Top Five Wedding Venues in Tampa

As a wedding photographer who has spent years capturing love stories across Tampa Bay, I’ve developed a special appreciation for the venues that serve as the backdrop to these precious moments. The right venue doesn’t just host your wedding—it becomes part of your story, enhancing every smile, tear, and embrace that my camera captures throughout the day.

After photographing many weddings in our beautiful city, I’ve come to recognize the venues that consistently create magical experiences for couples and stunning opportunities for photography. Today, I’m excited to share my insights on what I consider to be the top five wedding venues in Tampa Bay, each with its own unique character and charm.

Mision Lago Estate

When I first visited Mision Lago Estate, I literally gasped. As a photographer who seeks out beautiful light and diverse backdrops, this venue is what dreams are made of.

Spanning an impressive 20 acres on the shores of Lake Thonotosassa (the largest natural lake in the county), Mision Lago offers couples an extraordinary blend of rustic elegance and natural beauty that makes my job almost too easy—almost!

What Makes It Special

The diversity of settings at Mision Lago is unmatched. Within one venue, you have:

• A stunning lakefront with panoramic water views
• A sprawling 2.7-acre vineyard with 10 rows of 6 different grape varieties
• An “Enchanted Forest” filled with majestic Live Oaks
• A charming courtyard with a koi pond and tumbling waterfall
• A spectacular barn that combines rustic elements with modern amenities

From a photographer’s perspective, this variety means we can create an entire portfolio of diverse images without ever leaving the property. The transitions between golden hour photos in the vineyard, romantic portraits under the oak trees, and reception images in the elegantly lit barn create a wedding album that feels both cohesive and dynamically varied.

The Perfect Setting for Any Style

The barn at Mision Lago deserves special mention. At 50 x 60 feet with seating for up to 220 guests, it maintains that coveted rustic charm (those antler chandeliers are showstoppers!) while offering full climate control—a true blessing during Tampa’s warmer months when I’m trying to keep couples looking fresh and comfortable.

What I particularly love about photographing at Mision Lago is how the property changes throughout the day. Morning light streams through the vineyard creating golden ribbons across the landscape, while evening transforms the courtyard with its bistro lights into a magical space that practically photographs itself.

Del Favero Oasis

There’s something utterly enchanting about Del Favero Oasis that makes it one of my absolute favorite venues to shoot. This living, breathing sanctuary focuses on botanical beauty, particularly orchids, creating a naturally romantic setting that requires minimal decoration.

Nature’s Perfect Backdrop

As a photographer who believes in the power of natural light and organic settings, Del Favero Oasis offers:

• Magnificent oak trees that create dappled light perfect for portraits
• Hundreds of flowering orchids providing pops of color in every frame
• Sprawling passion vines that create texture and depth in photographs
• A dream-like landscape that serves as a natural filter, giving skin tones a lovely warmth

The partially-enclosed pavilion here strikes the perfect balance for receptions—it provides protection from unpredictable Florida weather while still maintaining that coveted outdoor garden feel. The openness allows me to play with natural light well into the evening, which creates those soft, romantic images that couples treasure.

Intimate and Personal

What makes Del Favero particularly special is its size and focus. With packages designed for both standard weddings (up to 120 guests) and intimate celebrations (45 guests or fewer), the space never feels overwhelming or impersonal. This intimacy translates beautifully in photographs, with every image feeling connected and meaningful.

I always recommend that my couples take advantage of the venue’s unique orchid offerings—their centerpieces featuring 10 potted phalaenopsis orchids not only look stunning in detail shots but also make wonderful keepsakes or gifts for family members after the wedding.

Cross Creek Ranch

Cross Creek Ranch is full of so many beautiful spots. Every time I visit, I discover new angles and settings that inspire fresh creativity. This venue’s greatest strength is its versatility, offering distinct spaces that cater to different wedding styles and sizes.

Two Venues in One

Cross Creek Ranch cleverly offers two main venue options:

• The Carriage House Stable: A rustic-elegant space perfect for medium to larger weddings of 100-150 guests. The warm wood tones in this space create a beautiful amber glow in photographs.
• The Oak Hall: A modern industrial barn that’s ideal for more intimate gatherings of 50-65 guests. The clean lines and contemporary feel offer a different aesthetic while maintaining the ranch’s charming character.

