Sunken Gardens

y but that was no one’s fault. The space heaters and blankets helped. Stacy and Sara were very professional and working with them was easy. They answered all my questions in a timely manor.

intimate, whimsical wedding. It was a pleasure working with Sarah and Stacey and they helped make our day so special! They were always available when we had any questions or concerns. Everything was so magical with the gardens surrounding you and the guests, everyone had a blast. We had the best day and couldn't have picked a better venue for our wedding.

arried in St. Pete if the weather is nice. We got married in early November 2023 and were given the most beautiful day. The staff at Sunken Gardens were very helpful and easy to reach. If you are looking for an enchanting jungle paradise to tie the knot in, look no further than Sunken Gardens.

's naturally stunning. We did the outdoor tent reception and were thankful many things like tent, dance floor, tables & chairs were provided. Our guests were in awe of the venue and the photos turned out amazing in this setting!! Be aware that since this is owned by the city of St. Pete and is a historic landmark, there are a lot of rules you must follow. No candles, no confetti, only one option for bar, limited catering choices, limited access to venue day before/day of the wedding, etc. Make sure you hire a day of coordinator or planner!!

don’t have to communicate with the vendor at all. My wedding was in June and I am just now able to leave this review due to the very real ptsd I’ve been experiencing from working with these people and what they did to my wedding. I can’t even watch weddings on tv anymore bc I have flashbacks. This is supposed to be a magical day of loving bliss and it seemed that the wedding staff of sunken gardens did everything in their power to make it as miserable as possible. These people are horrible dream crushers who will milk every penny out of you and serve up nothing in return. You have no agency over your own wedding. You cannot use any of your own lighting, make adjustments to their lighting, decorations must be self standing, forget a fog machine, and offer zero support during the actual wedding and reception. The women who were supposed to be in charge hid in their office the whole night and my maid of honor had to spend the entire wedding doing their job. The bar cost well over 2k for 40 ppl (champagne and tequila not included, that must be bought separately and individually THROUGH THEM at double the price) and they pour 2 count pours. Everyone was sober as a judge the entire night despite having several drinks. Obviously you don’t want people to be wasted but they ensured that even tipsy was unachievable. Why would you pay all this money for a full bar just to have everyone be able to legally drive home in a zero tolerance state at the end of the night. My guests got car services for no reason. It was awkward. It made dancing and toasts extremely awkward. When one of my bridesmaids ordered a mojito (our signature drink that we had to buy all the materials for alongside an up charge for having a signature drink) the bar staff told her they forgot to get the stuff from the back and told her to go get it herself if she wanted one. They only had one elderly woman working the bar and the lines were to the bathroom. When my maid of honor brought this to their attention, did they step in to help? No of course not. They remained in their office. But when I tried to lower the lights a little, you better believe they were right there to put them back on full blast. They micromanage everything except the things you need them to. They are not there to help you in any way, just there to enforce the rules. The bride and groom dressing room is a complete joke. The grooms dressing room is in a storage room with boxes, cleaning supplies, a conference table, and no mirrors. The bride’s is in a glorified closet. I had 6 bridesmaids and it was so tight we could hardly get any pictures. They all had to be areal. There were so many more horrific details I wish to include but it’s been a while and I’ve been working really hard to forget… I’ll update as they come to me. All in all, they crushed all my dreams, shot down anything that I brought to the table, made my bridesmaids do all the work during the reception, and charged for anything you can possibly think of. These people are RUDE, and not on your side at all. They just want you to give them your money and get out. I would recommend booking literally anywhere else. 100% not worth it

s during cocktail hour and see all the plants and birds. It was a very low-stress experience through-and-through, and I love that we can go visit the gardens and see where we got married.

t of bookings but it was so worth it because it was just absolutely stunning. Sarah and Stacey was so easy to communicate with and wonderful to speak to about everything. They were very accommodating with everything and provided the chairs for our ceremony and the tables for cocktail hour and the reception. It was the perfect venue for someone who lives in Florida but wants something that doesn’t feel like Florida. We booked for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception which was perfect because it gave the guests a variety of spots without having to drive anywhere.

