We knew from the start that we wanted a beach setting, but we also needed a venue that could accommodate our guest list and allow us to celebrate exactly how we envisioned. Many beach venues seemed better suited for smaller gatherings, so finding one that checked all the boxes, like The Resort at Longboat Key Club, made the decision an easy one.

We chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because it offered the perfect combination of a stunning beach setting and ample space to comfortably host our guests. Their team was fantastic throughout the planning process, always quick to answer questions, whether from us or our planner, Carlie. They truly made the entire weekend feel seamless, and we’re already looking forward to going back for a visit.

We live in Chicago, Illinois. I had always dreamed of having a beach wedding, and I was already familiar with the Sarasota area. I had also been following our wedding planner for a while, so I browsed through the venues on their website before scheduling a visit. My best friend and I toured The Resort at Longboat Key Club, and I knew almost immediately it was the perfect place. Once Carter saw it, he felt the same way.

Since we both have large families and friends who live all over the country, we wanted a destination where everyone could truly make a weekend of it. Longboat Key Club gave us the opportunity to celebrate with the people we love for several days instead of just one evening. It felt less like a traditional wedding and more like a family reunion, which made the entire weekend incredibly special.

We wanted a venue that felt elevated without being over the top. It was important to us to have easy access to the beach and pool, along with beautiful outdoor spaces that felt romantic and naturally lent themselves to hosting events throughout the weekend. We wanted every part of the venue to feel relaxed, elegant, and effortlessly coastal.

Since our wedding, I’ve attended weddings all over the country, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen a resort and event team take care of their couples and guests the way Longboat Key Club does. They made the entire planning process feel effortless. As an event planner myself, I’m very Type-A and tend to ask a lot of questions. Their team answered every single one with genuine care!

It really came down to finding the perfect beach. We wanted a setting that felt serene, meaningful, and true to who we are, where the natural beauty of the ocean could be the focal point of the day.

Josh and I live in Tampa, but the location of our wedding has special meaning for his family. They’ve spent every Fourth of July at The Resort at Longboat Key Club since he was young, so it has always been a place filled with memories. When we started talking about a beach wedding, my future in-laws took me there to tour the property, and I was completely stunned by the beauty of the island and resort. In that moment, I knew it was exactly where we were meant to get married.

We chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because it felt incredibly special to celebrate our wedding in a place that has been such a meaningful part of Josh’s family history. Being able to add our own chapter to those memories meant so much to us. From start to finish, their service was truly exceptional. Every detail was handled with care and professionalism, and we felt supported and taken care of throughout the entire day.

When looking for a wedding venue, we wanted to be outdoors, near the water, and somewhere that felt like a place all our own.

We specifically chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because they have a beautiful beachfront property and provided all of the necessary amenities. Gwen Paseka at the resort was a pleasure to work with; she was always available to answer all of our questions.

My family has deep roots in Florida—especially in the Bradenton area—where my mom grew up after her family moved there. My parents met while attending the University of South Florida and got engaged just up the road from the Longboat Key Club, on Lido Beach.

It was important for me to find an outdoor venue that did not require a tent. I saw one photo of the Harbourside Lawn and knew that was the spot! Having our wedding at The Resort at Longboat Key Club made things so relaxing for us. We were able to check in, and all the work was already done. Guests did not have to travel. We also had our welcome party on site!

Gwen Paseka went above and beyond. She was an absolute lifesaver in helping us navigate not only the venue logistics but also all the moving parts of wedding planning. Her guidance, warmth, and organization made the entire experience smooth and enjoyable!

We chose this area for our wedding so that guests could experience a tropical, relaxing weekend getaway with a luxurious vibe, as well as for its proximity to the Sarasota Airport. Things we looked for in a wedding venue were the beauty of both the ceremony and reception sites, a venue that could accommodate housing for our guests, a venue close to an airport, as most of our guests were traveling, and, of course, the cost.

We wanted to make the wedding a vacation for our guests, especially in such a beautiful destination, so we decided to host our rehearsal dinner on Friday and hold a welcome party on the resort’s pool deck that night. Our guests really loved the long celebration!

We specifically chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because of Gwen Paseka, the Event Manager. Yes, the resort was amazing and checked all of the boxes we had in mind, but Gwen’s personality and dedication to her clients are unmatched!

We looked for a venue where we felt special and where our guests would feel special. We made an instant connection with Gwen Paseka and could envision the day even from the first tour.

