Rusty Pelican

e had our very first date and where we got engaged, so we knew we wanted water incorporated into our special day. However, we lived in Florida and it is really hot in the summer with a chance of rain, so this venue allowed us the opportunity to take in the beauty of the water from inside in the air conditioning. We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception at the venue. We even took pictures on-site as well. We utilized the coral room, which had a beautiful greenery backdrop for the ceremony and cocktail hour. We utilized the grand ballroom for the reception. Both spaces are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Sam, the catering sales manager, was very helpful and always available via phone or email. She answered any and all questions I had. She also was very friendly and personable! Highly recommend this venue!!

vents team worked with us and if something was wrong they made sure it was right. Our reception was perfect and I highly recommend booking them for your wedding.

all on the end!

how gorgeous it all was!

quet captain. We were planning from a different state and so were so grateful with how well organized and run this venue is for weddings. The setting can't be beat, leading to amazing photographs to remember our day by. Almost every single guest told us how much they enjoyed the food. And the day was run so smoothly that neither of us had to worry about anything. It truly was the best day and that is in large part to the amazing work done by the staff at the Rusty Pelican! Can't recommend highly enough.

sserts were only okay. We had the coconut shrimp and tomato mozzarella skewers for apps, garlic grilled chicken and rosemary bistro filet for entrees, and our dessert was key lime pie, creme brûlée, and macaroons. The staff was very attentive the day of. Our only complaint was that we worked with Danielle and she was not very responsive. We had many questions leading up to the event day with COVID issues and I usually had to wind up calling many days after following up via email to get a response. Overall, it was okay, but nothing great.

ow of time to reschedule the wedding. I had to change the date 3 times and they were very understanding. I worked with Danielle and she was amazing, especially on the days leading up to the wedding. I made a few last minute changes, on different days, and Danielle was great each time. She gave me all the information I needed, also offered options to help create our menu. We had some hiccups on the day of but it was still a beautiful night. We brought in a lot of our own decorations and luckily there were no other events happening the weekend of our wedding so we were allowed to decorate the room the day before, which saved so much stress for the day of. The food was amazing, from the appetizers to the dinner buffet. All of our guests were pleased with the food and service. The staff that worked our wedding were very attentive, my husband and I have been working in the food industry/catering industry for years. So we understand and appreciate the hard work they did to make sure everyone was satisfied. We held our ceremony and reception in the Grand Ballroom and cocktail hour in the Coral Room, the rooms was absolutely beautiful. We thank the Rusty Pelican for holding our event, it really was a beautiful night.

y unhelpful and unresponsive. We had to cancel our Oct 2020 wedding due to COVID and tried to reschedule for 2021, but then I became pregnant and our due date fell too close to the rescheduled date (which is already rebooked, she said they had someone waiting in line for that date) so we wanted to use our nonrefundable deposit towards a brunch baby shower instead. However, she and the “management” team said that we would have to spend just as much on our baby shower as we would have on our wedding! They were completely unwilling to work with us and turned this into a very unpleasant experience for us. 10/10 would not recommend working with this venue for ANY type of event! Impossible to work with and terrible attitudes.

amount of stress from planning. Don from Rusty pelican made that happen. I truly felt like by choosing this venue I made wedding planning enjoyable for my husband and I. We had a beautiful ceremony overlooking the water with a gorgeous reception with indoor water views. Our guests loved the venue, loved the food and loved the convenience of being so close to the airport. We also felt so blessed that the Rusty pelican gave us 15 minutes alone in a reception room after our ceremony and before our reception to just have champagne, eat and soak up being married. It was truly some of the most special 15 minutes of our day. Our coordinators told us about it and we were so touched that this venue thought to do that for their couples.

