Wedding Venue Guide · St. Pete Beach
Wedding flowers at The Don CeSar.
The pink palace on St. Pete Beach, reopened after the 2024 hurricanes. Here is how to plan flowers for the beach, the courtyard and the ballrooms.
The pink palace
A beach wedding with a hotel behind it.
The Don CeSar opened in 1928 at 3400 Gulf Blvd on St. Pete Beach, and its pink walls and bell towers are some of the best-known on Florida's Gulf Coast. Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged the property in 2024. The hotel began a phased reopening on 26 March 2025 and said it would be fully restored later that year. If you're planning now, confirm with the hotel which spaces are available on your date, since some areas reopened before others.
Couples come here for the beach, but most Don CeSar weddings use both the sand and the hotel: a ceremony by the water, then a reception in a ballroom or the Courtyard. Flowers need to work in both settings, which have almost opposite conditions.
Independent guide
Flor + Palma is not affiliated with The Don CeSar. Venue details here come from the venue’s own published materials; confirm floral rules, load-in times and installation guidelines with its event team before you finalize a design.
Spaces
Where the hotel hosts weddings
The hotel lists these spaces, with these approximate figures:
- The Courtyard: 25 to 250 guests, outdoors.
- North Beach: a ceremony site on the sand.
- Beach Pavilion: seasonal, about 250 standing or 100 for a banquet.
- Terrace and Veranda: about 5,152 square feet, for about 150.
- Del Prado Hall: about 2,120 square feet, for 70 to 150.
- Buena Vista: about 1,500 square feet, for 40 to 90.
- King Charles Ballroom: on the fifth floor, about 3,450 square feet with 15-foot vaulted ceilings and Gulf views, for 110 to 240, or 350 theater-style.
- Royal Ballroom: about 7,400 square feet, for about 420.
- Grand Ballroom: about 5,671 square feet, for about 250.
Rules
What the hotel asks of vendors and couples
The hotel's wedding policies affect flower planning in several ways:
Ask the hotel for the current vendor packet, which will cover load-in times and where vendors park.
- Ceremonies on property require a reception on property.
- Outside vendors need a certificate of insurance (COI).
- The rehearsal is confirmed up to three weeks before the wedding.
- Menus are due four weeks out, and the final guest count seven days out. Since centerpiece numbers depend on table count, align your florist's final count with the hotel's.
The beach
Designing for sand, wind and sun
The beach is the most exposed setting in Tampa Bay for flowers. A few principles:
Sea turtles nest on Pinellas beaches from May to October. Lighting on the beach after dark is restricted during that season to protect hatchlings. Check with the venue about candles, lanterns and lighting for any evening beach event.
- Use weighted, wide-based arrangements. Sand doesn't hold stakes well, and wind off the Gulf can be strong.
- Avoid tall, top-heavy pieces and loose petals, which blow around.
- Choose heat-tolerant stems: orchids, anthurium, protea, sturdy garden roses and tropical foliage like palm and monstera.
- Place ceremony flowers as close to the start time as possible, and plan for a short ceremony in summer.
- Aisle markers in low vessels, or simple petals on the sand if the hotel allows them.
The Courtyard
Outdoors, but sheltered
The Courtyard is outdoors but less exposed than the beach. It suits receptions and cocktail hours. Use weighted vessels, and choose sturdier flowers for summer evenings. Candles should be enclosed in glass. Low, lush centerpieces with greenery work well under the palms and the hotel's pink walls.
The ballrooms
Indoor and air-conditioned
The ballrooms are where delicate flowers belong: garden roses, ranunculus, sweet peas, peonies in season and lisianthus. The King Charles Ballroom's vaulted ceilings and Gulf views suggest tall arrangements that frame the windows without blocking them. The Royal and Grand Ballrooms are larger and work well with a mix of tall and low centerpieces, repeated in a pattern.
