Tampa Bay Watch

We absolutely LOVED this venue for other wedding! Beautiful sunset as the backdrop. Jon was amazing in guiding us through the process. We loved that our money went to furthering the actual research and facility too!

Tampa Bay Watch was absolutely a dream venue! Location, staff, communication, and the organization's incredible dedication to keeping the Tampa Bay estuary pristine will just knock your socks off! But the most breathtaking part of all is the view of the Bay. We couldn't recommend TBW enough!

We could not be happier with our choice to have our wedding at Tampa Bay Watch. We fell in love with the venue as soon as we saw it, and it is what ultimately sold us on getting married in the St. Pete area. Jon gave us a heck of a tour and helped us envision what our big day might look like based on past weddings that had been held there. The vendors we brought in had everything they needed to work with to set-up and run things smoothly. The large lawn area backing up against the water, with the sunset… *chef’s kiss*. This is the perfect venue for a mostly outdoor wedding in the area.

There is too much I can say about Jon and Tampa Bay Watch. First of all, the venue was GORGEOUS! I was extremely worried about the wind during the rehearsal, but I felt like a princess blowing in the wind day of. Jon was absolutely awesome in the process and answered any and all of the questions we had in the process. The sunset showed out for us that night and the weather was beautiful for March! The natural beauty at TBW is definitely worth it and I ready to go back as a guest!

Tampa Bay Watch perfectly blends Florida's natural beauty with the amenities you expect in a standard wedding venue. Guests enjoyed the serene view of the water, the presence of native birds soaring above, and of course not having having the sandy mess of being on the beach! The venue is situated perfectly for sunset photos. Seriously ours look like they could be in magazines! The reception area is quite large for a non-profit building, has great air conditioning, and a space for catering to work (though no cooking capacity). Due to it being an environmental non-profit, there are a few rules that are stricter than other venues like not being able to use confetti, plastic eatery, bird seed, or sprinkle flower petals (real or fake). But most vendors are able to accommodate accordingly. I highly recommend this venue!!!

This venue is absolutely gorgeous! We could not have been happier with the venue, or with Jon the community room/event coordinator. Jon was incredibly helpful every step of the way and provide a lot of great ideas/insights. Believe me you, your guests will be blown away by the venue!

We loved this venue because we wanted waterfront, but without getting hit in the head with a beachball. It's a bit more secluded than the public beach and the views are spectacular. It also had an indoor reception area (much appreciated in the florida heat) We could even arrive/depart to the venue by boat! (Our guests still talk about that) Jon, the venue coordinator, sealed the deal for us though! His email communication was top notch the entire time and he answered all of our questions on the tour/there after. He even took the time during rehearsal and the wedding day to check on my dad multiple times who had an unexpected infection that affected his walking. We also liked that would bring in outside vendors, but the list Jon provided us was also fantastic!

This was the perfect venue for us. Felt like we were on our own private island. The fluidity of the outdoor and indoor spaces was perfect and we had the most epic sunset. Reasonably priced and love that our money supports an amazing non-profit. Jon, the event coordinator, was kind and communicative. We cannot wait to see the video and pictures with this place as the backdrop!

Had our wedding here in October 2021. Wedding venue is stunning. Could not have asked for a more beautiful, natural, elegant Florida setting. The venue is right on the gulf and requires very little dressing up. Sunsets are breath taking there. John the venue director was fantastic, he was very informative and worked with us on all of our requests!We were able to even bring buses in to transport all of our guests to and from the tradewinds hotel. Thankyou so much!

We knew we wanted to have our wedding at Tampa Bay Watch! First and foremost, they are a non-for-profit, where the wedding venue proceeds goes towards protecting Florida's estuaries. Being born and raised in Florida, this was a huge deal and factor in our decision. Additionally, it doesn't hurt that the venue is on the water so there are spectacular views from the lawn, balcony, and just wherever you have your ceremony, reception, and dancing! We were also super happy that the venue encourages and enforces having an environmentally friendly wedding -- for example, no single use plastics (which would be horrible to have straws, cups, silverware, etc. finding its way into the water). This also aligned exactly how we wanted to have our wedding and made it easier since our vendors were literally not allowed to bring plastic. :-) Lastly, the cherry on the top was the venue manager Jon. He was attentive, friendly, and a great resource for ensuring our vision would work at the venue! Definitely reach out because he made the experience SO MUCH BETTER! We will definitely miss his banter and fun personality! Also, TBW tends to have a wedding walk every year, hosting vendors that have serviced the venue. This was extremely helpful since we got some great vendors from the walk. If you are thinking of having your wedding at TBW, seriously stop thinking and book now -- they get filled up quite fast! :-)

I could not recommend the Tampa Bay Watch more as a wedding venue!! All of our guests were raving about how beautiful it was. The community room floor and paint was just redone and I believe we were the first to have a wedding there after! It was so lovely, such a beautiful backdrop. The wrap around deck is great for all of the vendors. Jon the community room coordinator was so amazing and so helpful!

