 hours.”
CrossPointe Fellowship church helped arrange parking, while the sheriff’s office and city officials addressed logistics and secured the necessary city-issued permit.
When Ken learned the wedding could proceed, he was overwhelmed.
“It immediately made me the happiest man on the planet and tears of joy came shooting out my eyes,” he said.
On Oct. 10, Ken and Deni exchanged their vows overlooking the Gulf.
Ken’s gratitude continued beyond the ceremony. “I now have a friend (the fire marshal) for life that I will forever be grateful for what he did for Deni and I,” he said.
Mayor Short hopes the couple remembers the people who helped them overcome the challenges.
“I hope they remember not just what the city did, but what West Manatee Fire Rescue District and the other organizations did to make their special day,” Short said. “We look forward to someday having them back to visit, this time in a more relaxing environment.”
Ken and Deni’s experience also offers a lesson for couples planning destination weddings: Always verify that a short-term rental permits the intended event, and obtain the necessary governmental permits and approvals before committing.