easy to communicate during the wedding planning process and the bar staff was very efficient throughout the entire reception. My wife and I would 100% recommend this beautiful place to other couples, we cannot wait to come back and see the gardens again.

inding the diamond in the rough. Stacey was very responsive and helpful leading up to the day, during the rehearsal and before the ceremony I was so happy that Stacey and Stephanie were there to help things rough smoothly they were great! I loved the Sunday Daytime Ceremony time of 11am before the park opened to the public at 12, it was our own private hour!

helped my husband and I with any questions that we had. The ceremony was held in the North Lawn, and the bougainvilleas were in bloom with reds and pinks. I could honestly go on and on with how amazing this venue was. I would 100 percent recommend this venue for anyone looking to do a wedding.

super responsive and kind. I planned our large wedding myself, so I appreciated their patience throughout the process and for answering my many questions! There are a lot of rules since it’s owned by the City, but you kind of have to overlook them because the location is so beautiful.

to note when selecting this state park: 1) Make sure understand they run the bar for all events and must follow their rules, 2) Take a look at the approved vendor list to ensure you feel good about your options to work with, 3) Remember it is a state park so there are more regulations then your parents back yard, 4) Do the walkthrough with their team before the wedding so you can confirm all details, 5) On the big day remember to take a moment to soak in all the beauty that is the Sunken Gardens and trust the team there who will be on-site to take care of everything.

was such a hit, and Stacey was amazing and so nice to communicate with. Cons - Sarah was snippy and rude, the more money you spend the nicer she is to your future husband/partner. The coordinators they provide do nothing, all they did was lock my bridal suite on me at 8:30 and after multiple attempts to get them to unlock it the bartender did at 9:45pm, causing me to miss my exit shot and our car driver to be impatient. They also had us clean up our own wedding while they watched and rushed us (this is after i asked multiple times, before the wedding, if i got a clean up crew for the after part)

experience possible. Everyone had a fabulous time!

cal setting that we loved every bit of . The team here at Sunken Gardens are super friendly & their communication is amazing. Any questions you have they are more than happy to answer at any point in your planning process . I would definitely say that depending on which package you book at Sunken Gardens they are all moderately priced but depending on how many guests you plan on having their bar services is where the prices really can go up if you are looking at any sort of open bar , so certainly be mindful of that when booking as there is no BYOB. However this place is amazing & if you are looking for a tropical paradise this is your place ! The beauty of it is unmatched & I would highly recommend this fantastical place to anyone that maybe considering this as their venue !!

ves. Everyone at the venue, especially Stacey Fuqua, was great to work with through the whole process of wedding planning. Look no further, if you want your wedding or event to be remembered.

o the MANY questions I had over the year of planning our wedding. Stacy was efficient as well. Monica was our day of coordinator, she made sure everything was perfect! During the rehearsal, the day before the wedding we decided we wanted to change the lawn we were supposed to have the ceremony on. They accommodated us with no issues!!! They actually called me to ask if I wanted to change ceremony lawns because they overheard me saying how hot outside it would be. Everything about the staff and location made for such a magical day. We can’t wait to explore the gardens again knowing it holds such a special place in our hearts. I would definitely recommended sunken gardens!!!

