Flora

POST-WEDDING BRIDE DETAILED HONEST REVIEW Contract-wise: Flora has a very, very, very strict contract with absolutely no wiggle room. You have to put down 50% of the cost of venue (about $5000) to hold the space, another $1,000 security deposit, and 50% of the cost of the bar (~$2500) at the very beginning. Many things we thought wouldn't be a problem ended up being a huge nuisance. Additionally, it's best to use their recommended ‘in-house’ vendors because there are less requirements. Otherwise they'll make your vendors fill out a tedious ‘vendor approval packet’ and require insurance (even for drop offs). All of our outside vendors did not have a good experience communicating with Flora prior to the wedding. Staff: (8/10) Generally friendly people but they were unprofessional at times, as nobody was on the same page when it came to things. Many people 'misspoke’ on items that the owner herself said would be okay. Venue: The venue itself is quite unique. We did the ceremony and reception, but I recommend reception only because of how cramped it was. My bridal party could barely fit and the tree was blocking a couple of the girls. Ceremony + reception, will run you about 10k off the bat (for 6 hours only). And they mean 6 hours… they literally will have your guests waiting outside 30 minutes before arrival time. There's no reason for this as vendors stop setting up by 2:30pm. Bar: (6/10) Haha, actually theeeee worst, most painful part of the entire wedding process was figuring out this bar situation. If you're doing an open bar OR a dry wedding, you'll be fine. Cash bar will be your biggest nightmare. First, you will be required to pay up front $27~ per guest and you get refunded if your guest make that amount of money back. For a cash bar, they required us (again no wiggle room) to hire their 4 bar staff at which we paid a rate of $375 pp plus 20% industry fee and sales tax. That’s about $2,000~ to simply STAFF the CASH bar. If you're trying to save money on the bar this is not the place for you. The director of beverages was also very unpleasant throughout the entire process. Partly to blame by miscommunication with things we could/couldn’t have… and partly was just the attitude. I will say the owner Katherine helped us reconcile these issues and offered one or two accommodations to make up for it. (which we didn’t end up taking because it wasn’t even worth talking to the bar director ever again lol) Post-wedding: A generic email was sent out asking me to fill out a review. Other than that none of the staff bothered to contact us post-wedding. Not even about our security refunds. Or taking accountability/explaining things that went wrong with my caterer (in which they were CC’d on those emails). It felt like it was because they were done draining us of our money.... Luckily, we ended up getting all our deposits back in full a month later after they sent it to an outdated address. Overall, I would rate my experience here a (6.5/10). I just wish the staff/business was more flexible and cared more about easing the bride and groom’s then just the rules. While I understand it’s to protect the company - it comes off as cold and not a fun time. Not how I wanted to remember the venue of one of the biggest milestones of my life but oh well. They treated us like just a money bag from beginning until the end. Do I think it’s worth $10k+ after all the headaches from their team? Sorry but probably not.

From the moment I saw the photos of Flora online, I knew it was going to be our wedding venue! I reached out to schedule a tour and spoke with Katherine and from the moment I set foot inside the venue it was a sealed deal! Not only is Flora a BEAUTIFUL venue, their team is just as fitting. Working with Flora was an absolute pleasure! I couldn’t have asked for a more friendly, prompt, professional, caring group of people to facilitate my dream wedding!! Katherine, Jameson, Erin, and Jillian all deserve recognition for making the day perfect!! Walking into Flora, guests really have no idea what to expect until they walk through the doors and see the beautiful greenery and unique picturesque venue. We received so many compliments on the venue and the staff. My wedding was everything I ever wanted and more because of the team at Flora! This venue is a show stopper; it has such an amazing ambiance and vibe. My wedding was perfect! Thanks, Flora Team!

Flora is a stunning venue and no detail goes untouched! The staff is very detail-oriented down to the lighting settings you want throughout your event to set the mood. As a planner working here for the first time they are very on top of it and so much fun to work with. I would love to work here again soon!

