4.9 out of 5 stars and 40 reviews
4.9
(40)Best of Weddings (1x).340 Beach Dr. N.E., St Petersburg, FL
$6,000 starting price
151-200 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 200 guests
About this vendor
Downtown St. Pete – Inspired by the 1920’s glam era, The Grand Ballroom at The Birchwood is the perfect location for your wedding ceremony, reception, and rehearsal dinner or post-wedding brunch. The Ballroom features both indoor and outdoor celebration space with breathtaking views of Tampa Bay, Beach Drive, and the amazing Downtown St. Petersburg Skyline. Our team of professionals will help to keep the wedding planning FUN and our talented Chef’s will create a top-notch culinary experience for you and your guests!
THE CEREMONY:
Grand Ballroom: “Say ‘I Do’ with a View!” Ceremonies are held within the east wing of our Grand Ballroom while overlooking North Straub Park, the waters of Tampa Bay and Beach Drive.
Ceremonies Include: Gold Banquet Chairs, 8’ Birchwood Decorative Pillars, Ceremony Pipe and Drape & Private Champagne Toast for Bride & Groom
Up to 120 guests for Ceremony, combined with a Reception.
For couples with guest counts higher than 120, a list of local off-site ceremony recommendations will be provided.
THE COCKTAIL HOUR:
Guests can enjoy their cocktail hour all within the Grand Ballroom, utilizing our welcome foyer, main Ballroom, and two private outdoor terraces. We also offer an upgraded semi-private Canopy Rooftop cocktail hour, where wedding guests can enjoy the cabanas, outdoor living room area, waterfront glass look-out area and their own private Satellite bar.
THE RECEPTION:
The Grand Ballroom features a vintage glam, coupled with a simple elegance that is the perfect palate for any wedding day celebration. Located just one level below our iconic Canopy Rooftop, the Grand Ballroom can accommodate weddings, rehearsal dinners, post-wedding brunches and other celebrations with up to 200+ guests. The Grand Ballroom includes exclusive use of our welcome foyer, custom built-in bar, private restroom suites and two outdoor balconies with panoramic views of the downtown St. Petersburg Beach Drive area.
200+ seated dinner/ 250+ Standing Reception Style
Wedding Receptions Include:
• Exclusive Use of 4th Floor Grand Ballroom, Grand Foyer, Private Restroom Suites and Two Outdoor Balconies
• Five Hours Event Time
• Four Hours Prior to Event Start for Vendor Access & Setup
• Full Catering Kitchen w/ Dedicated Banquet Chef & Banquet Staff
• Balcony Patio Lounge Furniture
• Custom Built-In Bar
• All 72” Round Tables, 60” Round Tables, 6’ Banquet Tables, 8’ Banquet Tables for Guest Seating, DJ Table, Gift Table, Welcome Table, Favors, etc.
• 48” Round Cake Table
• White, Black or Ivory Floor-length Linen for Banquet Tables
• Black or White Linen Napkins
• All Plate Ware, Glassware, Flatware and Service Ware
• Private Welcome Signage
• Complimentary Wedding Tasting for Up to 6 Guests Prior to Wedding Date
• Complimentary Service Staff for First 75 Guests
• Complimentary Bartender for First 75 Guests
• Bridal Suite Discount Program
Savings Tip: Reduced food/beverage minimums available for Sunday-Thursday celebrations!
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Liability Insurance
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 200
Settings
- Ballroom
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Historic Venue
- Hotel
- Rooftop
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Food & Catering
- Rentals & Equipment
- Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9
out of 5.040 reviews
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I couldn’t recommend any place better for a wedding! Our guest were very pleased with the food, service and location. Claire respond to any questions we had and addressed any concerns we had. We were displaced by 2 hurricane and we had to rebook a venue in 4 weeks and they made an extremely stressful and difficult time feel seamless. Claire was so helpful with giving us suggestions and helping us through the short time frame we had. The whole team was flexible, professional and made our wedding so memorable. Everything works out for a reason and we were meant to get married at the Birchwood!
