Tampa Garden Club

I've been to quite a few events here over the last few years. It's in a gorgeous location right off Bayshore, but parking can be daunting. All the trees and grass space in the back is so pretty, but in early spring the pollen literally falls off the trees onto your body while you're walking around events. I love the use of both indoor and outdoor space though and it's all pretty easy to navigate.

So my daughter is getting married here two weeks from now. During our planning visit, I was so impressed with the beauty of the facility, the high ceilings & the way the space is set up to create a majestic ambience. The grandiose windows look out on Bayshore, which is simply stunning. It's a grand, yet unpretentious, venue at a reasonable price. Our coordinator answered all our questions, showed us many different options & features. I am truly looking forward to my daughter's wedding and will definitely share some pics.

I attended a Classic Rock on Strings performance and found it to be wonderful. This was my first time at this venue and found it perfect for this performance. The setting with all the candles, and the 4 performers was perfect. The talent of these 4 women was remarkable. The staff was all very friendly and helpful.The one thing I didn't like was the parking situation. There was just not enough parking for all the patrons so it was a bit chaotic.And this is not a venue problem, but a people problem. I don't understand how people come to events like this and choose to talk throughout the performance. It ruins it for everyone around them. After 4 songs, I finally turned around and asked if they would please be quiet so we could all enjoy the music.

I recently attended a fashion show and the venue was spacious with great parking. The event was at night so I couldn't take advantage of the water views.

I get married in exactly one month and can't contain my excitement! THANK YOU Wanda for everything you have done. This venue is absolute perfection.

UPDATE:This individual is just proving my point! Not once did she congratulated us or introduce herself. We had zero contact. Only stories from family and guest of an old lady "giving dirty looks from the open office door and eating our food." Our wedding coordinator (who was absolutely amazing) had a list of venders who we choose it was appropriate to allow to have our food. Eating our food because other venders did? Shame on you. I am fine being called "Groomzilla" because if I am that way, there is a reason, the bride was crying after being disrespected to 5 months before the wedding. So yes if the bride is crying I am going to get upset.This is just very disrespectful and proving my point. I am at a loss of words right now, stating "I hope the brides parents have started saving up for the next marriage". Are you kidding me?! How rude and evil! This is not how you treat people and myself and my beautiful new bride are so hurt by these words, we just gave an honest review of the venue and this was their response. First let me begin that our wedding was great and everyone enjoyed themselves, great location and easily accessible for everyone. We first met Wanda when we decided that this would be our venue and she was so unbelievably amazing to us. About 5-6 months later Wanda had departed for another opportunity and came in a replacement I won't mention names but she was absolutely terrible, very rude, very stern, very demanding, when we came to look at the venue 5-6 months before the wedding they were conducting maintenance on the garden and when we attempted to ask questions to the board at the Garden Club they ignored us, walked past us and made my wife cry because of how rude they were. Fast forward to the wedding, there was a lady (that I did not know and obviously worked at the venue) sitting in her office, calls the cops on my wedding for not being at the designated smoking area outside (which he was only 1 foot away and the cops even thought it was ridiculous). After the cops left and the matter was solved, this lady is eating our food and appetizers! This was a very terrible experience dealing with the people managing the garden club. Not worth the hassle! Go somewhere else!

In August 2019 we booked our wedding for Fall 2020. We were so excited about the venue and to work with the director on staff, however, this Pandemic has unfortunately showed their true colors. Early on in March of 2020 we contacted the director about questions and concerns for our wedding that was set for October. We were told they were going off of CDC guidelines, but also told "This situation is obviously very fluid so as things update/change we will definitely be in touch." When I hadn't heard from her in 2 months, I reached out again in June, asking if our wedding fell under the disaster preparedness policy. I also inquired on when would be a good time to postpone. It was then that she notified us that, under the current local and state ordinances they've been given, they were able to "accommodate" our 200 person guest count. We found this to be very unsettling. Our concern was not soley based upon having our 200 guests accommodated, but done so in the safest way possible. When we expressed concerns over our immediate family's high health risk factors as well as the risk of pretty much all our 200 guests, she disregarded them,  later calling them, "personal reasons." She also took that opportunity to informed us that we were past the postponement period. After several emails back and forth we were finally offered a postponement option for next year. However, we were told, "This option will not be extended again.  If Covid is still a factor at the time of our new event date, we will be following the CDC, state and local guidance, on if your event can be held or not."This was the only option we were given and we were denied a refund of our balance paid. If anyone has been on the CDC website you will see that large in person gatherings such as weddings of 200 people are considered highest risk of spreading Coronavirus. This is especially dangerous given Florida's incredibly high positive cases of Covid 19. Therefore is is an unacceptable offer. The Tampa Bay Garden Club has been anything BUT "fluid" and should be ashamed of trying to profit off of unsuspecting couples during this National Pandemic. Has anyone else experienced something like this after booking with the Tampa Bay Garden Club?