We wanted to make sure everyone had fun and felt the love! This started with the venue. From the moment we saw the Harbourside Lawn and the Resort at Longboat Key Club, we could picture our friends and family dancing the night away there.

We loved the Resort at Longboat Key Club! I cannot emphasize enough how amazing they were, the service was, etc. They were so communicative, always had options, and were willing to listen to all our ideas. Even with a venue that hosts multiple weddings in a weekend, The Resort at Longboat Key Club made our wedding feel uniquely ours.

While we love Dallas, we wanted to choose a vacation spot for our friends and family to enjoy the long weekend. The first trip we ever made as a couple was to Florida. We’ve made many trips to Florida over the years and knew it would be a special place for us to get married.

We were looking for a venue that was a one-stop shop. One of our main goals was to make travel and logistics easy for our guests. My mom was the one to suggest The Resort at Longboat Key Club. She had stayed there before and loved the resort and the area.

We were really impressed with The Resort at Longboat Key Club because of the extensive and experienced nature of their wedding planning department. Gwen Paseka won us over at our tour of Longboat Key Club, and we knew we would be in great hands. When we toured, the staff was so friendly and helpful. We knew our guests would enjoy their weekend.

We wanted an outdoor venue on the water. We chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because we wanted a beach wedding and also a venue that allowed sushi. The resort did an incredible job! Our wedding was the first wedding after Hurricane Milton and Helene, so we were very nervous about what it would look like. They had employees fly to Florida to help clean up the venue, and we would have never known there had been a hurricane; it looked incredible.

We wanted somewhere lush and tropical but that also had a ‘backyard’ vibe. We loved the atmosphere and people at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. They were extremely chill and accommodating. They made the whole process effortless!

We wanted a location that felt genuinely us as a couple. We also wanted somewhere that offered numerous options for accommodations for guests. I love beautiful landscapes, sunsets, and good food, and Michael loves being on the water and golfing. Right before we got engaged, Michael’s little sister sent a post from The Resort at Longboat Key Club’s Instagram, which showed some boats on the water at sunset. After seeing that photo, we both agreed that would be the most beautiful venue for a wedding one day! The ambiance and combination of all the things we love, the water, beautiful landscaping, and Florida sunshine, made it an automatic ‘yes’ for us.

The Resort at Longboat Key Club had everything on our list that felt like the best mix of both of our personalities! We also loved that it was in Florida and easy to access for guests, along with the resort and additional sister hotels as accommodations for our family and friends. It was an incredible venue that gave our guests the option to stay at the resort and spend the weekend alongside us as we celebrated before, during, and after the wedding day!

I’ve always known that I didn’t want to get married in a church or a ballroom; I really wanted an outdoor wedding with a coastal chic theme.

We chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because we were blown away during our initial tour. Their service was out of this world.

Our Event Manager, Gwen Paseka, was absolutely amazing. She was so responsive and attentive to our needs throughout the entire process. Guests raved about the food, and the portions were generous! I cannot say enough good things about Longboat Key Club.

We didn’t really look around for venues because the only venue I wanted to celebrate our love at was The Resort at Longboat Key Club, my home away from home.

The Longboat Key Club holds a special place in my heart as I’ve been going there since I was eight weeks old with my Omi and Opa (grandma and grandpa) and family. Unfortunately, my Omi and Opa are no longer with us, so it was important for me to have them there, in a sense, on our wedding day.

I loved how special they made our day, and Ayla was absolutely wonderful.

Thirty days before my wedding, Hurricane Ian devastated South Florida communities, including Gasparilla Island. While many lost so much more, I lost my wedding venue! It did not sustain serious damage, but the island as a whole did. I was told I could postpone the wedding, but that was never an option in my mind.

Luckily, I had the most capable, prepared, and connected team of planners who got me in at the amazing The Resort at Longboat Key Club within a day of finding out my other venue would be closed.

Since we were getting married in Florida, we wanted our venue to truly feel like we were in Florida. We didn’t want to just get married in a ballroom because we could do that in Ohio. We wanted to be able to have most of the festivities outside to enjoy the natural beauty of Florida. We were so fortunate to spend so much time outside enjoying all the beauty Florida has to offer.

Unfortunately, our original venue took severe damage from Hurricane Ian and would not be open in time for our wedding. It was really important to us to keep the same date we originally had. Our planner found us The Resort at Longboat Key Club, and luckily, they had availability the same weekend! It felt like fate. My Mom drove up and signed the contract before we saw it in person to make sure we didn’t lose the date! It was sad to see our first venue get damaged, but at the end of the day, it felt like we were meant to end up at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. They exceeded every expectation we had. Everyone we came in contact with was such a joy to work with!

