A romantic and historic venue
Gulf Coast, Panhandle, Pensacola
Service area
Holds ceremonies and receptions
AWARD WINNER
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
The Sanctuary 1905 is a historic and romantic wedding venue in Pensacola, FL. This venue is a storied church that has been revitalized into an elegant and modern setting for your marriage celebration.
This venue began as the Sacred Heart Church of Pensacola. This Catholic church was built out of brick and pine in 1905 in a traditional European style. In 1965, the Pope authorized the sale of the building to a Protestant church, the first time in history the Catholic Church has sold property to a non-Catholic denomination. In 2022, Danielle and Milan Carro bought the property, seeing its potential as a stunning wedding venue. They have transformed it into a warm and welcoming space, the ideal place to begin your wedding journey.
The Sanctuary 1905 boasts indoor and outdoor spaces for your big day. Tie the knot in the Sanctuary space, a gorgeous room with a cathedral-style ceiling, 17-foot stained glass windows, natural pine flooring, and an elevated stage. The Sanctuary can accommodate up to 300 seated guests. After your ceremony, pose with your beloved for pictures while your guests enjoy cocktail hour in The Courtyard. This outdoor space is nestled among century-old oak trees and features manicured gardens with room for tenting. Alternatively, The Deed Restriction is a chic indoor lounge with an L-shaped bar, comfortable furnishings, and surround-sound speakers. On your wedding day, you will have full access to all the spaces at The Sanctuary 1905. A kitchen is available for your outside caterers, and all indoor areas are air-conditioned and equipped with modern technology. After dinner, the Sanctuary can be transformed into a spacious dance floor, and your wedding entertainment can take to the stage. The experienced events staff at The Sanctuary 1905 will work with you to ensure your celebration is a seamless success.
Woman-owned Business
4+ years in business
Speaks English
Small team (2-10 members)
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Garden
Historic Venue
Religious Setting
Church
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
2025 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
5.0
out of 5.09 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Sanctuary is a stunning, versatile venue with bridal and grooms suites, a main hall, downstairs cocktail bar, and courtyard that accommodate varied wedding sizes. Staff are attentive, organized, and communicative, ensuring the day runs smoothly. Guests praised the decor and highly recommend the venue.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 6
Judy J
Highlighted review.
5.0
10/11/2024
Beautiful venue!!! The Sanctuary was perfect for our event. We had an elopement reception in the Deed Room and Courtyard and could not have been happier! The two areas we chose ...
accommodated approximately 80 guests comfortably along with the catering and bar service. We received compliments throughout the evening and even days after as to how beautiful the venue was for our event. Planning an event like this was a first for me and it would not have happened without the help of the staff. They are so helpful and reassuring!! Communication was often and any questions or concerns I had were answered quickly. Our event would not have happened without their help. I cannot thank them enough for a perfect evening!!!!
Marina G
5.0
3/27/2026
Milan and Danielle were amazing to work with. They were very good at communicating and answering questions. Milan was super helpful, She worked with our coordinator and was on site...
the day of our wedding helping make sure everything ran smoothly. The venue is absolutely beautiful. We had a bridal suite, groomsmen suite, the main hall, a downstairs area for our cocktail hour and beautiful out door area.
Any questions?
Maggie S
5.0
8/25/2025
Milan and Danielle have created the best wedding venue in the Pensacola area! As a destination bride, I was so happy with their outstanding communication - they were always availab...
le to answer my many questions and helping make sure everything ran smoothly on the big day. The basement bar was perfect for cocktail hour, the outside courtyard was gorgeous, and the main event area is just stunning. It was a great size for our 105 guests, but it would also do so well with any size wedding. There are so many options to use the space and make it your own. It was so nice to have enough indoor space to hold everybody on an extremely hot, humid, and intermittently rainy August day. I can't recommend them more!!!
Brooke M
5.0
11/26/2024
We had our wedding reception here and it was absolutely stunning and perfect in every way! Danielle and Milan were incredibly helpful both before and during the wedding, making the...
entire experience so smooth and enjoyable. The venue offered the perfect mix of spaces—a beautiful bridal suite, a grooms suite, the downstairs area, the main event space, and the outdoor area. It had everything we needed and more. All of our guests couldn’t stop raving about how amazing it was. It truly couldn’t have been better for us!
Hannah W
5.0
10/31/2024
Our wedding day at The Sanctuary was absolutely perfect, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience! Each space is stunning and timeless, creating a beautiful setting for every...
part of our celebration.
Danielle and Milan were organized, attentive, and responsive throughout the planning process. Their attention to detail and professionalism made the day flow seamlessly, allowing us to fully relax and enjoy every moment.
We truly can’t recommend this gorgeous venue enough!
Avery M
5.0
8/30/2024
Such a beautiful venue with so much character!! I know the owners go above and beyond to make sure your event goes smoothly!
Frances C
5.0
8/29/2024
Stunning venue! Helped pull off a surprise engagement party here in their ‘Deed Restriction’ (the bottom floor lounge) and was thoroughly impressed with their teams communication a...
nd professionalism.
Each room in The Sanctuary is gorgeous, it’s obvious they put a lot of heart and intention into decorating and styling the spaces.
Cannot wait to host more events here in the future!!
Gabby L
5.0
8/29/2024
I attended an engagement party for a friend at The Sanctuary and it was fabulous! Staff, decor and event space was wonderful. Highly recommend for any event!
Tanner D
5.0
8/29/2024
I had one event at The Sanctuary and will also be having my wedding here! Beautiful venue with excellent staff!! Communication is wonderful. Cannot recommend this place enough!!!
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The Sanctuary 1905
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