Thank you so much💍
What a beautiful place to have a wedding! I am so happy I found them and was able to get married here! I had my ceremony and reception and it was everything I wanted and more. The entire ambience of the whole place was exceptional! I worked with Claire and Yvonne and they made every detail truly come to life. The birchwood is a wonderful venue and made all my dreams come true. I recommend this place for someone who loves wants all the bells and whistles all in one! I am an internally grateful Claire and Yvonne as they made my husband and i’s day a day to remember
Well, we picked the Birchwood because we were absolutely in awe with entire set up. We were so excited about getting married there and having our guests come in from out of town, enjoying our day and celebration. We had it all planned out with our wedding planner and our other vendors And in my heart I envisioned that it was going to be absolutely spectacular Claire and my wedding planner Lynn were so helpful in every way imaginable unfortunately, we did not have the wedding. It was canceled on the day of the hurricane Helene, and from there it went downhill whomever chooses to get married. There will have in my mind no doubt a beautiful wedding Full the liquor ambience will all be just perfect. I wish whoever chooses this venue will have the wedding that I was looking to have my best always Lenore.
Our wedding at The Birchwood was spectacular. The venue is beautiful, Grace and the rest of the staff amazing and so easy to work with, and the location is great. From the beginning, communication was so easy and we felt so welcomed. As soon as we finished our venue tour, I knew that this was the venue that I wanted to get married in. Grace was very accessible and always answered our questions promptly throughout the planning process. The ability to have both the ceremony and reception in the same beautiful space was wonderful and convenient. The food was delicious, and we have gotten so many raving reviews from our guests. The location right near the water and across the street from the park made for beautiful views and great spots for photos. It ended up being a little more expensive than we had originally anticipated, but it was definitely worth it and I would choose this venue again if I had to do it all over again.
From the moment of check-in to the moment of check-out, The Birchwood was the most wonderful and perfect venue! We got married in the Grand Ballroom at The Birchwood on July 1st, 2023, and it was a day we will forever remember. Our ceremony was off-site but when we got back to The Birchwood, the Ballroom looked perfect! Grace and the entire Birchwood team made the night smooth between food service, dancing, toasts, and anything the night threw at us. Our 170 guests raved about the food, especially the Filet, and we had some picky eaters! We are still getting people saying how beautiful our wedding venue was and how much fun they had celebrating. Grace and her team worked perfectly with our coordinator, DJ, and florist to ensure the timeline was executed according to plan. We had some last minute changes with our guests and Grace was quick to respond to any requests and questions. I would highly recommend The Birchwood to anyone looking for a fantastic location with a hard-working team and incredible food. We can't wait to celebrate our future anniversaries at the hotel and 1st floor restaurant!
WOW! Where to even begin.. I'm a type-A crazy planner and I got engaged in August of 2021. We very quickly began our hunt to find the dream venue for our wedding in March of 2023 and thank every divine being we stumbled upon the Birchwood so early on in our search. We were greeted at first by Mary, who was phenomenal in getting all of our questions answered as we were planning a coast-to-coast wedding (we live in Oregon) and ensuring we knew exactly what we were signing up for. The real cream of the crop of our experience was our connection with Grace Summa. She was by far one of my favorite vendors to work with and she made sure everything was absolutely perfect for our dream day. From ensuring our signature cocktails had a mocktail option to be inclusive, to saving us some of the cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres to constantly touching base with us throughout the event. Wow. Everyone came up to us and told us how delicious the food was, how wonderful and beautiful the venue was. Grace even helped us reserve a canopy for our improptu after party (we thought we'd be exhausted but la fiesta sigue)! We were told constantly our wedding was the most fun event they have ever been to, and the Birchwood helped play a HUGE role in that. If you're local or not (like us), you will be taken such good care of. Thank you bunches to Grace and Mary!
We had our wedding cocktail hour and reception at the Birchwood and it was AMAZING! Grace was absolutely incredible and entirely accommodating - after being nervous about the food tasting, she set up a private tasting to accommodate some dietary restrictions, and the food was phenomenal!! The space is gorgeous and our day went SO smooth! Thank you so much to Grace & team for making our day so special!!
Incredible team of coordinators, chefs, bartenders and waitstaff!!! We had our cocktail hour and reception at the Birchwood and it was PHENOMENAL! Working with Grace was a pleasure - she’s incredibly professional and responsive. The best part had to be the FOOD! We got SO MANY compliments from our guests, and many people said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding! We are so happy with our experience, THANK YOU Birchwood for making our day so special!!!
