Downtown St. Pete – Red Mesa Events features multiple wedding spaces: an open-air courtyard restaurant, Red Mesa Cantina, perfect for rehearsal dinners or bridal showers, a renovated ballroom, open-air bar and lounge, and a rooftop deck featuring stunning views of downtown St. Pete.
The three-story wedding venue, originally the home of downtown St. Pete’s first fire station, was fully restored in 2017, while still preserving the original features of the historic building.
The Ceremony:
La Florida Ballroom: With original exposed brick, two brilliant chandeliers, and herringbone wood floor, La Florida Ballroom is an exquisite, 1200-square-foot space that seats 110.
DeSanto Rooftop: A chic third-story lounge overlooking the heart of downtown St. Pete. With a rich Brazilian Walnut deck and a stunning view of the sunset for up to 150.
- LGBTQ friendly
The Cocktail Hour:
Cantinita Terrace: Trendy second-story balcony lounge overlooking the courtyard and bubbling fountain. Max capacity 120.
DeSanto Rooftop & La Florida Ballroom: Available for cocktail hour
The Reception:
La Florida Ballroom:
When you walk into the La Florida Ballroom, you’ll immediately notice the historic charm with its original whitewashed exposed brick walls, yet the event space features a modern touch with two majestic chandeliers, a white marble bar, stunning herringbone wood floor, and large windows overlooking downtown St. Pete. The 1,200 square-foot ballroom seats 120 guests in a formal dining setting or 175 for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.
The ballroom is decked out with state-of-the-art AV and uplighting and features its own cutting edge banquet kitchen so that your chef is dedicated to your wedding menu.
- 100 guests for a formal plated reception 100
- 175 guests for a cocktail reception
DeSanto Rooftop:
One of the few private rooftop spaces in downtown St. Pete, the DeSanto Rooftop is a stunning third-story lounge overlooking the heart of downtown St. Pete. It features a rich Brazilian Walnut deck, lounge seating, and 30-foot bar specializing in exclusive handcrafted cocktails. This chic 1,200-square-foot space is the quintessential location for sunset outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour or reception for up to 175 of your closest friends! With three semi-private lounge areas, even smaller events are welcome.
- 175 guests accommodated for a cocktail reception (Cocktail only available on DeSanto Rooftop)
Cantinita Terrace:
This open-air balcony bar and lounge offers a trendy space that overlooks the Red Mesa Cantina courtyard and bubbling fountain. If offers a private bar and catering, perfect for a rehearsal dinner of 25 or 75-person cocktail hour.
- 25 guests for a formal plated reception
- 120 guests for a formal cocktail style reception
The venue rental fee includes: Private Space Rental – including cross-backed chairs, tables, linens (black, white or ivory), cutlery, glassware, uplighting (La Florida & DeSanto), state-of-the-art audio system, microphone, 24′ foot built-in bars in each space, 25-foot screen and projector (La Florida). One hour ceremony rehearsal is included.
- Venue Rental Fee: $1,500-$15,000 event minimums
- Gratuity & Tax not included: 20% service & 7% tax
The Food & Drink:
The Food
With Mexican cuisine at its heart, Red Mesa Events blends Latin and Caribbean kitchen traditions to create a menu of bold, fresh flavors. Their wedding menus include Red Mesa Cantina menu favorites as well as classic wedding dishes with a unique twist.
- Food and beverage minimum depends on space, day, and time.
- Heavy Hors D’ouvrés $24 | Buffet $50 | Plated $55
The Drink
If cocktails are a priority, the wedding venue has the most extensive selection of tequilas and mezcals in the South! They are able to create signature cocktails for any palate and include specialized offerings in their beverage menus.
Red Mesa Events sources local St. Pete distilleries and breweries, to showcase our city, on all banquet menus.
- $12-$20 per person, per hour, champagne toast included
Red Mesa Events 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.
Burgundy and Gold Downtown St. Pete Rooftop Wedding | Red Mesa Events
I used to work in the hotel industry so we wanted something a little more unique than your average ballroom. Since we were also hoping to have our ceremony and reception in the same place, a venue with multiple options was also important. And, of course, a venue that was pet-friendly!
I looked at a number of venues but after visiting Red Mesa Events, nowhere else even compared. Leigh Wilson-Arwood was not the original Events Director I booked with, but I could not have been more grateful that she was the one there on our wedding day. Leigh has a ton of experience and a great eye for detail, so when I walked into the ballroom for the first time, I was completely blown away. She took my vision and brought it to life tenfold. Everything from the food to the service was excellent, and our guests are still raving about how fantastic our wedding was! We also knew that we wanted to continue celebrating even after the reception so the fact that Red Mesa is walking distance to some great nightlife was definitely a plus.
Whimsical Boho Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Red Mesa Events
We wanted the ceremony and reception to be at the same location. It also needed to blow us away and not break the bank. We loved the rooftop and the reception area at Red Mesa Events. It was exactly what we were looking for.
Red Mesa was the perfect space for us, we were drawn to the history and the beauty of the building. Our sunset ceremony and cocktail hour were held on the De Santo Rooftop, which overlooked downtown St. Pete. The atmosphere added romance and sophistication, not to mention the great photo opportunities! Our reception was held at the La Florida Ballroom. The details of the design make for a cozy, yet formal setting. Upon entering the room you can't help but fall in love with the exposed brick and beautiful warm lighting.
Our service from beginning to end was fantastic. Red Mesa was very easy to work with; they had everything at their fingertips and ready to assist. It's no wonder they are known for throwing it down in the kitchen; we were very happy with our food and so were our guests. Overall our experience with Red Mesa was top notch!
Boho Rooftop Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Red Mesa Events
Our must-haves were being outdoors (preferably a rooftop) and the venue being cost-efficient with either all-inclusive or partially-inclusive packages.
We chose Red Mesa Events for so many reasons! For starters, their eclectic rooftop. This was such a big part in achieving the atmosphere we wanted for our wedding.
While Brendan’s love language is food in general, mine happens to be Mexican-style food, and theirs is amazing! They also offer inclusive packages that reduce costs and unnecessary wedding planning stress. They checked all our must-have boxes and then some. A bonus is their amazing service and hospitality! A majority of our vendors were recommended by Leigh Wilson, the Red Mesa Events coordinator.
Beige, Boho Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Red Mesa Events
My husband and I knew we wanted to get married by the water, so I only looked at venues in areas that were near the water. In addition, I wanted an elegant space with natural lighting, and once I stepped into the ballroom at Red Mesa Events, I knew it was the one!
Rustic Copper and Green Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Red Mesa Events
Value was very important to us as we didn't have a lot of money to spend.
Red Mesa Events provided excellent cost-to-value by providing not only a beautiful downtown space for a ceremony but a convenient and air-conditioned reception area as well.
Rooftop Burgundy and Pink Downtown St. Pete Wedding | Red Mesa Events
The size was important because we weren’t having a large party and wanted to feel like we filled the space. And, location. We wanted something in the DTSP area.