them that was supposed to be in April of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was heartbreaking, however Jill (who has taken over for Don and is PHENOMENAL) and Savannah we’re both extremely professional, helpful and not to mention genuinely sympathetic towards the whole situation. They worked with me to get my date moved to later in the year with no penalties and transferred everything over financially. They had taken a very stressful situation for me and made me feel very well taken care of and confident in their abilities to take care of me and my guests. I worked in hospitality for 10 years prior to my current career so I know good hospitality and customer service when I see it. All of that aside the venue itself is gorgeous, its so convenient because it really is a one stop shop with everything you get. The food is amazing (they schedule you a tasting dinner to try your menu options you select before you confirm them for the big day). I can’t wait to have our big day there. Thank you Jill and Savannah!

ible experience with this venue and our coordinator, Don, made the whole process extremely easy. Too many times you hear that a bride is so stressed out with the process of planning a wedding but to give you my honest opinion, the only time I was stressed was when it came to finding someone for hair and makeup! Not one single time was I worried about our venue. The Rusty Pelican takes care of EVERYTHING! From the food (which everyone told us was amazing), to the open bar (highly recommend), a complimentary champagne toast, the linens, chairs, set up, and the scheduling of the entire day, the whole experience was great and we did not have to worry about one thing. Not to mention that after our ceremony was over, my husband and I had the chance to go into our own separate room while everyone else was in cocktail hour, and we had a meal paired with champagne and whatever else we wanted. So we were not hungry by the time the reception started and we’re able to jump right into greeting our guests. That’s something that we had heard was always an issue with weddings, is that you don’t get to eat anything all night but the Rusty Pelican made it possible for us. We 100% recommend this venue! For what all was included, it was definitely worth every penny we spent!

my first wedding coordinator quit without much explanation. My second coordinator quit 6 weeks before our wedding date again without explanation. We were promised fixed lighting outdoors, fixed outdoor gazebo and chairs, clean windows, clean bathrooms by these coordinators. Don became our new coordinator and he too made false promises. The day before the wedding we met with Don providing all of our labeled decor and he assured us that the venue staff would have everything set up. His words exactly were "That's what you have me for." The biggest disappointment was the morning of the wedding, my parents and in-laws arrived to see the set up and the only thing that was done were the table cards. Don disappeared leaving the mother of the bride and groom to set up the Grand Ballroom AND the cocktail room. This took three hours away from hair and make-up and time with the wedding party and myself, the bride. At the end of the three hours Don showed up and rudely stated "Leave" to my parents , "I'll set up the photo-booth." An hour before the wedding my photo-booth was NOT DONE. The box of props and decor was not even open. The catering and bar staff were the only available help because Don was busy with a different wedding. Once again my parents had to save the day and final touches. Our wedding was the largest wedding that day and Don was zero help. We saw him briefly before the ceremony started and he was cranky, rude, and seemed very overwhelmed. We did not feel we got the service we paid for. We paid for extra liquor and Don assured us we would never have a line at the bar and would not run out of liquor. Our guests were buying drinks at the restaurant without our knowledge to avoid the line when certain liquors ran out. We fended for ourselves and except for the catering staff and Frank the DJ no one ever checked on quality of service. We disputed the extra charges when we discovered the other two weddings received services we were all so promised that same day... SET UP. The Rusty Pelican manager never called us back. Robert Johnson called back only when our dispute deadline was upon him. He assured my mother that he would speak to his finance team to agree upon compensation and never called back. After many attempts for compensation for services not rendered -- yet paid for, we decided our beautiful wedding memories should not be further tarnished. We do not wish any other brides/grooms to experience our disappointment. Feel free to contact me for any further valuable information. I hope this review is helpful. Best of luck! chels.cross413@gmail.com

tiful done properly no one missed a beat even the staff look like they were a part of the wedding I received so many compliments on the food one thing I will say Don is not a people's person he's only there to collect the checks. Other than that! Perfect

t plan. Don (Catering Sales Manager) let me make the decision on my own without any pressure and the inside option in the Grand Ballroom ended up being equally gorgeous. He provides expert advice while allowing freedom to make your own decisions during the whole process. I also had my reception in the same room, which they transitioned quickly. The service day of was impeccable, thanks to Norma! We got a private room after photos to have a sip of champagne and some cheese/fruit/hors d’oeuvres and recharge for a minute before the reception. The flow of the entire night was perfect and I was able to relax and have the best time. Highly recommended.

