Sijing Sent on 10/03/2024

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Dreamy Venue

Franciscan Gardens is an amazing venue! The setup is absolutely gorgeous with the greenery covering the high walls, the string lighting, the fountain, and the pergola. The food was catered by 24 Carrots and it was extremely delicious. Elizabeth, Anna, Nasime, Nicole were who I worked with and they were very communicative and easy to work with. They are clearly professionals who are experienced in this field. They were very easy to work with and were very kind when I would have to make adjustments. The location is also fabulous. It's on a walkable street so there's bars, restaurants, boutiques, etc. all within walking distance. There's also a parking lot right next to it so your guests can just park there for the wedding (I believe $2/hr or $20 for the whole day). It's a also 30 minute drive to SNA airport, and there's numerous hotels within walking distance or close driving distance - very convenient for guests. It's a very popular wedding venue, so many of the wedding vendors have previously worked with Franciscan Gardens - my vendors were all experienced with the venue and worked seamlessly with one another. It is on a busy street and near the train tracks so just be aware of that. They also just renovated the bridal suite and it is SO gorgeous. It looks amazing for the getting ready photos. In terms of pricing - I feel like it's pretty comparable to other OC venues. I felt that the base pricing is very reasonable, it's more of a matter of how many add-ons and extras you want, that's where it really starts to get pricey. Overall great experience! Pair the venue with some nice florals and it is truly a dream! We added hanging wisteria courtesy of Ruffle Effect and it was gorgeous.

PC: Cassy Smith Photography

Lizzy Sent on 07/30/2024

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Best Wedding Venue

We got married at Franciscan Gardens on July 20th and couldn’t be happier with our experience. The venue, staff, and catering were all phenomenal. Elizabeth and Nasime made the planning process a breeze, always incredibly professional and communicative. Believe what you read about the food - 24Carrots catering truly is the best! One of the hardest decisions we made was deciding on our menu items after the tasting - everything was so delicious! And on Wedding Day, guests were commenting not only on how beautiful the venue was and how amazing the food was, but also how friendly and helpful the staff were. We truly had the best experience with Franciscan Gardens and could not recommend this venue more!

Andrea Sent on 09/21/2023

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Dream Day!

Josh and I were SO pleased with our wedding at Franciscan Gardens! They were so helpful and attentive at all times. The whole team and staff made our event seamless and flow perfectly. Our dream came true!!!

Chelsea Sent on 10/04/2022

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Best Venue!

Not only was the venue incredibly beautiful, but Melissa Keller was so helpful and went above and beyond anything I could have expected. She was so quick to respond and answered every question we had. The staff at the venue was so on top of it as well on the wedding day. King (the bartender) was so much fun and we received so many compliments on how great he was! Can't recommend this venue enough!

Ariel Sent on 12/11/2021

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Speechless Venue - It was Amazing!

We've been signed with them for 4 years since we planned ahead and COVID pushed it even further and every step of the way they nailed it. Melissa and Kayleigh were rock stars and made sure everything was put together for us and everyone said it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Thank you for everything!!

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Samantha Sent on 07/24/2021

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The perfect wedding!

I fell in love with this venue the minute we saw it. It was our dream venue and it was the best night. Melissa and Kayleigh helped us a lot with everything and were so patient with us planning from another state. They made video calls with us and answered SO MANY of my emails with copious questions. Through it all they stayed so pleasant and professional!
The courtyard was beautiful and the guests fell in love as well. We had 115 people and there was more than enough room for us to dance, chat, whatever! The cocktail hour inside was beautiful as well, with the chandeliers and brick accent wall!!

Can't say enough great things about Franciscan Gardens! It will forever hold a special place in our hearts!

Katy Sent on 07/23/2021

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Venue was perfect

Venue was beautiful, good as wonderful. The responsiveness of the team up to the day was great. I couldn’t recommend enough. So happy I did my wedding here.

Eric Sent on 03/27/2020

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We love Franciscan Gardens!

My name is Eric and I own an entertainment company by the name of Extreme DJ Service. Franciscan Gardens is a preferred venue that we have had the privilege of working at for many years. If you are looking for an beautiful unique space along with great food and professional service... look no further, FG is the place. We highly recommend the venue and their staff.