I can't say enough good things about The Birchwood as a wedding ceremony and reception venue; they made my wedding day as stress free as can be. Grace, the onsite coordinator, was great to work with. All of our guests talked about how good the food was and we loved being able to step out on the balcony off the ballroom and enjoy the beautiful view of the St. Pete waterfront.
The Birchwood caters to your every need like you are royalty. You feel so special and every step of the way Grace and her team are there to make sure they get it absolutely right. I highly recommend The Birchwood for any event, but especially a wedding where you were looking for a true VIP, all inclusive experience.
My wedding at the Birchwood was absolutely perfect. The night was beautiful and everything ran so smoothly with the help of Grace and the rest of the Birchwood team. The ballroom was beautiful and the food was fantastic!!
We got married at the Birchwood last weekend, and the venue exceeded our expectations in every single way!
First, the Birchwood's customer service is impeccable. Grace, the venue coordinator, responded to each of my questions thoroughly and promptly. She made the planning process easy, letting me know when different decisions needed to be made and explaining all of my options. Every Birchwood employee I interacted with was pleasant and helpful.
The Birchwood was also incredibly understanding when I had to change my guest count in the weeks before the wedding because of the Omicron variant. Grace didn't flinch once despite me having to change my seating chart a million times. I so appreciated them working with me through that difficult time!
The food at the wedding was OUTSTANDING. Many of my wedding guests are self-described foodies, and they raved about how delicious the food was. I tried three of our four entrees during the reception, and each exceeded my expectations. This isn't typical wedding food; these are quality meals that you would find at very high-end restaurants. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them!
The Birchwood's ballroom is simply beautiful. My guests LOVED watching the sun set on the venue balconies. The chandeliers in the ballroom are so elegant and eye-catching. This is the perfect backdrop for a classy and elegant reception.
In all, the Birchwood went above and beyond for us. I'm so happy we picked it as our venue. I highly, highly recommend it!
I can not rave about our wedding experience at the Birchwood enough! Such processional team members and planning throughout the entire process. I planned this whole wedding from states away and Heather and Grace were just phenomenal. Not to mention the move of our wedding date from COVID. Talk about a place who knows what they are doing! Our guests could not stop raving about the beautiful venue, expectational service and food! Our guests are still raving about how great our food and drinks were! I could not have asked for a better wedding here. It was truly everything I ever dreamed up and more. Heather and Grace were so accommodating throughout the entire process and even helped with guests who cancelled last minute. The Birchwood team is on it and has everything you need for the wedding of your dreams (trust me when I say this because I am a huge planner and control freak). I was relaxed throughout my entire day because they took care of everything and made sure our experience was nothing short of wonderful. if you are looking for a wedding venue in the Tampa Bay, book with the Birchwood, you will not be disappointed!
The Birchwood was the reception venue of my DREAMS! In the heart of downtown St Pete, a beautiful ballroom with views of the bay. It was elegant and sophisticated yet warm and welcoming. The food was INCREDIBLE, way better than typical wedding food. We worked with the fabulous Heather Lorenz, and we miss her already - not only a great venue coordinator, but a great friend and incredible to work with - so enthusiastic and organized, always on top of it!!
Choosing The Birchwood ballroom for our wedding reception was the best decision. We worked closely with Mary and Heather, both were responsive and always willing to work weird requests out. We had a beautiful evening with 170 of our closest friends and family - there were no hiccups and our guests enjoyed the beautiful evening. We also had our cocktail hour on the rooftop canopy. It was great weather and our guests loved that unique view of St. Petersburg. The food was delicious and the drink service was great - there was never a line at any of the bars. We wish we could redo this day over and over. It was phenomenal and it would not have been the same without hosting it at The Birchwood.
We were very impressed by all that the Birchwood had to offer! From its fabulous decor, delicious food, and great location to its gorgeous hotel rooms and rooftop bar, The Birchwood is a one of a kind venue. Heather and her team did a phenomenal job accommodating all of our wants, needs, and special requests.
From the very beginning, the Birchwood made us feel like we were their only bride and groom. Our very personal welcome meeting included delicious food, vendor recommendations, and even Heather's personal "tips for the bride". Heather took time out of her busy day to take us on several tours when family came to visit, and was always just an e-mail or phone call away. She gave us tips and suggestions along the way and was extremely patient with our indecisiveness. Heather went above and beyond to keep us updated and on track; she even let us know ahead of time that a festival would be happening nearby over our wedding weekend, so we could be sure to book enough spots for our vendors and guests.
