Being the venue coordinator at NOVA 535, I’m quite familiar with other venues in the area, but nothing really compares to NOVA. It’s incredibly versatile in terms of layout, design, and tailoring it to your vision. Plus, I have quite the Type A personality, so having a little ‘control’ over the venue didn’t hurt!

NOVA 535 makes the planning incredibly easy because they handle so much: tables, chairs, linens, beverages, bar staff, glassware, lighting, uplighting, other AV needs, and guide you through the rest, like catering and vendor selection. It’s truly a one-stop shop, which is a huge weight lifted when planning a wedding with so many moving parts.

My husband knew of NOVA 535, and I fell in love with it upon seeing it for the first time. We both love the open loft design and warehouse feel. Being in Florida, the ability to pivot last minute due to weather was crucial. NOVA 535 was everything we dreamed of in one venue.

The main building was built in the 1920s, and we loved that you can see the history in the brick walls. The bamboo garden outdoor space was also a major selling point. The attentiveness of the entire staff confirmed we had made the right choice. They went above and beyond, and our coordinator, April, was exceptionally courteous, helpful, caring, and stress relieving throughout the entire process.

We wanted a venue that fit our speakeasy theme, with dim lighting, plenty of space for dancing, and a location close to our ceremony downtown. NOVA 535 was the perfect fit, offering a customizable wedding package that met our needs. April, our wedding coordinator, was incredible—she became like family to me, and I would highly recommend her!

We wanted a place with three distinct areas: an outdoor space for the ceremony, an indoor space for the reception, and a third area for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour. It was also important to us to have a venue that was easy to communicate with and offered planning assistance, especially since we were organizing the wedding from across the country. Additionally, we wanted it close to plenty of attractions so our guests could make the most of their trip.

We discovered NOVA 535 early on through the Marry Me Tampa Bay website, and it immediately stood out. Every time we compared it to other venues, it checked all our boxes. It offered a city vibe with plenty of greenery and was so beautiful inside that minimal decorating was needed. The management was easy to communicate with and made the process straightforward. We ultimately chose it for its courtyard and the distinct spaces for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.

We wanted a venue that could accommodate both the ceremony and reception with the ability for a seamless flip of the space behind the scenes while guests enjoyed cocktail hour. Our goal was to create as little stress as possible for everyone involved. Having a ceremony and reception in the same place would allow everyone to arrive at one location and enjoy every moment of the wedding, from arrival through the conclusion of the reception, with no added logistics to worry or think about. Because so many of our family and friends are local, we wanted a venue that was located in the Tampa Bay area and also offered plenty of hotel options and fun things to do for our out-of-town guests.

NOVA 535’s space was conducive to having both our ceremony and reception with the flexibility to use the inside and outside spaces in whatever way we wanted, which was ideal given the unpredictable Florida weather. Additionally, NOVA exudes the perfect mix of historic charm with a modern industrial vibe. The exposed brick, wood floors, and iron staircase handrails inside, combined with the bamboo and string lights in the courtyard, provided the perfect backdrop for our romantic, with a mix of modern elegance and theme. Because NOVA is a beautiful space by itself, there wasn’t a need for a lot of décor, which allowed the stunning florals to have the big impact we envisioned, with a few other small details to tie it all together.

NOVA 535’s service was outstanding. All staff members, from the doorman to the bartenders to the other support staff, were friendly and well-trained. Our coordinator, April, was invaluable in making sure the day moved smoothly according to our timeline. She met with us weeks before to answer all our questions, and from that point forward, she made us feel comfortable and confident that she had things handled, which allowed us to not worry about the little details and truly enjoy each moment of the day.

There were a few must-haves with the venue. We wanted to be the only event happening in the space and have a mix of indoor and outdoor. We also wanted things not to be too feminine and loved NOVA 535’s rod iron and exposed brick as it felt more masculine for two guys getting married. Most importantly, no carpet, and NOVA hit all the marks. We loved the outdoor space lined in bamboo. Both the inside and outside had red brick with rod iron, which gave it a historic and masculine vibe while also feeling elegant. The lighting at night is gorgeous, and they have a “Big Ass Fan” above their dance floor.

