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About this vendor

Janelle
Janelle
Manager

Woman-owned

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Located in Pescadero, California, Venture Retreat Center is a wedding venue that invites couples to experience the natural beauty of the Northern California coastal region. The center has a long history of community spirit and invites parties to gather and celebrate together in harmony with the earth. Conveniently situated 10 minutes off the coast and accessible from both San Francisco and San Jose, it is an ideal location for guests traveling from far and wide. The venue is an excellent choice for nature-loving couples who want to celebrate in their own slice of private paradise.

Facilities and Capacity

Venture Retreat Center is an effortlessly stylish and luxurious retreat enveloped by the serene calm of the Northern Californian landscape. With roots in the 1960s counterculture movement, the center has served as a place of spiritual exploration and self-discovery for decades. Wedding parties are invited to rent the entire premises, allowing them to celebrate in privacy and seclusion from the outside world. Guests can wander the forest that surrounds the center, meandering through its ancient redwoods or visit the creek and take a moment to reconnect with nature. Couples can exchange their vows under the shelter of stately boughs in a sophisticated outdoor ceremony. The party can continue afterward on the lawn, taking advantage of the surrounding natural beauty and the year-round California sunshine. As dusk falls, the warmth of a campfire invites attendees for intimate chats in its glow or to gather around toasting marshmallows and s’mores. There is enough space to accommodate up to 40 guests between cabins, cottages, and glamping tents.

Services Offered

Venture Retreat Center’s staff welcomes couples to the venue and provides support throughout their wedding experience. The management welcomes outside vendors, and can also provide access the outdoor BBQ/cook station for caterers. The coordination team listens to couples’ needs and works with them, providing advice on the property and its surrounding area.

Pricing information

$5,400 starting price $3,000 starting price
These prices are available for the months of April through October.
$9,000
Average price
$5,000
Average price

Availability

No availability details yet

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FAQ

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?

No

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Event Planning
Parking

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

30

Describe your venue:

Campsite/Cabin
Farm/Ranch
Park

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
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?

Accommodations
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Liability Insurance
Outside Vendors
Wifi

What event items are available?

Chairs
Lighting
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
November
December

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Wedding couple

Reviews of Venture Retreat Center

L
Lizzy Sent on 02/05/2016
4.7 out of 5 rating
My husband and I got married in June 2015 at Venture Retreat Center. We wanted a nontraditional ceremony and a relaxing weekend-long reception that didn't feel fluffed up by the commercial wedding industry. Venture was absolutely perfect for us. The house and the grounds are beautiful: blooming artichokes in the garden, a big fireplace in the living room, ancient trees overhead and songbirds singing all weekend long. We were married in front of a giant, brambly rosebush and afterwards our friends and family walked 50 feet to the porch of the house for champagne, dinner, a live band, and a midnight soak in the hot tub. 40 of our friends stayed in the house and camped on the lawn, which meant that we didn't need any set schedule; people just came and went, enjoying Venture's pool and the nearby hikes and beaches. We cooked most of our meals in the big kitchen (except for the main post-wedding meal, which was catered). There are so many beautiful nooks and crannies on the Venture property! The kids in attendance formed a group and went exploring down the creek trail—we only found out later because they had taken one of our disposable cameras! Bob was incredibly kind and helpful during the planning process and the event itself. He let us visit the property while we were planning, so we could imagine how it would all work, and he connected us with a flower farm down the road, who stocked us with flowers at wholesale. Mainly, he was laid back, friendly and a genuinely nice person to work with. Venture is pretty much a dream place to throw a party: a giant house in the woods, where you can swim and dance and do a lot of nothing with a hundred of your favorite people. If that sounds like a good way to spend your wedding, then Venture is for you.
C
Czd Sent on 02/07/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Last minute wedding in nature!

VRC helped accommodate us and our entire family when our original reception venue cancelled due to wildfires (we were married in September 2020)! We ended up doing an informal wedding ceremony and reception here. They were super flexible and obliging even though our very large group scheduled with them very last minute. We used all of the grounds (stayed the night before our wedding and the night after) and it was so beautiful! The venue is surrounded by nature - some woods and very close to the beach - but still had the comforts of a very spacious kitchen/dining, bathrooms, etc. The only issue we ran into was that there was no cell service - but we wanted an unplugged ceremony anyway. :)
C
Chris Sent on 02/16/2016
4.9 out of 5 rating
Venture Retreat Center was the ideal venue for our wedding. We had a big vision with a small budget, and Venture was the only place that gave us enough flexibility to realize our vision and not completely break our budget. Other venues had so many rules, restrictions, and added fees - the answer to every question was either "no" or "yeah, but it'll cost you". The answers we got from Venture, on the other hand, tended to be "sure, why not, it's your wedding!" That's all we wanted hear. Venture is not "fancy", but the grounds are lovely, it was very reasonably priced, there was space for many of our guests to spend the night, and the folks running it genuinely wanted us to be able to create the event we dreamed of. And we did. Our wedding at Venture was a beautiful gathering of friends and family, and everyone had a spectacular time.
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Awards

6
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
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Janelle
Janelle
Manager

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Venture Retreat Center frequently asked questions

Venture Retreat Center includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Event Planning
  • Parking
The space offered by Venture Retreat Center for wedding events is known for:
  • Campsite/Cabin
  • Farm/Ranch
  • Park
Venture Retreat Center offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Venture Retreat Center offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Venture Retreat Center offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Accommodations
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Liability Insurance
  • Outside Vendors
  • Wifi
Venture Retreat Center offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Chairs
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Venture Retreat Center is recommended by 96% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in flexibility, 4.9 in quality of service, 4.8 in average response time, 4.8 in value and 4.5 in professionalism.

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