Our food options were a major hit. We received countless compliments from everyone regarding our choices. Our reception layout was also never done before, but it turned out to be amazing and complimented the venue!” -Kimberly and Michael

“A stunning location that offered it all. We really wanted our out-of-town guests to enjoy the beautiful area I grew up in. I absolutely loved The Resort at Longboat Key Club for its location, gorgeous views, amenities, and the all-inclusive ability to plan the wedding from start to finish. Aside from the venue, our planner, Ayla, was always so helpful and helped make sure everything was executed to perfection.”

“We loved The Resort at Longboat Key Club once we saw it. It was actually the first and only venue that we visited. We love the atmosphere that it gave off as far as a vacation for our guests, the proximity to the beach, and the convenience of the resort amenities for everyone. We found that their service was absolutely wonderful, and the wedding venue coordinator and her team made it a very successful event. Most of the vendors we found were suggested by the Longboat Key Club wedding coordinator Ayla Goggin.”

“Alex actually chose our venue because he had golfed there before! It wasn’t until someone from his club told him to check it out for our wedding that we went to take a look. We were sold by the beauty of the resort and the many locations to have each event as well as their flexibility. Longboat Key Club is truly so good at working with every couple to help capture their own unique vision. We really wanted people to feel like they were at a destination wedding and to thoroughly enjoy the Sarasota culture while visiting. The icing on the cake was our amazing wedding specialist, Ayla Goggin. You could tell she takes pride in her job, and she truly helped us have the best wedding ever!”

“The most important thing for us was a beautiful place for our guests to visit and a great beach. We chose The Resort at Longboat Key Club because of the beach ceremony spots that they have. The service was fantastic!  The MVP was Ayla Goggin; she was always available throughout the entire process, even grabbing the groom a Scotch while we took pictures. The beautiful golf courses didn’t hurt either.”

“We wanted a private, natural setting with a beautiful view, so the beach setting was perfect for us.

Ayla, our coordinator at The Resort at Longboat Key Club was amazing. She immediately made me feel at ease when we looked at the venue and her responsiveness and communication was key in planning a wedding from California. They were extremely accommodating to all of our questions and did an amazing job the day of with the setup and catering. Our guests still rave about how great the food was!” -The Bride

“Surprisingly, we only looked at The Resort at Longboat Key Club the morning we landed in Florida and actually ended up canceling our afternoon appointments at other venues. We just knew the LBKC was the perfect venue! Ayla immediately made us feel so special and welcomed, and we knew right then and there this was the place we would say I do! The grounds are absolutely beautiful and speak for themselves and the option to have our ceremony in a tropical setting outside at the Marina followed by a cocktail hour in the Marina Courtyard, and a reception at the Harbourside Lawn was exactly what we visioned, being at “the beach” without the sand in our shoes. The palm trees and tropical flowers throughout the venue are gorgeous.”

We knew we wanted a lot of outdoor space. After finding The Resort at Longboat Key Club on Marry Me Tampa Bay and researching a bit more, we loved how many different options there were for both the ceremony and the reception. Having an outdoor reception that was not tented was definitely unique for our guests! Since the majority of our wedding guests were from out-of-town, it was special for everyone to experience the Sarasota area and beautiful Longboat Key! We also loved that our guests would be able to stay at the resort and its proximity to the Sarasota airport for all our out-of-town guests.

When we first reached out to the resort, we were overwhelmed by how helpful and accommodating the event staff was. Gwen provided so much helpful information that really eased all our nerves as an out-of-town couple. She was so incredibly sweet throughout the entire process and was so responsive to all our questions and requests. The Resort at Longboat Key Club truly went out of its way to make sure our dream wedding became a reality. Our guests still talk about how amazing the food, cocktails, and service were at the reception!

About once a year over the last 20 years, I’ve visited Longboat Key Club and got to know the staff, witness the renovations, etc. The beach there is my absolute favorite beach in the world and was always a top destination each year. It was a no-brainer to pick it as our location for the wedding so that our family and friends could also experience it.

We immediately met Ayla Goggin, who is absolutely amazing! She worked with us not just on budget and vision, but the fact that we had to move the wedding twice due to COVID! I can’t say enough about the quality of her work and communication and how easy she made all the transitions for us. And the day of, nothing disappointed in terms of service and Ayla running the show making sure everything was perfect. Hands down, I would recommend Longboat Key Club to everyone and anyone, with Ayla as the real queen!