We fell in love with this venue at first sight! Our wedding was on the lawn, we had cocktail hour on the wrap around deck, and our reception was indoors. Jon (manager of TBW) was amazing and worked well with all of our vendors to ensure everything ran smoothly. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire venue and each space was utilized to its full potential. Thank you for everything!

My new husband and I were engaged in Sept 2018 and pretty much right away started shopping for venues. We knew we wanted a beach wedding, and although TBW is not ON the beach, we pretty much fell in love with the space right after our visit. Our original date was 10/15/20...most venues didn't book that far in advance but Jon worked with us...and then of course we fell victim to postponement, so Jon easily booked our new date of 2/11/21. He answered all my millions of questions and is a great tour guide when you visit. He's super friendly and keeps everything safe covid wise. Thank you Jon for helping make our wedding special at your beautiful venue.

This was the very first venue we toured, and we absolutely fell in love! It was WAY over our budget, but we thought we could make up the cost difference in other areas (which ended up being incredibly difficult to pull-off, and really did not happen). We were looking for a space that didn’t lock us into any catering or bar vendors, but also provided tables and chairs so we did not have to also rent those. We both love to dance and happen to be sweaty people, so we also wanted somewhere inside with AC, but were hoping for some outdoor space as well. TBW checked all of those boxes! They have white chairs you can use outside for the ceremony, a variety of tables and wooden chairs to use in the reception space, even ivory table linens you can use. The venue has a lawn and is on the water, there is a covered veranda on the second story (where the reception space is), and the only thing between you and the sunset are some keys! We felt it was the perfect mix between things being provided and DIY, plus those views cannot be beat. OH- and Tampa Bay Watch is a non-profit dedicated to the protection and restoration of Tampa Bay! We are super excited to host our sequel ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception here in December.

Our wedding could not have turned out more beautiful at Tampa Bay Watch. If you are looking for an affordable water front wedding venue, look no further. Despite all of the extra stress from planning a wedding in such uncertain times, we were able to work with the team at Tampa Bay Watch and all of our vendors to have a safe and beautiful wedding. We were one of the first to have a wedding in what will now be "the new normal" and although it is in no way ideal, I am here to tell future couples that it is possible and can still turn out just as beautiful. Just a thought for future brides with weddings at this venue: originally Tampa Bay Watch offered a separate room from the reception hall for brides to wait prior to the start of the ceremony. After the outbreak of covid-19 Tampa Bay Watch informed us we could no longer use this space as they did not want an additional room to clean. We were told we could wait inside the reception hall however, on the day of the bride and bridesmaids had to cram and wait in the bathroom as the reception hall was still undergoing set up until the start of the ceremony. Despite this hiccup, the wedding and reception went perfectly (even the weather) and the views at sunset were breathtaking.

So happy we chose this to be our wedding venue! Loved the location and that your money is going to such a worthy organization. The venue staff were excellent, and loved being able to choose all of our own vendors.

The venue was perfect for us. We were trying to do a no frills, low waste wedding that looked and felt like us. Due to the beauty of the venue we barely had to decorate, just some plants in boxes. We really loved the fact that the deposit for the venue went to their education programs as well. I could not recommend Tampa Bay Water more, it was a fantastic, low stress day.

Awesome venue/ awesome service

We got married here November 16 & we couldn’t be more happy! The venue is gorgeous & Jon is AMAZING! He was so helpful every step of the way!

Tampa Bay Watch was the perfect venue for my October 2019 wedding. I loved the fact that we had the entire place to ourselves and we could do the ceremony outside by the water and the reception inside. The porch is beautiful for watching the sunset and sipping a cocktail. Many of my guests had never heard of the venue or the organization and thought it was a gem. The venue fee is a little steep but it goes to a great cause and the staff is super helpful throughout the process. I was thrilled to have my wedding at a great place while helping an organization committed to helping the environment. Win win! I recommend asking Jamie from the staff to help with coordinating services and/or flowers. She was great!