orks with that staff was an amazing guy. Guest from the wedding complimented both him and the woman I think her name was Donna but for this to be her fun job she was nothing short of amazing. Food was perfect, I felt well treated and waited on by staff and personable. I wish I could relive my wedding March 8th 2019 in the grand ballroom. At the end if the night the staff not only ensured mu husband and I had food to take home being we didnt eat, But they also ensured the guest were served accordingly. #MAKEYOURMARC

l, with lush landscaping, and the view of the bay is simply spectacular. The interior is dark hard-wood, with a full wall of windows and ornate fireplaces. The ceremony space is quiet and feels secluded and special. Our cocktail hour was held in the Bay Room and our reception was held in the Pelican Room, which we absolutely loved. I think the view from the Pelican Room is really the best view in the entire venue. Don was our wedding planner for the Rusty Pelican for our wedding. He was extremely professional and kept in close touch with us to remind us of important dates and decisions. He created a whole list of helpful worksheets to guide us through the process. Carlos was our day-of attendant and was so, so nice and made everything look effortless. One of the reasons we picked the Rusty Pelican is because it functions as a restaurant, so we didn't need to bring in a caterer. The food here is superb and we had no complaints about any of it. The Rusty Pelican is a very special place, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a wedding (or any event) venue that has a little extra personality.

g windows overlooking the water was the PERFECT setting! Don was our coordinator and kept us on track throughout the process. If we had a random question we knew he would be very responsive and attentive to our needs. Our guests raved about the food too!!! Norma our banquet manager was also incredible and made us feel so loved on our special night. We could not speak more highly of this venue!

r the Bride & Groom! One of our guests lost their phone and Carlos search every inch of the venue until it was found. I cannot say enough about the services, food and staff! Many vendors called them a wedding factory as a negative thing, well I would say that is a positive! I loved having everything handled without worrying about my guests and the stress that goes with it. Mike & Carlos made sure my day was stress free!

without a rehearsal!). The level of service throughout the entire process was excellent.

rom out of state. Don walked me through all the final details a few days before so nothing was missed. The sunset view for the reception was breathtaking. And guests are still talking about the food!

were beyond amazing, the staff 5 star and the food was more than we could imagine. I have to give a special shout out to Don and Carlos. Don made sure everything we were suppose to have we did and Carlos made sure we had everything we needed during the reception. Carlos allowed my husband and I to enjoy our wedding without worrying about anything. This place is top notched and run very well!

d. The venue itself was exactly what my daughter wanted. We had out of town guest that were blown away my the views. Everyone is still raving how gorgeous everything was. We also have had continual praises about the food, which everyone seemed to love. The whole night was run smoothly and was absolutely perfect, allowing me to be able to truly enjoy the evening. It was a perfect experience.

ing is here, but it was more than we imagined. Every single thing went smoothly, and we are so grateful to Don and his amazing staff. I am hearing from guests after the fact, how great the food was and how it was the best they have ever had at a wedding. Appetizers were offered continuously, and the room was beautiful. We even had some last minute requests and they were all taken care of with no issue. Don was extremely helpful through this past year and really knows his stuff. He made the planning stress free for us. Thank you!

oved indoors bc of the weather and it was gorgeous! I would absolutely recommend this venue for weddings to any of my friends and family.

coordinator I worked with and he is one of the most professional, organized people I have ever met. Edward worked with my husband and I on every detail. He helped us with the setup and answered every question I had along the way (and there were A LOT of questions). Tropical Storm Alberto was coming through Tampa on the day of our wedding and Edward held off on making the decision to move our ceremony inside (as opposed to outside along the Tampa Bay by the gazebo) until about an hour or two before the ceremony and I couldn't be more thankful because the storm cleared out and it was a beautiful day for a wedding. Carlos, our catering manager, was truly amazing too. If you are looking for a venue that is beautiful, clean, elegant, had delicious food, and beautiful views of the water, the Rusty Pelican cannot be beat. Once the sun sets, and the uplights come on, it feels like you are floating on a cruise ship. I would recommend this venue to anyone who is looking to get married in Florida and I would recommend Edward Reynoso as the coordinator