Flora is an absolutely beautiful venue! Our coordinator Juliette was very responsive throughout the planning process, and her attention to detail and professionalism on our wedding day was amazing! We would definitely recommend this venue although we would caution prospective couples to read through Flora’s beverage program thoroughly - a few hidden bar fees that frustrated us later on.

We absolutely loved our experience with Flora! The venue is a secret garden in the middle of the city. It is unique and beautiful! We opted for the full service coordination, and we definitely recommend this for anyone considering! Juliette was our coordinator and she was fantastic. Every vendor we hired through Flora was incredible. Our wedding day went perfectly thanks to the Flora team. We love Flora!

I coordinated a wedding here and everything went so smoothly! Working with their team was great! Everyone was knowledgeable, efficient and really easy to communicate with. Not to mention fun and sweet on top of everything else! The venue was clean and their decor and greenery was so dreamy. It really was the perfect wedding venue!

I LOVE Flora and working with their team was phenomenal. Huge shout out to Amanda C., Amanda B., Juliette, and Katherine the visionary for this space. Flora provides couples with a romantic and whimsical escape from the busy San Diego life. You are literally transported into a different world when you walk into Flora and it makes for a magical event. Due to the beauty of the space, minimal additional decor is needed. As a floral designer, it doesn't take much to enhance the space as it is already so beautiful. Definitely choose to use Flora for your wedding, quincé, retirement or other celebration. You won't regret it.

I highly recommend booking your wedding at Flora! I coordinated a wedding at Flora on Sunday, August 14, 2022. Amanda, Cat, and Jill were responsive, professional, and amazing women to work with. The venue itself is stunning. From color lighting, custom moveable walls, a gorgeous bridal suite, built-in bookcases for your dessert station, and live plants and trees-this venue was well thought out when designed. It's a one-of-a-kind and memorable venue your guests won't forget!

My husband and I had our wedding at Flora and they helped make it absolutely special. We had a small wedding and were flexible and accommodating with every request we had. Flora is also amazing for larger weddings. Katherine, the owner, and Elena, our coordinator, were excellent with the details on how to make our day so special. Elena was extremely attentive to our needs and wants. I would recommend getting full service from one of Flora's coordinators, as they made it one of the most stress free day I had in awhile. I could not have been more happy with how it turned out. All our guest complimented my Husband and I for how well beautiful and well-organized the event was. However, the real credit goes to Flora! Although the pictures are beautiful, they cannot do Flora justice! The venue is absolutely breath taking. Flora's raw beauty makes it great for photos. I highly recommend everyone to host their wedding (or any event) here, because you will not be disappointed.

Flora is a beautiful and unique venue. Me and my fiancé loved it the moment we walked in and canceled all our other tours after seeing it! The team at Flora is amazing to work with as well! We went through them for a full wedding coordinator. We had to postpone our wedding due to Covid and they happily helped us pick a new date and contacted all my other vendors to reschedule as well. A stressful experience that they made so much better! Highly recommend!

