Skip to main content
Weddings

Pricing information

Reception
$6,000 starting price
Bar service
$15 per person
Bar service
$15 per person

About

Headlands Center for the Arts offers a limited number of wedding rentals each year on Saturdays. The unique venue, great location, and impeccable service has earned Headlands the reputation of being one of the most sought-out wedding venues in the Bay Area.

Headlands is just 15 minutes away from San Francisco, but feels like another world. Off the beaten path (and off the grid) the Marin Headlands is where the land meets the sea, and home to Headlands Center for the Arts - a space providing opportunities for creative exchange to artists and the public for over 30 years. A favored site for adaptive reuse, Headlands rehabilitated and re-imagined historic military buildings have been the site of numerous events combining good food, good people, and a spirit of community and collaboration.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Northern California’s Pacific Coast in the Marin Headlands—2,100 windswept acres of hills, cliffs, coves, and beaches just north of San Francisco—is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. When Headlands Center for the Arts took up residence at historic Fort Barry in 1984, part of our mandate was to rehabilitate and steward the historic structures that would comprise our campus. Event spaces, re-imagined by artists in the 1980s and 90s, are located in one of two four-story former army barracks: voluminous structures with big windows; patina-ed walls; tin ceilings; oak balustrades; maple floors; and yard after yard of history, character, and possibility. Rolling iconic California hills, atmospheric fog, natural wildlife, a salt water lagoon, beaches, dramatic cliffs, a historic lighthouse and weathered military bunkers provide a striking backdrop for photos.

Katie Powers, Headlands' exclusive caterer, purchases almost everything served from regional farmers, direct from their farms and at the casual pageants we call farmers markets, which she scours weekly for new discoveries — as well as depends upon for staple favorites. (And what the Bay Area cannot grow it imports with gusto.) As a chef, Katie understands it’s her job to make food the center of your event — and she does this by making local ingredients the center of the food. Katie firmly believes that a meal, no matter the scale of the occasion, should be intimate.

Weddings at Headlands have been featured on Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Snippet & Ink, and 7x7 Magazine.

illustration popular

Venues you may like

See other venues that are popular with couples right now

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$6,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Chairs
Parking
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Cake Cutting
Server(s)

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$15

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

4

Describe your venue:

Historic Building

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception

What event services do you offer?

Event Rentals

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Family Style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
Liquor License
Outside Alcohol
Signature Drink

What event items are available?

Chairs
Dance Floor
Furniture
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
illustration question

Any other questions?

Message vendor

Reviews of Headlands Center for the Arts

4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
4 Reviews
97% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.4 out of 5 rating
K
Kristen Sent on 05/22/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Our wedding at the Headlands Center for the Arts was beyond the gorgeous, spiritual, artistic, warm, and loving day I had envisioned for months during the planning. Once we visited, we just KNEW this was our location. During our tour, we stood in the ceremony spot in the East Wing and asked each other, "is this it?" And yes, is certainly was. A few months later, that spot is where we happily said "I do!"

Driving into the Headlands is like entering a magical realm of nature, silence, and openness. The building has such relaxed, artistic vibe. When designing our wedding's look and feel, we were committed to working with its already super cool appeal. The distressed golden walls of the Rodeo Room have such character, making it the perfect backdrop for our Photo Booth selfie station... and they even inspired the texture of our wedding cake!

Beyond the fact that we loved the venue, it is especially heartwarming to know that our rental fee is going toward sustaining this artistic organization and its artists, helping it to thrive. The wedding budget is always tricky and a bit painful, but it feels really good to know that chunk of money is going toward a worthy local cause.

Going forward, we are so thankful this magical gem is available to our enjoyment, as we look forward to becoming members and experiencing the works from their artists in residence. For anyone thinking that this may be the venue for you, just like they say when you meet the right one, when you know, you know!
L
Leigh Sent on 12/02/2010
5 out of 5 rating
Amazing... pure love... Rebecca and her team at the Headlands made our wedding so easy and special and great. The space itself is stunning in a raw, romantic kind of way. And while we chose not to be married in a church or religious place, there is something about the Headlands that is inherently spiritual. There are deer grazing on the lawn, you can see Rodeo Beach just down the road and the surrounding hills are green gold and magical any time of year. Katie Powers is the exclusive caterer for the Headlands, she and her food is epic-ly amazing, so there is this really easy one stop shopping aspect to getting married there that reduced a lot of potential stress for us...I really can't say enough, we could not have found a more perfect location or perfect people to help us with our wedding.
E
Elizabeth Sent on 11/22/2009
4.9 out of 5 rating
The Headlands Center for the Arts is a spectacular setting, and the staff was great to work with. Our guests raved about the artistic industrial chic of the place. With three large rooms on two floors, we were able to keep the party moving! The only drawback is not being able to set up decorations the day before, and having to shut down the music at 10pm. BUT, we started early, and our guests were all exhausted by the end of the party.
illustration message bubble

Are you interested?

Message vendor

Awards

4

Real Weddings

Andrew & Kristina
43 photos · 01/18/2014

Map

illustration visit

Would you like to visit?

Request a visit

Other vendors in San Francisco for your wedding

Wedding Venues