Eric Morales
Extreme DJ Service

Anna Sent on 11/12/2018

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Delicious Catering and Great Staff

The moment we walked into Franciscan Gardens, I knew this was the place we would be getting married! My now husband was very kind in letting me take the reins in most of the planning, and I wanted to have a garden feeling outdoor wedding. The tall greenery of this venue is breathtaking and once the lantern lights go up, the centerpieces glowing, it was honestly the most perfect setting. Melissa and Haley were both very helpful and instrumental on helping us get everything finalized and making revision after revision to the contract. The final meeting to pick all of the little details went really smoothly, they were there for the taste testing, and made sure to answer all of our questions and concerns along the way. As far as the catering… We still have people telling us this was the best steak they had ever had at a wedding! During the tasting we were suspicious how they could make all of the food taste as delicious as it did for just the two of us for over 100 people but I must say that it was (all bias aside) probably the most delicious menu ever! The catering and bartending staff was perfect and even dedicated one waiter to the bride and groom for the whole evening to keep us boozed up and partying all night without having to stand in line for a drink or a bite. Thank you everyone!!

Raquel Sent on 07/21/2018

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First I wanted to get married on a beach until I came to this venue. It was perfect, and magical. The space was perfect and there is not much more you have to do to make it a beautiful wedding. I wanted to keep it simple and it still turned out incredibly beautiful. The backdrop for pictures when you’re standing at the alter is breath taking! The hanging lanterns are a perfect touch! You can’t beat beautiful fountains as a decoration. But I can’t tell you how many people came up to me after to tell me how amazing the food was! I was beyond pleased with everything! Sarah also is so fun to work with. She caters to you and makes sure that every one is happy. She’s professional and easy to work with! I would do it a million times over at this venue if I could!

Kristin Sent on 06/08/2018

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My husband and I had our wedding at Franciscan Gardens last month and it was everything that we dreamed of for our big day! Melissa and Haley are SO organized, sweet, and knowledgeable. They truly made the entire process from the initial planning to the little details of our day fun and stress free. It was really nice to have a venue that gave you a vendor suggestion list to choose from if you wanted. All of our vendors except one were from that list which made it easy because they were super familiar with the venue. I loved every single second of our wedding and HIGHLY recommend Franciscan Gardens as a venue. You will not be disappointed!

Elizabeth Sent on 10/28/2017

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This was the perfect venue for us! Beautiful rustic gardens, perfectly manicured for our ceremony and cocktail party with an urban type loft for the reception. The best of both worlds! Melissa was a dream to work with and the food was well, amazing! Definitely NOT banquet food. This venue created a magical experience and the comfort the staff provided was excellent. We would highly recommend this venue.

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Serena Sent on 09/25/2017

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For our wedding, my husband and I wanted to find a venue that could host an outdoor reception, had a bridal room to get ready, allowed a live band, and allowed a reception that ended at midnight (other venues with outdoor space did not permit a reception ending past 10 due to noise ordinances). Franciscan Gardens checked all the boxes and had offered several additional perks.

One of the best part of picking Franciscan Gardens was working with Melissa and Haley. These girls are professional, responsive, and have the sweetest personalities. My vision involved renting furniture and decorative pieces from several different vendors. At FG, all of the rentals are coordinated through the venue. Essentially, I just had to tell Melissa and Haley exactly what chairs, chargers, chandeliers, etc I wanted and they made it happen! Having the venue in charge of rentals saved us the trouble of having to reach out to several companies and coordinate services.

As many previous reviews have mentioned, 24 Carrots is the exclusive caterer for Franciscan Gardens. For hors d'oeuvres, we selected mini grilled cheese served with tomato soup shooters, coconut shrimp lollipops, seared ahi on crispy wonton spoons, and pulled pork sliders. For our dinner, we started with an arugula salad, and served a duet of filet mignon and shrimp with broccolini and potato gratin dauphinoise for dinner. Every single food item was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS and had the most BEAUTIFUL presentation. Since my husband and I currently live in Chicago, we wanted to bring a taste of home to our wedding. 24 Carrots was gracious enough to make mini Chicago style hot dogs and pass them out as our late night snacks. Every detail down to the bright green relish was spot on!

All in all, we are so thankful that we chose Franciscan Gardens as our wedding venue and we could not have asked for a better experience. THANK YOU Franciscan Gardens for making our dream wedding possible!

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Megan Sent on 03/28/2017

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We had our wedding at Franciscan Gardens in March 2017 and we honestly could not have asked for anything more! Working with Melissa and Haley was a breeze, from the initial meeting, to the tasting, to the day of. They were both so sweet and helpful at every meeting and throughout the entire planning process. The venue is gorgeous and is right around the corner from The Mission and Los Rios street which provided the perfect backdrop for all of our photos! Their staff was incredible on the day of and our wedding went off without a hitch! We are so thankful we chose Franciscan Gardens as our wedding venue. It was the perfect day! xoxo

Reid Sent on 12/10/2016

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Franciscan Gardens is managed by 24 Carrots, who was able to take our vision and deliver an experience better than we ever imagined. The food was perfect, the service was excellent, and the staff leading up to the wedding were responsive, helpful, and great to work with. We are so happy we went with 24 Carrots and highly recommend the beautiful Franciscan Gardens venue. It was perfect for our size wedding (90 people), not feeling too spaced apart or too cramped.