I have so many positive things to say not only about Flora, but also about the wonderful people who work there, that I just don't know where to start. My now fiancé and I moved to San Diego a little over two years ago and while exploring our new neighborhood we walked past this somewhat nondescript building with interesting metal gates and lettering in greenery, but we had no clue what the building was for. Being curious, I immediately went home and did some research and what I found can only be described as a hidden gem. Inside the building is a room full of beautiful greenery, a live tree, and the best bathroom wallpaper I've ever seen. Safe to say I was obsessed; however, I was not engaged yet so I tried to play it cool. Fast forward a few months and a ring later, we went to see Flora in person and it was everything I imagined and more (custom lighting options I didn't even know I needed until I saw them). It was the only venue we toured and we haven't looked back. Beyond the beautiful space are all the beautiful people who are part of the Flora team. Everyone we have met with at Flora has been kind, encouraging, and excited to be a part of our big day. We have been fortunate enough to work with them even more closely than originally planned. Part of the Flora venue contract requires each couple to have a day of coordinator which was fine with us (we need all the help we can get). While couples have the option of bringing in an outside coordinator, Flora does offer full and month of coordination services through the venue. Considering my fiancé and I both work in industries that leave us incredibly busy for large chunks of the year, I was immediately interested in a full service coordinator and who better to do it than someone already familiar with our chosen venue. My fiancé was not as easily convinced and was not sure we would get huge value out of paying for full service coordination versus a day of coordinator. However, he was eventually convinced and we chose to do the full service coordination through Flora. Enter Elena who has been nothing short of a saving grace. Not only is she incredibly sweet, but she has worked so hard answering all the questions we have had, updating floor plans for us, creating short lists of vendors to choose from, working with vendors to create quotes that matched our vision at different price points, and so many other things behind the scenes I'm sure I can't even begin to articulate. Working with Elena has even convinced my dubious fiancé full service coordination is so worth it! While I don't think there is another space in San Diego that can check as many boxes as Flora can, there is one item I do want to note about the space to couples who are planning weddings with a larger guest count. In the initial stages of our planning we had anticipated inviting around 150 guests for both the ceremony and reception. While Flora can definitely comfortably accommodate that many guests, in the process of discussing our floor plan options with Elena we realized in order to best utilize some of the wonderful and unique features in Flora's space, notably the moving partitions, a guest count closer to 130 would be a better fit. To us it is worth having a few less guests in order to use some of the features that made us fall in love with the venue! This turned into a much longer narrative than intended, but I hope this helps someone in the planning process. If you choose Flora I'm sure you won't regret it.

During an architectural event I volunteered for I saw amazing pieces being fabricated and found out it was for a new event space called Flora. I was very intrigued because I had just gotten engaged but since they were under construction we booked a different venue. Fast forward, ownership mishaps made me start looking for a new venue and I reached out to Katherine for a tour and it was like a breath of fresh air. Katherine and her team made my fiance and I feel very welcome and comfortable maneuvering the transition and everything was great until Covid-19. We've had to postpone our wedding date twice and each time they have been very understanding and flexible. I like the professionalism and communication. The venue is beautiful and I can see that there's love for the what they do.

The event space at Flora is as beautiful as the people who operate it are flexible and accommodating. My fiance and I had been set to get married at Flora in August of 2020 (just a few days ago, actually). Of course, as a result of COVID-19, that was no longer a feasible option for the safety, health, and enjoyment of our guests. Throughout this unpredictable period, Flora was responsive, collaborative, and above all, empathetic to our situation. We worked with them back in April to quickly and seamlessly align their availability with our desired dates, and were easily able to move our wedding date back a year to August of 2021. It was as stress-free as moving a wedding date due to a global pandemic can be. Flora was the perfect solution to our desire to celebrate in a green space in August in San Diego (when most of the green spaces are brown), somewhere where our many out-of-town guests wouldn't have to drive hours to get to. We so look forward to celebrating in the beautiful and thoughtfully designed space next year!

I stumbled upon Flora online after looking at multiple venues and I immediately fell in love. We set up an appointment and Katherine gave us a tour and my heart was set. I even was a little emotional after the tour because it was so beautiful! We quickly set our date for October 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we decided to postpone our wedding until June 2022. The Flora team was an absolute dream to work with during our postponement process. They responded to our emails quickly and made the process seamless for us. Within a couple of days of making the decision to postpone, we had our new date! The Flora team was committed to making our dream wedding happen and has far exceeded our expectations.

My fiance and I originally had the wedding date of June 12th, 2020. Due to the circumstances concerning COVID-19, we asked Flora if we could move the date further back, which they agreed to without hesitation. Our new wedding date would have been next weekend, but because there doesn't seem to be any circumstances changing around the pandemic, we asked to again, reschedule our wedding date to next year. The entire team at Flora worked with us to make that happen without any increased cost to us. Flora has been nothing but understanding, genuine, and everything you would ever want in a wedding venue. Everyone at Flora has a warm, welcoming vibe that takes even just a little bit of stress off of the wedding planning process. We highly recommend Flora!

