The Don Cesar Wedding Reviews

We wanted to be near the beach. We also decided to go with a resort so that we and our guests could stay on-site for the weekend.

When we toured venues, The Don CeSar blew us away. I didn't think we could find a prettier venue, and it had all the aspects that we were looking for. It is such an iconic place in the area with the beach, the elegance, and the timeless class providing the ultimate location. Wendy, our venue coordinator, was just amazing! She was always so willing to help and so sweet that she made sure we felt special during our tasting and our wedding weekend. There were also some extra touches like signature Don CeSar champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for us in our room after the wedding reception.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

We wanted a beachy, laid-back, but slightly fancy atmosphere. We chose The Don CeSar because we have a second home nearby. We have also been there multiple times and loved the service and atmosphere.

I always knew that if I ever did get married one day, that I would get married at The Don CeSar. It is so special to my family and I, and has always held such a special place in my heart; it truly is my happy place and my favorite place on earth!

It is the resort my family and I have been going to every summer, even sometimes other times throughout the year, and my favorite place to go to. I have been taking my own daughter there since she was 6 months old. It is definitely a huge part of our family and I couldn't think of any other place I would have ever wanted to get married at. Charles, our main wedding contact at The Don CeSar, was phenomenal and made our day extra special with his genuine care for our wedding to be exactly how we dreamed it to be! I couldn't say enough good things about him!

It was important to have a venue with indoor and outdoor space with timeless elegance. The idyllic 1920’s pink Don CeSar is synonymous with St. Pete Beach and spoke to the relaxed elegance we strive to encompass in our daily life. Its presence speaks volumes, and we knew that the architecture, decor, lush greens, and views of the water would be the perfect setting for our photos and our desired indoor and outdoor experience.

The North Terrace at The Don CeSar checked all of our boxes and then some. Plus, it had a spectacular view of a March sunset! Their service was impeccable from start to finish. It was important to us that our families could share an intimate dining experience; we come from traditional families that value conversation over the dining table, but haven't had the ability for our families to be in the same room, all at once! The wedding provided the perfect opportunity to finally join as one family. It was a really special moment for all of us. We still talk about the food and desserts, and our guests particularly loved the donuts made in-house!

Devin, our coordinator at the Don CeSar was on top of every email and made sure everything at the hotel was flawless. The food at the Don was impeccable and worth every penny ten times over. We still talk about our meals and desserts! 

We spent two nights at The Don CeSar! It’s local, and we didn’t want to think about anything besides enjoying one another on our wedding night. We drove there after the reception, and it was relaxing knowing we didn’t need to worry about packing bags or missing a flight the next day.

We spent a day relaxing in the room, on the beach, and in local restaurants. The next day we got our first couples massage and then drove down to Key West. We spent a week in the Keys.

The Don CeSar, or the Pink Palace, is the perfect place for an elegant beach wedding. Our design focus was simply to complement the beautiful venue.  It was very important to us to make the wedding day as stress-free as possible for us and our guests.

After nearly a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked forward to celebrating with family and friends we had not seen for some time. Hosting all wedding festivities at the Don Cesar was a wonderful way to spend as much time with our guests as possible.