The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature Reviews
Reviews
4.4 out of 5 rating
![WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner]()
4.4 out of 5 rating
54 Reviews
87% recommend it
Awards
-
Featured
![Ashley]()
Ashley R. Sent on 04/24/2023Stunning Wedding Venue
I recently had the pleasure of holding my wedding in the beautiful courtyard of the Bishop Museum in April 2023, and I cannot recommend this venue enough! From start to finish, the entire experience was nothing short of exceptional.
Firstly, the venue itself is absolutely stunning. The Bishop Museum's courtyard is a true oasis in the heart of Bradenton, with lush greenery, beautiful flowers, and a tranquil fountain providing the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception. Our guests were blown away by the natural beauty of the space, and we couldn't have asked for a more picturesque setting for our special day. Once the sun set, the twinkle lets kept the magic going. I cannot say enough positive things about this space -- it is stunning!
Our guests also loved that we had cocktail hour in front of the manatee tank. Many guests were not from Florida and had never seen a manatee before. It was such a fun and memorable detail that we couldn't get anywhere else!
On the day of our wedding, everything ran like clockwork thanks to the professionalism and organization of the Bishop Museum team. It was also great to be right downtown, because it was so close to many hotels for guests and walkable to local bars to keep the party going after the wedding!
Overall, I cannot recommend the Bishop Museum enough as a wedding venue. From the stunning setting to the exceptional staff, everything about our experience was top-notch. If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable location for your special day, look no further than the Bishop Museum.The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature's reply:
Thank you so much for the review! We loved helping make your special day the best night of your life. It was truly magical. Happy happily ever after!
Warmly,
Your Bishop Team -
![Patricia]()
Patricia H. Sent on 04/25/2023Incredible & gorgeous venue
We are soo happy that we chose this venue for our wedding!! It was truly magical. We didn’t need a lot of decor because the courtyard is already beautiful as it is. Love love love those hanging lights, it definitely gave the whole day a more romantic feel! Adam the museum’s business development coordinator was so very responsive to all our emails and on top of managing everything as far as the table rentals and everything.. we were truly lucky to have him helping with everything around the venue. 1000% recommend this budget friendly gorgeous venue for your wedding!! -
-
Kaitlin C. Sent on 08/26/2021
Palomino wedding
My husband and I fell in love with the courtyard at the Bishop Museum. Our families and friends love the venue and it fit our italian rustic look so well. The staff was accommodating and was willing to work with any idea I had. They were always quick to respond. We will forever have a special place in our hearts for the Bishop.The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature's reply:
Awwhh! Thank you so much Kaitlin!!! We are humbled by you kind words and truly appreciate you choosing us to be a part of your special day!! Congratulations!!! -
-
![Nicole]()
Kathleen Sent on 11/10/2020SO Incredible!
With covid, we were trying to find a ceremony-only venue for a small group of about 12 people. Our original location fell through only 6 weeks-ish before the big day, so we were scrambling. The courtyard at the museum is so beautiful, it was an easy choice. All the references we had were of large weddings, but with an amazing canvas, there were so many ways to make it our own. Emily P was fantastic to work with and helped me every step of the way. We had the wedding right at 5pm to allow for the most natural light before sunset, and everything was fantastic. We were able to get perfect lighting and the twinkle lights toward the end.The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature's reply:
Thank you for your words & we wish you many many years of wedding bliss!! We're so glad your day was perfect and that we would accommodate you! Congratulations!!! -
User2070951 Sent on 03/19/2015SFM was very affordable and not only that but the staff did an incredible job at making sure I was happy and satisfied! It is a beautiful location for a smaller wedding. I could not be more than happy about the way my wedding day turned out! Thank you South Florida Museum for the wonderful wedding experience! -
User2023962 Sent on 01/27/2015Laurie at South Florida Museum was hands down, the easiest person to work with while planning our wedding. I sent her numerous emails, and her replies were always prompt, sometimes within just a few minutes. She even went the extra mile and reached out to another couple who had recently gotten married at the museum to ask them about a recommendation for me. Laurie did everything she could to make me feel like our event was important to her and the museum. The museum itself is beautiful and unlike any other venue, which is why we selected it. Our family and friends continue to comment on how nice of a setting the museum was, and we couldn't agree more! Just remember if you do decide to have your wedding here to add one more spot on your guest list- for Snooty! -
![AMANDA]()
Amanda Sent on 03/11/2012My husband and I looked at several ceremony/reception sites before checking out The South Florida Museum and as soon as we saw the chapel and courtyard we knew this was the place we wanted to get married. The chapel is really nice for a small ceremony (we had 50 ppl) and then the courtyard was the perfect back drop to our reception! Everyone loved to see Snooty (he is a manatee) swimming around his tank during the night! I have gotten non-stop compliments on our ceremony and reception site from our friends and family. And compared to several other venues in the area you can't beat the price! -
![Jane]()
Jane Sent on 04/07/2011I absolutely loved having my wedding reception at the South Florida Museum! All of my guest loved the courtyard and the open air feel. The manatee tank was lite up and the manatees were swimming all night and our guest loved seeing the manatees up close. Tara the event coordinator there was a pleasure to work with. Everything was set-up so beautifully and the Spanish courtyard is just breathtaking. My reception was one in a million and am so happy that everyone loved it as much as I did! -
![Ali]()
Ali Sent on 12/10/2014The Spanish style museum courtyard at SFM is enchanting. Seriously, its like a fairytale. We got married mid November and the weather was perfect.
The museum people have lots of rules but its mainly to upkeep the place and make sure no one burns anything down. You have to have event insurance to rent it out and if you want your vendors to get in earlier than 3:00 (?) you have to pay extra but its worth it. The twinkle lights are awesome, the adults and kids absolutely LOVED snooty and the white noise of the water fountain in the background is such a nice touch to eveyone talking and laughing at the wedding reception. Feels very old world European.
Frank the groundskeeper/helper is a great guy and on my numerous site visits out there was always willing to open doors, show us around, let us look at everything and basically was very helpful.
You can have your ceremony here as well, but we did dinner/dancing reception only with cocktail hour in the corridor next to Snooty. The long buffet food tables were in a horseshoe around the back end of fountain by red gate. We had long feasting tables along the sides of the fountain and the dance floor was right in front of the fountain. My husband and I had our sweetheart table in the little raised platform thing and our guests were in between us and the fountain. I felt very queenly and the whole set up with the lanterns and the light was romantic and breezy, I just loved it.
-
Mackenzie C. Sent on 01/27/2024
The bishop is the place to wed !
The staff at the bishop helped me with all my questions throughout the planning process and I felt they were there if I needed help! The venue is beautiful and I couldn’t imagine being married anywhere else !! The only thing to keep in mind is the museum is open to the public during certain hours so you can only use the space once business hours end! -
-
Erin W. Sent on 01/04/2022
Hidden Gem in Downtown Bradenton
I fell in love with the courtyard and the "extras", like the manatee viewing tank and veranda entrance, the Bishop Museum had to offer for our wedding. With the lanterns and twinkle lights set above, you and your guests will feel whisked away into a Spanish-style escape. There were a few staff changes during our planning stage but they were always open to questions. In addition, you have to follow museum protocol and open hours so rehearsals and start times are definite that you may need to workaround. I will forever remember my breath being taken away the first time I saw the ceremony and reception space, truly beautiful. -
Are you interested?
Send a message
Are you interested?
Send a message