The Birchwood

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.

g, 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.

023, 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!

nd 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!

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!!

- 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!!!

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.

I highly recommend The Birchwood for any event, but especially a wedding where you were looking for a true VIP, all inclusive experience.

as beautiful and the food was fantastic!!

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!

ates 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!

oming. 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!!

ests 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.

d 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!

tique 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.

nt 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!

ased 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!

red 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.

o 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!!

rdens.

s 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!

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.

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.

geous 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!

od 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!!

ur 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!!

hin 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!

ony 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!

u enough!

d 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!

de 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!!! 😘

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!

on 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!

e, 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!

nal, 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!

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pecial 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.

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.