Tampa Garden Club Reviews

The TGC was a beautiful venue and Bridgett was very helpful every step of the way. Would recommend this venue to anyone!

I was super happy with this venue, our wedding was beautiful!

Tampa garden club was the best venue for us. We loved the open floor plan and how everything was able to come together the day of. Bridget was so sweet working with her since we signed the contract of the venue. Any questions we had she was sure to jump right on it. Venue was in a perfect location and scenery.

This venue was perfect for our wedding in every way! From tour day to wedding day, Bridget was so friendly and personable, and knowledgeable and efficient. When we made multiple appointments in the building with our decorators, Bridget was always happy to be on hand to answer questions while being so patient with all of our questions and letting us take our time to visualize; she also had great recommendations for various vendors. The building itself is a beautiful canvas with which we made our vision come to life, and the outdoor areas and view of the bay were gorgeous for photos too. We didn't want to deal with weather possibilities (Florida being renowned for heat and/or sudden rain), so we planned from the start to have the ceremony in the Conservatory room, which still gave us a stunning view of the lovely garden just outside the window wall while keeping our guests comfortable. Both the Conservatory and main Banquet Hall spaces were more than plenty for our 80-guest event with plenty of room to spare, the high ceilings gave us a space that felt open and uncramped, and neutral colors throughout made it very easy to adapt the space to our colors and theme. Logistically, the vendor load-in is very convenient for them, guest parking is plenteous and easy, and all of the facilities are well-maintained and clean. The rental price was very reasonable for our budget, and we got top-notch service from Bridget through the booking and lead-up, as well as from Beth on the day of the event.
On the day we toured, my then-fiancé and I immediately fell in love with this venue; we stopped looking at other places and never looked back, and we could not have been happier with this choice. Thank you to Bridget, Beth, and everyone at Tampa Garden Club!

We had our wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception at the Tampa Garden Club in November 2020. As soon as we arrived for the tour, we knew that we had found the right place. Bridget showed us around the grounds and explained their policies and timeframe for the event. She met us for a second tour with my father so that he could see the venue as well. Bridget was so great during the entire process. She always kept in contact regarding any paperwork or information needed. She answered the many questions that we had and offered advice and recommendations. The grounds and garden are beautiful, the conservatory and patio area were perfect for cocktail hour, and the ballroom was large enough to allow us to space the tables out. The view through the wall-to-wall windows toward the water was beautiful during the day, as the sun set, and in the evening. The ballroom is such a classy space that we really did not need many decorations to achieve the classic look we were going for. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and we know that is in large part due to the coordination and professionalism of Bridget and her team at the Tampa Garden Club.

We had the night of our lives and the venue highly contributed to that. We were able to bring in our own vendors as long as they had a specific amount of insurance and it really helped us to personalize and direct our own wedding. The venue is a beautiful blank canvas with amazing views of Bayshore Boulevard. Our ceremony took place in the garden and it was PERFECT. I couldn’t have dreamed of a more gorgeous wedding and I’m so lucky I found this venue! They have a large max capacity and even with the current pandemic issues it allowed people to spread out and feel comfortable. I HIGHLY recommend The Tampa Garden Club.

Under no uncertain terms, did we agree to socially distance ourselves from our family during the most important day in our lives. Nor did we expect to have to choose between our wedding and the life or death of immediate family members. Specifically, parents on both sides, that are already battling their own health crisis.

We were so excited about the venue and to work with the director on staff Bridget, however this Pandemic has unfortunately showed Tampa Garden Club true colors.

My Fiancé and I signed a contract on September 3, 2019 with Tampa Garden Club to have our wedding on October 17, 2020. On March 23, 2020, I emailed Bridgette Baker, the Director of Private Events at the Tampa Garden Club. My fiancé and I were extremely concerned about having our wedding on October 17th. Our main concern was with regards to the uncertainty of the safety of our guests during a global pandemic. We both have a parent on each side with compromised immunity illnesses.

Bridgette let me know that they were following the CDC 8-week guidelines. Since our wedding was not in that timeframe, she said that if there were to be a CDC mandate in October, she would offer us an alternative wedding date at no cost as per their Disaster Preparedness Policy. She ended the email with saying that the situation was, “very fluid” and that as things changed/updated, she would be in touch.

We took that to mean that she would be working with us. It was only after I contacted her again 2 months later June 26 regarding postponing my wedding, did she tell me they are in Phase 2 of reopening and our covid-19 policy does not extend to October. Under the current local and state ordinances they have been given, they were able to "accommodate" our 200-person guest count.

