What We Love About The Don CeSar Hotel
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St. Pete Beach – The iconic “Pink Palace” hotel features 38,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, plus 277 guest rooms (including 36 suites), a variety of culinary experiences among their four restaurants, two resort-style pools, and an 11,000 square foot on-site spa, all nestled directly on the white sugar sands of St. Pete Beach.
The resort is popular for local couples and destination weddings alike. Be it a vacation or staycation, guests have an opportunity to immerse themselves in true Florida style as they enjoy the private beach, luxurious amenities, and local fare. Service is personal and attentive thanks to the Don CeSar’s family of staff, many of whom have been with the property for over 20 years.
Couples can choose from several ceremony and reception locations, including the Don’s exclusive beach with views of the Gulf of Mexico or the secluded courtyard with dramatic staircase backdrop, along with the newly renovated ballrooms and attached balconies.
What Couples Love About Our Venue
The Don CeSar Hotel, known affectionately as the Pink Palace, offers a storied past, beautiful architecture, striking color, and grandeur. The Don CeSar is an outstanding wedding venue because it exudes a class that meets a comforting vibe. We offer eight venue options, indoor and outdoor, with sweeping Gulf views. Couples often choose to make their wedding a multi-day event, hosting their rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, reception, and farewell brunch all at the hotel. Our beachfront ceremony location is ideal for couples looking to say their vows with toes in the sand and a gorgeous Gulf of Mexico sunset in the background. Additionally, we have a private Wedding Courtyard, giving couples the versatility of being married beachfront, but the Bride will still be able to wear her stilettos!
Pricing & Packages
Overall package pricing including bar starts at $265 per person plus service charge and tax
Exclusively for Marry Me Tampa Bay Readers
Receive a complimentary menu tasting,* a discounted guest room rate for the couple, and a bridal getting-ready room
*for events of $10,000++ or more,
The Ceremony
The Don CeSar offers outdoor ceremony locations on the beach or in our Courtyard as well as indoors in our elegant, light-filled ballrooms. Our ceremony packages include the Event Space, an indoor weather backup location, White Garden Chairs, a Fruit-Infused Water Station, and an Audio Package with a speaker and microphone for your officiant.
- $3,500 (plus Administrative charge and sales tax)
The Cocktail Hour
Each of our reception locations has an included cocktail hour space which includes Cocktail Tables, Chairs, and House Linen in White, Black, or Navy as well as any food and beverage set up.
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- Included in reception food and Beverage minimum
The Reception
The Don CeSar has a variety of recently renovated ballrooms to accommodate a variety of group sizes for the reception.
- Current Capacity: Up to 250 guests
- Capacity as of 1/1/2026: Up to 425 guests
- Wedding packages are a total of 4 hours including cocktail hour. There is an option to extend an additional hour – additional fees apply.
Included in the food and beverage minimum for your reception are tables, chairs, house linens in white, black, and navy blue as well as china, flatware, glassware, and all food/beverage service equipment. We also have table numbers and votive candles available upon request.
Location
Meet the Team
Kasey Bussell is the Director of Events at The Don CeSar. With over 13 years of experience managing Weddings and Social Events, Kasey has an unwavering commitment and passion for helping couples transform the wedding of their dreams into a stunning reality. Living most of her life in Michigan, she began her career in Corporate Communications and Events following college, followed by 10 years in the music industry. She studied for her Masters’ Degree in Professional Communications at Purdue University, and has a Certificate in Hospitality & Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University College of Business. She is recognized for being detail-oriented, responsive, and calming for the pre-wedding nerves that undoubtedly arise, and she has a passion for all things weddings.
“I found my true calling and passion in helping couples plan for one of the most important days in their lives. We have a dedicated team of professionals ensuring every detail for your event is covered, where the mastery of our Culinary team delights every palate, in an iconic and stunning historical location. Celebrations at our beautiful Pink Palace create memories that will last a lifetime.”
Reviews from Marry Me Tampa Bay Couples
Marry Me Tampa Bay curates the below reviews from real couples whom we’ve personally interviewed. As Tampa Bay’s most trusted wedding planning resource, these reviews are 100% accurate and aren’t created by fake accounts.