If anyone is considering getting married in San Juan Capistrano, they should take a look at Franciscan Gardens and speak to the wonderful people at 24 Carrots!

Courtney Sent on 06/30/2016

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Franciscan Gardens was the BEST place to get married!! It was the only venue we toured because it has everything you could ever need! The venue was beautiful on our big day with greenery everywhere and a beautiful courtyard to house our about 100 guests for the wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The bridal suite and groom's lounge upstairs were perfect and spacious for getting ready and holding all of our things during the ceremony and reception. Melissa and Haley were absolutely amazing throughout the year of prep and planning! They were always so easy to get ahold of and quick to respond with any and all questions and changes that I had. The details meeting two months prior helped to make sure everything was going to go smoothly. 24 Carrots, the catering service associated with the venue, has the most delicious food I've ever tasted!! It was the best! All our guests kept coming up to us raving about the appetizers, food, and s'mores station! We were so happy with our big day here and know you will be too!

User2679007 Sent on 06/26/2016

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My husband and I fell in love with Franciscan Gardens on our first visit. It was everything we were looking for in a venue: outdoor, private, and beautiful!! In addition to the gorgeous space, the catering company 24 Carrots owns the venue and has a kitchen onsite with the amazing food. The menu options are extensive and fully customizable which we loved. The bridal and grooms suites on site are also The professionalism of the staff was also excellent from the timelines of the setup to the attentiveness throughout the evening. My husband and I always had our glasses full and they were constantly checking up on us to see if we needed anything. We had 160 guests attend and people were constantly telling us how beautiful and intimate the space was, I couldn't imagine a better venue for our wedding!!

Karen Sent on 05/27/2016

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Our daughter's wedding at Franciscan Gardens was amazing! Melissa Russell is absolutely wonderful to work with. We were happy from start to finish. Highly recommend this Venue.

User5861869 Sent on 05/08/2016

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Franciscan Gardens was everything we wanted in a wedding venue and MORE!! First, the venue itself is GORGEOUS! When our guests were dancing under the Italian lights and stars it felt magical! The tall green shrubberies (which made for AMAZING wedding pics) made it feel like you were in wine country but you’re right in downtown San Juan Capistrano. The bridal and groom suite were also a huge selling point for us because it eliminated having to get ready somewhere else and then transport the entire wedding party to the venue. The bridal suite had ample room for my 5 bridesmaids, my mom, hair and makeup team, and myself. Second, throughout the wedding planning process Franciscan Gardens and 24 Carrots were true professionals and a joy to work with. Hayley and Melissa were WONDERFUL and always so quick to respond to any of our questions. We found the fact that Franciscan Gardens works exclusively with 24 Carrots to be a HUGE convenience from a planning perspective. 24 Carrots really roles out the red carpet with their menu tasting. Their tasting room is so cute and elegant! It made our menu tasting a fun and memorable experience. Finally, on the day of the wedding the entire staff went above and beyond to ensure our day went off without a hitch! The food was delicious!! This is not your average wedding food! We served the chicken picatta and the hangar steak-both were phenomenal. The entire wait staff and bartenders were so attentive, accommodating, and friendly to all our guests. We are so happy we chose Franciscan Gardens for our special day and 24 Carrots was the icing on the cake!

Dephinie Sent on 11/25/2015

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A beautiful venue with the most amazing service! This venue is a 10 out of 10. Franciscan Gardens is set in a gorgeous courtyard, perfect for an intimate wedding. The lights that surrounded the place make it magical at night, with bistro lights hanging above and twinkle lights wrapped around the lush green vines. It is a perfect venue for a bride who wants to get creative. With so many greenery, you could do just about anything, and it makes for the greatest pictures. Though the venue sold itself, what helped me make the decision to pick the venue was the team at Franciscan Gardens. We absolutely loved the team and their high quality service. Melissa, the event manager, was the best coordinator to work with. From start to finish, Melissa helped make my wedding day absolutely perfect. She was so accommodating, responsive, and her dedication to her craft is very apparent. Being an indecisive bride with many questions, she always answered my questions with a smile, a helpful tip, and with promptness. She was thorough throughout the whole process and made sure that every detail I had in mind was executed. Melissa is so organized that in the midst of the crazy wedding planning I would get reminder emails updating me about upcoming events or things I had to do. On the day of the wedding and during rehearsal, she made sure to check in with me to ask if everything was going okay. I loved that Melissa was with us every step of the way, from giving us the first tour to wishing us a happily ever after. The service team was wonderful too. The transition/flip time during cocktail hour was flawless, I didn't even notice it happening. During cocktail hour, the catering team made a good effort to attend to the bridal party separately than the guests which I thought added a nice touch. So many guests commented on how charming the venue was, how intimate it felt, and how beautiful it was with the fountains, the pergola, and the backdrop. Thank you FG!