We chose NOVA 535 specifically because they brought our vision to life, and it itself did not require a ton of extra decor. It’s beautiful on its own!

NOVA is a modern industrial space with both indoor and outdoor space to be able to have both our ceremony and reception there.

We looked for a place that had New Year’s Eve availability and that would allow us to have a late-night wedding. Our wedding began at 7:30 p.m. and went on until 1 a.m. We also knew our wedding would be a formal event, so we needed a venue that fit the elegant New Year’s Eve theme. Finding a wedding venue that had an outdoor and indoor space was important to us, which ended up saving our wedding day as it poured all day, and we had to move our planned outdoor ceremony inside. We looked for an open space that would make the venue feel big as we planned a guest list of over 100 people. We also looked for a venue that was dog friendly as we incorporated our dogs into our wedding day.

From the day we went on a venue tour at NOVA 535, we were sold. NOVA was our dream wedding venue as it has so many locations for different parts of the day all in one. All of the staff were amazing and very responsive. They were quick to answer any questions and helped us brainstorm ways to make our wedding unique to us. We chose NOVA because it allowed us to have our ceremony outdoors, under the lights, and then move inside for the reception for a more glamorous feel. Unfortunately, it did rain on our wedding day, but NOVA was quick to be able to move our ceremony inside, which was equally as beautiful! We loved that NOVA allowed us to have our wedding into the new year, so we were able to countdown together.

“NOVA 535 was the only place we visited for a wedding venue and soon as we stepped through the doors, we instantly knew that we HAD to get married here. The brick walls, wrought iron staircases, art work, wood floors, exposed ceiling with a huge fan, it was everything we loved and more! Everyone kept talking about how amazing this different venue site was. Michael and Ruby of NOVA 535 were absolutely amazing; they went above and beyond my expectations. They would bend over backwards to make sure that your day was perfect and you got everything you wanted for your special day.”

“We wanted something intimate and romantic. NOVA 535 was a complete package. The bamboo courtyard and the brick walls were exceptional! From the day that we had our tour up to our wedding day, they never disappointed us. Ruby was our day-of coordinator and she did an awesome job. All the staff members were very professional. We were so amazed about how everything turned out!”

“We wanted a space where the building itself could serve as decoration and could help create the backdrop to the event. NOVA 535 was perfect. The renovated space with the exposed brick walls and the height of the venue was a big draw. The adjacent courtyard was also a plus because it was private and not a far walk to the reception. With the venue having a lot of character already built in, we built upon and took cues from what was there to create our own unique setting for our event. It was also great that there was catering and dressing rooms for us to use. The service at NOVA was great. They made sure we understood all that was going to happen and helped us make last minute changes because of the weather. Their list of vendors also gave us a great starting point.”

“We wanted something that was modern looking and different from some of the weddings we have been to and somewhere we could do the ceremony and reception at. NOVA 535 really fit the bill. We loved the whole space at NOVA and how well it lent itself to our wedding day timeline. Ruby, the coordinator did a great job of understanding my vision and understanding my needs.”

“We wanted something in or around St. Pete that wasn’t too formal, and I really wanted an outside ceremony. I found NOVA 535 online and from the photos knew that I wanted to take a look there. As soon as I walked inside I said, “Take my money!” I was in love with the courtyard area with the cafe lighting for the ceremony and thought the brick walls indoor were just gorgeous. It was perfect for the vibe we wanted. They also have a package that includes alcohol, a DJ, wedding coordinator and staff to help with lighting/parking, etc. The more that I could simplify the process the better, so I loved that these were built in. We met with the owner Michael and knew it was the perfect spot. It also had tons of hotels for our guests to choose from within a couple miles from the venue so that was convenient.

NOVA 535 is awesome! I would recommended them to anyone who is looking for a venue. The staff was so incredibly kind to us throughout the whole process. You felt like they were excited for you and happy to be there at your wedding. If anything went wrong during the whole day, I wouldn’t have a clue because they just took care of it. We truly got to enjoy our entire day because of their level of service. They pulled everything together and made us feel like we were the most important people on the planet. The wedding coordinator Ruby and DJ Jaey were perfection. They kept the flow and party going the whole night, yet everything was still relaxed as we wanted it.”

