As a Tampa based Florida wedding photographer, I’m always thinking about more than just portraits when it comes to your wedding venue. Yes, the venue should photograph beautifully—but it should also feel easy, intentional, and actually fun to spend time in. When those combine, the photos are so much more effortless.
If you’re planning a full wedding weekend at a hotel — from the welcome drinks, ceremony, reception, afterparty, brunch — you want a hotel that makes everything feel seamless. Bonus points if it’s got personality, a cute bar, and rooms your guests will actually want to hang out in!
Here are a few of my favorite Tampa hotel wedding venues that don’t just look good (and look good they do), but they are perfect for hosting your entire wedding weekend.
Tampa Edition in Downtown Tampa
If you want your wedding weekend to feel like a vibe from the second your guests check in, this is it. The Tampa Edition is sleek and stylish without being try-hard (which means it photographs beautifully and still feels warm and inviting once you’re actually there).
It’s right on Water Street (aka the heart of Tampa’s upscale restaurant and nightlife scene), so everything your guests need is walkable! The Edition has a Market in the lobby, but theres a delicious coffee shop across the street.
We recommend kicking your wedding weekend off with rooftop welcome drinks by the pool, host your ceremony on the garden terrace or inside one of the ballrooms (as Plan B or Winter/Summer options), then head to dinner and dancing without ever needing to call a car in their very spacious ballroom. And if you’re the “let’s keep the party going” type? The red-drenched Arts Club—with its disco balls and lounge-y energy—is made for afterparties!
Oh, and the rooms? GORGEOUS. Soft light, clean design, and plenty of space to get ready without tripping over your overnight bag. A dream!
Hotel Haya in Ybor
If you’re looking for history, character, and actual walkability (hi, Ybor!), Hotel Haya is such a good choice for your wedding weekend! It’s got just enough history to feel special, just enough style to feel cool, and a layout that actually works for a full wedding weekend without feeling like a conference center.
Start things off with a welcome party in La Galeria—cocktails, mingling, maybe a few passed bites before a candlelit dinner in the courtyard. Flor Fina handles the catering (bless), so food and service are already built in and seamless for the weekend!
On the wedding day, there’s the Floridian Suite upstairs for getting ready—great light, great layout—and the guest rooms are bold, eclectic, and full of personality. You can host your ceremony in Las Novedades or inside the Valencia Ballroom, do cocktail hour in Mariposa (that bar light? So good), and roll straight into the reception in the same ballroom!
For intimate weddings and elopements, there’s also the Courtyard or Roosevelt Room if you want to keep it intimate but still design-forward.
And after the last song plays, your guests are already in the middle of Ybor’s late-night scene. Whether it’s a cigar bar, get some small matching tattoos with your new spouse or just a tipsy group walk to Cuban sandwiches, the vibe continues anywhere you want. And the next morning? Think pool hangout and brunch in the sun with zero rush to check out (and make sure you get a Cafe con Leche at Quiquiriqui) because its the best one I’ve had in town).
Le Meridien in Downtown Tampa
This one’s for the couples who love a little old-world romance with their champagne tower. Le Méridien is a 1905 federal courthouse-turned-hotel—and honestly, the bones of the building are still doing most of the heavy lifting. Think: marble hallways, soaring ceilings, and quiet luxury in every corner.
You could kick off your weekend with a welcome party on the Outdoor Terrace or inside the Marbled Lounge (yes, it’s as fancy as it sounds). Then spend the next day getting ready in one of the upstairs suites while guests arrive and explore downtown.
Ceremonies can happen right on the front steps (SO dramatic and cool for photos) or inside the historic ballroom. Cocktail hour can flow through the terrace or lounges, and then it’s on to the Courthouse Ballroom—original wood paneling, chandeliers, hand-stenciled vaulted ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s one of the most striking reception spaces in Tampa, and it feels both grand and personal at the same time.
If your people are the “let’s not end it yet” type, the Gin Joint a perfect afterparty spot for more drinks and socializing and a very short walk across the street. The next morning you can host a pool hang, zero rush, everyone in bathing suits and sunglasses. The kind of weekend your guests will talk about for years!
Pali House in Historic Hyde Park Village
Pali House feels like staying at the home of your most stylish friend—if that friend also happened to run a boutique hotel. With only 36 guest rooms and a warm, residential feel, it’s perfect for intimate weddings, elopements, or as a home base for a wedding weekend built around good food, great people, and relaxed-but-refined vibes!
Kick things off with welcome drinks at the Lobby Bar (it’s cozy, well-designed, and easy to gather without feeling formal). On the wedding day, you can stay at Pali, get ready there, and do portraits around Hyde Park before heading over to Hyde House Public Studio—a nearby venue you can book through Pali (but we definitely recommend bringing in a planner to help coordinate everything). For intimate weddings, you could host a sweet ceremony at Hyde House, then wander to one of the nearby Hyde Park Village restaurants for dinner and drinks with your crew.
Not into the big “afterparty” thing? The Lobby Bar is a perfect low-key spot to keep the energy going with nightcaps and conversation. I mean, it’s truly a beautiful location.
Sleep in the morning after, throw on something linen, and wander over to Willa’s for brunch.
FAQs About Hosting Your Wedding Weekend at a Tampa Hotel
1. How do I make a hotel wedding weekend feel personal and not just like… a fancy group stay?
It’s all in the details!! Think welcome notes or baskets in each room, choosing a ceremony space that feels right for your style, booking a venue that gives you flexibility, and planning moments that reflect you (like dinner at your favorite local restaurant or a chill day-after pool hang). The hotel gives you a foundation, but how you layer in meaning is what makes it feel like yours.
2. What’s the benefit of using a hotel for the whole weekend instead of just the reception?
Hotels make logistics so much easier—especially with out-of-town guests. Everyone’s in the same place, there’s no need to Uber between events, and the timeline flows more naturally. Plus, it keeps the energy going from Friday night to Sunday brunch, instead of feeling like a one-and-done party.
3. What if I want to mix in nearby venues or restaurants instead of doing everything at one hotel?
That’s actually ideal. Many couples use the hotel as home base and then personalize the weekend with nearby venues, restaurants, or outdoor spaces! You can host welcome drinks or brunch at the hotel, then get married at a venue that feels more you. It’s flexible and guest-friendly.
Planning a wedding weekend that feels stylish, intentional, and true to you?
Whether you’re drawn to a garden ceremony, rooftop welcome drinks, or just want to make sure your guests feel taken care of from the moment they check in—I’m here to help you bring it all together (and capture it beautifully).
Reach out and let’s start dreaming this thing up → Inquire here