ing, I was constantly feeling like my event coordinator (Don) was always in a rush and that I was bothering him with my questions. On our wedding day, we really wanted to eat prior to entering our reception. Don assured me we would be fed and that the servers would be bringing us drinks and checking on us throughout the reception. This was not the case at all. We were served cocktail snacks during our "private moment" and never really had a chance to eat during the reception! The servers assigned to us never once brought us a drink and we had to make trips to the bar ourselves. I had a four tier wedding cake with different flavors on each tier and I wanted it laid out for guests to pick the flavor they wanted to try. However, instead the servers laid cake out at all the guest tables, even tables where the guests had clearly left for the day. Needless to say, a clear waste of cake! The Rusty Pelican is a beautiful wedding venue and we loved the view! Our other vendors made the day amazing, the draping was perfect, the centerpieces laid out just right, and the other decorations were on point. However, the service left a lot to be desired. I would definitely recommend a day of coordinator if you go with this venue, ours was with Confetti Events and did a great job managing the decorations and centerpieces. I do not think the staff at Rusty Pelican would have taken such care with all the little details, all of the staff at Rusty Pelican seemed stressed and rushed (they had 4 weddings the day we got married!) I have been told the brunch buffet was amazing but I didn't really get to eat much. I did see the waffle bar which seemed disappointing for the price. I was expecting a more elaborate waffle bar set up,it ended up being waffles, fruit, and chocolate sauce.

ee with the other reviews that state that the coordinators are extremely helpful and do everything for you as that was not my experience at all. We planned our wedding from out of state. It was really hit or miss dealing with our Coordinator. There were times that she was quick to respond and other times that it would take days to receive any type of response and several times where she didn't respond at all. I couldn't tell if she was possibly new to the job or maybe just overworked as there were several instances of where she misinformed me of prices/procedures etc. She did not come to work the day of our wedding rehearsal and did not inform us that she wouldn't be there. We were handed off to a colleague and he walked us through the ceremony. She didn't give him all of the notes/details and I had to provide everything to him again, which was a little stressful as it was less than 24 hours before our wedding. I saw her for a total of maybe 2 minutes the day of the wedding. I then discovered that she changed the order of the processional from what we had practiced the day before. To top it all off , she denied us from taking photos in the ceremony area. She told us that we had to go to the back of the restaurant to take pictures as they had to get ready for the "next wedding". We were so upset as we had very much been looking forward to getting pictures in front of the gazebo area and had always been told up until the day before the wedding that this was fine. She didn't seem to care at all and marched us to the back of the restaurant and that was the last I saw of her. Our banquet captain, Norma, was amazingly gracious and helpful. She more than compensated for the experience we had with our Coordinator. The manager was also extremely kind and helpful to us as well. Overall, it's a good place to get married, just be prepared to do mostly everything yourself and get everything in writing. As with any event, everything did not go exactly as planned, but it was still an AMAZING day!

ecommend the Rusty Pelican to anyone!

her team did. From the start to finish, Katherine and her team were very attentive, supportive, and always there to ensure your day goes perfect. On our wedding day Carlos made sure my husband and I were comfortable and happy, which meant the world to us! Now lets get to the real deal as to why this place is a superb five stars. For starters the view in every room of this place was just beautiful. The location is perfect, because it feels like it's tucked away in your own little world. The ambiance of Rusty Pelican is intimate, inviting, and most importantly warming. Most importantly the food was DELICIOUS! Many of our guest complimented that we had plenty of food (no one left starving!) and they were surprised that everything was fresh and delicious. If you are thinking about where to have your big day, I say without a doubt do it here! If you are like me and want your wedding to be all in one place, then look no more because this is the place! The price you pay is worth it (to be honest it felt like a steal)! Good luck!

was wonderful and made it easy for us. I highly recommend the Rusty Pelican in Tampa. Love it there!!!