Niki Sent on 10/31/2015

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Our wedding was here last night and was truly remarkable. Everything went absolutely according to what we wanted. Both the Franciscan Gardens staff and the 24 Carrots staff were amazing. I would absolutely recommend having a wedding at this venue.

Esther Sent on 10/02/2015

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There are no words to describe how happy I am that I chose to get married at Franciscan Gardens!! I received so many compliments from all my guests and family! It was just what I wanted and more!! Melissa and Breanne are a pleasures to work with! Professional, fast responses, and always so nice!! I've been telling everyone what a great venue it is and recommend it to all my friends!! All I heard was "Beautiful" Thank you Franciscan Gardens and 24Carots!!

Jenni Sent on 06/24/2015

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Our wedding was absolutly perfect, thanks to Franciscan Gardens. The outdoor garden setting created that romantic atomsphere. The staff was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. We are so lucky to have had such an amazing team of people. The ambiance was perfect. Price was reasonable for a Southern California wedding. We received so many compliments from guests. Everyone loved the venue. Parking was easy with a parking structure just a few feet from the venue. Local hotels nearby made it easy for out of town guests. The foot supplied by 24 carrot was delicious! I only have positive things to say about this venue! I wish I can do it again! Highly Highly recommend getting married at Franciscan Gardens!!!!

User1755917 Sent on 08/09/2014

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Beautiful Beautiful Venue. I was looking for something outdoors and a little country feel. The courtyard made it feel so intimate and not spread out, with everything right there, the ceremony and reception. For my wedding, the venue switched managers through my planning process, and it was a seamless transition. The new managers took over and made me feel valued and where just as responsive and professional as the previous managers. The food was delicious, and my guests were raving about the venue. Having the head table sit under the pergola was a highlight and made me feel close with my wedding party and husband. The grounds around the venue were beautiful to take photos at, many choices to choose from. One waiter even followed us when we took our photos to bring us appetizers and water to make sure that we felt taken care of. I definitely recommend this venue!

Merrill Sent on 07/14/2014

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Such a beautiful venue! This was the first (and only) venue my husband and I toured; we were in love at first sight! The ambience they create is wonderful - so romantic. Aimee was so sweet and worked closely with us to ensure we got the wedding of our dreams. Thanks for making our wedding day memorable!

User1622331 Sent on 04/20/2014

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I have only great things to say about Franciscan Gardens. The venue is beautiful, the coordinators were very professional and the location was very convenient for my guests.

We were able to take the venue and add in our touches to create OUR wedding. It was amazing how fast the venue was able to "flip" the ceremony site and make it into a reception. Our guests felt so comfortable in the venue and it seated 100 guests very well.

The food from 24 Carrots was delicious and very satisfying. Our guests loved the beef brisket and the variety of hors d'oeuvres. Picking a menu was tough because there were so many great options!

We initially worked with Ashley Pyle, and she was awesome. She helped us make a timeline for the day, walk us through the planning process and accommodate to us being on the other side of the country. Alyssa was the contact that was there for us on the wedding day, and she was equally awesome. She even helped fold menus for the reception tables! From the big to little tasks, these girls can help any bride do anything!

Darlene Sent on 11/27/2013

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It was love at first sight with FG. It was the first venue my husband and I looked at so everyone was telling us to keep looking....but we loved everything about the place and just couldn't turn away! We were so fortunate that all of the logistical details such as dates, costs, number of people, etc. all fit well with our wedding plans so within a week of our search we had our venue booked!
The neighborhood is so beautiful and historic, the venue itself has a charming outdoor feel and we were able to do both our ceremony and reception at FG. They did a fabulous job of flipping the site from ceremony to reception.
A lot of great photo ops at FG and the surrounding area. They have really nice bride and groom rooms available to get ready in. Great location near the parking structure so guests don't have to worry about that. Beautiful bistro lights, fountain and pergolas to incorporate into your decor.
Not to mention that 24 Carrots was amazing to work with. The service and professionalism was on point from day one of planning all the way up to the very last minute of clean up. Their food is amazing and they really work with you to help you create the wedding of your dreams. If you get to work with Kimberlynn, you will be more than pleased! I would not hesitate to recommend both FG and 24 Carrots to anyone. In fact, a friend of mine was a guest at our wedding and fell in love with FG too. My husband and I returned in May 2013 to attend HER wedding there! So much fun to reminisce!