I expressed to Bridgette that our overwhelming concerns for our family’s well-being has compelled us to postpone our wedding and pleaded for her to understand our situation. It was a heartbreaking decision to do after such a long planning process. And still we were told no.

Finally, after a long discussion with my fiancé and each other’s family, we decided to ask for a refund. Only after that request did they offer to postpone our wedding until next year. However, we were told, "This option will not be extended again. If Covid is still a factor at the time of our new event date, we will be following the CDC, state and local guidance, on if your event can be held or not."

Since that would put us in the same situation we are in now, we declined. Our last contact with Tampa Garden Club was a voicemail from its President, Michele Vatalaro telling us how much “money we were leaving on the table”.

I feel that Bridget was dismissive towards me when I first contacted her in March. She acted as though she would be flexible and reasonable, and I trusted her. She only attempted to somewhat “accommodate” us with no guaranty of working with us in the future. And she only did that when she realized that I would not be paying the remaining balance.

Cancelling our wedding was not an easy decision, however, when juxtaposed with the loss of life that has resulted from the Coronavirus, that was our only option. The Tampa Bay Garden Club has been anything BUT "fluid" and should be ashamed of trying to profit from unsuspecting couples during this National Pandemic.

Signed, Deeply Disappointed

The event manager, she was wonderful in the process.

We had our wedding at the Tampa Garden Club in March 2019 and I cannot recommend it enough! Finding a venue was one of the most difficult tasks my husband and I had planning our wedding, but when we finally toured the Tampa Garden Club, we knew we had found the perfect fit. Located right near the water on Bayshore, the lush grounds provide the perfect tropical, floral Florida environment at its best. The indoor space is large and provides the perfect "blank slate" environment to create whatever vision you have for your event come to life. We hosted 125 guests and had a sizable dance floor. We held our ceremony outside in the garden, but there is plenty of space inside for a backup plan in case of rain, as well. Tampa Garden Club is affordable for all budgets, and both Wanda and Bridget helped us tremendously with recommendations and expertise to help our day meet all of our expectations. Communication and professionalism from both were top notch. We are so thankful to have found the Tampa Garden Club for our wedding!

Wanda is absolutely amazing and made my wedding day perfect. She went above and beyond and assisted with WHATEVER I needed. When I had an issue with a vendor and asked for her advice she just went and handled it. Exceptional customer service. She partnered great with my day of coordinator and was extremely considerate to any request we had. She is talented and truly passionate about her job. Portia is the exact same, they are a great pair. I am so thankful to both of them as the venue alone is beautiful and the people inside are as well. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend meeting them and learning more about this facility.

-Jessica & Joshua

Location is great. Plenty of parking. Wanda and staff were very helpful throughout the whole planning process and always available and willing to assist us. Overall great experience. Wedding was an awesome time at this location. Highly recommend.

We can't say enough good things about Wanda and Portia and our experience at the Tampa Garden Club for our daughter's wedding on June 9th. They went out of their way to make this everything we had hoped for in creating the perfect day. Their attention to detail and their personal attention given to us was incredible. We were treated like family and we can't thank them enough. We HIGHLY recommend this venue and their wonderful staff.

David and Paulette K
Tampa

I absolutely loved the Tampa Garden Club and working with Wanda!! Her professional and enthusiasm gave me so much peace!! My wedding was a beautiful dream and I couldn’t be more grateful!!!

There are not enough kind words I can say about Wanda! She went above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect! The venue was gorgeous and the views of Bayshore cannot be beat. Also, if you choose this venue you get Wanda... You seriously don't need anything else :)

The Tampa Garden Club was such a beautiful venue and we couldn’t have picked a better place! The floor to ceiling windows that look right out to Bayshore was my absolute favorite. They had a beautiful bridal suite that we hung out in before the wedding. We had an outside ceremony in their beautiful side garden area, and then headed inside for the reception. It couldnt have been a more perfect day! Thank you for having such a lovely venue!

Wanda and the team at Tampa Garden Club were a pleasure to work with. This was actually my fiancé and I's first venue we looked at in our search for our wedding. It just so happened that the location and amenities were perfect for what we were looking for. The Venue Manager, Wanda, was so warm, bubbly & wonderful throughout our entire wedding process. I felt like she was personally invested in making sure we had what we needed for our wedding day. She was always quick to respond and made the wedding planning process even more enjoyable. Our out-of-towners LOVED the waterfront view out to Bayshore Blvd and couldn't say enough lovely things about our venue choice. Thank you, TGC!