My fiancé and I stumbled upon Flora through The Knot. We instantly fell in love with the aesthetic, the privacy and sheer wonder of the venue. It’s an open space with so much greenery, beautiful lighting, and so many wonderful & fun elements to the space. You can truly customize this venue to your hearts desire and still take advantage of the incredible elements already there! And when we toured, we were set that this was the venue for our dream wedding. Katherine was the one to meet us and give us a tour and she was so so wonderful. She made us feel calm and excited about our wedding even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We quickly set our date with them and began planning our wedding. Sadly, we decided to postpone because of the current nature of the pandemic. We were able to communicate our concerns with Katherine & Sarah, and we swiftly decided to postpone to a day less than one year! They made us feel comfortable and taken care of so quickly that it really calmed our nerves and my stress. They know how hard it is to plan a wedding, but especially now they are so gentle and understanding about what needs to be done. They respond to every email promptly and answer every single question I have, and I have a lot! Julius and I are so incredibly excited to celebrate our one year anniversary with them and party the night away! Thank you so much to Katherine, Sarah and the entire team at Flora for making our engagement experience so exciting! If are deciding on a venue for your event, definitely choose Flora!!

We could not be more grateful to have Flora as our wedding venue and our wedding planners! We originally planned a September 2020 wedding and were in the midst of booking other vendors in March when CA shut down. Flora has been really incredible to work with as we navigate the uncertainty of wedding planning. Together, we are postponing our Flora wedding until May 2021. The Flora team has been super accommodating, informative, and understanding as we try to plan our postponed wedding during this crazy time. We're so lucky to have a venue that is so committed to working with us and it's been a total blessing and really lessened our stress around the wedding. We can't wait to actually get married at Flora!

When Paul & I stepped into Flora, we knew it would be the most fitting venue for our intimate wedding. Not only is the space elegant & romantic with it's many living plants & stunning chandeliers, but the staff is kind & so welcoming. This is a dream come to life for the owner, and she makes sure ever couple gets exactly what they need on their special day. I was so sad when our wedding was over because I wanted to spend more time with the ladies who helped it all come together. I can't recommend this space enough!

Cannot recommend Flora enough! The interior is beautifully designed, not to mention they have the cutest in-house farm tables & chairs. The Flora team consists of the sweetest gals who are so eager to help & make every event a success! Have your event here...you won't regret it!

A beautiful, contemporary space to host any type of event! Highly suggest the staff and atmosphere of FLORA to make your wedding/party/workshop unforgettable!

We absolutely love the Flora venue in downtown San Diego.  They truly go over and beyond.  We highly encourage the venue to every one of our clients. Flora is an amazing location for a wedding or party, and the level of service, quality of recommended vendors and constant communication from everyone on their staff will make any event absolutely perfect. The wonderful ladies at Flora are open and willing to help cater the day to your needs, budget, and desires. Multiple clients have told me, after their events, that they had not been to a wedding that ran so smoothly before. I give all the credit to the staff and organization of the venue.

First of all, Flora’s space is absolutely unique and wonderful - it fits right into Downtown San Diego and is thoughtfully curated with beautiful decor, mirrors, greenery and rentals. As a photographer, I had the chance to work with Flora’s wonderful staff a few times now and I’m so impressed by how organized & professional everyone is — the coordinating staff put their clients and other vendors at ease with their positive attitude and dedication to service, plus I’ve been amazed by some of their tables cape designs and creativity! Trust me, you’ll be in good hands in every aspect with Flora!

We cannot say enough great things about this venue and their team. Flora is one of the best venues in San Diego. The decor is out of this world with intricate details to enhance any occasion. Katherine, Sarah and the whole Flora team are incredible to work with. They take their to time to get to know every client on a personal level and help each client select vendors according to their needs and preferences. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of event planning. They are personable and organized with their number one objective to make your event unforgettable. We hear nothing but positive feedback from our customers regarding this team and venue. Working with them as a caterer has been seamless. We love preparing fresh food for events in their state of the art kitchen. Truly one of the best in the industry.