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We wanted a venue that truly felt like a vacation for our guests. Since a majority of our guests were coming from up north, we wanted to make sure they had good restaurants, a beautiful pool, and beach options to enjoy.
The Don CeSar has everything a wedding guest could want in a weekend getaway. The restaurants and bars are outstanding. The pool and beach are pristine. Our guests had the best time and could not compliment the staff and level of service enough.
– Sarah and Brent |
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We wanted somewhere that would be memorable, special, naturally beautiful, with a longstanding reputation so we could go back and visit for years to come.
The Don CeSar checked all of those boxes! I grew up in St. Pete, and Pierce grew up in Florida. I used to go to The Don as a kid and have many memories there. It is such a special place! Also, it is somewhere we can visit with our future kids one day.
The Don CeSar was exactly what we wanted in a venue. We knew it had a reputation for being extremely easy to work with for a wedding. The entire staff was wonderful and seamlessly executed our wedding with exceptional effort, especially Kasey; she was so amazing!
– Bailey and Pierce |
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I grew up coming to Florida to visit my grandparents, and they would always go to the Don CeSar for Easter brunch. Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to get married in ‘the Pink Palace.’ We had our initial visit to double-check our instincts and fell even more in love with the venue.
The Don really has it all: a gorgeous ballroom, fantastic outdoor spaces for cocktail hour, an amazing place for your guests to stay, and a designated wedding concierge service that makes catering, coordinating, and celebrating a delight! The service was wonderful, and they really go out of their way to make every bride feel special on their wedding day. We live right down the road from the Don Cesar. It was important to us that our wedding take place in our hometown so that we could continue to experience the memories of our special day every time we walked into church on Sunday or took a drive down Gulf Boulevard and passed the Don as the sun was setting.
– Rachael and Joseph |
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Choosing The Don Cesar as my wedding venue had a sentimental value to it. My family and I have vacationed there since I was a little kid, so I have many fond memories of the resort. It made it that much more special to have my wedding there.
I wanted a venue that was at the beach but had a ceremony space that wasn’t directly on the beach. The Don CeSar really had everything I wanted for my guests. They stayed at the property and didn’t have to be transported anywhere throughout the weekend, which made everything much more convenient.
The Don Cesar wedding experience altogether was great! I received many sweet compliments from guests on how much they enjoyed the wedding weekend. We cannot wait to visit for our one-year anniversary and create family memories of our own!
– Marissa and Michael |
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We wanted something upscale and elegant with breathtaking views. It was so nice to ‘wow’ my guests in the courtyard and on the terrace without having to toes in the sand. After all, I am a lover of designer shoes and couldn’t imagine leaving them behind. Since the majority of our wedding guests were from out-of-town, coming from a winter weather environment, it was important for us to have everyone experience the beauty of St. Pete Beach! We loved that our guests would be able to stay at the resort and feel as though they were on a tropical vacation. I may be partial to The Don CeSar since I am lucky enough to work for the resort, and I knew that the team would be able to exceed every expectation. It was extremely special to have all of my coworkers be able to be a part of my big day!
Who else can say that they have worked, married, played, and stayed at Florida’s ‘Pink Palace? The cherry on top is my new last name! Kassel, pronounced “Castle.”
Food was absolutely at the top of our list. With Matt being from New York and me from Connecticut, we had high standards of what we wanted throughout the night. We tasked the culinary team at The Don to find a way to incorporate Florida cuisine with an ode to our Northern routes. The team took the challenge and ran with it! We ended up with a South Florida station featuring grouper bites and then lobster bisque shooters to represent classic New England and a full Italian pastry display for dessert for a true New York feel. They fully understood what we wanted our guests to experience.
– Stephanie and Matthew |
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“The Don CeSar is a Tampa Bay icon, as well as being beautiful and timeless both inside and out. We loved the Grand Ballroom. Their Beach House Suites made it easy for families to stay together, but also close by. The service at the Don CeSar was exceptional. Everyone was so helpful, efficient and professional. Lauren Jones (our venue coordinator) was also another huge reason we felt at ease. She was always available via email or phone and was so helpful with different ideas.”
– Laura and Justin |
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