Koryn Sent on 10/18/2013

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Absolutely amazing! Aimee, Ashley and 24 Carrots made our wedding so special and they are so wonderful to work with! Absolute perfection!

User1480915 Sent on 09/19/2013

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Franciscan Gardens is the perfect place to get married!!! From the first meeting to the big day, Aimee and Ashley are there to make sure everything goes perfectly. They truly care about you and your wedding and it shows in their attention to detail. They respond to emails so quickly, they never make you feel silly when you're asking a ton of questions, and they are just genuinely nice people. The venue itself is amazing! It is so pretty and needs very little decoration (great if you are on a budget). It looks gorgeous on its own, or you can add a few of your own touches if you like. We loved having all of our guests in one area, it made it so easy to walk around and see everyone and everyone felt included in everything. Having the ceremony and reception in the courtyard was so convenient and the staff flipped the space around so quickly you didn't even really see it happen! We have had so many compliments on the beautiful venue, the friendliness of the staff, and on how good the food was! The food really is delicious. It's just like it was at the tasting, and it's hard to believe they can pump out that many meals and make them all taste so fresh. It was really wonderful. At night all of the lanterns added this wonderful glow to the reception. Another huge plus is that they do not schedule any other events on the same day as your wedding, so you have all day to use the getting ready rooms and all day to set up. The venue is also a great location for photographs and just across the street from the Mission San Juan Capistrano. We went to the mission for photographs and it provides a wonderful backdrop. We really could not imagine a better place to get married.

User1325241 Sent on 09/11/2013

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I fell in love with this venue as soon as I saw the photos. I knew this had to be our wedding venue as soon as we visited it. It's absolutely beautiful. My guests kept commenting on how beautiful it was. Aimee and Ashley were such a pleasure to work with. They went above and beyond. I had so many last minute requests that they were able to accommodate. The entire staff was so friendly and personable. They made sure my husband and I had everything we needed. The bartender and guard were also quick to react when I pointed out a few wedding crashers. The food is so ridiculously delicious! I have absolutely no complaints...everything about Franciscan Gardens is amazing. Thank you so much!!!

Amy Sent on 07/30/2013

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What a beautiful venue! I never knew about this until I saw some pictures in wedding blogs and knew I had to check it out! Venue managers Ashley and Aimee were helpful since day 1 when I went to the open house event. They worked closely with my wedding planner and made sure everything was exactly how we wanted it to be. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this venue and have absolutely no regrets having my wedding here. My guests were shocked at how beautiful this place was and was surprised this venue existed (its a hidden gem!). The prices are reasonable and helpful. I really had the wedding of my dreams at this venue and know that other brides will too here! This venue is getting more and more popular so you better book it quick!

Kimberly Sent on 07/17/2013

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If it was possible to give more then 5 stars I would. This place made all my dreams come to life. The ladies who work here (Ashley and Aimee) are so unbelievably helpful that I do not know what I would have done without them. This place was perfect and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Gorgeous area, perfect weather, and the overall atmosphere was amazing.

User1243652 Sent on 07/16/2013

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We couldn't have been happier with this beautiful venue! Aimee and Ashley were such a joy to work with from start to finish. They accommodated us every chance they got, and they really paid attention to the details, which meant a lot to us. They were also so helpful and patient with us. The venue itself was just perfect for the fun and romantic environment we were going for, and it was the best fit for our wedding of 155 guests (although it can comfortably hold up to 200). It is so pretty that we didn't need to add much to it. The plants, flowers, vines, fountain, etc. gave it a beautiful, lush appearance. Also, there are many photo ops nearby. We took our First Look photos at the mission and our bridal party photos down the street. 24 Carrots was amazing, from the appetizers to dinner...and the service was wonderful as well! I can't forget one of my favorite amenities: the gorgeous bridal suite and awesome groom's suite! They are perfect for getting ready in or just for hanging out. We were so impressed, and we are so, so glad we chose this one of a kind venue! :)

Melanie Sent on 05/29/2013

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I really can't say enough about Franciscan Gardens. Not only is it a beautiful venue with plenty of great places to take pictures nearby (the Los Rios District, the Mission, the train station, etc.) as well as the wonderful amenities of the bride and groom suites, the staff who work there are excellent. They were accommodating and flexible, and worked with us closely on our budget. You can either have a very expensive wedding here or a very reasonably priced one - they will help you figure it out!

