Bernardus Lodge & Spa is a classic wedding venue located in Carmel Valley, California, offering a panoramic view of the Santa Lucia Mountains and vineyards. It is located at a 1.5-hour drive from the San Jose Airport and 15 minutes from Carmel-by-the-Sea. Couples and guests can have their dream wedding in a sun-dappled rose garden overlooking magnificent mountains and lush vineyards.
Facilities and Equipment
Couples can host up to 200 guests at the venue's classic wedding pavilion, ballroom, and other sites. The venue has 57 luxurious guest rooms, with stone fireplaces, feather beds, and a complimentary wine-grotto. The green, sprawling wedding garden offers a backdrop of majestic oak trees and beautiful views of Carmel Valley. The 2,160-square-foot Meritage Ballroom is ideal for weddings, receptions, outdoor cocktail parties, and banquets. The venue's professional staff customizes various aspects of the wedding to a couple’s preferences.
Services Offered
Bernardus Lodge & Spa provides various services for wedding events such as bridal showers, engagement parties, ceremonies, and receptions. Its services include:
Other Services
Aside from wedding events, the venue offers several outdoor fun activities such as hiking and horseback riding in the mountains, scuba diving, whale watching, and deep sea fishing in Monterey Bay.
Recommended by 94% of couples
6 User photos
Molly · Married on 10/13/2018
Best wedding venue ever
Our wedding was in October of 2018.
Sent on 11/27/2018
My family and I have been coming to Carmel for 15+ years and even as a little girl, I always pictured myself getting married at Bernardus. So it was a dream come true when we chose them for our venue! Our coordinator was Stacey Clapp and I have to say, she deserves an award. I probably sent her 100 emails with random questions about every little thing for a year and she was ALWAYS so helpful and sweet. She is definitely meant to be a wedding coordinator. Everything else about our experience with Bernardus was incredible as well. It is, of course, an expensive venue but in my opinion, it was worth it! They did everything to make our wedding day feel magical.
Our ceremony was in the garden, cocktail hour on the game lawn, dinner on the Lucia patio, and dancing inside the ballroom. Each location was beautiful and perfect but I think the garden ceremony MADE the event. It was amazing. We received so many compliments from guests that it was the best wedding venue they'd ever been to because of the location and backdrop, the hotel design and layout, and the service. I can't wait to go back to Bernardus! Hopefully for our one year anniversary :)
Matt and Kaela · Married on 09/18/2017
My wedding was in September of 2017.
Sent on 03/31/2018
Wow. I was honestly stunned at how beautiful the Rose Garden was, and was SO pleased at how well Bernardus handled the details. Even though it was Nillybeth’s first wedding at Bernardus, it was literally flawless. She went out of her way to make things work—like getting the suite early enough for us to take pictures in—and was super responsible and friendly. She was incredibly helpful with all my questions and concerns, and was organized enough to cover my difficulty with that subject. :P Everything went so smoothly, and we were treated incredibly well.
The Vineyard Villa Suite we stayed in was honestly fairy-tale worthy. It was easily the most beautiful place I’ve ever stayed in. It was gorgeous, I almost can’t even describle how luxe and amazing it was. The awesome outdoor-indoor shower was a big hit!
The wedding staff handled absolutely everything during the wedding, and it was so seamless and effortless for us. Food and cake was packaged, small decorations around the garden were packed for us, everything. They organized with the vendors so we didn’t have to coordinate, were great when working with those vendors, and it was just an awesome experience.
Highly recommend. The quality of service and the sheer luxuriousness of the venue were honestly unbeatable for the price.
Rebecca · Married on 10/03/2015
Bernardus was an absolutely lovely venue to get married at—I cannot say enough great things! Our venue coordinator, Stacey Clapp, was an angel, and probably the best vendor we worked with in this whole process. Always so friendly, cheerful, competent, and able to help us with whatever we needed and answer all our questions. The venue was stunning, and the perfect setting for the romantic garden wedding we envisioned.
Sent on 12/30/2015
Stacey helped us tailor the menu to exactly what we wanted, communicating with the chef and pastry chef to handle special requests including creating a custom appetizer, and providing a cookies & milk dessert bar. (Also, it was ALL SO TASTY!! We got a ton of compliments on the food and drinks).
Day of, everything was executed flawlessly, and Stacey easily adjusted our plan to deal with it being chillier than expected, providing blankets and outdoor heaters to make our dinner in the garden cozy and lovely.
The whole experience—the weekend, leading up to it, handling final details afterwards—everything was handled really well. For example, Stacey made us a last minute reservation at the Lucia restaurant, helped us organize a semi-private family breakfast for our parents and step-parents, and helped arrange for our room to be on the opposite side of the hotel from our parents, so we could have a little privacy!
During our entire 4-night stay there the staff and service was incredible, from waiters to the room service staff to the doorman, looking after our requests flawlessly and making us feel like it was our special time. That whole weekend felt just like a dream.
(The only thing I wish was that they had a separate space for the bridal party to get ready in, instead of just our room; this seemed common at other venues we looked at.)
8 Endorsements
Bernardus Lodge is one of my favorite venues for a wedding or vow renewal. Their wedding site is beautiful surrounded by vineyards and gardens with roses and fountains. The wedding party stands on a raised platform so everyone is able to see and hear the ceremony well. And the people who work there, from the guys who greet you when you arrive to everyone in the Lodge, are dedicated to customer service. Bernardus is a gem to be treasured!
I have had many Brides have their wedding at Bernardus Lodge and have attended weddings there myself. It's an amazing place, professional staff, and you won't be disappointed. My son also has his wedding here. Cathy Montante, Collezione Fortuna Fashion Boutique and Bridals, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921, www.collezionefortuna.com
This is one of my most favorite venues. It is so beautiful and the staff takes such great care of all my clients. Working with their professional, friendly, and knowledgeable coordinators makes the day go smooth. Their new guest rooms and remodel make the property amazing. Don't forget to enjoy their spa!
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