Rialto Theatre,

1617 North Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602

"So glad this theater was preserved and is incredible art space now, as well as events. easy public parking. Great businesses near by walk from downtown for more fun activities."

"I attended an event here for a good friend of mine. I arrived early to help and notice the owner was being extremely rude to my friend and his family who were all helping set up for the event. I was shocked that an owner would even be present while an event is being set up. Who is she to even tell my friend and his family her vision? No honey it's their vision, not yours. I believe she overstepped in so many ways. Very unprofessional. It was so hot that my makeup had to be reapplied before the event actually started. She would only provide one fan and the space was over 3000 sq. ft. Clearly, they need more A/C units. The event was beautiful due to my friend's vision of coming ALIVE. But the added stress this lady gave was absolutely unnecessary. Only to find out later after they cleaned up after the event and once again, she was present and said it was fine, but had the nerve to not refund their deposit. The AUDACITY! DO NOT RENT HERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE BOSSED AROUND BY THE OWNER. Hi, I saw your response and you clearly have the wrong person. I never once cornered you or spoke to you at all. I never even offered to help, I left early. I would appreciate it if you take your allegations to the correct person. It only validates my statement that you were rude to multiple people."

"When I saw this online I loved it! And when the owner gave us a tour of the venue she was super nice and helpful. But once everything was booked, the experience changed drastically. During the setup on the night of the event, the owner was very bossy and rude. She was trying to micromanage everything which was very unexpected and not at all necessary. She had a big industrial fan in the space, but that wasn’t enough. IT WAS VERY VERY HOT. After the event and we had cleaned everything up, she told us we were good to go. Then about 10 days later she emailed me saying we weren’t getting our security deposit back. She claimed that someone had went into the bathroom and placed a whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet which supposedly caused a backup. She said a plumber had to come out and fix it and because of this she was going to use my security deposit to cover the cost. No proof or any kind of invoice was provided. Extremely unprofessional and frankly I wonder if she’s even telling the truth because it sounds bizarre. In conclusion, the space is beautiful but keep in mind that your experience with the owner of the venue may have a significantly negative impact on your overall experience."

"We recently got married in February 2023, and we couldn't be happier with our decision to choose The Rialto Theatre as our wedding venue. Living in Florida, we wanted something different from the typical beach, barn, or hotel ballroom weddings that are so common in the Tampa area. Inspired by the electric vibe of cities like NYC, we envisioned a downtown wedding with a touch of vintage charm. With our ceremony taking place at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, we needed a venue conveniently located nearby. The Rialto, a converted 1920s theatre, perfectly fit the bill and offered a truly unique experience for our guests. One of the standout features of The Rialto is its stunning architecture. The giant archway and brick wall in the back add an incredible amount of character to the venue. Stepping into the theatre, it felt like we were transported back in time. The atmosphere was absolutely enchanting, and it created a memorable backdrop for our special day. We were pleasantly surprised by the affordability of The Rialto compared to other popular venues like Armature Works or Oxford Exchange. The fact that it came as a blank canvas was actually a blessing in disguise. We had the freedom to handpick each vendor and bring our vision to life. This allowed us to stay within our budget and find vendors that perfectly matched our preferences. While The Rialto doesn't come fully equipped with everything, they do provide a small inventory of tables, chairs, and vintage furniture, which we found to be quite helpful. However, one limitation we encountered was the inability to hang anything on the walls. The rest of the walls, apart from the brick wall, were a bright stark white, which gave the venue a somewhat sterile look in our wedding photos. In hindsight, we would have invested in draping or finding creative ways to decorate the walls to add more visual interest. Another aspect to consider is that The Rialto does not have a kitchen, which meant we were unable to have a seated dinner. As we had a 115-person wedding and utilized the entire main area for seating, the lack of a pop-up kitchen posed a challenge. We opted for a buffet-style dinner, which ended up being cost-effective, but it's something to keep in mind if you have your heart set on a seated dinner. One concern we initially had was the feedback we heard about the owner from other vendors. Many of them expressed their frustrations with working with the owner of the venue. However, we had a completely different experience. Throughout our planning process and even on the wedding day, we had no negative interactions with Hope, the owner. Our wedding planner handled any potential issues that may have arisen, and we didn't encounter any problems ourselves. All in all, The Rialto Theatre provided us with an extraordinary wedding experience. Its vintage charm, unique atmosphere, and affordable pricing set it apart from other venues in the Tampa area. While there were a few limitations, such as the white walls and lack of a kitchen for a seated dinner, the overall experience surpassed our expectations. We highly recommend The Rialto to couples looking for an unconventional and vibrant wedding venue that will leave a lasting impression on their guests."

"We could not have dreamed of a better venue to host our wedding! This historic building is absolutely gorgeous. There are tons of details that add beauty and character to the aesthetic, but not so many that it takes away from the vision for your special event! It's truly the perfect blank canvas. Hope was also very accommodating and helpful, and was always available to answer any questions our planner had as we worked to coordinate each detail for our big day. With lots of vendors, it was also a huge plus that we had access to the venue starting at noon, and as late as 2 a.m. afterward. MUCH more accommodating than some of the other locations we looked into! We truly had the most wonderful wedding day experience, and would highly recommend the Rialto for your future events!"