Berkeley City Club

our wedding party spent the weekend. Between the garden courtyards, the pool, the top-floor balconies, the member's lounge, etc, there are countless gorgeous locations for photos to range from lush to stately to elegant to sunny. The venue staff live up to the old-world class of the building by providing exceptional services on site: great food at Julia's restaurant, a very complete bar at Morgan's, a well run hotel upstairs. Our wedding weekend felt like a vacation in an old European town center. The venue worked well with all of our vendors, and though there are some restrictions about how the historic spaces can be used, we were able to make everything work. I would highly recommend the Berkeley City Club for anyone who wants a wedding venue that feels totally unique, yet still classic, elegant, and historic. Your planner and photographer will love working with BCC. Berkeley is also a wonderful place to spend a wedding weekend: great weather, lots of great restaurants and cafes, lovely hikes nearby in the east bay hills, and close to major airports. A few pieces of advice for those considering a wedding here: - BCC has done a great job with certain accessibility retrofits, but ultimately it is still an old building. One member of our wedding party was in a wheelchair and found certain parts of the building difficult to navigate. - The complimentary tasting is limited to 2 first course and 3 entree selections. We arranged to pay extra to be able to try more first courses and entrees. - If you're designing a custom cocktail and want to make sure that it's just right, reach out to the venue to work out the details early. We found that the bar had trouble reproducing our recipe at banquet scale - it was still delicious, but that detail could have been smoothed out earlier in the process. - Lodging at BCC and most nearby hotels is pricey. Make sure your wedding guests will be able to afford it. Try to book a room block at an inexpensive hotel nearby early in the planning process. - Pay attention to UC Berkeley schedules when planning your wedding weekend. Rehearsal dinners and afterparty spots are much easier to book in the summer before the students are around. - Consider Le Bateau Ivre for your rehearsal dinner, Cornerstone for your afterparty, and Cameron Stanford House for your Sunday brunch. We loved them all.

e page while looking at another venue, and they were actually the only place we looked at in person because we immediately knew it was the one. The space is even more beautiful in person - as another reviewer mentioned, it’s so stunning that we barely needed any decorations. That and the fact that all the catering and beverages are done in house really helps keep costs and stress to a minimum. I also have to mention the food, which was incredible and something all the guests talked about. Madison, Maria, and the whole BCC staff were wonderful and helped make our wedding day memorable and special. If you’re having a wedding in the Bay Area, I honestly don’t think it gets any better than this place.

lassic; we brought in minimal decorations, since the venue itself is so beautiful. Our dinner was fantastic, and the kitchen was extremely accommodating with dietary restrictions. And the staff is so so so friendly. I can’t stress this enough. During our wedding, we all felt that everyone there was also having a good time along with us. Seeing their happiness and excitement for us really added to the event.

ble and accommodating, but made planning a wedding during a pandemic very easy. We primarily worked with Heather for the majority of the wedding planning- not only was she professional, but also supportive and so kind. Madison took over for our rehearsal and day of and she was equally kind, supportive, and professional. The entire staff the day of were professional, communicative, and flexible. The venue itself is beautiful and we were so happy to get pictures everywhere. The benefit of beautiful architecture and decor is needing less additions day of. The location is also ideal to explore Berkeley and all it's unique eateries. I highly recommend Berkeley City Club for any special events.

events coordinator, Heather, really pulled out all the stops to make it a special day for us out on their terrace. Delicious food and drinks were served in a safe and thoughtful way. My guests were able to sit outside with the right amount of distance between us but an atmosphere that brought us together. We even got to dance! Thanks to BCC for making it happen.

was top notch. The staff communicated extremely well with us before and during the event and worked with us through COVID issues. I highly recommend this venue.

ovely touch to the flowers by Biden and Lilly. Chef Fabrice out did himself with a delicious Tapas lunch. We were surrounded by love and celebration from family and friends in the lovely ambience of the City Club. Thank you! Anne and Steve

When we first saw the venue, we immediately fell in love. The architecture and classic, romantic atmosphere matched perfectly with our vision. Victoria was incredible to work with and so flexible; ensuring every detail was exactly what we wanted and how we wanted it. The team the day of from catering, to hospitality, executed flawlessly. This venue and the team are the very best and we will be back often to visit and will be reliving our special day over and over for years to come!

