Top Sarasota Venues

• 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 100 Guests

Venetian Golf Club is a private golf and country club set within a 100-acre master-planned community in North Venice, Florida, near the Myakka River and a 70-acre nature preserve. The club was built around a Chip Powell-designed 18-hole championship course, which opened in 2003 and features nine sets of tees for players of all abilities. The 20,000-square-foot Mediterranean-inspired clubhouse serves as the social hub of the club, with a first-floor casual Grille and a second-floor dining area featuring a luxurious bar and outdoor veranda with views over the 18th green. Members and guests gather here for a full calendar of social events — from holiday parties and casual tailgate gatherings to formal dinners and private celebrations — alongside year-round golf programming including weekly games, monthly events, and major tournaments for couples, men, and women.

• Spaces for 800 Guests
• 1 Ballroom

The Venice Community Center is a 45,000-square-foot event facility operated by Sarasota County Parks, situated on Venice's Cultural Campus at 326 Nokomis Avenue South. For decades, it has hosted weddings, galas, proms, seminars, concerts, expos, and community gatherings for groups of all sizes. At the heart of the center is a 10,000-square-foot ballroom accommodating up to 800 seated guests, with a large stage, professional theatrical lighting, and a sound booth. The ballroom can be divided into smaller configurations for more intimate events. Clients also have access to a 2,000-square-foot lobby suitable for cocktail receptions and bar setups, two private dressing rooms with vanity lighting, and a commercial-grade kitchen for catered parties. Nine additional meeting rooms round out the facility, offering flexible options for smaller gatherings, breakout sessions, and ceremonies. All-inclusive event packages are available, or spaces may be rented individually.

• Spaces for 300 Guests

• Spaces for 60-850 Guests
• 1 Restaurant
• 1 Ballroom
• 6 Total Spaces

Plantation Golf & Country Club is a full-service country club event venue set within a 1,300-acre master-planned community in Venice, Florida on the state's southwest coast. With over 30 years of history in the region, the club offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor spaces suited to events of 20 to 1,000 guests, from intimate dinners to large-scale receptions and weddings. The 45,000-square-foot clubhouse anchors the event offering, housing the Manor Ballroom — a versatile space with moveable walls that can be configured for gatherings of 50 to 850 guests — alongside more intimate rooms including the Grill Room and the Hibiscus Room. Outdoors, the Manor Lawn and the oak-canopied garden provide ceremony settings backed by a pond, tree line, and the Bobcat Course. The Pool Deck extends the outdoor options to poolside receptions of up to 300 guests. The culinary team offers classic buffet, plated dinner, and hors d'oeuvres service. The club can host the full scope of a wedding event — ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, and engagement party — as well as corporate functions, golf tournaments, fundraisers, and private celebrations of all kinds.