Top 20 Best Wedding Venues in Santa Barbara

December 16, 2019

Have you written your vows yet? Are you excited that your special day is finally here? Do you want everything to be perfect but you just can’t decide on the perfect venue yet? Whether you want a big or small wedding, a waterfront or a vineyard venue, a luxury or a modest and wallet-friendly option, we’re here for you to help you choose the venue that will make everyone remember your wedding for the rest of their lives!

5 Ocean View Wedding Venues

Belmond El Encanto

Belmond El Encanto has been a time-honored wedding venue since the 1920s, dazzling its guests with gardens, outdoor pool, arbor, pond, spa, luxurious bungalows and many more. Located upon the hilltop, Belmond El Encanto will capture your heart with the gorgeous look on the Pacific ocean and Santa Barbara cityscape. The venue provides an all-inclusive service with the prices ranging from $75 to $600 per person and a total number of guests up to 200.

Canary Hotel

The Canary Hotel is yet another hotspot in Santa Barbara. Romantic Tuscan-inspired architecture combined with inspiring natural beauty of the ocean and mountains — seems like an ideal place to say «I do». For even more romantically inclined couples, there is a great option of an outdoor ceremony at the hotel’s rooftop overlooking the sunset. The Canary resort provides both indoor and outdoor spaces with an overall capacity of 130 people and a service fee of $60-250 per person.

Cabrillo Pavilion at East Beach

This is a state-owned enterprise so the prices here are quite reasonable (from just over $3000 and up). This is one of the reasons why the venue attracts so many happy couples. Stunning ocean views naturally is another one. If you want to have a romantic wedding ceremony at the beach without breaking the bank, this might be one of the most suitable options. The architecture of the Pavillion is inspired by Spanish style and has beautiful stucco exterior and red roof tiles.

Rosewood Miramar Beach

If you want to spend your big day at a place beyond expectations, you are on the right track. Rosewood Miramar Beach is one of the most luxurious waterfront wedding venues in Santa Barbara. Enjoy an amazing view of the Pacific ocean spreading to the horizon and far beyond. The reception area is quite big and can accommodate up to 350 people while the price varies widely depending on the space rented, the number of guests, type of wedding package, etc.

Montecito Club

Yet another luxurious wedding reception spot is the Montecito Country Club. It just reopened after a 3-year renovation. The venue offers spacious and first-class banquet halls, ballroom, country club, and many other cozy gathering spaces. The natural landscapes here are nothing short of stunning: panoramic views of the ocean, beautiful lagoon and forest are there to captivate you with their unforgettable beauty. The catering is provided by the venue with prices from $70 to $120 per guest. This reception venue can hold a total of up to 250 guests.

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5 Estate Wedding Venues

La Arboleda

Even though it’s a relatively new event space, La Arboleda attracts many couples with its rustic countryside style, romantic gardens, covered bridges, lawns, dining casitas, entertainment pavilions and many more. The total capacity of the venue is 400 people. The price varies widely and you need to keep in mind that catering service is priced separately, plus there needs to be additional insurance coverage.

Whispering Rose

If you like horses and fallow deer, Whispering Rose Ranch may just be a place for you. Its picturesque landscape grounds, sycamore lane, park, and mountain vista will enchant you with their natural beauty. You’ll get a panoramic view of meadows and valley, mountains and forests, parks and vineyards. The rental fee starts at $7500 but the views and quality service are worth every penny.

Riviera Mansion

Built-in the 19th century, the Riviera Mansion is a proud part of the Santa Barbara celebration tradition. The Mansion offers both outdoor and indoor spaces with a total capacity of 300 people. The venue provides an all-inclusive wedding service including catering, music and many more. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara, Riviera Mansion became one of the most popular wedding venues that attract many happy couples all year round.

The 1880 Union

As the name suggests, the venue was built around 1880 which lends it a certain amount of historic charm. Wooden architecture makes it seem more romantic and rustic and makes it perfect for an old-fashioned wedding reception. Everything here exudes the spirit of tradition and timelessness: an old family clock, big classic-style chandeliers, a fireplace, a piano and a lot of antique furniture. The seating capacity of this venue is 300 people and the prices vary between $6,000 and $11,000.

