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.
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 Folding Chairs, a Fruit-Infused Water Station, an Audio Package, and a Day-of Wedding Coordinator.
- $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.
- Up to 250 guests
- Most wedding receptions are scheduled for 4 hours.
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.
The Food & Drink:
The Don CeSar offers a wide variety of unique menus and can customize a menu just for your special event. Food and beverage minimum varies per ballroom; the range of $8,000-$38,000, with a $235/person average meal cost.
Pricing:
Overall package pricing including bar starts at $235.00 per person plus service charge and tax
Meet Nicole Johnson
Nicole Johnson has been working in hotels for 10 years and within the wedding realm for over 7 years along the East Coast. Nicole has earned a wealth of knowledge from a diverse background of geographic locations and cultural weddings. Nicole stumbled into hospitality in 2012 when she packed up her car and moved from Connecticut to Florida for a change of scenery. Since then, she hasn’t looked back and weddings quickly became her passion. She takes pride in making sure that every couple feels that their vision, wants and needs are being heard and communicated into the wedding of their dreams. Nicole is a big believer in ‘not one size fits all’ and understands that each wedding is a special event that is a unique love story and different from every other. When Nicole is not planning weddings, she spends her free time with her boys – Her husband, her toddler and their newest addition – baby Hudson. When she’s taking a break from mama mode, you can find her enjoying a date night with her hubby, splurging on the latest and greatest restaurants in the area, salsa dancing with friends or doing flips in the gym!
With over 9 years of experience with weddings, Kasey Bussell has a commitment and passion to helping guide couples in transforming the tropical wedding of their dreams into a reality. I began my career in Corporate Communications and Events, then the live entertainment industry for over 10 years, and found my true calling in weddings. I am recognized for being very detail-oriented, responsive, and calming for the pre-wedding nerves that undoubtedly arise, and have a passion for all things weddings. If you are looking for a team of professionals to ensure every detail is covered where the food and service are outstanding, a venue that is beautiful, historical, and iconic, and memories that last a lifetime, this is without a doubt the place for you!
The Don CeSar Hotel 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.
Classic Pink St. Pete Beach Winter Wedding | The Don Cesar
EJ and I would enjoy the newly remodeled bar and restaurants at The Don CeSar after our beach walks, and one day we looked at each other and realized that the Don would be the perfect place for our wedding. We loved its style and history, and the location was perfect for accommodating our mostly local guests. We felt it was fate
The indoor/outdoor space we had for our reception overlooking the gulf was perfect. Our guests loved spending time on the terrace mingling, eating, drinking, and enjoying the spectacular sunset! Nicole, her assistant Wendy, and the catering and hotel staff were amazing to work with, patiently answering our questions and making us feel at ease throughout the planning process.
Elegant Pink and Ivory St. Pete Beach Rooftop Wedding | The Don CeSar
The venue was representative of our new life and our new home in St. Pete. Our first date was at the Don CeSar at the Beach House Suites, then we went back for the weekend at the main hotel, fell in love, and decided to have our marriage ceremony at the hotel.
Due to COVID and the popularity of the Tampa/St. Pete area for wedding venues, the hotel was booked out until 2023 at least for weddings. We got creative and decided to book both penthouse suites located at the top of the hotel so we could have the ceremony and reception within these connected rooms; incidentally, this was the first time this was done at the hotel.
We received outstanding service on every level. They took care of every detail from check-in to food services. The staff was wonderful and accommodating. The event director ensured we had the most beautiful wedding we could have ever imagined!
Modern Old Florida St. Pete Beach Wedding | Don CeSar
I’m fairly certain we looked at about 85% of the venues available in the Tampa/St. Pete/Sarasota area. Our biggest struggle was that we had our hearts set on an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour/reception, but many venues in the area did not offer the type of backup space we had envisioned in case of inclement weather. We honestly saved The Don CeSar for last, trying to give all other venues a chance, because we knew that the minute we stepped foot in the historic hotel, we’d fall in love. And we did! We knew immediately that we had to get married at the one-of-a-kind Don.
We absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with The Don, from the minute we first walked in. Nicole and Charles made us feel like total royalty, and the elegance, classic feel, history, romantic nature, and beachfront views of a lifetime just added up to be the total package. The staff was beyond anything we could’ve ever imagined and made us feel like family.
The food was just amazing. Our entire menu was brunch-themed, and custom-created by Kasey and myself and the incredible chef at The Don. Cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres included: brie and peach puff pastries, mini quiches, mini grilled cheese, and tomato shooters, and mini chicken and waffles. Our brunch buffet was complete with mahi-mahi ceviche, custom omelets, prime rib carving station, full-on chicken and waffles station, and much, much more. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about all the food throughout the weekend!
After the reception ended, Kasey and I soaked up the beauty of the day once more, privately enjoying champagne on the South Terrace Veranda on the 5th floor and then joined our friends and family at the Beacon pool bar until sunset, when we watched the sun sink down into the ocean on the beach, all together. It was truly magical.
Entertainment-Filled St. Pete Beach Wedding | The Don CeSar
We chose the Don CeSar because of its visual impact, style, class, willingness to allow our fireworks turned laser show, amazing food, and a great destination for our families. The Don was absolutely the most amazing place to marry. It felt like we were being married in a castle.
They were close, attentive to our many demands, had a great backdrop for our pictures and video, had fantastic food, and perfect spaces for our ceremony, reception, dinner, and dancing. Our families felt like royalty staying there.
Luxurious Blush and Purple St. Pete Beach Ballroom Wedding | The Don CeSar
I needed it to stand out to me. How can you miss the big pink building?!
I chose The Don Cesar because I felt like it was the most royal venue. We choose this location because we loved the ballroom with the open windows looking out to the beach, and we loved that it's a historic building. The catering manager was absolutely amazing, as well as the chef. I can't say enough great things about them! They really went above and beyond, and everything was literally perfect. They really made my vision come to life and suggested having cocktail hour by the beach pavilion because I wanted my out-of-town guests to be able to be by the beach.
Romantic Blush Pink St. Pete Beach Wedding | Don CeSar
Beauty and elegance. My parents got married at the Don CeSar, and it has always been my dream to get married there too! We loved the service so much; it was the perfect place for us! The dinner was so yummy.