During our wedding weekend Heather continued to be her bright and cheery self which helped keep us relaxed. She facilitated our wedding material drop-offs and even helped us unload the car when we got there. Throughout our wedding she checked in multiple times to make sure everything was going well, brought us drinks, and set up a beautiful display of appetizers and champagne in our hotel room! Our one and only critique is that our chicken dish did not seem quite as good as we thought it was at our food tasting. Everything else was better than imagined! We and our guests were thoroughly impressed by the food, drinks, atmosphere, and service at The Birchwood. Thank you again!
By FAR exceeded every expectation. We had a Sunday brunch ceremony and reception here. The venue is gorgeous and unique. Very elegant ballroom with water views, inside a trendy boutique hotel. Has a rooftop space that is also quite breathtaking with more incredible views, cabanas, fire pits. We had our ceremony and reception in the ballroom and did a final toast and cake cutting on the roof top. The team is EXTREMELY accomadting, professional, and responsive. Everyone loved the food!! I am so lucky to have found this gem. No other venues I looked at even came close to comparing for the cost.
I can't say enough great things about The Birchwood and it's staff. From start to finish Heather and team were always there to answer any questions I had, no matter how insignificant or silly they were. My guests can't stop talking about how beautiful the venue was and the delicious food. I did use one of their recommended day-of coordinators, Samantha from Blue Skies, and her and the team at The Birchwood worked flawlessly together. We had an after party at the Canopy and Grace was wonderful to work with and coordinated everything great with the ballroom. Thank you so much for making my dream wedding come true!
The Birchwood (with special shoutout to coordinator Heather) was the PERFECT venue for our 175 person wedding! They were not only so accommodating and able to customize the space based on our needs, but were so attentive to numerous emails/random questions throughout planning. We got numerous compliments about the overall feel of the venue (including the rooftop Canopy one floor above which many of our guests enjoyed) and especially about the delicious food. Not only were our guests well taken care of, but my husband and I had check-ins throughout the night to make sure we didn't need drinks/food/etc. We absolutely recommend the Birchwood to anyone who wants an upscale, glamorous ballroom feel for a Downtown St Pete wedding!
My daughter’s wedding reception was held in the ballroom at the Birchwood. It could not have been more perfect! Heather, the event coordinator, was a joy to work with. She answered all of our questions patiently and promptly. The food was delicious, and the wait staff was very friendly and accommodating.
We highly recommend the Birchwood! The location, the beautiful ballroom and competent staff cannot be topped.
When I began wedding planning, I had a few venues in mind. I wanted my wedding to have an elegant vintage style to it. The Birchwood was at the top of my list for venues I'd like to tour and after doing 1-2 tours in the same day, my now husband and I arrived at The Birchwood last. Immediately, we fell in love. I grew up in the Tampa Bay area so I was familiar with the beauty of The Birchwood and I have always loved the liveliness of Downtown St. Petersburg. Seeing the Grand Ballroom inside The Birchwood was exactly everything we wanted for our wedding venue, so we had both our ceremony and reception on site! The location, venue, style...everything was perfect. The people we were fortunate enough to work with at The Birchwood were also perfection!!! Heather, Mary, Rebecka, Leja...the main ladies that I've communicated with, but not to mention all the behind the scenes Birchwood team that is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL as well. The fact that the ceremony and the reception was in the same ballroom, and they flipped that room so seamlessly during our cocktail hour (behind the scenes of course so guests couldn't see it) is just amazing. We offered our wedding guests a seated dinner and immediately we received compliments on the freshness, the taste, the plate presentation, etc. I have to point out that Heather is so sweet and has been very quick in responding to me about ANY questions. Rebecka and her team during dinner were terrific as well, always making sure everyone has what they need and she even personally wanted to make sure everything was going great. Also, we stayed the night in the hotel and it was such a beautiful room that was always clean! Such genuine people around you during what can become such a stressful day makes all the difference. The flexibility and professionalism of The Birchwood is SO comforting when you're planning a wedding..very great energy to have around yourself for your wedding day and all the days leading up to it. Thank you to everyone there!!