Multiple Ceremony Locations

What truly sets Cross Creek apart for photography is its variety of ceremony locations. The greenhouse setting creates a magical atmosphere with beautiful diffused light, while the oak tree setting provides that classic Florida outdoor ceremony feel with filtered sunlight through the branches.

My personal favorite, though, has to be their open-air chapel. The covered structure provides shade for guests (and protection for my equipment!) while still allowing natural light to flood the space. The resulting images have a luminous quality that perfectly captures the emotion of the ceremony.

A Photographer’s Dream

From a technical standpoint, Cross Creek Ranch offers that rare combination of good bones and great light. The architecture provides natural framing elements, while the grounds offer beautiful depth of field opportunities. Whether I’m shooting wide to capture the expanse of the property or focusing tight on intimate moments, this venue consistently delivers stunning results.

NOVA 535

When couples are looking for something completely different from the rustic and garden settings that dominate Tampa’s wedding scene, I often point them to NOVA 535. Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, this 1920s venue brings urban sophistication and historical character to wedding celebrations.

Historic Meets Modern

What makes NOVA 535 so photogenic is its perfect blend of historic charm and contemporary design:

• Exposed brick walls that create warm, textured backgrounds
• Two-story open space with dramatic height for wide shots
• Stunning courtyard with bamboo and market lights
• Original art installations that add visual interest to photographs

The exclusivity of booking—only one event at a time—means we have complete run of the venue for photos. This freedom allows me to create a narrative flow to the images, moving from the upstairs lounge areas for getting-ready shots to the courtyard for first looks, and finally to the main space for ceremony and reception.

Urban Light and Architecture

The light at NOVA 535 deserves special mention. The large windows flood the main space with gorgeous natural light during daytime events, while the venue’s custom lighting system creates dramatic possibilities for evening receptions. The combination allows me to capture everything from bright, airy preparation images to moody, intimate dance floor moments.

With capacity for up to 490 seated guests (or 775 standing), NOVA 535 also handles larger weddings with ease while still maintaining an intimate feel—a balance that’s reflected in the resulting photography.

Whitehurst Gallery

Some venues simply defy categorization, and the Whitehurst Gallery in Tarpon Springs is definitely one of them. Inspired by the Jefferson Memorial, this architectural marvel immediately elevates any wedding with its neoclassical design and dramatic presence.

A True Statement Venue

The Whitehurst Gallery makes an immediate visual impact with:

• Bold columns that create striking vertical lines in photographs
• A magnificent domed roof that draws the eye upward
• Clean, white surfaces that reflect light beautifully
• Timeless design elements that give wedding photos an almost editorial quality

Perfect for Intimate Celebrations

With a capacity of up to 75 guests, the Whitehurst Gallery specializes in more intimate weddings. As a photographer, I find that this size restriction actually enhances the experience—both for the couple and for my camera. The focused nature of smaller weddings allows me to capture more meaningful interactions and subtle emotional moments.

The venue’s architectural grandeur paired with intimate gathering sizes creates a fascinating visual contrast in photographs. Each image feels both monumentally important and deeply personal—exactly what wedding photography should achieve.

Finding Your Perfect Venue

As you consider these incredible Tampa Bay venues for your own wedding, remember that the perfect venue is one that not only looks beautiful but also feels right for your relationship and the story you want to tell.

When I meet with couples to discuss their wedding photography, I always encourage them to choose venues that resonate with their personalities and relationship. The venues I’ve highlighted each have distinct characters that attract different types of couples:

• Mision Lago Estate for couples who want natural luxury and variety
• Del Favero Oasis for botanical lovers seeking intimate garden romance
• Cross Creek Ranch for those desiring rustic flexibility and charm
• NOVA 535 for urban sophistication with historical character
• Whitehurst Gallery for architectural elegance on a more intimate scale

Each of these venues provides a beautiful canvas for your love story—and for my camera to capture images that you’ll treasure for generations.

Remember that great wedding photography is about the connection between couples, their loved ones, and the space they’ve chosen to celebrate in. As your photographer, my goal is to capture not just how your venue looked, but how it felt to be there on one of the most important days of your life.

If you’d like to discuss how we might photograph your wedding at any of these stunning Tampa venues, I’d love to chat. At Love and Artistry, we believe your wedding photographs should be as unique and beautiful as your relationship—and the right venue is the first step in making that vision come to life.