This venue was perfect for our wedding in every way! From tour day to wedding day, Bridget was so friendly and personable, and knowledgeable and efficient. When we made multiple appointments in the building with our decorators, Bridget was always happy to be on hand to answer questions while being so patient with all of our questions and letting us take our time to visualize; she also had great recommendations for various vendors. The building itself is a beautiful canvas with which we made our vision come to life, and the outdoor areas and view of the bay were gorgeous for photos too. We didn't want to deal with weather possibilities (Florida being renowned for heat and/or sudden rain), so we planned from the start to have the ceremony in the Conservatory room, which still gave us a stunning view of the lovely garden just outside the window wall while keeping our guests comfortable. Both the Conservatory and main Banquet Hall spaces were more than plenty for our 80-guest event with plenty of room to spare, the high ceilings gave us a space that felt open and uncramped, and neutral colors throughout made it very easy to adapt the space to our colors and theme. Logistically, the vendor load-in is very convenient for them, guest parking is plenteous and easy, and all of the facilities are well-maintained and clean. The rental price was very reasonable for our budget, and we got top-notch service from Bridget through the booking and lead-up, as well as from Beth on the day of the event.On the day we toured, my then-fiancé and I immediately fell in love with this venue; we stopped looking at other places and never looked back, and we could not have been happier with this choice. Thank you to Bridget, Beth, and everyone at Tampa Garden Club!

We had to cancel our wedding because they were skimping out on their promises also making it less safe for our guests to make their venue in compliance with CDC guidelines. The venue could not deliver what was promised, therefore denying us to have the wedding we agreed to. Along with the ability for our parents both with compromised immune systems to attend our wedding. Also jeopardizing the safety of our family and guests. Tampa Garden Club should be ashamed of trying to profit from unsuspecting couples during this National Pandemic.

RUN AWAY BRIDES !!!! My ONLY regret from my wedding this past weekend was having it at this venue. Yes the garden and location are amazing, there is no denying that, but the staff was soooooooo unprofessional. What I should of done for the same view was gone to the Davis Island Garden Club !!! Let's begin with making the BRIDE CRY !!! Have you ever heard of such a thing !? The day we stopped by to make our final payment we overheard one of the garden staff members (the volunteer help) say there was going to be construction in September... mind you that is my wedding month. So I asked one of the volunteers "the one in charge" if the construction was going on during the week of my wedding. She just walked on past me as if she didn't notice me, completely rude, when I chased her into the garden... CHASE DOWN, she rudely told me "I am just a volunteer I don't have to talk to the bride!" I instantly started CRYING in complete shock of the disrespect I was receiving while we were was a paying our last payment. My amazing husband, saw me crying and complained to Bridget (the director of the venue). Her response " The volunteers are really not good with customer service." The rude volunteered later apologized to me (seems like someone made her) and calmed me down, assuring me the garden will be perfect for my wedding. Fast forward to my wedding. The garden was beautiful. Everything went amazing except for again THE HORRIBLE STAFF !!! The lady kept the door open from her office giving dirty looks to my family and guest (according to multiple guest) then helped herself to eat OUR food because she saw other vendors doing the same? First of all, the "other venders eating my food" I gave a list to my coordinator of which venders should eat. I'm completely in shock of how unprofessional this venue is!!!!!!!!!!!! And then she private messages my husband calling him "Groomzilla" and "Worst wedding ever to do at the garden club" and "I hope the bride's parents have started saving up for her next marriage". UNPROFESSIONAL, UNCALLED FOR ! Shame on you !!! Tampa Garden Club, serious action should be taken on this lady who should never be around a bride! SHAMEFUL !!!! - pissed off bride