Absolutely the best! Food was fantastic, space was elegant yet modern, and they were super accommodating. Highly recommended, especially after a morning wedding nearby at Sunken Gardens.
When we first started planning our wedding we thought that downtown St. Pete would be the ideal location for a wedding due to its walkability, numerous restaurants and bars, museums and beautiful waterfront. When we started looking at reception venues, I found out that The Birchwood had a ballroom. We had been to Birch & Vine and The Canopy so we knew this could be a good option. When we toured the ballroom, we instantly fell in love with the classic feel of the décor, the large windows and the private balcony that overlooks the bay. Over the next year, we had such a positive experience working with Mary, Leja, Heather, Tim and Rebecka. They were quick to respond anytime I had questions and let us see the ballroom on two subsequent dates when our parents were visiting. The food tasting was one of our favorite parts of wedding planning – they gave us champagne and even printed custom menus for us which was a nice touch. Our wedding weekend was amazing. Our family and guests occupied nearly the entire hotel (which is only 18 rooms) and the hotel staff was always willing to accommodate us with anything we needed. The bridal suite was beautiful and perfect for getting ready. The event staff did such a great job setting up the ballroom for our reception – I couldn’t believe how beautiful it looked. Heather had appetizers and champagne waiting for us when we arrived. The entrees were delicious (we had filet and snapper) and many guests told us it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. The reception was seamless and our guests really enjoyed the space, whether hanging out by the bar, dancing or spending time on the balcony. We reserved cabanas at The Canopy for the after party, which was super convenient and a lot of fun for us and our guests. Thank you to the entire Birchwood team for giving us the perfect wedding and memories that we will cherish forever!
My husband and I had several tours scheduled with different locations around St. Pete when we were searching for a venue. The Birchwood threw a wrench into those plans in the best way possible. As soon as we walked into the ballroom we knew it was the location for us.
If I could explain our experience with the Birchwood in one word, it would have to be professional. They very clearly showed Connor and I they were an experienced group, willing to accommodate any request we had easily and thoroughly. Connor and I are very meticulous people - so we were emailing the representatives at the Birchwood several times a day. Every email was met. Every phone call was returned. Every question was answered.
When we went to our prep meeting before the big day, we had several representatives from the Birchwood attend - and every single one wanted to make sure their part of the process was 110% covered. It was a relief being in that room.
I could go on and compliment the Birchwood immensely, but I think I have made my point. When the Wedding planning and execution has stressed you and your partner out - you want to make sure your vendors are reliable. The Birchwood is extremely reliable.
If the Birchwood is a viable option for you to use on your wedding day - I can confidently suggest their services.
The Birchwood made our dream wedding come true!! Everything was absolutely perfect from the beginning. Mary Barnett helped us create an ideal floor plan for our guest count, helped us choose our food choices and drink tier, and worked with my wedding planner on an emergency plan B for the rainy day. She also kept in touch with me through the weeks leading up to the big day to assure that all details went smoothly, and the vendors were all up to date on everything.
The hotel rooms took my breath away. They make you feel like you're taking a step back in time, but had a modern twist. My wedding party and I loved the amount of space we had in the room (and huge bathroom!) to spread out and relax while getting ready. And the bed was so comfortable!! Most importantly, we were in the prime location of downtown St. Pete, so the bridal party was able to run out for any little emergency and be back in minutes. :)
I will never forget the moment I stepped in the ballroom and saw everything put together. The flowers, table linens, place settings, lighting, and details were exquisite. We received multiple compliments from our guests about the food (the bone-in filet was to die for) and the drinks, particularly the wine ( which Dennis, the in-house sommelier helped us pair with dinner!). I also want to thank the Birchwood for the incredible passed appetizers at cocktail hour. Easy to eat in a white dress, and so delicious.
From the incredible service, communication, food/wine, and accomodations, The Birchwood was truly a dream venue! Wish we could do it all again.
The Birchwood hosted our rehearsal dinner for our New Year’s eve wedding in 2017. We worked with Leja and Mary who both made our experience absolutely fantastic. The venue was gorgeous the staff was incredibly attentive, and the whole experience was as perfect as we could have imagined. I would recommend this establishment for anyone who seeks a gorgeous venue and courteous staff. Thanks again to everyone!! We will be back to visit soon!
