Top North Port Venues

• Spaces for 500 Guests

• Spaces for 325 Guests

• Spaces for 200 Guests

• Spaces for 400 Guests
• 1 Museum
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 space at this venue

Edison and Ford Winter Estates is a 20-acre historic site along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida — the former winter retreats of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Edison first arrived in 1886, building Seminole Lodge on the river's edge; Ford later purchased the adjacent property, naming his home The Mangoes. The two estates operated side by side for decades, separated only by a gate the families called the Friendship Gate. Open to the public since 1947, the site today encompasses historic homes, the 1928 Edison Botanical Research Laboratory, a museum, and botanical gardens featuring more than 1,700 plant species. For private events, the Estates offer several outdoor spaces suited to weddings, corporate gatherings, receptions, and ceremonies. The Ford Lawn, the largest of these, accommodates 400 or more guests with direct views of the Caloosahatchee River and access to Ford's historic automobiles and winter home. Smaller gatherings find their setting in the Moonlight Garden — a fragrant, bougainvillea-draped outdoor room — or beneath the canopy of the Coconut Grove at the River Pavilion. An events coordinator is included with all wedding packages, and parking is complimentary for guests.

• Spaces for 100 Guests

• Spaces for 300 Guests

• Spaces for 250 Guests

Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club is a private, member-owned country club set on more than 800 acres in Fort Myers, Florida. Developed in 1997 and opened in 1999, the club has grown into a well-established residential and recreational community anchored by two championship 18-hole golf courses — the Sabal and the Royal — designed by Jed Azinger and Gordon G. Lewis. The grounds encompass 45 freshwater lakes and 179 acres of nature preserves. The 28,400-square-foot Clubhouse sits at the heart of the property, overlooking a 38-acre lake. Dining options include the Palms Dining Room, which offers upscale fine dining and lakefront views; the casual Grill Room with daily lunch and dinner service; the Oasis Grill & Tiki Bar, which overlooks the resort-style pool and golf course; and a poolside Cabana. The Activity Center's second floor features a large multipurpose room that can be divided into three separate spaces accommodating up to 96 guests. While Heritage Palms is a private club, it welcomes a limited number of outside events each year, including weddings, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, corporate gatherings, and holiday festivities.

• Spaces for 25-150 Guests
• 2 Restaurants
• 2 Bars
• 2 Total Spaces

The Sunset by Gulf Drive Cafe is a waterfront wedding and event venue situated at the south end of Anna Maria Island in Bradenton Beach, Florida, where the Gulf of Mexico's turquoise-emerald waters and sugar-white sands frame a spectacular backdrop of multi-colored sunsets. The venue offers several open-air spaces suited to gatherings of different sizes. The Sunset Tiki is a rustic, spacious tiki hut accommodating up to 150 guests, with white padded chairs and tables arranged around a dance floor and roll-down shutters to shield guests from the elements. The Seaside Tiki is a more intimate spot for groups of up to 30, where guests can dine alfresco at a custom 20-foot wood banquet table with their feet in the sand. All food and beverage, staffing, equipment, and linens are provided through the venue. A dedicated event coordinator supports each couple from planning through event day, and the venue books only one reception per day.

• Spaces for 250 Guests

• Spaces for 44-965 Guests
• 5 Hotels
• 5 Ballrooms
• 5 Total Spaces

Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa is a waterfront resort and event destination set on 85 acres along San Carlos Bay in Fort Myers, Florida, with views across to Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The property offers more than 45,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor function space across 13 event rooms and 24 breakout rooms, with a capacity of up to 965 guests in the largest venue. Four ballrooms anchor the event offering — from the expansive 9,684-square-foot Palms Ballroom, divisible into eight sections, to the Everglades Ballroom, Gardens Ballroom, and the intimate Island Room, which features floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides. Outdoor and veranda settings add flexibility for ceremonies, cocktail receptions, and waterfront gatherings. A dedicated team of event professionals supports planning from initial consultation through event day, with full in-house catering and audiovisual services available on-site. The resort also features a 40,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, a private fishing pier, water sports, and multiple dining venues, providing guests with a range of activities before and after events.

• Spaces for 200-300 Guests
• 1 Ballroom
• 1 Country Club

Colonial Country Club is a private club and event venue set within a gated, master-planned community in Fort Myers, Florida, overlooking an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Gordon Lewis and framed by a network of lakes. Following a $6.5 million clubhouse renovation completed in 2020, the venue expanded its indoor and outdoor event spaces, added a new bar, and enlarged the kitchen — all now managed by Troon Privé. Though Colonial is a private membership club, its event facilities are open to non-members for weddings and private celebrations. The modern Ballroom accommodates up to 200 guests with panoramic views of the fairways and lakes, while an open-air screened patio and a west-facing back portico — overlooking a pond and the 18th green at sunset — provide ceremony settings suited to a range of preferences. An in-house events team and Executive Chef Albert Wallace handle coordination and custom menu planning from the initial tasting through the day of the event.