mistakes. For one my name was spelled wrong for the grand entrance, my husband is Gluten free has an allergy and they forgot and had to cook him a burnt dry Peice of chicken well everyone else was eating not acceptable! Also they didn't even have power outside of it my wedding ceremony so they couldn't play music and Don knew an hour before the wedding my DJ told him and Don told him to wing it so unprofessional! Also he yelled at my grandmother because she walked to soon. If you get married there is one ask for a different person to work with! For$ 30,000 they treated us like we were very unimportant ! I'm very disappointed one more thing they forgot to put out the kids chicken fingers so the kids all had to Wait to eat! They forgot to cook it!

My catering manager was Katherine Turner, she was very professional, helpful and accommodating. Some hiccups when its time to bring some of you own décor because you can only bring so much at a time and when, but once figured out Katherine helped set up and decorate very tastefully. I was not picky, and told her to put things where she thought looked good and she did not disappoint. She answered calls and emails promptly (I had a lot). She also organized and orchestrated everything right up until our ceremony was over. At that point, the banquet captain (mine was Carlos) and the serving staff take over the reception along with the DJ/MC. On that note, Carlos was also outstanding. He was very attentive during our event. For the price of a venue and food included The Rusty Pelican cannot be beat, especially if you are a bride pressed for time. The food was delicious, and serving and presentation was very tasteful. The venue could use at this point and time a little renovation and freshening of carpets and flooring. Beautiful grounds, facility, and stunning view of Tampa Bay. Loved it.

food yourself, so I specifically want to write this review on our experience with the people we dealt with. Michael (5/5) - He was our first coordinator and was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was very quick to respond, always polite and helpful, and he was the one who sold us on the Rusty Pelican when we first viewed the venue a year and a half before our wedding date. The events department had a restructuring in February, a month before our wedding. Unfortunately (for us), Michael was moved over to work with corporate events only. He sent us an email informing us and letting us know that Don would be our coordinator for the remainder of the time, and that Don would be sending us an email shortly to introduce himself. Don (0/5) - Our experience with Don was not great. He did NOT send us an email shortly after Michael said he would, and I was the one who had to contact him first. This was about 4 weeks before our wedding and I had some questions about room minimums and not having enough guests to meet the minimum. Our phone conversation was clocked in at less than a minute. He rushed me off the phone and basically gave me the magic 8 ball "Try again later". I had 2 other phone calls over the next 2 weeks that both ended up the same way. So none of my questions have been answered and I have been constantly rushed off the phone as if I'm being a bother for even asking. Now we're about 2 weeks out and time for our final headcount. I call, give him the headcount, and say that we were hoping to have a few extra chairs for people to mingle at other tables more easily (one of the questions I had that never got answered). He literally laughed in my face, told me how that is a dumb idea because we'd have to pay for those chairs, and was just straight up rude. This was not his only rude moment. He often would talk over my husband, parents, and myself when we talked to him and was very judgmental about any idea that we wanted to run by him. We don't organize weddings for a living, he does. We wanted his opinion and he definitely gave it to us in the most unkind ways. Thankfully, we only had to deal with him for a month. The last time I saw him, I was getting out of the limo and he told me to grab my dad's arm and start walking down the aisle. Thankfully, we did not have to deal with him at all for the remainder of our wedding! The worst part is that all the vendors and everyone else who knew him already understood and knew what we were going to say about him before we said it :( Carlos (7/5!!!) - Carlos was our catering manager for our wedding. We met him immediately after the ceremony as he walked in with a tray of our appetizers and some champagne. He was definitely my most favorite part of our whole experience with the Rusty Pelican! He was so kind, attentive, and treated us like royalty. I cannot say enough good about Carlos and the rest of the wait staff. Everyone was so impressed with all of them and how sweet they were. Carlos was personally checking on us the entire night, making sure that we had enough food, drink, and that we were having a great time. We would highly recommend any couple ask to see if Carlos can be your manager for the best night of your lives!!

g planning experience. They make it easy to have a financial and planning timeline and they think of everything. I would highly suggest this venue.