The Birchwood was truly amazing and I could not have imagined a more perfect venue for my wedding reception!! Everything from the planning, to the service, to the quality of the food was exquisite! All of the staff members were very accommodating and flexible to all of my requests and were super easy to work with! They were very quick to answer any questions and were always good about reminding me to look into little details, such as planning for valet parking and blocking off rooms at the hotel.
The tasting the Birchwood planned for us was truly an exquisite culinary experience! We were able to try such a variety of delicious and beautifully presented food options and the chef was very open to any changes or requests we had. Not only was the food amazing, but the whole experience was so special! I loved being able to share it with my mom and mother-in-law!
The day of the wedding the Birchwood made sure everything looked absolutely perfect - every last detail was accounted for! When I stepped into the ballroom I was truly blown away - it was absolutely gorgeous!
Five months later and guests from my wedding are still raving about how amazing the food was! We did five separate stations for our food and everything was not only delicious but also beautifully presented!
Mary and Leja (the Birchwood wedding planners) were amazing and made sure everything was taken care of, so that I did not have to stress about anything! The view from the Grand Ballroom was incredible and having our own balcony was such a special treat; the guests really enjoyed being able to be outside to enjoy the beautiful view! Being in the heart of downtown was also definitely a plus!
Additionally, the Canopy was the perfect place to keep the party going after the wedding was over! Our hotel suite at the Birch and Vine was beautiful, so romantic and the perfect place to spend our first night as husband and wife! The whole Birchwood family treated us like family and made the whole experience one I will never forget! I cannot recommend this venue enough!!
The Birchwood was everything we could have hoped for and more! There was not a single detail spared! This premiere downtown St. Pete location felt so personal as they helped make our vision for the wedding come to life. The team ensured that the wedding day was seamless so that we could enjoy the celebration and not worry about anything!
Our guests are still raving about the food,ambiance, professional staff and overall superb experience. I HIGHLY recommend the Birchwood for a wedding- or any other event!!
From the time we toured the Birchwood, it was clear that it checked every box for us. We wanted a central location, an indoor ceremony with a view, amazing food and service all within a beautiful and classic venue. All of these items truly passed with flying colors. As the bride, I was able to stay on site and have a suite for all of the girls to get ready in. Out of town guests loved the convenience of staying on site but still having so many things to do surrounding them in Downtown St. Pete. The banquet chef created the most exquisite menu to accommodate all of our guests and I am still receiving complements on the food almost 6 months later. We wish we could relive the meal from our wedding day every single day. The service was exceptional - everyone was attended to and my husband and I received VIP care during our reception. I remember walking in from outside pictures (in July!) to come to our table with a tray of appetizers, our salads and our drink of choice from the bar for each of us. It's the little details that make a difference! Not to mention, the banyan trees and Straub Park across the street make for gorgeous pictures! Mary, Leja and the entire team worked tirelessly to ensure our wedding day would be perfect and it truly was. I cannot extend enough gratitude or recommend this venue enough!
Everything about my wedding at the Birchwood was PERFECT!!! This venue checked every box - incredible view, heart of downtown, beautiful ballroom and we were able to have our ceremony there as well. I wanted to have the ceremony outside, but none of the parks were available. I was hesitant about having it in the same space as the reception, but it turned out great. It was a beautiful space that was large enough and they flipped it very quickly. My guests could not get over how incredible the space was. People were outside on our own balcony all night and the cocktail hour upstairs as the sun was setting was gorgeous (or so I hear since I wasn't there!). I can't recommend the Birchwood along with Mary and Leja enough!
We had a wonderful experience, the food was great and Mary the coordinator went above and beyond to make the day go smoothly, she didn't miss a single detail. We can't say thank you enough!
My fiance and I looked at a lot of different vendors in both Tampa and St. Petersburg. What we loved the most about the Birchwood was that everything was all in one place. We wanted to have our ceremony outside, and we were able to across the street from The Birchwood in North Straub Park. All of the staff and planners at The Birchwood were amazing! Our planners Lauren and then Mary, and Leja were so accommodating and wonderful! We were able to get all of the little details into our reception; the ballroom looked so beautiful for our wedding. The food was to die for and the service of the waitstaff and bar were so sweet, helpful and quick! Everyone at our wedding was raving about the food and bar service. We also stayed at The Birchwood's hotel. The rooms are so gorgeous for getting ready pictures, I can't wait to see them all! I would highly recommend The Birchwood! You will not have to worry about a thing as a bride and just be able to relax and enjoy your day!