Four Seasons Resort

Four Seasons Resort is a classic colonial estate located far from the hectic atmosphere of Santa Barbara. This quiet yet luxurious place can ensure a top-quality wedding experience at Escala Garden, La Pacifica Terrace, the ballrooms and all other event spaces (the Resort’s territory covers a total of 15.000 square miles). To complete the picture, Four Seasons Resort overlooks the ocean and can be a perfect venue for a big waterfront wedding. The prices vary widely based on the area rented and the number of guests.

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5 Winery Wedding Venues

Petros Winery

Located at Foxen Canyon Road, Petros Winery offers a stunning view of natural landscapes: from the canyon itself to gorgeous mountains and hills, from a wild forest to a man-made garden, from the small river to wide valleys with countless vineyards. The winery provides all-inclusive wedding packages including catering and music for a price of $65 per person.

Sunstone Winery & Vineyards

If you want a truly romantic French-style wedding, Sunstone Winery might be your perfect choice. The unique architecture inspired by the golden Tuscan sun and French countryside will make your special event unforgettable. Having a seating capacity of 450 people, Sunstone winery allows you to throw a big wedding on a budget of $50000 and over. The venue is full of cozy gathering spaces such as courtyards, terraces, fireplaces and many more.

Zinke Wine Co.

Zinke Wine Co. is a good choice for a small and intimate wedding. The winery itself is a historic landmark building while the courtyard overlooks countless landscaped grounds. This can be a very budget-friendly option as a rental fee can be as low as $1,500. For this venue, you will need to order catering services separately for a total of up to 85 guests.

Presqu’ile Winery

A luxurious Presqu’ile Winery is a true finding for someone who dreams about a waterside wedding and beautiful vineyards. The venue offers an all-inclusive wedding package with a preferred catering list for up to 300 guests. The minimal renting price for this venue is $7000 but the experience is worth it!

Fess Parker Wine Country Inn

A picturesque countryside winery overlooking the hills and countless vineyards is a place to be on your special day. Saying your vows under an ancient oak tree, walking in the garden, tasting exquisite wine, smelling beautiful meadow flowers — does it get more perfect than that? The venue has an all-inclusive quality service and can cover up to 200 guests at $3,500 or more.

best wedding venues in santa barbara

5 Affordable Wedding Venues

Santa Barbara Zoo

If you’re a true nature lover, boy, do we know a perfect wedding venue for you! Santa Barbara Zoo will warmly welcome your guests and provide you with some positive human-animal interaction. Don’t be shy to socialize with giraffes, sheep, porcupines, monkeys, flamingos and many others. Zookeepers even allow guests to feed some of the animals such as giraffes. The zoo itself can accommodate up to 200 people while its ceremony garden has room for 275 guests. The cost of renting this venue is $4,800 including catering services.

Summerland Winery

For all wine connoisseurs out there, Summerland Winery can just be a place to say your wedding vows! With the cost of renting at just $1,500, this may be a perfect place for a small wedding with up to 50 guests. Located just a stone’s throw from downtown Santa Barbara, Summerland Winery is an amazing wedding venue.

Maritime Museum

If you’ve always dreamed about beautiful ocean view wedding but without leaving a huge dent in your life savings, look no further, for Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s doors are wide open for you and your guests. The museum has a superb view overlooking the harbor and has both indoor and outdoor accommodations. If you’re planning to go big, you can have the entire place to yourself or rent a specific part of the museum at a lower price. Total meeting capacity is 400 people and prices can range from $850 to $3,600.

County Courthouse

Please rise for the jury… oops, I mean, for the happy couple! That’s right, you can have a wedding ceremony in the courtroom. This may be a perfect place for you especially if you like to keep things short and simple. You can have a ceremony for as low as $400 but need to spend well over that budget if you’re planning on hosting the reception. Also, keep in mind that the County Courthouse doesn’t provide all-inclusive service so you need to arrange for furniture, catering, amplified music, and other stuff beforehand.

Fairview Gardens

With its 12 acres of orchards and gardens, Fairview farm surely has a lot of space for your guests not to mention the beautiful scenery. Just imagine what goes on in the spring when all the trees are abloom! The gardens happen to overlook mountains which also makes it pretty for Instagram pictures! Renting prices range from $500 to just over $2500 depending on the time of year and the area rented. The farmhouse itself and its yard have a seating capacity of approximately 100 guests.

We hope you found our top wedding venues list helpful as we’ve handpicked the finest and most picturesque places for you to spend your special day at. But we want you to remember that even though a perfect venue can help you set the mood, in the end, your ultimate wedding experience comes down to people around you and the moments you share with them and above all, it comes to the moments you share with your partner.

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