• Spaces for 120 Guests
• 1 Hotel
• 1 Outdoor
• 1 space at this venue

The Sanibel Harbour Princess is a 100-foot private yacht docked at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa on Fort Myers' waterfront, offering a distinctive on-the-water venue for private events, weddings, and celebrations. The vessel features an outdoor observation deck, an upper deck, and a lower deck — allowing guests to take in sweeping views of San Carlos Bay and the Gulf Coast as the yacht glides through the scenic harbor. The Princess accommodates up to 120 guests for receptions and is available for full private charter, making it well suited for wedding ceremonies and receptions, rehearsal dinners, anniversary celebrations, and intimate group occasions. The captain is available to perform ceremonies on board. All food and beverage is provided by the resort's in-house catering team. Docked steps from the Marriott resort campus, guests also have access to resort amenities including a full-service spa, water sports, and valet parking.

• Spaces for 41-300 Guests
• 1 Ballroom
• 4 Country Clubs

Lexington Country Club is a private club and event venue in Fort Myers, Florida, set against the backdrop of a Gordon Lewis-designed golf course. The clubhouse accommodates events ranging from intimate gatherings to celebrations of 300 or more guests, with multiple rooms that can be configured individually or combined. The Vista Ballroom seats up to 150 guests and offers panoramic views of the golf course, with a built-in dance floor and the option to divide into two smaller rooms for events of up to 74. The adjacent Seasons Room holds up to 100 guests, and when combined with the Vista Ballroom, the two spaces together can host up to 260. For rehearsal dinners and small private gatherings, the Waterford and Wedgewood Rooms seat up to 41 guests combined. Full-venue buyouts of the clubhouse — including the Vista Ballroom, Grille Room, Lounge, and Patio — accommodate 300 or more. An in-house Executive Chef and catering team handle all food and beverage service. A dedicated catering manager works with clients to coordinate event details, and facility packages include linens, table settings, and dance floor access.

• Spaces for 40-70 Guests
• 1 Outdoor
• 2 Resorts
• 2 Total Spaces

West Wind Island Resort sits on 500 feet of private Gulf of Mexico beachfront on Sanibel Island, Florida — one of the island's longest stretches of shell-strewn shoreline on the island's western tip. The resort's 104 guest rooms, beachfront studios, and suites allow out-of-town guests to stay on-site, making it a natural choice for destination celebrations that extend well beyond a single evening. For events, the resort offers both outdoor and indoor settings. Beach and lawn ceremonies accommodate up to 70 guests directly on the Gulf, with sunset views as the backdrop. Indoor receptions for groups up to 40 guests take place on-site, supported by the resort's award-winning catering team and a dedicated event coordinator who guides planning from first inquiry through the event day. The on-site Normandie Seaside Pub and Upper Deck Bar add casual hospitality options alongside the formal event spaces. All food and beverage service is handled in-house. Complimentary paddleboards, kayaks, and bicycle rentals give guests additional ways to enjoy the island between events.

• Spaces for 300 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Country Club

The Forest Country Club is a private country club set across 620 acres of nature preserve in South Fort Myers, Florida, home to two championship, walkable golf courses. The contemporary clubhouse features floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping panoramic views, along with lounge areas, dining rooms, a fitness center, and patio space — giving it the range to host gatherings from intimate celebrations to large-scale receptions. The club's Cypress Grill Room accommodates member events for up to 300 guests and offers a full dining program built around locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. An attached covered terrace extends the space outdoors, while the Gumbo Limbo Outdoor Tiki Bar — overlooking the 18th hole of the Bear course — provides an open-air setting with fire pits and tropical beverages. The Forest regularly hosts weddings, golf tournaments, corporate events, charity fundraisers, and a full calendar of themed social events for its membership.

• Spaces for 40 Guests

• Spaces for 16-600 Guests
• 1 Ballroom
• 4 Meeting Spaces

The University Student Center (USC) at USF St. Petersburg serves as the heart of campus life, offering more than 81,000 square feet of flexible event and meeting space in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. Opened in 2012 and financed through student fees, the building was initiated by students as a dedicated gathering place for the campus community and has since grown into one of the region's most versatile university event venues. The USC's signature space is its Grand Ballroom — 7,490 square feet divisible into up to three sections via automated partition walls — accommodating up to 600 guests for theater-style events or 352 for banquet-seated affairs. Smaller meetings and intimate gatherings are served by the Ocean Room, Palm Room, and Coral Room, each equipped with A/V technology and free internet access. Student Centers & Events coordinates room setups, audio-visual support, on-site catering through Chartwells, event staffing, and university police services, making the USC a turnkey option for conferences, corporate events, banquets, receptions, and non-profit functions alike.