Mary, Leja and the entire Birchwood family !!!!!
Coming into this without a wedding planner, finding a venue wasn't so easy. When we decided to go with Birchwood we had already made a deposit with another venue of which was non-refundable. We explained this to Mary but she never gave up. The professionalism and care was truly genuine, so we took the lost and decided to go with who made us feel most comfortable...well that and the view!!! :). With very little local family; the help we received from Mary and Leja was amazing from start to finish. They gave advice where needed and went above and beyond to help me; and for that I am ever so grateful!!!😘
Thank you guys so much for working with us and being very patient about it!!! Our family and friends went back to Turks and Caicos talking about how much fun they had up here!!!
Wish we could do it all over again, you never want the fun to end :).
Thank you thank you!!!!!
Love The Glintons!!! 😘
We were totally blown away with The Birchwood on our wedding day! We are so thankful we chose this unique venue to host our reception. We worked with Lauren, Leja and Casey during our wedding planning process. They were easy to work with, quick with communication to all our questions and made our day completely stress free! The ballroom was so beautiful and elegant as-is, we knew we wouldn't have to go over the top with decor and flowers. The food was absolutely amazing, we got so many complements from our guests on how delicious the appetizers and dinner were. I so impressed with every detail...I highly recommend The Birchwood for any future bride!
The Birchwood did an absolutely fabulous job hosting our wedding. They were extremely accommodating, easy to work with, and incredibly organized; they pulled off a flawless reception for us! Their ballroom is beautiful and elegant. I saw no need to spend extra money on draping the walls or purchasing chair covers or fancy linens. The room is beautiful, as-is, and we were so happy with how everything looked. The event and banquet managers were wonderful. They were so organized and quick to respond to my (probably too many) questions. They went out of their way to make sure I was happy, adding “local beers” to our bar package when we asked and including extra items in our private tasting in order to choose the best menu. I can’t say enough good things about the food – so delicious. The event and banquet team were truly a pros, with every detail planned prior to our event. We were provided a CAD style drawing of your layout, complete with every table and chair placement. They triple checked timelines and numbers and went over every detail at our final walk thru. They were very patient when I had to email the morning of the wedding with last minute changes as a couple surprise guests had shown up. As organized as they were, I was completely at ease when the day came, knowing they had a rock solid plan. We stayed at the hotel the night prior. The rooms are beautiful and large, easily accommodating my 6 bridesmaids, the moms, and a hair and makeup team, and made for beautiful “getting ready” photos. The front desk was amazing – bringing up water and ice and who knows what other silly requests we asked for. We really appreciated how attentive and accommodating they were. The reception went flawlessly. I think they served our 120-guest reception in about 10 minutes, which was quite impressive, given we had 4 entrée selections. The wait staff, bartenders, and the entire team were wonderful. My husband actually hugged the chef when he came out to check on us and offer his congratulations. We also took advantage of the Canopy for our after-party. We had drinks and late-night snacks waiting for us when we headed upstairs to our private cabana. Not one person had a complaint about ANYTHING. If you want a flawless event, the Birchwood will definitely take care of you! We loved every minute of our wedding day and wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you, Birchwood!
I am so happy that my husband and I chose the right venue for our wedding. We knew that we wanted something classic and elegant, and The Birchwood definitely delivered. From day one, everyone we worked with was extremely responsive and flexible. We wanted our entire wedding to be vegan, and all of the staff at The Birchwood didn't even bat an eye! This was absolutely not the case with any other venue or catering company we talked to. The Birchwood staff responded to literally every little question I had immediately, and kindly. The chef made us several different options at our tasting to accommodate our vegan menu, and it was all delicious! The day before the wedding, we needed to get in to the ballroom to set a few things up, and the staff made it happen for us even though they had to rush. The bridal suite was gorgeous, and they delivered a nice plate of our appetizers and mojitos to us during our cocktail hour so that we could have a moment alone before making a grand entrance to our reception. When we walked into our reception, it was more than we ever could have hoped for! The sweetheart table they set up for us was so beautiful, and there were many little touches that we never would have thought of that pulled everything together perfectly. Our wedding guests were raving about the food, and they were surprised that eating an all plant-based meal could taste so good! At the end of the night, a few of us went up to The Canopy rooftop bar and enjoyed a few drinks and some cupcakes in a cabana. When we returned to the bridal suite, a bottle of champagne was waiting. It was all so magical. The Birchwood staff thought of every little detail, and worked very hard to make our day as special as possible. Every step of the way, we knew that we had chosen the right venue. Lauren, Leja, Tim, Casey, Chef Karim, and everyone else who worked so hard to make us so blissfully happy, we appreciate you! Thank you for the beautiful memories!
