How to Book the Courthouse Garden for Your Dream Wedding
Address
1100 Anacapa St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Email the Weddings Coordinator
Courthouse Construction:
A multi-phase roof repair project is to be conducted on the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Phase 3A of the roof restoration project began on Monday, April 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be completed in 6-7 months (October/November 2025). This roof project will place scaffolding and mesh from the ground of the building and up to the roof on both sides (Garden side and Anacapa side) of the Hall of Records/County Recorder’s Office.
Our recommendation is for all Garden ceremonies to take place in front of the Fiesta Stage, where the scaffolding will not be noticeable in pictures or video. Construction will be conducted Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM.
Much of this work will be conducted in silence, with no power tools, but we cannot guarantee there will not be any construction noise during the Garden ceremonies.
About:
This historic 1929 Spanish-Moorish structure is one of the most beautiful buildings in the U.S. Its meticulously maintained gardens and spacious lawns have become a popular site for special events.
Weddings that choose the Exterior Gardens reserve the site for three hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please note that the Courthouse Building closes at 4:45 p.m. Our fee, comparable with other sites, is listed. These reservation fees all fall within the BOS's current fee structure.
For small wedding ceremonies with 15 or fewer participants, we have identified six suitable locations outside the reserved spaces, free of charge, primarily along the Anacapa and Figueroa Street lawn areas. These locations (A through H) are non-reservable. The complementary areas A-H are for a group of 15 or less, first come first serve, no set up (no chairs, tables, décor, arch, etc.) and you bring your officiant. Available 24/7 all year round. The officiants from the County Recorder’s Office/Hall of Records will NOT perform a ceremony in the free spaces. No reservation is taken you just walk up, stand and do your vows then vacate. These locations will provide a place for small wedding parties with the architectural treasure of the Courthouse buildings and landscaping as a backdrop.
Please note that the County Courthouse is a public building. Wedding areas may not be roped off, and all public access ways must be maintained available at all times. The County of Santa Barbara, its Directors, Employees, and Representatives are not responsible or liable for the actions of the public during Weddings/Special Events.
Courthouse Clock Tower:
The Clock Tower may not be reserved, nor utilized for wedding ceremonies.
Fees:
The fee to reserve the Exterior Gardens is $1,200 ($1,000 facility fee plus $200 non-refundable application fee). Full Payment (application plus facility fee) must be made at the time of reservation and in order to be locked into the schedule we require the application completed, signed, dated and initialed with the full payment.
Cancellations must be made at least sixty days before the event to receive a full refund, minus the non-refundable application fee. Cancellations received less than sixty days before the event will be subject to a 50% cancellation charge of the paid facility fee and cancellations less than three (3) days before the event will not receive any refund.
Santa Barbara Courthouse Garden Wedding:
The Garden is made up of 5 spaces: the Sunken Garden, Palm Terrace, Fiesta Stage, Bird of Paradise, and Rotunda Lawn. These spaces are all reserved as one. The maximum capacity is 250.
On very popular dates, it is possible for a Special Event and Exterior Kitchen placement to be visible from the Gardens. The Santa Barbara Courthouse is a multi-use facility. On any given day many activities and events can take place: from tours, weddings, large events, exterior kitchen placement, corporate events, tour buses, rally’s and celebrations.
The following rules apply to all wedding ceremonies:
No amplified sound, but soft acoustic music would be permitted.
All chairs and equipment are to be hand-carried to the wedding site.
No rice, confetti, flower petals, birdseed, or open flames are permitted.
Wedding rehearsals are not included with a wedding reservation.
Taping off or coning any area of Courthouse Grounds is not permitted.
Food or beverages are not allowed for ceremonies (unless a Light Reception is reserved).
Water bottles are permitted in exterior venues only (not in the Mural Room) and must be disposed of properly.
Stay out of planting beds.
No officiants are provided.
A Valued Experience:
From the perspective of wedding planners and prospective marriage partners, the proposed wedding program at the Courthouse Grounds offers several key benefits:
Guaranteed Reserved Space - Perhaps the primary benefit would be the option to reserve a particular location in advance. Rather than having to stake out a location early on a busy morning, planners can count on the reservation system to protect the wedding site.
Coordination with County Parks Staff - Instead of setting up wedding ceremonies under the radar, planners and families could rely on the expertise of the County Parks staff to reserve locations and answer questions.
Limiting Conflicts with Smaller Weddings - With small, unregulated wedding ceremonies relocated to the outer perimeter of the grounds, potential conflicts, especially on popular dates, will be minimized.
Reservations:
To check availability and access the Application, first click on the blue "Make A Reservation!" button below. Then, select "Facilities & Hourly Rentals." Next, select "Courthouse" and click the blue "Show Facilities" button. Finally, click on the grey Details button.
Any questions regarding a marriage license, license submit, express weddings, civil ceremony (reserved 90-days out), officiant inquiries and ceremony for up to 15 people are for the County Recorder’s Office which conducts business Monday through Friday only. To contact the County Recorder’s Office please visit the link below:
WEBSITE: https://www.countyofsb.org/595/Marriages
Please Note: Reservations may be made up to but no more than 12 months from the date of the ceremony. Reservations may not be made less than five business days from the date of the ceremony.