eauty of the venue. Our reception in the Oak Pavilion was like a dream. I Working with Sarah, Stacey and Monica was great, too, especially Monica. She was so kind, helpful, and thorough. I did have a couple unpleasant interactions with another coordinator the day of. I'm not sure what her name was. We had a 20 minute rain delay for the ceremony, after which the forecast was totally clear and it didn't rain the rest of the day. We had been discussing rain-option backups in the event it didn't clear up, and Monica was easy to talk to and supportive of our decision to wait and see to try and keep it outdoors if possible. This other coordinator, well before the ceremony, tried to pressure me to agree to have the cocktail hour inside. I didn't agree, and it worked out fine, but it was uncomfortable. She also tried to convince me to let my string quartet play from inside the building, and just play loudly and hope we could hear them from the ceremony lawn, and included some advice that it would be to "protect me." I'm a lawyer and felt weird getting unsolicited legal advice from an unrelated vendor. We also paid for an open bar for all but the last hour of the reception, when it was supposed to turn into a cash bar. I was surprised when the DJ called last call on the bar an hour early. I went to this coordinator because she was bartending, expressed my confusion and she acted super exasperated with me that she was apparently not informed it was supposed to be a cash bar and was planning on closing it down. She also tried to pressure me to agree to close it early. I didn't agree, but at that point the guests were confused and people didn't get more drinks because of it. I know when you're in the wedding industry that you see weddings all the time, but for us this was our one day, and it was uncomfortable that she attempted to pressured me into making decisions I didn't want. I still would definitely recommend Sunken Gardens, I would just be aware of this and be prepared to stand up for what you want.

ating throughout the entire planning process and were always available to answer all of my questions! Stephanie and Monica were our attendants on the day of and they made sure everything ran smoothly! We had about 45 guests and had our ceremony on the North Lawn, cocktail hour in the Palm Plaza and reception in the Oak Pavilion. Everything was beautiful and our pictures are amazing! Highly recommend Sunken Gardens!

wn and it was absolutely gorgeous. My cocktail hour was in the oak pavilion and reception was held in the garden room. Stacey was my coordinator and she was fantastic! She answered all my questions and responded right away. For the price, I got so much more than I ever imagined at Sunken Gardens. I loved the fact that I got the whole gardens with my wedding package. My guests loved it and I’ve been told multiple times my wedding venue was one of the most beautiful ones they’ve been too. I also love the fact that there’s an option to have a brick engraved with whatever you choose. My husband and I got a brick engraved with our new last name and wedding date. It was the perfect touch to our wedding and it was placed right where we said our vows. It’s a memory we can cherish forever when I visit the gardens. They even allowed me to have my fur babies at my wedding ceremony and that was a HUGE must for me. They were very accommodating! I highly recommend Sunken Gardens as a wedding venue!!

te with my girls, and no one had come to get us to let us know everyone was ready. Other than the that, my husband and I couldnt have been happier with how everything turned out.

Sarah Carvalis was the person who helped us with our bar services and payments. I do have several complaints, 1) The bar package was quite expensive for what it was. We got the Call brand/Wine/Beer/Soda package that was $18.00 per guest over 21, $8 for guests 6-20, and $0.00 for guests 5 and under. We only had 53 guests, but with all of the fees (porter, staff, outside bar) and gratuity, it was way too expensive, considering most of my guests couldn't even get the basic drinks they wanted, such as a mojito or long island iced tea (they had all of the ingredients, they just said that mixed drinks were not included in the price of the call brand package - which is a bit ridiculous if you ask me). 2) They also taxed not only the porter fee and bartender fee but the gratuity as well, this is the first vendor that has EVER taxed the gratuity. Gratuity is a tip, you don't tax the tip or the fees. So it ended up being $1483 after the package, fees, gratuity, and tax which is extremely expensive for 53 guests and NO mixed drinks. 3) the coordinators, Alan and Barbara, were barely any help at all. Barbara was nice, but Alan was a complete jerk to everyone except the men (groom, fathers, and groomsmen). He was demeaning toward all of my bridesmaids, even made one them cry because he was so mean and rude to her but claimed she was rude to him first. Then he had the nerve to complain to my father, the father of the bride, that "the bridesmaids were pissing him off." My dad had to go up to my bridesmaids and apologize for his behavior. I'm sorry, but when you're spending $5000 on a venue, you expect SO much more. Of course no one wanted to tell me this the day of because they didn't want to ruin my day due to drama. He also complained about my photographer to her assistant photographer, so unprofessional!!! He may be doing 200 weddings a year (that's what he told us), but in no right does that excuse his behavior, how he was acting, and how rude he was to everyone, including myself. 4) the coordinators helped themselves to our catering and wedding cake, even though NO WHERE in the contract does it say we are to provide meals to the staff, nor the emails I received from Stacey or Sarah. All they did was help my party going down the aisle (while being a raving jerk about it) and then disappear afterwards before reappearing to get dinner, then to get cake. Had they shown us the courtesy to ask for dinner, I would've said yes. Had Stacey told us to buy them meals through the caterer, I would have done it, but the least these coordinators could do is not treat their customers and paying renters like crap and then feeling entitled enough to help themselves to dinner and cake. They were just sitting down in their office not doing a thing, and they were probably getting paid for that by the city of St. Petersburg to do so. 5) they also disappeared while guests were arriving and my father had to hunt them down to help point guests in the right direction. And, when the reception was starting, again they were nowhere to be found, and my bridesmaids and groomsmen had to rally up all the guests to come inside to the garden room for the reception, even though that was part of the coordinators jobs.