The hotel's wedding packages note that cocktails for the King Charles Ballroom can be served in the adjacent marble foyer. That foyer is the first thing guests see after the elevator ride, so a single generous arrangement there, or a pair flanking the ballroom doors, sets the tone before anyone sits down. Keep it clear of the walkway and the bar line.
Moving flowers
From the beach to the reception
Since ceremonies here are usually followed by a reception elsewhere on the property, ceremony flowers can often be moved and reused. Common moves:
Plan the moves with your coordinator in advance. Someone has to carry the pieces while guests are at cocktails, and the route from the sand to the ballroom may involve stairs or elevators. Arrangements designed for the beach, which are weighted and sturdy, usually travel well.
- Ceremony floor arrangements to the reception entrance or either side of the head table.
- Aisle arrangements to the cocktail hour tables or the bar.
- The bridal bouquet to a vase on the sweetheart table.
Personal flowers
Bouquets in sea air
Sea breeze, sun and humidity are hard on personal flowers. Bouquets built with sturdy stems, such as garden roses, orchids, lisianthus and greenery like ruscus, hold up better than delicate ones such as sweet peas or open peonies. Keep bouquets in water in an air-conditioned room until the ceremony, and hand them to the wedding party just before they walk out. Boutonnieres should be small and secure, since wind on the beach can pull loose stems free.
Palettes
Pink walls and blue water
The hotel's pink exterior and the Gulf suggest a few palettes:
Strong blues can look striking against the Gulf but may clash with the pink walls in exterior photos.
- Blush, ivory and peach, which echo the walls.
- Coral, orange and hot pink with tropical foliage.
- All white and green, which lets the building and the water carry the color.
Smaller rooms
Del Prado Hall and Buena Vista
Not every Don CeSar wedding is large. Del Prado Hall (about 70 to 150 guests) and Buena Vista (about 40 to 90) suit smaller receptions, rehearsal dinners and farewell brunches. In rooms this size, guests sit close to the flowers, so the details show: the quality of each stem, the fragrance and how the arrangements are finished. It's a good place to spend on fewer, better flowers, such as garden roses, gardenias or orchids, rather than on volume. Keep centerpieces low enough for conversation across the table, and add candles in glass for warmth in the evening.
Season
Weather on the Gulf
The most comfortable months for a beach ceremony are October to May. Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon storms, and hurricane season runs from June to November. Plan an indoor backup for every outdoor event, and design ceremony flowers that can move inside if needed.
Planning
Getting started
Bring your spaces, guest count and ceremony time to the first conversation. See our approach to wedding flowers, compare Tampa Bay wedding venues, or see The Vinoy in downtown St. Petersburg. For deliveries around Pinellas, see flower delivery in St. Petersburg.
FAQ
Don CeSar wedding flower questions.
Does The Don CeSar do beach weddings?
Yes. The hotel lists North Beach as a ceremony site and a seasonal Beach Pavilion for about 250 standing or 100 for a banquet. Ceremonies on property require a reception on property.
How many guests can The Don CeSar accommodate?
The hotel lists the Royal Ballroom at about 420, the Courtyard at up to 250, and the King Charles Ballroom at 110 to 240. Confirm current availability, since some spaces reopened in phases after the 2024 hurricanes.
Is The Don CeSar open after the hurricanes?
The hotel began a phased reopening on 26 March 2025 after damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and said it would be fully restored later in 2025. Confirm which spaces are open for your date.
What vendor requirements does The Don CeSar have?
The hotel requires a certificate of insurance from outside vendors. Ask for the current vendor packet, which covers load-in times and parking.
Are candles allowed on the beach at The Don CeSar?
Lighting on Pinellas beaches is restricted during sea turtle nesting season, from May to October. Check with the venue about candles and lanterns for any evening beach event.
Plan your wedding florals
Planning a wedding at The Don CeSar?
Share your date, guest count and vision, and we'll suggest a design and budget.