I dreamed my whole life of having my wedding day at the TGC, and it was everything I could imagine and more. Wanda was a dream to work with. She anticipated every need I had and made amazing recommendations. She quickly became a trusted friend.

When we were in between appointments to look at venues for our upcoming wedding, my then-fiance and I decided to swing by the Tampa Garden Club for a quick look. As an event was about to start being wet up, Wanda gave us an expedited tour and answered our questions. That was all we needed -- we were in love (again). It's a beautiful space that can accommodate a lot of people at a great price for those on a budget, so we booked it shortly after.

As we got closer to the big day, I was able to reach out to Wanda with anything that came up, and she was a wonderful resource. She was so quick to respond to emails and was obviously looking out to make sure everything was done in our best interests. She understood we were doing a lot of DIY projects and really came through for us to make sure everything went off without a hitch! Even on the day of our wedding, at the end of July, she stopped by and brought my bridesmaids and I a fan to help keep us cool while we got ready!

Our wedding was beautiful, and we loved that we were able to have such a lovely space while still working with the vendors that we wanted to. All of our guests commented on how gorgeous it was. We would definitely recommend the space to anyone looking for a Tampa area venue that has it all!

We are so happy we chose Tampa Garden Club as our wedding venue! We were looking for a venue where we could have a ceremony outside and then our cocktail hour and reception inside all at the same location and TGC is perfect for this type of wedding. The outside garden area is beautiful for the ceremony and you cannot beat the Bayshore Boulevard photo opportunities for your portraits and bridal party photos!

Wanda was our point person for all things TGC related and she is awesome! I am an out-of-town bride and she gave my mom a tour as she was scouting venues for me and then also gave me a tour when I was in town. She is very friendly, goes above and beyond, and will always return your phone calls and emails and answer any questions that you may have. Our security guard, Anthony, was also great at making sure everything stayed in order at our wedding.

I have no regrets about TGC except for choosing to go with a wedding planner/decorator from their preferred vendor list who completely dropped the ball on our wedding day (see my review of Ideal Design Events). However, their failures had nothing to do with the amazing people and service we received from TGC.

When we started looking for a venue all we knew is we wanted to be in Tampa on the water. I'd never heard of the Garden Club prior to the venue search, but I am so grateful we found it. The garden is such a charming and peaceful place for a ceremony., with or without any additional decor. The interior of the building is very spacious and allows for plenty of dance space. They provide all indoor tables/chairs, which helps save a fortune! Equally as important as the venue itself, was the director, Wanda. Wanda was incredible throughout the entire wedding planning process. I do not think I could have done it without her! I don't know how she dealt with my 20 million questions on a weekly basis. She was always friendly and super helpful. She also had some "last minute" additions for my wedding that I could never possibly thank her enough for.

This venue was perfect for us and the office staff were extremely accommodating! We wanted a venue where we could host our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception inside the air conditioning since we got married in June. The staff at the Tampa Garden Club worked well with our planner, caterer, photographer and other vendors to ensure that the space was decorated to perfection and comfortably cool by our ceremony time. There's free parking for your guests and plenty of space inside and out for people to enjoy the beautiful views of Tampa Bay. It's conveniently located on Bayshore so it wasn't far at all for our guests staying in downtown Tampa and a short trip for our family coming in from Pinellas and Hillsborough. There's a full, good sized kitchen for the caterer and a stage for a band or dj. I'm so happy we went with this venue, it was perfect for our summer wedding!

Britt, the manager was awesome. She was so helpful and patient with me. I was there every weekend measuring and taking pictures and she just laughed and helped me count. I had an amazing experience with her, even afterwards. The venue was gorgeous. The ceremony was outside and all of my guests loved it. It was very convenient for my out-of-town family to just walk right from the garden to the cocktail hour and from the cocktail hour to the reception. No driving :)

Britt was such a wonderful person to work with. She helped us with our scheduling issues early on and helped us book the perfect date. The Tampa Garden Club is such a beautiful blank slate that you can really dress up for any style. The view of Bayshore and the natural light that floods in makes the venue a great spot for a daytime wedding.

We are delighted that we chose this venue for our big day! It is so beautiful in so many ways and has so many gorgeous elements. Planning was a breeze with Britt coordinating everything for the venue. She was an absolute joy to work with and was extremely helpful every step of the way. We planned our entire wedding from out of state, so her flexibility and understanding meant so much to us.It really felt like she cared about our wedding and it meant so much for us to work with someone like her and have a venue like the Tampa Garden Club.

Just Absolutely Awesome People & Service!