Best place ever to get married! The location is remarkable: surrounded by nature, quiet, serene with only the shore birds and the fish and occasional dolphin. The vista is stunning and we were married as the sun was setting over the Gulf of Mexico. Jon helped at every opportunity and was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Plus, we got to support an excellent non profit doing good environmental work in our community. We had a blast at our wedding and Tampa Bay Watch made it possible.

Intimate venue with amazing staff! We live out-of-state and so were a bit anxious about how we’d arrange our daughter’s October 2019 wedding. Tampa Bay Watch was even better than its photos. Jon (site coordinator) helped me to locate some local vendors familiar with TBW which made planning a snap. We used lawn, balcony, community room, upstairs covered porch — all were in beautiful shape. The on-site furnishings also made planning easier. The views were stunning and as a final bonus, I feel really good about my rental fee going to support the educational and conservation mission of TBW. Win-win-win all the way around

We loved to be on the water and Tampa Bay Watch was the perfect venue for our wedding day. It is beautiful, elegant, while still low key. We received a million compliments about this venue. The sunset was perfect, there were even dolphins. Jon was very helpful leading up to and the day of our wedding. I highly recommend this venue.

To the bride who wants beach/romance feels, privacy, and breathtaking scenery. This is your place!!! I just had my wedding ceremony and reception here in March 2019. Our wedding was nothing short of magical. Special thanks to Jon he is the one who helped make my day flow perfectly. He is always there to help you with anything you need. All of my guests couldn't stop talking about this hidden gem called Tampa Bay Watch. Trust me you'll want to check this place out! I searched 20 plus venues all up and down the beach and this is by far the most beautiful location you'll be able to find. I can't wait to return and have more special memories here in the future.

If you are looking for a private, elegant, beautiful waterfront wedding- look no further than Tampa Bay Watch. We were initially drawn to this place due to the organization's conservation and environmental mission- it feels great to support their cause while also getting hitched! We were met with so much more than an environmental space: Jon, the Bay View room coordinator (AKA Wedding Guru) showed us incredible professionalism, quick communication and knew what to ask us without us knowing what kind of things we ought to be thinking about. Jon knows this venue inside and out, due to the number of weddings he has witnessed here. He was SO helpful to all our vendors, our photographer, and even my maid of honor and father as he helped us time when to begin walking down the aisle. Our expectations were exceeded. There are so many small details that, when looking back, were flawless, seamless. Even if there were small hiccups during the day, they were handled smoothly due to Jon's professionalism and his excellent communication with my family and wedding party. There were likely many more details that he handled that we may never know of! (Thanks Jon!!!!) Another reason Tampa Bay Watch makes for a great wedding venue is the way the building and land is angled for sunsets. We had a 4:30 PM ceremony start time (January wedding). As soon as ceremony ended, our photographer was ogling over the incredible lighting she was able to work with for our photos and portraits. Many family members and friends approached me later and told me a dolphin was jumping in the background, during our ceremony as we were saying our vows...magical!

If you’re looking for a gorgeous view and a memorable wedding location and top notch communication from the vendor. Stop looking. Jon was AMAZING! This venue is amazing. We just wrapped up my daughter’s wedding and I was just thrilled to bits with this place. The views are breathtaking but that’s not all! Tables, chairs, linens, ceremony chairs, all included!! Takes pressure off deliveries and pickups. And don’t get me started on our point man Jon. He’s flexible and helpful and responsive. He made us feel like the most important clients he had. Just put the search button on hold, you’ve found the place to say “I do”.

This venue was perfect. There's no competing with the view. Our guests loved the venue as much as we did. Sunset is beautiful - feels like the wedding stops for just a minute to take it all in. John was on site during the wedding and reception and couldn't be more helpful. Great job by him for helping with everything.

Tampa Bay Watch is absolutely a hidden gem. Jon and his team do a tremendous job accommodating the special day. Throughout the process, they were available for site visits with vendors, communication and helpful insights. The grounds are beyond spectacular. We are so glad we got to say I do at this special place!

PERFECT! I knew the minute we did a site visit I wanted to get married here. Not only is it gorgeous, it's also a non-profit so it's even better! The coordinator/manager Jon was very accommodating to our needs. He let us come take engagement pictures at the venue, and show it to our parents after we had booked it on a completely different day. They also have sealife that they are rehabbing that people can see and take pictures with which is awesome. The dock was a great place for our first look, and the scenery is breath taking. They let you bring in your own alcohol, and own decorations. I cannot see enough how much I love this place and have told everyone i know about it.