ridesmaid cry and he was offensive and demeaning to her. He complained about the bridesmaids to the father of the bride as well as to the photographer. He complained about the photographer to the photographer's assistant, and was down right rude when my daughter (the bride) wanted to change the line up at the start of the wedding ceremony. The coordinators were nowhere around when guests started arriving and I and my husband had to be responsible for pointing the guests to the right area, and 1/2 of the groomsmen couldn't make the rehearsal due to weather conditions and personal issues, and so on the day of the wedding they had no idea where to be. The father of the bride had to go and hunt down the coordinators in order to wrangle people together and instruct the groomsmen. The open bar we paid for, wouldn't do mixed drinks, and the venue taxes included tax on the gratuity and all the fees including the porter fees.

anging of the wedding date and oh so many details. Everyone who came is in love with the Sunken Gardens and how lovely it really is! Thank you all so very much!

elivery and violinist, I would not have had time to do everything myself! They had everything set right on time, but were flexible if we needed a few extra minutes. Overall they were very helpful and we loved the gardens!

park was open to visitors but never felt packed or like people were ever in the way. Perfect venue for a wedding!

garden while we took pictures, before our reception in the ballroom. It was absolutely stunning and our pictures turned out amazing. Our guests could not get over the venue! Another plus is that you don't need extra flowers or decorations for the ceremony or cocktail hour because you cannot compete with the beauty of the gardens.

was our main contact & she was awesome. She answered e-mails right away (one of the most important things in my book) and was very communicative the whole year we wedding planned. We asked our guests to walk around the gardens while we took photos and they were happy to do so because it’s so pretty (a great upside is that your guests get into the gardens for free!) The one downside is that the backup plan in case of bad weather (if there is a second wedding already booked that night) is a hallway but luckily we had the most gorgeous weather I ever could have asked for and didn’t need to worry about that. Definitely recommend SG for a gorgeous venue that you literally need no decor for!

rdens and we were thrilled with how it turned out. They were extremely helpful with my many questions during the planning process (I was out of state!) and willing to meet with us at any point. I would highly recommend this gem of a location!

ception in the Garden Room. My guests are still gushing to be how beautiful everything was and how much they enjoyed the venue. It really feels like you step into a fairy tale when you're here. The staff is friendly and responds quickly (usually within hours) to any email you send with questions or concerns. Booking was easy and everything leading up to the wedding was a breeze. The day of the wedding is wonderful as well. They have staff the day of, ensuring that if anything is wrong on their end it will be fixed. The bartenders they provided were fantastic as well. If you think you want a garden wedding, you must look here!

drop for our ceremony. Everyone there was great to work with and we had no problems during the process at all. Its also great that everyone gets to wander around before/after because its built in entertainment!

