Plant-forward, Small Wedding Venue: the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
Rema Merrick | December 15, 2025
Credit: K&K Photography | Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg | Florist: Wonderland Floral Art | Catering: Constellation Culinary Group
Plant-forward, Small Wedding Venue Summary
In this article, I share the four factors that influenced my husband’s and my decision to select the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg for our plant-forward, small wedding in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. I’ll also talk about eight things to think about when choosing the right venue for your plant-forward, small wedding celebration.
Introduction
Finding the right venue for your plant-forward, intimate wedding is one of the most important items on your wedding planning “To Do” list. The perfect venue sets the mood and theme for your entire event. St Pete has many unique venues to fit an event of any size --- from an elopement to a pop-up wedding to a micro-wedding. There are parks, museums, theatres, beaches, the St Pete Pier, and many more event spaces --- each with its own unique charm and personality.
When I was planning my plant-forward, sober-friendly, micro-wedding for 40 guests. I researched several venues in and around downtown St. Pete but short-listed five venues: Sunken Gardens, The Birchwood, Station House, the Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement, and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. My husband and I picked the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg --- a magical place where we had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception celebration.
In this article, I briefly explain why we chose the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg for our plant-forward, sober-friendly, micro-wedding, including the four factors that most influenced our decision. In addition, I’ll share eight things to consider when deciding on which venue is right for your plant-forward, small wedding celebration.
Plant-forward, Small Wedding: Why We Chose the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg as our Venue
When planning your intimate wedding, it’s a good idea to pause and think about the things that are most important for you and your partner when it comes to where you want to celebrate. For example, maybe you have a modest budget to work with and you’ve always dreamed of a beach wedding. In this case, a budget-friendly wedding on the beach at Lassing Park may be a great option for your tiny wedding ceremony. For you, the budget and location are going to be the two most important deciding factors. Whatever your ‘must haves’ are, they should guide your decision on the venue.
When my husband and I were searching for the right wedding venue, there were four factors that mattered the most to us: the location of the venue, the size of the event spaces within the venue, the style and ambiance of the spaces, and the availability of great vegan options from the caterer. The vegan options were important to us because we are longtime vegetarians and several of our guests were vegans or vegetarians. We made our decision based on these four factors.
First, the location for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception needed to be in the same location. Since most of our guests were from out of town, we did not want them traveling from place to place for each part of the event. We wanted to make it simple. This is one of the reasons we chose the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. The museum offers five different event spaces for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions: the Conservatory, Marly Room, Membership Garden, Sculpture Garden, and North Straub Park.
Credit: K&K Photography | Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg | Florist: Wonderland Floral Art | Catering: Constellation Culinary Group
Second, we wanted a space that would accommodate our small guest count of 40 without feeling like the space swallowed us. An event space can come across as empty and cold when the space is too large for the number of guests. This was not the case; each space we chose felt cozy, warm, and personal.
Third, we wanted a romantic, old-world feel and that is exactly what we got with the three event spaces at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Our ceremony took place in the Membership Garden, which is a “… Spanish-style garden with rich foliage surrounded by columns and arched loggias with vaulted ceilings” (Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 2025). Guests enjoyed cocktails in the Sculpture Garden that has “several permanent sculptures and tropical plants and beautiful natural light” (Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 2025). The Marly Room, ‘an elegant ballroom with 22-feet high ceilings and 4 crystal chandeliers’ (Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 2025), hosted the reception celebration, including dinner and dancing. What makes the Marly even more special is that it is adjoined north and south by the Membership and Sculpture Gardens, which created a seamless flow of the evening’s events.
Photography: K&K Photography | Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg, Membership Garden | Florist: Wonderland Floral Art | Rentals: Constellation Culinary Group
Finally, and most important, the caterer for the museum, Constellation Culinary Group, offered several delicious vegan and vegetarian options for appetizers, salads, and main courses. The chef prepared a delicious, vegan option for the main course that was not one of the initial menu choices, the herb roasted celery root (see menu). Even some of our guests who eat meat selected the vegan option and loved it. One of my favorite passed appetizers during the cocktail hour was the vegetarian brie and guava mini-sandwiches.
Photography: K&K Photography | Catering: Constellation Culinary Group
Menu Design and Creation: Rema Merrick @ The Paper Peoni
Plant-forward, Small Wedding: What to Consider When Picking Your Venue
Based on my experience with finding a venue for my plant-forward, small wedding, here are eight things I recommend you consider. The process of planning any wedding --- even a plant-forward, small wedding --- can be overwhelming; but, consuming information in more digestible bites can help to make the process less intimidating. So, while there are more things to think about, I have focused on eight to get you started.
