Wedding Venue Guide · Downtown St. Petersburg
Wedding flowers at The Vinoy.
A 1925 pink hotel on Tampa Bay with a pergola garden, three ballrooms and a waterfront terrace. Here is how to plan flowers for each.
The hotel
Pink stucco, Mediterranean Revival, the bay outside.
The Vinoy opened in 1925 on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront at 501 5th Ave NE, and its pink Mediterranean Revival facade is one of the most photographed buildings on Tampa Bay. It's now a Marriott Autograph Collection resort with about 69,000 square feet of event space, and weddings here range from a 40-person ceremony in the Tea Garden to multicultural celebrations of up to about 400 guests.
The hotel already brings a lot: arched windows, tile, palms, coffered ceilings and the bay. Flowers here work best when they pick up what the building offers instead of competing with it. That usually means soft, warm palettes, classic forms and generous greenery.
Independent guide
Flor + Palma is not affiliated with The Vinoy. 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 couples marry and celebrate at The Vinoy
These are the main wedding spaces the hotel describes, with the figures it publishes:
The hotel's ceremony package includes white garden chairs and an indoor backup space, which matters for planning in a city where summer storms arrive most afternoons.
- The Tea Garden: a garden courtyard with a pergola and a fountain and bell-tower backdrop, used for ceremonies of up to about 200.
- The Bayview Terrace: a waterfront lawn with views of Tampa Bay and the St. Petersburg skyline, for ceremonies, cocktail hours or receptions of up to about 400.
- The Grand Ballroom: 6,120 square feet with 20-foot ceilings and a Chihuly glass chandelier, about 500 for a reception or 360 for a seated dinner with dancing.
- The Palm Court Ballroom: 11,520 square feet, about 700 for a reception or 500 seated.
- The Sunset Ballroom: a separate 1929 building on Snell Isle, about 2,880 square feet, suited to smaller dinners.
- Fred's exterior: the pink stucco wall and speakeasy-style entrance often used for portraits.
The Tea Garden
Framing a pergola ceremony
The pergola gives you a ready-made frame, so ceremony flowers can be lighter than at a blank lawn. Common approaches:
Ask the event team what can be attached to the pergola and how. Many historic properties don't allow nails, staples or tape on their structures, and zip ties or freestanding pieces are the usual alternative.
- Asymmetric clusters on two corners of the pergola, one larger than the other, with trailing greenery.
- A pair of low ground arrangements at the base of the posts, which also works if the venue limits what can attach to the structure.
- Aisle markers every second or third row, rather than every row, so the fountain and the garden stay visible.
The Grand Ballroom
Designing under the Chihuly chandelier
The Chihuly glass chandelier is the focal point in the Grand Ballroom, and it has strong color of its own. Before choosing a palette, look at photos of the room lit for an evening event. Many couples pull one or two colors from the glass for the centerpieces and keep the rest neutral.
The 20-foot ceilings can take tall arrangements on stands, which lift flowers above sightlines and fill the vertical space. A mix of tall and low pieces across the room keeps it from looking uniform. For a 360-guest seated dinner, that might mean around 36 tables. At that number, alternating two designs is far more efficient than giving every table a different one, and it photographs as a pattern rather than a crowd.
The Bayview Terrace
Outdoors, by the water
A terrace by the bay is lovely and exposed. Wind off the water and direct sun on summer afternoons both affect flowers. A few principles help:
- Use weighted vessels and keep top-heavy designs off the edges of the terrace.
- Choose sturdier stems for anything outdoors for more than a couple of hours: orchids, anthurium, garden roses that have been fully hydrated, and solid greenery.
- Schedule placement as late as practical, especially from June to September.
- Plan the indoor backup design at the same time as the outdoor one, so moving inside is a matter of carrying pieces in, not redesigning on the day.
Multicultural weddings
Mandaps and larger ceremonies
The Vinoy says it hosts multicultural weddings of up to about 400 guests and allows a mandap for Hindu ceremonies. Flowers for a mandap are usually one of the biggest single design pieces of the weekend: garlands for the four pillars, a canopy element, floor arrangements and often flower garlands (varmala) for the couple. Marigolds, roses, jasmine and orchids are traditional. Garlands in particular should be made very close to the event, since they're strung from fresh blooms and are sensitive to heat.
If the weekend includes a mehndi, sangeet or welcome dinner in other rooms of the hotel, plan the flowers across all events together. Some pieces can be moved and reused, which saves money without making anything look recycled.
Season
When to marry at The Vinoy
The hotel's prime wedding season runs from roughly October to June, when evenings on the terrace and in the Tea Garden are comfortable. July to September is hotter and wetter, with a higher chance of afternoon storms, and it's also hurricane season. Flowers can work in any month, but in summer the plan should lean indoors and use heat-tolerant stems for anything outside.
Palettes
Working with pink stucco
The building's pink and coral tones suggest a few palettes that look natural here:
Strong cool tones, such as royal blue or purple, can clash with the pink exterior in photos. If they matter to you, keep them indoors.
- Blush, ivory and peach, with garden roses, ranunculus and sweet peas in the cooler months.
- Coral and white with tropical foliage, a nod to the Florida setting.
- All white and green, which lets the architecture and the Chihuly chandelier carry the color.
Portraits
Using the hotel as a backdrop
Many couples take portraits around the property before the reception: against the pink stucco outside Fred's, in the arched lobby corridors and under the palms on the waterfront side. A bouquet that holds its shape and has some depth of color reads well in all of those settings. Very pale bouquets can fade into the pink walls, while peach, coral, deep rose or burgundy accents give the photos a focal point. If you plan a long portrait session outside in summer, ask for a bouquet built with sturdier stems, and keep it in water between shots.
Planning
Getting started
Bring your spaces, guest count, ceremony time and any cultural traditions to the first meeting. From there, we can sketch ceremony, reception and backup designs together. See our approach to wedding flowers, other Tampa Bay wedding venues, or our guide to wedding flowers in the Tampa heat. For St. Petersburg deliveries outside the wedding, see flower delivery in St. Petersburg.
FAQ
Vinoy wedding flower questions.
How many guests can The Vinoy host for a wedding?
The hotel lists the Palm Court Ballroom at about 700 for a reception or 500 seated, the Grand Ballroom at about 500 or 360 seated, and the Bayview Terrace at up to about 400. Smaller ceremonies use the Tea Garden. Check current figures with the hotel.
Does The Vinoy have an indoor backup for outdoor ceremonies?
Yes. The hotel's ceremony package includes an indoor backup space along with white garden chairs. Plan the indoor version of your ceremony flowers at the same time as the outdoor one.
Can you have a mandap at The Vinoy?
The Vinoy says it hosts multicultural weddings of up to about 400 guests, including ceremonies with a mandap. Confirm the setup details and any restrictions on open flames with the hotel's event team.
What colors go best with The Vinoy's pink exterior?
Blush, ivory, peach and coral sit naturally against the pink stucco. All white and green is a safe choice that lets the building stand out. Strong blues and purples can clash in exterior photos.
When is the best time of year to marry at The Vinoy?
October to June is the hotel's prime season, with comfortable evenings outdoors. Summer has more heat, humidity and afternoon storms, so an indoor-leaning plan is wiser from July to September.
Plan your wedding florals
Planning a wedding at The Vinoy?
Share your date, guest count and vision, and we'll suggest a design and budget.