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Attributes highlighted by couples

Event coordination
Unique aesthetic style
Guests comfort
Amenities

About

On WeddingWire since 2012

Japanese Friendship Garden is a unique wedding venue in San Diego, California. This historic, private garden venue incorporates a zen philosophy and style, great for large or small events. Located on seven and a half acres of beautiful land, this venue offers gorgeous gardens, lanterns, waterfalls, and even a Koi Pond. Japanese Friendship Garden is sure to make your wedding memorable, unique, and of course, enjoyable.

Facilities and Capacity
There are two on-site venues to the Japanese Friendship Garden. The upper level garden has a koi pond, moon-viewing deck, the Charles C. Dail Memorial Gate, and an open-air reception plaza. The Lower garden is an elegant yet modern space, including the Inamori Pavilion, an indoor space with an outdoor feel. The maximum capacity for these spaces is 200 people.

Services Offered
Japanese Friendship Garden’s professional staff can provide excellent event services for you and your guests, to ensure a fantastic experience. They offer a bridal suite, event rentals, wireless Internet, and lighting/sound services.

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Frequently asked questions

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

Yes

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

Yes

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Parking

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

7

Describe your venue:

Garden
Historic Building
Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Shuttle
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

March
April
May
June
July
September

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
December

Pricing information

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4.5 out of 5 rating
30 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.3 out of 5 rating
93% Recommended by couples
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is described as a beautiful and special wedding venue with tranquil ambience and gorgeous views. Reviewers highly recommend the venue for its unique and stunning aesthetic, with features like the Earth Bridge and the Inamori Pavilion. The private events team, including Christina, Anna, and Marina, is praised for their professionalism, kindness, and patience throughout the planning process. The venue's convenient location and the helpfulness of the staff contribute to making weddings at the Japanese Friendship Garden a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is described as a beautiful and special wedding venue with tranquil ambience and gorgeous views. Reviewers highly recommend the venue for its unique and stunning aesthetic, with features like the Earth Bridge and the Inamori Pavilion. The private events team, including Christina, Anna, and Marina, is praised for their professionalism, kindness, and patience throughout the planning process. The venue's convenient location and the helpfulness of the staff contribute to making weddings at the Japanese Friendship Garden a memorable and enjoyable experience.

M
Martin F. Sent on 12/01/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful experience!

Working with Marina and Japanese Friendship Garden for the Dream of Niwa Wedding Expo was exactly what one looks for when teaming with a venue! Marina is nothing short of a joy to work with, always professional and engaging, responding promptly. The venue itself is a beauty, easily enhanced with professional lighting, or just on its own. Offering a calm, tranquil ambience, along with gorgeous views, I would not hesitate to refer Marina and Japanese Friendship Garden to any couples looking for a unique and special venue for their nuptials!
Angelia
Angelia O. Sent on 10/04/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Our Dream Venue

When my husband and I found out that the garden was available for wedding events, we knew we wanted to book our reception here. Not only is the garden incredibly beautiful, this place holds significant to the both of us. We met in high school in our Japanese culture club and had our first field trip as well as performed events here.

Anna, the private events coordinator kept an open communication with us mostly through emails. We continued to update her on our chosen vendors and any questions we had she answered in detail. She also helped us schedule a day and time in the garden before opening hours for our engagement photo session. She truly went above and beyond to help our event run smoothly along with the rest of the JFG staff. Our vendors were able to set up earlier than we originally booked and members of our wedding party could drop off the decorations before our ceremony which took place off site.

We had our reception at the Lower Garden in the Inamori Pavilion and added the shuttle service for our guests. They enjoyed exploring and taking photos in the garden and stated it was the perfect place for us to celebrate our marriage. Thank you for making our dream a reality!
Erica
Erica B. Sent on 12/17/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Thank You, JFG!

The Inamori Pavilion & Lower Gardens at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is an incredibly beautiful & special place to have a wedding. With guests visiting San Diego from the East Coast, we wanted our wedding to be somewhere special to San Diego. Balboa Park is undeniably a San Diego gem, and the JFG is by far our favorite offering. The Earth Bridge provides a breathtaking setting for an intimate outdoor peaceful garden ceremony, and the Inamori Pavilion provides the perfect indoor / outdoor elements for a reception with a unique & stunning esthetic along side the koi pond. The Lower Gardens were open exclusively to our wedding guests to explore and admire for the entirety of our event, which the venue allows until midnight. Christina, Anna and the private events team at the JFG were so kind, patient, professional and easy to work with hrough multiple postponements from the start of planning our wedding in early 2019 to finally celebrating July 3, 2022. Thank you for being a part of our special once in a lifetime day!
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Awards

30

Real Weddings

Julia & Austin
10 photos · 05/07/2022
Dakota & Johnny
43 photos · 03/14/2020
Cassie & Dustin
104 photos · 10/21/2017

Professional Network & Endorsements

4 Endorsements
Continental Catering Continental Catering Wedding Caterers

Absolutely gorgeous venue with elegance and natural beauty. The staff is very helpful and friendly, great venue!

Dancing DJ Productions Dancing DJ Productions Wedding DJs

I just DJ'd a wedding at the Japanese Friendship Garden, and it was a great experience! It really is a beautiful setting and I recommend it to all couples looking for a pretty outdoor venue.

Indulge Contemporary Catering Indulge Contemporary Catering Wedding Caterers

Without question, Balboa Park's Japanese Friendship Garden is the most exquisite, romantic venue in Southern California. We are truly blessed to provide our catering services to the majority of weddings held in such a breathtakingly beautiful natural setting. Year after year we meet numerous couples who book this "destination" wedding venue and make us part of their life changing momentous event. If you desire a unique outdoor setting that will create lasting memories, you should inquire with this spectacular venue.

Preferred Vendors

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Continental Catering
4.8 out of 5 rating , 72 Reviews
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4.6 out of 5 rating , 26 Reviews
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Map

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Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego frequently asked questions

Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Parking
The space offered by Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego for wedding events is known for:
  • Garden
  • Historic Building
  • Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Outside Vendors
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego is recommended by 89% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.6 in quality of service, 4.6 in professionalism, 4.4 in average response time, 4.4 in value and 4.3 in flexibility.

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