Not only were they great during the planning process, they were intuitive on the day of the wedding. I had ordered cupcakes from Sprinkles for our cake, and two vegan cupcakes were packaged separately for two of my guests. Rather than put them out on the towers and risk having them be taken by the wrong guests, they kept them aside and then went and found the guests who needed them. I didn't even ask them to do that, and only found out that they'd done it a few days later! That's just one small anecdote to show how thoughtful and professional they are.

Stephanie Sent on 05/28/2013

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The Franciscan Gardens was not only our dream venue for it's beauty and charm but also because of the amazing staff that supported us in having our perfect wedding day. Ashley and Aimee were absolutely wonderful and made our planning process so smooth and easy. Ashley even went out of her way to arrive to the venue at 7 am to allow the bridal party into the bridal suite to ensure that we would have enough time to complete hair and makeup. Both her and Aimee were so personable and despite having weddings take place nearly every weekend they still were so invested in our special day and doing whatever they could to prevent any additional stress or worry.

Mandy Sent on 04/21/2013

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Franciscan Gardens was an absolutely magical place the night of our wedding. Aimee and Ashley were so helpful throughout our wedding planning process! The day/night of our wedding was a lot colder than it was supposed to be, and they kindly allowed us to use their heaters at the last minute. We received so many compliments on the venue, staff and food! Everything was top notch! Thank you for helping us throw the wedding of our dreams!

Joi Sent on 12/03/2012

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Franciscan Gardens is beautiful, and my wedding was lovely and memorable. I loved working with Anne Watson, and later Ashley Pyle. Anne is incredibly friendly and courteous, and because of the venue's great price range, was able to work with my budget and give us a great ceremony and reception package. Ashley was really helpful the day of, and made herself available to help with setup and truly went above and beyond for us. She was also really organized, and responded very quickly to all of my questions.

Everyone loved the food and it tasted exactly like it did during the tasting at 24Carrots. Our appetizers were the bacon wrapped scallops, and wasabi mashed potatoes with glazed beef, and everyone enjoyed the hell out of them! They also really liked the tray passed service. For dinner, we had chicken parmigiana and the mahi mahi with pasta, and it was incredible! Everything was perfectly prepared and people went back for seconds and thirds. The staff was incredible as well, they brought my husband and I plates of prepared food, so we could spend more time at our little sweetheart table. They transformed the ceremony area into a reception in no time. The bartender(s)? was/were amazing, and everyone was really positive and polite.

I highly recommend FG, but if you get married on a holiday weekend like I did double check the Amtrak schedules! FG gives you a list with all of the train times, but Amtrak had something weird happening the day of our wedding and our ceremony got blasted! I wanted to die at the time, but it's hilarious to think about now. There was nothing FG could do about the rogue train though and I am so glad we found this little piece of paradise in SJC!

User1031330 Sent on 11/29/2012

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Great venue, great staff and reasonably priced.

Vanessa Sent on 11/23/2012

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We had an amazing wedding day thanks to Franciscan Gardens! Aimee and Ashley were so patient, professional and helpful with us, espcially as it got closer to our wedding day. Everyone was so helpful and made our experience that more special. The crew was so professional and friendly. We had so many guests tell us what a great location, food and overall experience they had as well. We absolutely loved the food too!

Lindsey Sent on 11/15/2012

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Franciscan Gardens was a beautiful venue with a great staff. Hidden away in the heart of San Juan Capistrano, the tall walls of ivy and secluded courtyard make you feel like world around has disappeared. The location itself was so versatile that we could do almost anything with the open space. However, the best part of Franciscan Gardens was their staff and partners. Everyone was so helpful, organized, and accommodating. They were a pleasure to work with. Through the planning process, the management team made sure to cover everything and coordinated with the catering crew (24 Carrots). The day of the wedding went as smooth as can be imagined. I have to give a HUGE shout out to the waiters and bartenders. My guests could not stop talking about how great they were... on top of everything and there wasn't a moment that everyone didn't have a drink or something to eat. I highly recommend this venue/company.

Nina Sent on 11/08/2012

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Amazingly helpful and fun staff! Beautiful grounds and perfect location! Aimee and the staff at Franciscan Gardens went out of their way to make our day perfect and were available 24 hrs a day if I had any questions or concerns. We would recommend Franciscan Gardens to everyone!!