Plant-forward, Small Wedding: 8 Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Venue
Plant-forward, Small Wedding Venue Budget
Settle on a budget for your wedding. Think about how much of that budget you will earmark for your venue. The amount does not have to be an exact number but you should know whether you want to spend $100, $1,000 or $10,000 for your total wedding budget. If you're having a micro-wedding, like my wedding, allotting 20 to 40 percent of your wedding budget for the venue is reasonable. This may quickly eliminate some types of venues. For example, if your budget is $1,000, having your wedding at a brand name resort and golf club may bust your budget. In this case, you may want to consider a simple beach wedding ceremony and a cozy dinner at your favorite local restaurant.
Timeline
Pick the date for your wedding. Do you want to get married within the next month or two? Or do you want your wedding a year from now? Your wedding timeline may limit your choices of wedding venues. We booked the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg a year in advance. If you only have a week or two to plan your wedding, an elopement ceremony at the courthouse or at an intimate celebration at your home may be your best option. But, if you have a year or more to plan the wedding, venues like a hotel, museum or unique event spaces are real options (as they may require up to a year in advance to reserve a date).
Guest Count
Create your guest list and count. Will you elope with just you, your partner, and a few guests? Or will have a micro-wedding that includes 50 guests? Some venues, like Vinoy Park, are flexible and can accommodate a few guests or 50 guests. Other venues, due to the size, layout and cost, may be more space make work for more specific guest counts.
Style
Think about the feel, style, theme, and ambiance you want for your intimate event: a casual, romantic ceremony under one of St Pete’s historic Banyan trees, a dramatic, production-type event at the Floridian Social Club or a Florida-garden style wedding at Sunken Gardens.
Restrictions
Find out the venue restrictions; and, determine if they align with your wedding wish list and requirements. Does the venue require you use their approved vendors but you have a specific vendor you want to use that is not on the approved list? Is there a particular type of music you wanted played at your event but the venue prohibits this type of music? Do you want to use real candles but the venue does not allow them for fire safety reasons?
Accommodations
Think through your guest list and whether anyone might need a little extra support or accommodation. For example, you may want to offer sensory-friendly options, such as a quiet room or hidden nook, for guests who get easily overstimulated. Or, provide catering options appropriate for dietary restrictions or food allergies.
Plant-forward, Small Wedding Venue Location
Consider your specific to the venue's location. For example, you may want a venue that allows you to have the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in the same location, so that guests do not have to travel all over town. Or you may want a venue that is near hotels or overnight accommodations for guests traveling from out of town.
Planning
Decide on the amount of work or planning you want to personally do for your wedding celebration. There are venues that offer all-inclusive packages where you just choose a package, show up, and they do everything else. Or if you would like to be more hands-on, you may want a venue where you are responsible for hiring and coordinating an entire team of vendors (e.g., wedding planner, caterer, florist, design team, equipment, etc. Maybe you prefer something in between the two options, where you bring in some of the vendors but the venue includes catering, tables and chairs.
Plant-forward, Small Wedding Venue Final Thoughts
In this article, I shared four reasons the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg was the right venue for my husband and me to celebrate our plant-forward, small wedding. These factors were 1) the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception being in one space; 2) the event spaces being the right size for our small guest count; 3) the venue having a romantic, old-world feel; and 4) the caterer providing delicious vegan options. Then, I listed eight things to consider when deciding which venue is right for your small wedding. My hope at The Petite Peoni is that the wedding venue insights I shared will help you find a beautiful, personal wedding venue that is authentically you.
Please note: This post is not sponsored or supported by any of the establishments or organizations mentioned. I’m not being paid for this content; everything I share is based on my own experience, research, and personal opinion.
Share your story
Do you have a special story about your small wedding in St. Pete, Florida? I would love to hear your story.
Photography: K&K Photography | Make-up: Tricia Montaque | Bouquet: Wonderland Floral Art
Rema Merrick
Hi! I’m a St. Pete local, tiny wedding enthusiast, and long-time vegetarian. When I’m not researching or writing articles for The Petite Peoni, you’ll usually find me running along the waterfront at Vinoy Park, taking a hot yoga class, or enjoying a cup of coffee at Bandit Coffee in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. In a former life, I’ve been an insurance agent, flight attendant, and instructional designer—experiences that still shape how I approach storytelling and thoughtful celebration.
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