I've never been to a venue that pays so much attention to detail like Flora!! It is one of the most unique venues in San Diego and the inside is just breathtaking! You can tell so much time, effort and energy was put into every detail and it truly comes through. It's part modern, part industrial, part botanical- you can do so much with the space. What's awesome is so much comes included to like their tables and chairs, in-house sound system, etc. They also have a beautiful kitchen for catering and their bathroom is #goals. Katherine, Sarah, Corie and Jordan are such a pleasure to work with and make everything so easy and seamless. Their communication is on point and they're so eager to help. I would 100000% recommend this venue to any couple looking for a unique space to get married in.

Working for VOX DJs (MC/DJ / PROD), I was lucky enough to book one of our DJs for one of Floras first weddings! From the very beginning, the entire Flora Team was outstanding to work with! Every time I get to work with them I know the wedding is going to according to plan because they have their hands in it. Truly a 5 star company. The last wedding we worked together, Flora was the location and wedding planners...double Flora baby! They are a VOX DJs favorite - USE THEM!!

As soon as we walked into Flora we knew it was where we wanted to get married! We are so happy that we chose Flora as our wedding venue and decided to use their in-house wedding coordination team. We have been working with the team since late 2018 planning our November 2020 wedding. They did a wonderful job keeping us informed on the restrictions that would impact our wedding due to Covid-19. When we unfortunately had to postpone until 2021, the team at Flora stepped in and coordinated with ALL of our vendors to find a mutually available date. They also did not charge us ANY fee for postponing and were extremely empathetic towards our situation. We highly recommend this venue and its coordination team to any anxious couple, Flora will take care of you and make sure that your wedding is everything you dreamed of!

This venue was the first and last that we toured. The space is so unique and gorgeous and we knew instantly that we wanted to get married here! The venue and its staff are so accommodating and helpful -- they have their own in-house florals/coordination if you need a less stressful experience. Overall strongly recommend checking out this venue if you are getting married in the San Diego area!

As a caterer and fellow businesswoman, I was blown away by the professionalism of the staff at Flora. The ascetics of the venue are magnificent, but the level of dedication and attention to detail that you'll receive from the staff is unparalleled. The design team will create absolute magic for your big day.

After spending a year of searching for the perfect wedding venue, we stumbled upon Flora. It is one of the most beautiful spaces we have seen in San Diego and had to book it. You can see the passion and love in every detail with this venue. Everything you see has a purpose and was carefully thought-out. Katherine and Sarah are extremely sweet, patient, responsive, and knowledgeable. We are looking forward to our big day at Flora.

The moment we saw Flora on The Knot, we knew we had to set up a tour. It’s such a unique and gorgeous space and seeing it in person made us fall in love! We had toured five other venues at the point we had come into see Flora (and even thought we found the one for us!) but Flora blew us away and changed everything! We met with Katherine and she was so bubbly, kind, and helpful. We immediately knew that not only could we see ourselves getting married at Flora, but we really wanted to work with the folks there! We booked soon after and we were put in touch with Sarah, the venue manager, who has been wonderful thus far. We are so thrilled to watch our vision come to life next fall and we highly encourage anyone reading this to pull the trigger and book a tour!!

This is the PERFECT venue. My fiancé David and I toured countless other venues and I simply couldn’t find what I was looking for. We walked into FLORA & I fell in love instantly. The room is decorated with greenery everywhere and is highly customizable to your wishes. The entire area is teched out! From having a projector (include, not for rent!), different color lighting that is customizable throughout the night, and the ability to divide the main room, hall way, and bathroom’s music to give each their own feel. The venue also come already included with large wood tables and seats, a rustic brides dream come true. That alone saved us thousands. We’re so happy with the space & cant wait to see it come to life as our own this coming December. I also want to take this chance to thank Sarah & Katherine for all of their help and suggestions with decor and vendors, we wouldn’t have known where to start without them. This venue truly has everything the modern bride wants, and I definitely recommend touring the space. I’m sure you’ll fall in love just like we did.

