Elings Park

wedding venues and it was by far our favorite venue. Elings is really set up for events and if you’re imagining an outdoor wedding – this is the place for you. For one thing, Santa Barbra generally has phenomenal weather, which Elings really allows you to take advantage of, and for another Elings has the best views of Santa Barbara that you could ever imagine. On one side you have the ocean and the city and on the other the mountains. In all the venues we visited we did not find a single other one that so classically captured what makes Santa Barbara such an idyllic place to get married. Working with the Elings staff was also very simple. You pay the balance in full to secure your wedding day and then you’re largely done. The only thing you really need to follow up with them about is your DJ. They have pretty strict rules about sound because of the acoustics of being up so high and their surrounding neighbors. We had to put down a sound deposit because our DJ was not on their pre-approved list, but we had no problem with using him. The only other regulation that might catch you off guard is the no open flame rule (i.e. no candle flames), but I think this is pretty common for outdoor venues since forest fires are such a concern in California. Aside from these minor nits, the venue lent itself perfectly for a wedding. There is an amphitheater that many couples use for their ceremony and the actual grove is great for cocktail hour, while we used the deck for dinner. It’s really a great venue that maximizes space and allows you to have your guests flow around while staying centralized. The park also has great restroom facilities which means you don’t have to deal with porta-potties like some outdoor venues. One of the great things about Elings is that you also get the venue for the whole day once you rent it so you really can get your money’s worth by having your whole wedding at this one beautiful location. Overall I would say having an outdoor wedding here was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding, it really made the day.

o bring in EVERYTHING,) but it is well-worth the cost. It was great to be able to keep everyone at one venue, too. New management is terrific and very quick to communicate.

ing, it was so peaceful. We were able to negotiate a lower fee for the use of the park. You need to get all of your own vendors (as you do at any park) and we ended up going over budget, but the park itself and the service that came with the park was excellent. We dealt with Predrag who was Super responsive and answered all of our questions immediately. A very professional office and everyone LOVED the way the wedding turned out. So beautiful, we got endless compliments! We got married on a Sunday, which was a little bit less money. Definitely worth checking out if you love the outdoors.

tiful, and relaxed vibe I was after. I received so many compliments from my guests about the gorgeous location. Elings Park does a fabulous job keeping the area impeccably clean and well-manicured. Parking was a breeze and the park is very easy to find. In addition, the location is very private. You will not have any wandering visitors crashing your event. I worked with Predrag and he made everything so easy. He was incredibly responsive, answering emails within the hour, and super helpful in providing other vendor recommendations. Incredible service! At the time I booked my event, Elings Park was able to provide 8 tables and 100 chairs for an additional, very affordable fee. I rented everything they had and then used another rental company for the extra tables and chairs I needed. One thing to note is that you won't be able to bring in live bands, which wasn't an issue for us. We used AMS Entertainment sound equipment and an MC played the music from our iPod. On the music note, there are sound restrictions in order to respect neighboring houses below, which made it so the music was pretty low when you're far away from the speakers, but the music was loud enough when on the dance floor. All in all, a perfect venue and incredible value. I would highly recommend booking your event here!

used Godric Grove and utilized all the areas in it. This includes the amphitheatre (for the ceremony), deck (for cocktails)and grass area (for the reception and dinner). We found it was helpful to use other vendors familiar with this site to help things go smoothly. There are particular things like lighting and sound that may be tricky if the vendor is unfamiliar.

beach climate that keeps them all happy, and Elings Park was a perfect fit to enjoy the outdoor climate and scenery for our wedding. The site's website had a lot of pictures of weddings performed at the park and Predrag (site contact) also had more to share during our first meeting. What we loved about this location: panoramic views of the ocean AND city of Santa Barbara; Godric grove is secluded and provides 2 separate staging areas for the ceremony, reception, and sit down dinner; you are allowed to bring in your own vendors (very few places allow you to do this anymore); ample parking available; great outdoor venue for everyone to enjoy.

nd mountains and at night you can see the city lights. There are two places to get married there. I chose the larger one Godric Grove which has three different areas: an amphitheatre for the ceremony a huge lawn for the cocktails and a picnic table are for dining. It can be decorated beautifully with lanterns and lights and is just a peaceful romantic place to get married. Everybody commented on how unique and beautiful it was.;The bathrooms aren't great here since it's a park but it really wasn't a problem. We got some cute baskets with soap and lotions and stuff and I don't think anybody had a problem with it.