The Tampa Bay Watch and Jon are literally amazing. I seriously believe this is the best wedding venue in St. Pete (even better than the resort hotels!). The venue is completely private and on the water, so there's no distractions during the ceremony or reception. It has an ENORMOUS 2nd-story deck, which has a beautiful view of the sunset. Jon was right, "During sunset, everyone will be out on the deck watching it." The best part is that this organization is a key player in the community by holding field trips for local schools and actively cleaning up the bay area. Your venue payment goes to restoring and preserving the waterways, which is far more desirable than boosting a hotel's profits. Jon is THE reason we enjoyed booking this venue so much. He is so welcoming and flexible and "has seen it all." He will go the distance to make your day special while clearly communicating the boundaries to protect the venue and the outdoor space. I would definitely book a few extra hours to decorate, because you'll want as much time as possible with your guests to actually enjoy the space. I would give them 6 stars if I could!

The venue is simply perfect. Jon Ziegler was beyond helpful with every aspect of the wedding. Together, we made my daughters wedding something to remember! THANK YOU!!!!

Tampa Bay Watch is a perfect setting for a simple, romantic wedding. It has just the right amount of nautical/coastal feel to it. You cannot beat the view. Our ceremony was at sunset and it was just beautiful. We loved the fact that most of the costs go towards Science education and bay restoration. Jon was super easy to work with and very helpful! I will say is it definitely is more of a diy location, being you have to set up and break down everything on your own. It wasn't bad though. I highly recommend it for your special day, I can't imagine getting married anywhere else.

This venue is amazing! Some of the best views around! My wedding guests are still talking about how great the view was. (An added bonus are the great things Tampa Bay Watch does to preserve the bay and marine life!) Whatever your vision is, Tampa Bay Watch is beautiful enough to bring it to life! Also, Jon was wonderful to work with! He was always quick to respond to all of my questions and was such a great help to my family and I along the way! Truly, a wonderful experience!

WOW! Where do I start! We just had my daughter's wedding on Saturday, everything was perfect! Jon was amazing. always there to answer any questions we had! The venue is gorgeous and very private right on the bay! Would highly recommend it to anyone!

My husband and I made the choice to use Tampa Bay Watch as our venue for our wedding, it was one of the best decisions. The staff is outstanding, especially Jon Ziegler! He was always there to answer questions and to help where he could. He helped us with the rehearsal and made sure we had the right direction. The day of the wedding he was outstanding, he made sure everything ran smoothly! You can't beat the view of this venue! It made our wedding day everything we had hoped for!!! Courtney and Jordan Scholl

I LOVED having my wedding at Tampa Bay Watch! We had the wedding on a Monday evening, and the weather was perfect! The view from the ceremony and veranda deck were stunning. Everyone loved it! I was able to bring in everything that I wanted, from nautical centerpieces to recyclable bamboo plates, and it was perfect. Being able to hand-pick my vendors allowed us to save a lot of money. Jon (the Community Room coordinator) was so helpful throughout the planning process. I would recommend this venue to any bride!

What an incredible venue! The absolute best location for a wedding… On the water yet without all the problems of a beach wedding

Knocked off our feet by Jon and this beautiful venue! Loved to contribute to this non-profit; making a positive impact on our big day. Sunset view and Pictures will blow you away!!

When we imagined our wedding, my now husband and I wanted something simple. Tampa Bay Watch was just that! We had a gorgeous sunset and beautiful weather for our October wedding. If you are looking for a simple beach feel but dont want the sand, this is the perfect place.

I had my wedding on October 17th, 2013 and was given the opportunity to use the site at Tampa Bay Watch the day before to set up.. Laura was awesome and so helpful with communication from day one when I first reached out to her via email. I cane from out of the area so she was helpful with giving me contact information for local vendors. The help from her and the other staff at Tampa Bay Watch made our wedding day the best day of our lives! I can't thank them enough!!

TBW is a perfect place for a wedding- our day was windy and cold but that didn't stop us from having our perfect day. Laura is amazing at TBW and made sure everything was spectacular for our day. Don't have any negatives for this facility, it's not only a perfect venue right on the water it is one of the few places that 100% of costs go to education and preservation- it is nice to know that my wedding helped this non-profit continue with their helping the environment.