BREATHTAKING! I mean that in every sense of the word. The moment you walk in you are whisked away to another place, like being in a terrarium. Katherine the owner has spared no expense in the design and build out of this space. And makes it so easy for clients to work there. The farm tables and chairs, the AV equipment, and the commercial kitchen! It's rare that venues have this. And the fact you can go past 10pm! That is probably the most rare thing. This space is worth every penny. Book it!

Flora is a slice of heaven in the middle of downtown San Diego! The moment we met Katherine & Sarah we couldn't wait to see more of this venue! Katherine answered all our questions, assured us that they will take care of you, and ultimately she made you feel like you were just talking to a friend. The details in this venue is insane! Katherine asked me what it was I was looking for and I mentioned a lot of greenery and mid century and this place delivered! You really step foot in another place from all the bustle of downtown. Funny enough we spent most of our time chit chatting by their bathroom which was the ultimate mid century dream! This place is very ideal for events/gatherings/weddings looking for a super intimate backdrop. Although we ended up not choosing Flora for our wedding, this place is worth checking out and I would love to have a bridal/wedding shower here with my closest of friends and family!

The moment my fiancé and I stepped foot into Flora, we knew we had found the venue of our dreams..and they were still undergoing construction! We feel so lucky to have the one-of-a-kind experience of witnessing the development and continued growth of Flora! Every vendor that I’ve worked with has made it a point to let it be known how gorgeous this new venue is! The space is filled with greenery and every intended detail coexists beautifully as a whole. Katherine is the mastermind behind Flora and is kind beyond measure. Sarah and Katherine have amazing personalities and have helped me tremendously with every question I’ve had so far. The venue includes amazing amenities and saves you the hassle of renting out table/chairs and even decor! The space alone is to die for, and has elevated everything I had initially imagined for my wedding! We are excited to share the Flora experience with all our favorite people this year!

Flora is one of San Diego's newest and most up-in-coming wedding venues! With beautifully styled details ranging from their vintage inspired decor wall, tropical plant vibes to their perfectly designed mirrored dividing walls. With tables and chairs in house, Flora takes the burden of finding those items off of you. 100% this venue!

Unique venue downtown. It's a hidden gem that you probably wouldn't believe even existed when you look at from the street. It's light and bright. Katharine and Sarah were great. They answered all of our questions and were very prompt with email. My fiance and I ultimately went with another venue, but I would still suggest checking this place out.

Okay, wow - this place completely took my breath away! This ended up being our first and our last venue my fiancé and I toured. Seriously, the most well thought-out space, down to every little detail. The perfect combination of whimsical + modern! Not to mention, Flora's team has been absolutely amazing from the start!! We could not be more excited to begin our forever here <3

Flora is honestly a beautiful venue; when my fiancé and I went to go tour the location, we were amazed by the feel and design of the place. I mean, the plants and all of the greenery really won me over. While we did not ultimately choose Flora as our wedding venue, I will definitely not forget Katherine's kindness and engaging personality. She really made us feel welcome and was willing to answer any questions we had, and was really responsive via email to us. I think anyone would be making a good choice if they decided to use Flora as their venue!

We absolutely adore Flora! It is truly a one-of-a-kind venue that gives us all the feels everytime we see it. Katherine is an incredibly sweet soul, and you can see all the thoughtfulness she put into this venue. It's the perfect mesh of organic, modern, moody, and intimate vibes. Every decor piece has a rhyme + reason and really contributes to the unique character of the space. With all inclusions that come with their packages, we truly believe this venue is a great investment for special events. The entire team over at Flora is incredibly accommodating, professional, and lovely to work with. From a planner's perspective, we LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!