We had our wedding at the Birchwood in June 2016. The Birchwood location was the perfect spot because the ball room was absolutely beautiful, the staff was very helpful & professional, the space fit our needs & the food was amazing. We still have guest tell us how wonderful the wedding venue & food was the night of our wedding. We also had our rehearsal at the Birchwood Restaurant the night prior to the wedding & we had our after party at the Canopy located on the 5th floor. All events were executed perfectly & beautifully! The Birchwood staff really did an amazing job through the entire wedding process!
The birchwood is beautiful and the staff has been extremely helpful in planning for the wedding day! The food is fantastic! I couldn't have picked a better place to have my wedding!
Its been three weeks since our wedding and people are STILL raving about the venue. Its such a gorgeous set up and the food was absolutely amazing. The chef even made my father a special meal since he had just had surgery and was having trouble eating - I really can't say enough about how attentive and involved he was. The team there is really great and we had an awesome experience working with them.
Recently had our wedding there and I am not sure if I would recommend this venue to another bride and groom UNLESS you are prepared to be on top of every detail leading up to your big day...
As a newer wedding venue to the area, there is a TON of disorganization, some of which I expected and most of which was totally unacceptable... The discord starts between the four separate departments that comprise The BW: Birch and Vine, The Birchwood Inn, The Events department (Ballroom) and The Canopy Rooftop.
When we originally put our deposit down, nearly a year and half before our actual wedding, we were so impressed with both the staff and the venue itself... It has great modern yet vintage-y 20s feel, which is the primary reason we chose it.
During that time, we met with the events coordinator, and began planning some initial details with her. From there we sat back and waited patiently to begin the REAL planning once we got a little closer to our date. I was told someone would reach out to me six months prior, however, no one ever did...
That's because the event coordinator that we were working with was either fired or quit and they had yet to replace the position. No one reached out to me to let me know, but instead I had to call and send multiple emails in search of some answers...
From there, things pretty much got more disorganized and frustrating...
- The front desk at the Inn lost our reservations and/or booked the wrong room block rate on SEVERAL occasions (which was particularly frustrating since the rates were in no way competitive with local room rates, like the Vinoy, and made it hard to convince our guests to book one of the 18 rooms).
- One of their preferred vendors for cakes completely closed up shop without notice AFTER taking my $348 deposit, and yet I only found out after trying to contact the bakery directly. No one at the BW had any idea it had been closed for months, however they did try to make it up to us... By waiving our cake cutting stand fee...
- The day of our rehearsal/rehearsal dinner, our guests could not get checked in to their rooms before 4 o'clock and our suite - the bride and groom's suite - was unavailable until nearly 5 o'clock. Mind you, we had all "played ball" and showed up for rehearsal at NOON since there was an event in the ballroom that evening and it would not be available for our use. Still, we sat around in the lobby while no one bothered to rectify the situation until my mom and husband got upset.
- Our new coordinator was nice and worked with us to try and resolve most issues but it was definitely a challenge for her as well... It always seemed like she had to get approval or jump through hoops to find resolve or get us an answer. Even after the wedding, the confusion didn't end... There were charges to my mother's card from The Canopy that made absolutely no sense. She reached out the owner directly with no avail. No response, no nothing.
I hate leaving poor reviews but I feel like I would be doing a disservice to my fellow brides out there considering this venue if I was not entirely honest about my personal experience.
It's all about perspective... The BW is beautiful but customer satisfaction is everything, especially when it comes to one of the biggest (and most expensive) days of your life.
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340 Beach Dr. N.E., St Petersburg, FL
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