“We had been to a couple of events at NOVA 535 and remembered the exposed brick, and we both agreed that it would be a great venue specifically for a New Year’s Eve party. We said if it was available, it was meant to be, and that decided it! Their service was excellent, very responsive and accommodating. NOVA 535 was great to work with. Melissa was so helpful in being there every step of the way and was always available to answer questions or help chase down information.”

“NOVA 535 provided me with a space I could make my own. They provided the beautiful, unique interior brick walls, double staircase, two-story party space and amazing outdoor courtyard, while I was able to add all of my own decorations and floral. Guests were extremely impressed with the character of this venue. They provided great service before and during the wedding. Our coordinator Ruby was great to work with”

“We chose NOVA 535 because the venue was so warm and inviting during our initial visit. We also fell in love with the bamboo courtyard with all of the lights and knew it would be a perfect location for our ceremony. For the reception space, we loved the warmth of the exposed brick and wood flooring. It was the perfect venue for us. Their service was phenomenal leading up to our wedding and especially on our wedding day. I cannot say enough amazing things about NOVA 535 and the service they provided.”

“I loved the bamboo garden at NOVA 535 and had originally wanted to hold the ceremony outside, but Hurricane Matthew caused me to move the ceremony inside. NOVA 535 was the only event space we looked at.”

“We choose NOVA 535 because of the beautiful warehouse feel and floor-to-ceiling brick walls. We loved the bamboo garden and that it was close to downtown St. Pete. They are also experts in what they do.”

“I was looking for somewhere that would complement my edgy, industrial chic theme. The exposed brick and high ceilings of the NOVA 535 were perfect! It is a beautiful venue that allowed the wedding to flow nicely and worked best with my industrial theme. The open space gave me the opportunity to have a gorgeous ceremony outside. Then with the inside, it was nice to have extra space upstairs to set up an additional bar and photo booth without compromising the dance floor and dinner space.”

“We wanted to have a unique venue for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception so we decided to look for places that would accomplish this. When we visited NOVA 535, saw the bamboo garden for cocktail hour and the exposed brick and wood beams inside for the reception, it was a no brainer We chose the venue because it is honestly so unique. How often do you see cocktail hours hosted in a bamboo garden? How often do you see receptions in a beautiful indoor setting with exposed brick and wood beams? Also, the fact that you could choose any licensed food vendor was a huge advantage, because other venues only let you choose from their select few.”

“We wanted a place to go well with our personalities. We chose NOVA 535 because of its central location and versatility. We loved the exposed brick and the interesting lighting schemes NOVA had to offer. The space was big enough to accommodate all of our guests, and the service and communication were good.”

“For our reception we knew we wanted something with enough space for our guests to mingle and also something different! We loved NOVA 535 as soon as we saw it! It has so much space and they allowed us to personalize the space to make it feel like “us”. The service was incredible, it was the best choice we could have made!”

“We wanted a wedding venue that had a fun, party-like feeling and that had indoor and outdoor options. We also looked for a venue that provided tables, linens, decorations, etc. We wanted to have it all in the venue we were getting to make it easy on ourselves. I actually went to a NOVA 535 wedding a few years ago and loved it! I loved the brick walls and the cocktail hour upstairs. We wanted a fun venue where we could dance and have a good time, and NOVA definitely had enough dancing space. We also loved the service of NOVA; they provided tables, chairs, rental linens, decorations and DJ. It was so easy and simple. We didn’t need to get any ventures besides the food truck. I gave the on-site planner, Ruby, the look of the flowers, etc and she made it happen.”

“We wanted something different. I also wanted something that was local to St. Pete and had history and character. NOVA 535 does a lot with the community, and the building is stunning inside and out. It was an easy decision. I heard from several people around the city that NOVA throws a great party.  It also fit the part for our 1920’s theme. When we went a checked out the venue, the entire staff was so accommodating and willing to go above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect for our special day.”