My husband and I had the most amazing wedding April 19th 2013 at the Tampa Bay Watch. The venue is absolutely breathtaking being on the water, especially during the sunset. Laura McMurdock was our event coordinator. She was extremely helpful throughout our entire planning process, but mostly, on the day of. She ran around like crazy making sure everything was perfect for our big day. We forgot to bring our vases for the hightop centerpieces and Laura found beautiful matching vases in storage to take their place. There were many other details she worked out for us that people told me about the day after the wedding. She made sure things ran smoothly and made sure we didn't have to stress over anything. We were so grateful for her! I would definitely 100% recommend this venue.

My husband and I are sailors so we really wanted to find a beautiful venue with a view of the water. We struggled with the indoor/outdoor question and the Tampa Bay Watch was the perfect solution. We got the best of both- The room is beautiful with hard wood floors and windows that provide a gorgeous untouched view of Tierra Verde, the water and mangroves. The porch is huge and can accommodate a large group. The sunset was beautiful and we were so happy with our wedding at the Tampa Bay Watch. Laura is very helpful and sweet and helpful from the day you meet til the end of your wedding night!

Laura was an awesome person to work with. She more than accomidated us for wedding day and helped make our day very special and memorable.

We had an amazing time at TBW! My husband and I got married at St. John Vianney Church, so only used TBW for our reception. Originally the plan was to take pictures on the beach, but the wind was too strong, so we went straight to TBW for pictures. The area was beautiful, and with the sunset at night I couldn't ask for a better location. The fact that you have to do everything yourself (caterer, dj, etc) was a pain, but worth it. Everyone had a great time and kept commenting on how beautiful the location was. Laura was incredibly helpful recommending vendors (we weren't local) and answering all of my questions. If you want a wedding and/or reception with a beautiful view I highly recommend TBW for your wedding!

TBW is a gorgeous, low-key property that is perfect if you are looking for a true "Florida experience" wedding. The majority of our guests had come in from the Midwest, so we knew everyone would enjoy its uniqueness. We had planned to have our ceremony on the lawn; unfortunately a rainy day prevented that from being possible, but the team of both TBW people and my other vendors helped set us up for a ceremony on the wraparound porch that was amazing. We were able to have the cocktail hour on the lawn as planned, and dinner/dancing inside the second-floor room. My only complaints about TBW are minimal and fairly easily rectified/addressed: -The interior walls of the reception room are bland. I didn't notice it until I got my pictures back and saw the neutral, boring wall in the background. Had I thought about it, I would have added some decoration or something to give it a little more dimension. -There is a drinking fountain built into one wall, which I wanted to cover just due to personal preference. However, the table covering it got shifted at some point in the night, causing the fountain to turn on and leak some water onto the floor. I don't think any of our guests even noticed, and our catering staff quickly cleaned it up. -We had a bit of a mix-up at the end of the night as to who was responsible for taking down decorations/cleaning up, and it caused a bit of a scramble with my family and a few very helpful friends. As long as you clearly define everything with TBW ahead of time, it will be a non-issue. Overall I was extremely pleased with this beautiful venue and the friendly and helpful staff.

The moment we set eyes on this place we knew it was perfect for us! The location is to die for. Laura and Tracey were so helpful and always kept in contact with me up until the big day. The grounds are kept immaculate and I had so many compliments on our location. I highly recommend TBW and it's for a great cause!

The venue was perfect. Everyone loved it & can't stop talking about how beautiful it was. The events coordinator is the best. She helped us out so much. The only problem we had was with Mother Nature. It was so windy the day of the wedding, but that's something we couldn't avoid.

Go visit Tampa Bay Watch...the view will speak for itself. We had our ceremony in the grass and the reception upstairs. it was simply beautiful. It was an amazing day, with a perfect sunset. Laura is wonderful and is there to help and answer any questions. Tampa Bay Watch included the rehearsal dinner, reception, ceremony, tables, chairs, and linen with the price. We went to Tampa bay watch first when looking for venues, that was a mistake, because nothing else even came close to this amazing place. Water front and secluded. There was no one there but our amazing friends and family! AMAZING!

Laura at the Watch is super sweet and returned all my emails quickly. She also keeps a blog of the weddings held at the venue, which was extremely helpful in envisioning the reception space. And this is a nonprofit folks, so your money goes to environmental projects, awareness and education.This is one of those venues where you get to choose EVERYTHING! Super custom.

The location was beautiful!! There was room indoors and outdoors for the reception. Beautiful lawn for the ceremony! Everyone at our wedding really enjoyed everything at our venue! Laura (Wedding coordinator)is flexible and helpful with everything on the day of the wedding, and leading up to it!