Traci Sent on 10/05/2012

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Thank you Franciscan Gardens for making our day so Beautiful and Magical!! A big Thank you to Anne Watson and the whole staff at FG, for making our dreams come true on 8/26/12!! They reslly worked with our budget and changed things around~ they are so helpful, fun and gracious! Franciscan Gardens was the first place we looked at, and after looking at several other venues, FG was in our hearts and we knew it was the perfect place for our BIg Day!! Thank you to 24 Carrots for the exquisite food and service~ we couldn't have asked for better service, it was top notch! The Bride and Groom rooms are big and beautiful~ the grooms room has s a pool table in it :-) Not only is FG a beautiful venue, the parking was convenient for our guests (it is literally right next to the courtyard) The Los Rios district, is the perfect spot to take your wedding photos~ super fun! I highly recommend this venue for your wedding~ my husband and I are just THRILLED at how everything turned out! If you are looking to have a GORGEOUS wedding, Franciscan Gardens is your place!!

Marlene Sent on 09/01/2012

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Thank you to everyone at Franciscan Gardens! My daughter's wedding was picture perfect! The guest's raved about the venue, food, and service. The bride and groom's suites were a fantastic place for everyone to get ready and hang out all day before the wedding. Such a fun day!

Nikki Sent on 07/17/2012

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The entire Franciscan Gardens and 24 Carrots team did an amazing job creating a wedding day that we will remember forever! Everything ran smoothly and they were very attentive to our needs. I can't thank them enough for hosting our perfect wedding!

User865864 Sent on 07/16/2012

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Franciscan gardens was the perfect place to have our wedding, they were able to answer any questions I had in a timely manor, they were increadibly accomodating and the venue is absolutly gorgous. I knew from my first visit that Franciscan gardens had to be the place for my wedding, and everything turned out beautiful

Msj Sent on 06/09/2012

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BEAUTIFUL and UNFORGETTABLE WEDDING: Christine & Joseph
My Daughter had her Wedding: Ceremony/Reception at Franciscan Gardens in San Juan Capistrano. This venue is beautiful, accommodating and the best service we have every had. The food was fabulous. The staff at this venue was attentive to the Bride/Groom all the time. If I could have my daughters wedding all over again, it would definitely be at this venue. Thank you 24 Carrots/Franciscan Gardens for the unforgettable and memoriable Wedding. This venue is a 5 Star and more. We would Highly recommend this venue for any bride/groom.

Hoang Sent on 05/07/2012

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When we went on our first walk though at the Franciscan Gardens it was under construction for a remodel. Even then we could see what a beautiful venue this was. They told us what it would look like once it was finished, and we knew that we didn't want to get married anywhere else. We loved that there is a bridal suite for me, and a groom's room for him. On our wedding day, the guys decided to show up really early to relax, watch tv, and play games in the groom's room. The ladies and I had more than enough room to get ready in the bridal suite. Working with Anne and Ashely was a real joy. They helped me with anything I needed and answered the millions of questions I had for them. I wish I could get married here again, maybe for a vow renewal. ;)

Denell Sent on 04/06/2012

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I don't even know where to begin! When I started my venue search, I had nearly 2 years of wedding planning ahead of me! I searched A LOT of venues, but we only had a tour of 2 before deciding on Franciscan Gardens. Every email I sent to Anne with some question was always promptly responded to. When we had our visit, we met with one person, but Anne sent me an email first thing that following Monday. We loved this place! The courtyard setting is beautiful and the bride & groom suites are amazing. They had done a lot of work renovating things from the time we booked up until the day of our wedding, and although I was worried at first, everything made the venue even better! Anne was always available to help me with any changes I needed to make to the contract or answer any questions I had. Once it was the month of the wedding, I met with Ashley to do the layout and all the final details and started working with her. She was a big help to me as well, and she always responded to my emails quickly. Just a note to brides, this is an ALL outdoor wedding, so be prepared, but don't let that stop you! With the addition of all my decor- this venue turned out to be a beautiful location for my wedding. I couldn't have asked for anything better!

Brittany Sent on 03/04/2012

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Franciscan Gardens is such a unique place and we are SO happy we decided to have our wedding here. Great little gem in the city of San Juan Capistrano! The venue already has so much natural beauty and beautiful structures to it; that come the wedding day with all the decorations; it looked above and beyond what I had imagined!

The team at Franciscan Gardens and 24 carrots were amazing. Anne and Abbi were wonderful to work with, and both were so helpful to us every step of the way. You can tell they love what they do and that they have a passion for it!

24 carrots is their catering on-site company and I received many, many compliments on how good the food was at our wedding!