1.5+ year journey leading up to our wedding working with the BCC was less than smooth. The good things first: The venue is stunning. The terrace was the perfect spot for the ceremony (when you cover the side opening with curtains to block views of the parking lot and free clinic) - it allows you to have an outdoor ceremony while still being covered from the sun. The library for cocktail hour is gorgeous. The reception hall was the perfect size for a wedding of 135 with a dance floor in the middle. It was so nice to have separate spaces for each part, but all of them flowed so well into each other and made for easy transitions. There are also so many hidden gardens and spots for pictures around the club. The venue also being a hotel was a HUGE plus. Being able to celebrate all evening and then just take the elevator to your room was perfect for us and our guests. Catering / Bartenders - the food was delicious! The zucchini ravioli was a big hit and the flat iron stake with chimichurri was delicious. Lots of compliments from our guests on the food! The bartenders were also amazing - despite serving the wrong beer, they poured generously and were on top of serving our guests and also making sure that myself and the groom always had a drink when we needed one! And then the bad: Events Management Turnover - in the time since we signed our contract to when we had our wedding we went through 5 different events managers. There was also a time when there was no events manager and we were concerned that our wedding might not even take place. None of the events managers kept good notes, we had to repeat information multiple times, things were promised to us that ended up not happening as each person had a different opinion of what was offered. The last management change happened just over 3 weeks out from our wedding - it was incredibly frustrating starting from scratch with a new contact so close to the wedding day. Over promised, under delivered - throughout working with our 5 events managers, one of them told us we could have our choice of colored linens. Our final events manager (the one that came in 3 weeks before the wedding) came in and tried to take that away from us, saying it was something that was not offered. We pushed back since we were so close to the wedding date and they finally agreed to bring in colored linens for us at no extra charge....BUT on our wedding day the colored linens (we had asked for white tablecloths and navy napkins) weren't there. Instead it was their standard off-white / cream linens. While this isn't a HUGE deal, it did change the look of the room and what we had been hoping for. We also picked from their menu all of the alcohol that we would want at the wedding. We confirmed our choices with them the week before the wedding and made bar signage that listed each item. On our wedding day, the BCC changed all the beer types that they served at our wedding (without informing us) so what we had listed for our guests was incorrect. The types of beers weren't even close or comparable to what we had asked (if we ask for an IPA at least switch it out for another IPA). Overall, the wedding was a success and the venue was beautiful. Just beware of the high turnover and attention to detail.

way!) and was more than prepared for the demands of our multi-part ceremony and reception. Our guests loved the history and smooth transitions between each room. The event had a good flow, and we credit that to the close proximity of kitchen, ballroom, ceremony space (terrace), and cocktail lounge (library). A great find for the money we paid.

steered me in a better direction when I was making questionable decisions regarding table arrangements. Over the course of 8 months, we exchanged countless emails (my now husband and I did not want a cookie cutter wedding - so Sarah helped tremendously with logistics), with all of her responses usually occurring by the end of that business day. The staff was incredible. So many things happened behind the scenes to ensure the day went smoothly - things that I hadn’t even considered to coordinate. For example, rented dishware and chargers were rinsed, dried, and placed in our suite for us. Rented linens were shaken out and stored safely for the vendor to pick up. There was nothing that we had to think about; we dealt with professionals who are obviously experts in their field. With the benefit of hindsight, we would chose BCC all over again. Happily.

y lives up to its name "the little castle" and provided so many beautiful spots for pictures. Dancing was my #1 priority for our reception and the dance floor was large and inviting with the band on the stage. The staff was great to work with and responded to emails quickly which was appreciated in the wedding process! I'd highly recommend this venue.

d highly recommend them! Our wedding planning process with the BCC started around a year in advance after we toured the space and fell in love with it. Sarah was our point of contact for most of the process, and she was great to work with: she was always super responsive and helpful (even when I barraged her with long lists of questions by email), did a great job, and seemed genuinely interested in making sure we had a great wedding experience. The planning process was fairly painless and was mostly handled by email, though we visited in person a few times for tours, tastings, and vendor walkthroughs. Note that the BCC requires couples to hire a day-of coordinator for weddings, but that ended up being a blessing (the coordinator was a big help). The BCC's prices also compared really favorably with other places we looked (still expensive, but so is everything nice in the Bay). Our wedding turned out incredibly well, and we got so many compliments about how everything looked -- including the BCC's beautiful spaces! We did portrait sessions all over the building (including the pool in the basement!) and had our "first look" in the courtyard. We held the ceremony on the covered, open-air Terrace, which was a great spot, especially after the BCC added white draping to the ceiling at some point (pro-tip: add sheer draping to the back of the Terrace to block out views of the parking lot and free clinic). Our cocktail hour was in the Member's Lounge (a super-cool room -- great place for portraits as well), and our reception was in the Ballroom. The Ballroom was a great size for our ~110 guests (plenty of room for dancing!) and was a great reception space -- especially once we added a few subtle uplights and replaced the default chairs (which aren't the best) with rental chiavari chairs. We mostly stuck with the BCC-provided plates and linens, though we added a few extra things (rental napkins). And all of the food we had was great! We were worried at first about being locked in to the BCC's food service (no outside caterers allowed), but it was all super tasty, and the service was great throughout the evening. The hotel experience at the BCC was also nice and full of vintage charm. I can't speak to how the other rooms were, but the two suites I saw (including the wedding suite) were spacious and had fantastic views of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges! The building itself is also full of great touches -- especially the magical pool in the basement. That said, the hotel won't be a perfect fit for everyone: the rooms and furniture can be a bit worn out in places, the rooms don't have TVs (a concern for some of our guests), the elevator broke while we were there, it was tough for guests to request rooms with our block, and the hotel parking lot fills up quickly. But if those things aren't deal breakers for you, the hotel experience at the BCC can be a special one. Overall, we were really happy with the Berkeley City Club for our wedding venue. We had the wedding of our dreams, and we can't imagine having had it anywhere else!