p to the day of. The food was absolutely amazing; easily some of the best steak I've ever had in my life. The staff was professional and extremely attentive, and the room was perfectly set up and decorated for us so that all we had to do was come in and eat. Dessert (chocolate cake, highly recommended!) was delicious and literally everyone raved about how fantastic the evening was. And you can't possibly hear the view- a restaurant on the water! The staff was even kind enough to let us use their outdoor gazebo and wedding area to do our rehearsal after we ate. If you're looking for any venue at all, look at this restaurant!! You will be so delighted with them!!

everything under control and your day will be flawless. Norma was fabulous and took care of us the whole night with serving! Absolutely the best. I wish I could give her a big hug. Then be sure to book, Arlene floral designs, Frank Lebano and Photo Announce It!!!! Amazing..Exceeded expectations.

because after comparing what other vendors had to offer in the same price range, the Rusty Pelican seemed like the best value for everything that you get included in the price (a wedding coordinator to oversee the planning process and your wedding day, the incredible food, beautiful views, etc.). Our wedding coordinator, Michael, made the planning process easy and stress free! Throughout our meetings and communications with him, he really listened to our ideas and vision for our day and was willing to make special accommodations for us as needed. For example, we had several guests with dietary restrictions and the Rusty Pelican was flexible with meeting our needs, which we really appreciated. We decided to use their preferred vendor, Arlene Floral Design, for the flowers and decor, which is definitely worth the value! The ceremony and reception were both beautiful, and Arlene and Michael were both so organized and professional, making the whole day flow beautifully. Throughout our reception, the banquet manager, Carlos, continually checked in with us to make sure we had anything we could possibly need, such as food and drinks. Our wedding guests can't stop raving about the food and the gorgeous views! The only negative thing I can say is that I wish the night would have lasted longer!

beautiful and memorable for us!

e venue is beautiful and when we found it we were struggling to find a nice, affordable location as our previous plans fell through and all the venues around started booking up our date! I was on the verge of a meltdown after calling 30 places in one weekend and they either were too expensive, already booked or just not what we envisioned. Then we walked into the Rusty Pelican and Michael's care and ability to create a beautiful vision had me almost in tears (but the happy kind!) It was exactly the right place. Our wedding is 1/7/17 and we are so excited!

excellent - from the staff, food, and preferred vendors - we couldn't have been more pleased! I highly recommend them. You will not be disappointed!

ues. I'm still not sure what to think of Don - most of the time, this seemed like his party that we were attending, not the other way around. For starters, the seating arrangement was off even though we made it so easy by giving them the place cards in order with table and specific seat numbers. Entire tables were in the wrong location, and others were just shuffled - odd, and no one but my husband and I knew, but still not right. We spent the time organizing it, but somehow Rusty didn't execute. Also, we gave Don some things to set up beforehand. When would you think program fans should be dispersed? Don apparently thought people would get hot while sitting inside during the cocktail hour, not while sitting outside during our ceremony at the end of May in FL heat. It completely defeated the purpose and again wasted our time and money. Finally, the ice sculpture, what we were promised and paid for, was not what we received but as a guest, they thought the sculpture we had was beautiful. Overall, for the money, I would recommend Rusty Pelican as a venue, but I wouldn't go so far as to say "you're in good hands, you won't have to worry about a thing the day of" which is what I was told - instead I would say, "get it all in writing, hold them to it, or insist they make up for it." You won't get a re-do!

worried at first, but every single step was coordinated perfectly and couldn't have gone any better. Not only was it beautiful, the food was amazing and the staff are top notch. All our guests were so impressed. Having the preferred vendors was great because they all work together and know each other and that made everything perfect! I HIGHLY recommend The Rusty Pelican! Best night of our life.

into making our wedding the best day of our lives. The venue is absolutely beautiful! The staff is excellent! Thank you so much for making our day so special.

zed and extremely accomodating. We were extremely pleased with the service we received and how kind the workers were during our wedding reception. The food was amazing and the cocktail hour was a HIT! Highly recommend it- definitely worth the price.