o upgrade, I had to pay inflated prices and order by the case. And...they got to keep the leftover wine and Captain Morgan's rum! We had ordered mosquito repellent tabletop things for each cocktail table (6) that were @ $35 each. They 'disappeared' after the cocktail hour and no one knew where they had gone. Look very carefully at their charges and costs, because the wedding cost a whole lot more than I had ever anticipated.

a area this is the place. Truly the best day of my life. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

s under the Oak Pavilion, and our reception was inside in the Garden Room. We were going for that "secret garden/fairytale garden" look-and-feel and that is exactly how it turned out. Once we signed with Sunken Gardens, we were able to visit the venue multiple times before our wedding day so we could truly plan and picture where things would go, how we would want things set-up, and all of those details. Stacey helped with all of the planning and she was beyond helpful. I had so many questions, just trying to ensure I had everything in place, and she was super responsive and so accommodating with everything! Barbara helped for the rehearsal and the day-of and she was so sweet and helpful, as well. They had a staff of six that helped the day-of and though I didn't get to meet them all individually they all helped in making our big day more than perfect. If you want a gorgeous venue with an amazing staff, Sunken Gardens is your place!

the past year!

rfect backdrop for our special day - and Stacey's help coordinating our rehearsal and day-of was wonderful! We didn't need any extra flowers or decor - Sunken Gardens natural beauty was amazing! On a gorgeous sunny day, we walked down a cobblestone aisle that wound around the full garden and then said "I do" under a canopy of exquisitely draped flowers -- it was beyond magical! We cannot wait to see our photos from that day - our photographer was able to capture so many amazing shots throughout the entire gardens :) We also had access to a bridal changing room and private banquet room for the groom, so that our entries were planned seamlessly. Stacey was also super responsive and helpful throughout the entire process -- even when we decided last minute that we wanted to bring a fan to hide behind the alter (it was a bit warm that day), she was super accommodating and helped make it happen. Such a fantastic experience working with Sunken Gardens to make our dream ceremony a reality!

ll commenting on how gorgeous and fun our wedding was. We had our ceremony on the North Lawn, cocktail reception in the Oak Pavilion, and reception in the Garden Ballroom upstairs. Sarah C., Barbara, and Stacey F. were all an absolute joy to work with and were very patient to my many, many questions throughout the year before the wedding day. Overall, this is a wonderful venue and would highly recommend to anyone! Five out of five stars.

as on time. Barbara’s assistance for day of coordination was invaluable. And of course, the venue speaks for itself. Everything was just beautiful.

urs are not friendly for those that work normal business hours.

nue for my wedding. I am so honored and happy to have my wedding at such a beautiful location. The staff was so wonderful, friendly and professional. I am so happy we had our wedding ceremony at this location. Everyone loved it and how beautifully everything was set up. Stacey and Sarah were amazing to work with and definitely went above and beyond to give us that special day. Thanks to them our wedding turned out amazing.

st regret. My expectation of what they are able to do per the discussions we had ended up very different than what they actual did and the services provide. They are nice people, and pleasant to work with, but they are there for SG, not you, and don't make the same confused mistake that I did. Communication problems go both way, and a bride planning her own wedding is unable to know what she doesn't know. Plus, there is a lot of confusion with different vendors, no one person to take responsibility or give a straight answer. A third party wedding planner that is there for you day of is well worth the price. Warning to Brides: We heard them complain about a lot of other couples. This made me uncomfortable and shy about communicating with them, which is on me, and caused larger issues in the end. When it was found out that they misrepresented about when we could have the venue that day, they ceased treating me as an adult, went around me to my mother. Whether or not you are acting like one, they will treat you as a bridezilla, and talk about you to other brides. They will also talk about you your other vendors - not to exchange important information, but in a catty, very human way.

led, on time and just a pleasure to work with. We don't perform many ceremonies there but wish we did. Barbara and staff are top notch and make the day special...for everyone. Thank you!