or assigned to our event appeared incompetent for the position and anything but organized. Our interactions with her became more & more terse as the months and only got slightly better when we requested that the General Manager become involved. Although he seemed capable & professional he seemed determined to stay out of the situation and continued to allow his coordinator

nswered all my multiple questions and even met with my in-laws to discuss pricing options! The food is also excellent and their wine list will make anyone a wine lover! Also, because the architecture is varied and beautiful, it makes a wonderful location to get married inside or outside, and with lots of fun spots for the photographer to take pictures. One word of caution though: The only downside is that there is ZERO parking for guests, so you need to find a parking lot. And if the Cal Bears are in town, all bets are off! But don't let that stop you from using this location. My day was unforgettable, and the main reason was because of the City Club's staff.

and its capacity to hold our group of around 200. The price was great for our budget, but from the beginning, planning was rough. The events staff had very high turnover and we worked with three different people, none of whom could reply to an email. We were very patient and reluctant to complain but as the event came closer, it was impossible not to. Everything we requested was somehow not noted or passed on to the right person. I will say that my guests thought the event was beautiful and the food delicious, but if I had not had friends and family around to help, it would have been a disaster. The photo booth area had not been cleared as planned and my husband had to go down to direct staff; tables were not set up according to the diagram submitted and approved (some guests were not able to sit at their assigned tables because there weren't enough seats!); our musicians (who we loved!) were not served their lunches (when we told the event director this he simply said, "They didn't ask"); lunch service was slow; our sheet cake that was to be precut was brought out in front of the guests to be cut; and our event coordinator who said he would be around was MIA for almost the entire event. I will say that Norman, the banquet manager, was very attentive. My last great annoyance was that shortly before the event, the coordinator offered to move the lunch wine to the cash bar after lunch service and to just bill us on consumption. When I emailed after the event (and waited an unreasonably long time for a response) he said that our account was settled and we had paid in full. I had to remind him about the wine moving to the cash bar and we were reluctantly issued a significant check with my name misspelled and with my husband's last name (which I didn't take). I would only recommend Berkeley City Club if you are absolutely in love with the structure, you have a large group, need to have your reception in the area, and have LOTS of people to help you the day of.

nd the butternut squash ravioli with pumpkin sauce highly enough. There is a perfect space for the cocktail reception and the photo booth if you are using one. And the coordinator, Ellyn was very responsive and addressed all our concerns.above all, you really get a very good deal for what you are getting. Place looks like a mini castle at a fraction of the price and we also got a complimentary bridal suite where I got ready and spentthe night.

She was let go and Crystal took over the planning of my wedding. Crystal was a gem to work with- responses to emails/phone inquiries were still a little slow but to be fair she was the only person planning weddings. The day of was great! Crystal took care of everything!

don't have to use an outside vendor. 5 stars!

dynamic sites in the Bay Area. Its everyday decoration and design really lend themselves to a romantic environment, and the rooms are all distinct and graceful. The wedding itself went off without problems, and the staff was very courteous and helpful from the beginning of the event until after the guests left. All the food was well presented and tasted good, and many of the guests commented that they were really impressed that the catering was so accessible, given that we served an all-vegetarian menu. The problems we had were in the planning and communication stages, basically from the point at which we asked for a contract until the day before the wedding. The event management, catering, and sales staff all proved very difficult to work with throughout the process. The biggest problem was that they were extremely non-responsive. The second big problem was inconsistency in messaging. We had some problems with things like menu selection and food service options, and we were told several conflicting things by several different people without much clarity on what our actual options would be in the end. A low point was asking for revisions to the contract prior to signing, which they refused to make, then having to deal with the possibility that the City Club would breach its own contract due to its initial unwillingness to make changes. To the staff's credit, they made good on some of the key commitments in the end, but it felt like pulling teeth in the process. Last, and most important, was the renovation that started about eight weeks prior to our event and about which we were not notified until after it had already begun. This turn of events was initially handled terribly, and the staff was not consistent, thorough, coordinated, or transparent about its process or response. In the end, the wedding turned out beautifully, and the management and staff made good on several key commitments. However, dealing with the City Club during the six months leading up to the wedding was incredibly stressful and filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Looking back, I'm impressed at how well everything was executed on the day of the actual event, but I don't think I had a moment's peace or confidence in the interim between signing the contract and getting married. I enjoyed my wedding immensely, largely because the Berkeley City Club is such a beautiful space and the details were just right. However, I can't recommend that another couple plan a wedding at the City Club because my experience working with the management staff was just far too stressful and unreliable.