We knew that we had to have The Sanctuary as our wedding venue. The history and beauty of the building make it so easy to decorate - you don't need much! We love the fact that the proceeds from our booking go straight back to the community through their non-profit organization. Raine, the event coordinator, had great communication and flexibility through all of the walk-throughs and meetings leading up to the big day! It is truly a DIY(ish) experience, which allowed us to set up exactly how we wanted with our own personal touches, but gave us some help on putting up tables, chairs, and takedown the next day! The venue states (during non-covid limitations) that it can fit up to 240 seated. We found that our number (150 people) really filled up the space (with plenty of elbow room and a huge dance floor), so if you are wanting 240 people AND a huge dance floor - this might be a little small for you!

I cannot say enough positive things about The Sanctuary. We had our wedding at The Sanctuary in October 2022, and I couldn’t imagine choosing a different venue! It is truly a beautiful venue. The building is beautiful inside and out. The stained-glass windows made a great backdrop for many of our wedding pictures. It was great to be able to get ready, have the ceremony, and reception all in one place. Not only is the building beautiful looking but the staff is SUPER helpful. Raine was amazing! She was always responsive to our questions leading up to the wedding and was even more helpful during the rehearsal and wedding day. I really appreciated Raine’s advice and help. The DIY nature of this venue allowed us to have a unique wedding that really felt like it reflected us as a couple and may not have been possible at many other venues. Finally, we loved that The Sanctuary is a non-profit and loved being able to play a small role in helping support their mission.

Venice on Vine Catering has catered multiple weddings at The Sanctuary. The staff is available to answer questions prior to and during the event - they are helpful, accommodating, and precise! Perhaps most importantly, the Sanctuary ensures customer wants/needs are communicated clearly to the caterers. Lastly, the space provides ample room for both a buffet option as well as plated seating - all with a backdrop of a beautiful (and historic) church!

The Sanctuary is a beautiful venue and they have a great mission that serves and gives back to the community. You have the flexibility of choosing any caterer you want, which allows for cost savings. However, while the price you pay is reasonable, the service is not robust enough for me to recommend to a friend. From working with the management (which has gone through some turnover), I find a lack of urgency and professionalism, especially evident during the pandemic. There was no clear communication on how couples may reach the management once the pandemic hit. I have called the office line and left voicemails, to not avail (and sometimes things are better discussed over the phone rather than via email). All of that would've been fine if there was clarity on how they would operate during the pandemic. What was more baffling was how they kept my deposit when they couldn't legally fulfill the original agreement that's now been impacted by the pandemic. We had to cancel our wedding two months before the wedding (which was also when they had recommended we make our decision) because things were uncertain at that point with COVID-19. There was huge emphasis on how they have offered alternative dates for couples to host their wedding but I did not think whether they returned my deposit should've been dependent on whether I COULD ACCEPT the alternative they had given. So much for promoting the fact that they are a non-profit organization. I made the mistake of not asking for a more official agreement when I first gave my deposit. Since the "agreement" did not state how things will be handled in unforeseen circumstances, I have essentially given them the $500 deposit for free. Up until the point of cancellation, all we've done is exchanged a few emails and set up tours of the venue, all of which they would've done without charge. So, if you go with them, especially when the pandemic is dragging on, be prepared.