The Sanctuary on Penn

My husband and I cannot say enough positive things about The Sanctuary on Penn. When we were looking for an LGBT friendly venue in central Indiana, this place caught our eyes, and we could not be happier. The space is gorgeous with unique features that make it stand out among other wedding venues in Indy. The team is awesome, responsive, and very attentive to the needs and wants of the couples. The in-house contractors (DJ Don Masters, Heavenly Sweets, Sterling Expressions, and Post Road English Gardens) all hit it out of the park with their services. The full-service nature of the venue takes so much stress away from planning the wedding. Thank you Sanctuary for giving us a magical night that we will remember the rest of our lives!

We got married at The Sanctuary on Penn exactly a month ago from today and wish we could do it all over again! It was such a beautiful and special venue and we’ve gotten many compliments from our wedding guests on how much they loved our wedding. It feels like something straight out of Italy in the main room. We really appreciated Evan’s help all along the way with organizing meetings and answering all of our questions over emails and phone calls in between meetings.

One of the best and most special parts of our wedding day The Sanctuary coordinated was the private moment after the ceremony, when they set up a table with champagne, cheese and fruit, and we got to savor the moment with just the two of us after just having gotten married in front of a whole room packed with people we love. We also really loved the grand exits they do, from the ceremony and also at the end of the night on the way out to our limo.

Their decorations closet was very useful and though we brought a lot of our own decorations in, we saved a lot of money too by using their lanterns for our aisle. It was also so useful that they allowed us to pick up some items after the honeymoon, instead of some venues that rush you into collecting everything at the end of the wedding night.

The whole day was so special and magical, and The Sanctuary really felt like a world of our own for the day. We highly recommend it!

From the moment we walked into the Sanctuary, we knew we had found our wedding venue. The space is absolutely stunning, beautifully decorated, clean and well-maintained, with thoughtful touches all over and fun surprises around every corner.

From there, our experience just kept getting better. We met Evan and his staff, and they immediately felt like old friends. We cannot say enough about how amazing they were during the entire process. They are so kind, creative, thoughtful, organized- they are magic. They let us handle the fun parts of planning, and they took care of everything else. All of our family and friends could not believe how stress-free and fun the planning, menu tasting, rehearsal, and wedding day all were. Evan and his staff made everything feel special.

We spent the entire day at the Sanctuary the day of the wedding. It was so nice to be able to do everything in one place. No running around town, no rushing, no stress. We decorated, we got ready, we hung out, we ate, we took photos, and then we went right into getting married!

And ohhhhh, the photos! There are so many beautiful, unique, charming, and romantic places in and around the building for wedding photos! We went with the house photographer Mariah, and she was fantastic! She knows the space inside and out, she’s such a nice person, she has great ideas, and her photos are beautiful.

We also went with the house DJ, Don Masters, and he was awesome. This guy knows so much about all different kinds of music! He was really fun to talk to, he was super helpful with planning everything involving music, speeches, etc., and he’s a really great emcee- he knows how to read a crowd, and he kept us all on schedule post-ceremony.

Let’s talk about the food!! The chef is incredible. This is not typical wedding food. This is a talented artist sharing her craft. This was really important for us. We both LOVE food- as culture, as art, and as a basic human right. We really, REALLY wanted to be able to treat all of our guests to a delicious, top-notch meal, and the staff at the Sanctuary made that happen. The passed appetizers and the main meal were absolutely amazing. They have so many great options, and they are super accommodating when it comes to special requests, dietary restrictions, kids’ meals, etc. PLUS they donate any food that gets left, so you can start the next chapter of your life by making a difference for others. They really do think of everything!

The day of the wedding, Evan and Jade made sure we were happy all day, and at the end of the night, we said our goodbyes, and they reassured us we did not have to worry about cleaning up or taking all of our stuff with us- we could pick it up whenever. What a gift that was! The last thing you and your wedding party will want to do at the end of such a long day is stay late to clean up. And since Evan and Jade honestly care about their couples and want them to have the best day of their lives, they take care of all that for you! And they don’t even charge you extra for it!

Which brings us to our final point. The price. It is shocking how affordable this wedding was. We looked at many other venues, and every single one was at least twice the price and less than half the value. Do yourself a favor, and have your wedding at the Sanctuary. You won’t regret it!