The first and most important aspect we looked for was a place where we could fully customize our dining experience. We knew going in we wanted a bespoke meal and cocktail offering. We also wanted a place that felt like us; a bit modern, a bit formal, a bit old world. Additional considerations included how many weddings were going on the same day and how we jived with the staff. Planning a wedding is one of the most intimate things you will do and having a team of people who are excited to execute the vision you have is imperative to its success.

First and foremost was the food and wine. Taking in all of our considerations for a location, The Birchwood was a natural choice. It not only has an incredible beauty with its modern Gatsby-era feel and breathtaking views of downtown St. Petersburg, but the staff was truly excited to create a unique dining experience with us. They powered through our numerous questions and requests with quick responses, unreal tastings for food and wine, and the utmost creativity, joy, and professionalism They are truly exceptional and brought every aspect of their creativity and industry know-how to bring our vision to life. The Birchwood put together a custom five-course dinner for us. Each dish was inspired by a meal we enjoyed along our journey together. The wine was an extension of those choices. We knew we wanted one red, one white, and one sparkling for the day. The wines we served are wines we love and drink often. A stand out moment was when Chef came out to talk us all through the menu for the evening. His explanation of the courses, and how we came up with the menu to share with everyone, took the feeling we have had in other wonderful restaurants along our journey and brought it to our wedding. It was such a sweet moment for us, and we hope for him, too. The Birchwood’s dedication to executing our bespoke vision was truly inspiring. They brought every bit of creativity and professionalism to their work throughout, from the cocktails to the wine, to the meal, and space. I am still awed that our vision became a reality, and their team was a huge part of that success.

We wanted something elegant, fresh, clean, and big enough so our guests felt safe during COVID. We chose the Birchwood because I especially love anything with a vintage vibe. The staff was amazing and very accommodating. From the very beginning, they were on top of it and made sure that every detail was discussed thoroughly and we were able to choose what we wanted. They were very caring. The day of the event was amazing! We couldn’t have asked for anything more from a venue. They over-delivered and made us feel special on our wedding day.

The Birchwood was perfect because they had the rooftop bar that made our after-party and rehearsal party so much fun. Our guests could really enjoy the scenery and fresh breeze coming from the water.

The most important parts of the venue search was to find somewhere that already had a finished look and wouldn't need much more work to be wedding-ready. We felt it would be a better use of our budget to spend less on décor and more on top-quality vendors. Whenever people asked about our venue, our response was, “It’s in the hotel’s ballroom, but it isn’t the bland gray ballroom you’re thinking of!”

We had eaten at Birch and Vine before and loved their food! Food is super important to us so this gave The Birchwood a slight edge over some of the other venues which would have required outside catering. The Birchwood being a hotel made get ready time very easy and straightforward. The entire Birchwood team was awesome from the first time we reached out all the way through our day-after brunch. They are all seasoned pros who can answer any and all of your questions and concerns!

The Birchwood gave us the best of both worlds, elegance and a venue that provided a beautiful view of the water and the city.

We wanted to pick a venue that was nostalgic for both of us. The story of why we chose The Birchwood begins with how we almost didn’t get to see The Birchwood! We took a day during Thanksgiving vacation to visit the five places we had on our list. Naturally, The Birchwood was fifth on the list because we did not know much about it. Initially, we weren’t impressed with the other four places we visited, but when I called The Birchwood, we didn’t get an answer at first. Stefan told me, “Maybe it's not meant to be,” so I called one last time as we were getting ready to head home, and we got an answer and scheduled the first available slot for the next day.

The tour experience exceeded our expectations. We loved the Grand Ballroom and how we could visualize the space flowing beautifully for the reception. The outdoor terrace attached to the ballroom was a cherry on top because we got the view of the water and downtown, where the guests could enjoy the beautiful weather when they needed a breather from the dancing

After our tour, we immediately got into the vehicle and looked at each other, and agreed that this was the place for our special day. Everything about the service at The Birchwood was excellent. From when we selected them as our reception venue, the amount of communication and how they tended to us at each step of the reception planning process was excellent. We loved the food and drink packages. We gave our guests options for three different plated meals, and there was an open bar for four hours. Our guests told us from the moment they walked into cocktail hour, hors d'oeuvres were served constantly, and drinks were flowing from the bartenders. They also gave us a complimentary couples suite for the night of our wedding, which was beautiful.

We wanted something that was all-inclusive because at the time we were not local to the area, and we did not have the time to handpick each and every vendor. That was very important to us. I saw how much stress my sister had when planning her garden wedding. She had to pick a vendor for every single thing such as tents, dance floor, tables and chairs, linens, flatware. etc. The thought of doing that was overwhelming and sounded very unpleasant. We already knew this would be a bit more difficult with us not being local, so we did not want to add any extra stress to the planning process.

Therefore, the venue had to provide most, if not all of that, and The Birchwood did! We wanted a venue and an area that would provide entertainment for our guests, aside from our wedding, especially for those who came from out-of-town. If people were coming to Florida in the winter, we wanted to make it worth their while and give them other entertainment, dining, and hotel options.

I was very familiar with downtown St. Pete; I went to college here, I lived down here, and going to The Canopy rooftop bar or Birch & Vine restaurant was an expected stop whenever we would hang out, so I knew I wanted to incorporate The Birchwood into our day somehow. Surprisingly enough, I never knew The Birchwood had a ballroom until our wedding planner enlightened me. Kevin agreed to the venue without even seeing it in person; he trusted me. Thankfully when he saw it he loved it! The Birchwood's service was wonderful! Heather and Mary were so helpful and easy to work with and were accommodating during COVID. The food was great, and the staff treated us and our guests wonderfully.

We wanted something classy and upscale while also accommodating a pretty large guest count. We were always drawn to the hotel ballroom feel, so The Birchwood was a perfect option!

After looking at a few hotels and event spaces, we kept circling back to The Birchwood as they offered everything we were looking for. The Birchwood offers the most beautiful ballroom space and was the perfect choice for our reception.

What we loved so much was that it hardly needs decorations; the beautiful details on the walls, chandeliers, and balcony view are already so stunning! We also loved the location of The Birchwood, being in downtown St. Pete offers a city vibe while also being right on the water. Everyone was amazing to work with, and they always went above and beyond to accommodate and help bring our vision to life.