Without a doubt, I would 100% recommend Franciscan Gardens to brides looking for a wedding venue!

Aimee Sent on 02/15/2012

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For me, I wanted a Winter Wonderland wedding outdoors. It is very challenging to find an outdoor setting in Orange County without involving the ocean. When I found Franciscan Gardens, I knew it was the perfect place for our wedding. After meeting with the Assistant Venue Manager and looking at all the options to fill the courtyard, I was even more excited to book with them. I am all about individuality and didn't want my wedding to look like anyone else’s. The amount of options are endless with this venue and no wedding looks the same in the space. On the actual wedding day, the staff made my dream of a Winter Wonderland come to life. It was absolutely beautiful and the staff was amazing. Even though the staff probably does 75+ weddings a year, they make you feel like your day is just as special to them as it is to you. I could not be happier with the venue and the staff.
One other huge selling point for me was the enormous bridal suite and grooms suite. We had a massive bridal party (18 total) and trying to fit everyone in a hotel to get ready would have been a challenge. The bridal suite was perfect and had plenty of room for everyone AND it looks like something from Anthropologie (my fave store). The groom's suite is perfect for the guys too. They were able to watch football, play pool, and just be boys. Everything photographed beautifully at Franciscan and you can tell a lot of thought went into creating the space. I absolutely LOVE this venue and I would use them again for another event in a heartbeat.

Deanna Sent on 10/04/2011

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Our wedding at Franciscan Gardens was beautiful. The staff were all so courteous and considerate! The event coordinators are both very personable and responsive and really go the extra mile to ensure you're taken care of. The catering (24 Carrots) is just amazing. Every last morsel was delicious, but most importantly they were able to accommodate several of my guest's dietary restrictions. I've already recommended Franciscan Gardens to several brides I've met and I will continue to do so!

Jaimee Sent on 08/14/2011

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Franciscan Gardens is beautiful. If you are looking for an outdoor venue with personality and charm- this is the place for you. Plus, since it is not in a residental area, it is one of the few outdoor venues that lets you keep your event going until Midnight.

24 Carrots owns the venue now, which means when booking your wedding here, you will also have the opportunity to have AMAZING food from Orange County's best caterer. :)

I encourage you to go visit Franciscan Gardens... once you step your foot of the wedding site, you'll fall in love with it.

Jaimee & Jason Spanos

Erin Sent on 08/04/2011

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I cannot say enough kind words about my experience with Franciscan Gardens! It is such a breathtakingly gorgeous venue and the staff are AMAZING. The event coordinators there are easily accessible and very prompt and courteous in responding. I could not have asked for a more amazing venue to hold both my ceremony and reception at the same site!

Brandy Sent on 03/29/2011

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Franciscan Gardens was the perfect venue for our wedding day. I will never forget the moment my fiance and I first visited the venue. In fact, on our way to the venue, I wondered if Franciscan Gardens either was as perfect as it looked online or if they had an incredible webmaster! After taking my first peek into the "secret garden" my eyes lit up like a little girl at Disneyland! The beautiful gardens smelled fresh and the lights sparkled and I immediately knew it was perfect! We met with the site manager (through previous owner) and loved everything we heard. We left the venue to tour other venues we had interest in and found ourselves making a U-turn half way to our next stop! We went right back to Franciscan Gardens and signed a contract!

My fiance and I had serious nerves when the change of ownership occurred. We do not feel the previous owner had communicated well and that was disappointing, however as we began receiving contact from the new site manager, Ann we quickly realized things were for the better. 24 Carrots honored all aspects of our original contract and the site manager was wonderful with coordinating with the (now) outside vendors. The overall transition was smooth and the site manager met with us to give us a tour of the "new" and improved facility.

I was very sad it rained on our wedding day because we had to rent a tent (which was a large addition to our budget that we had not anticipated). Ann worked hard to break the cost of the tent rental though and although the white tent initially put a hiccup in the magic of the garden, once the wedding began, we hardly noticed the tent! :)

The venue was perfect. The surrounding area with the train tracks, and historic mission was ideal for pictures and it was hands-down the perfect day! I would recommend Franciscan Gardens to my closest friends because I know they would be in good hands!

Mo Sent on 06/16/2010

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It was a little nerve racking to find out that a change of ownership occurred just before my daughter's wedding. However, the new owners were great to work with. They brought a lot of professionalism to the event. And I feel like I got the best of both worlds since the site manager had a lot of experience with the venue from the old guard.
I received so many compliments on the site. It's the perfect place for a garden wedding. And once the sun goes down, the lighting is great for dancing and partying.

Anne Sent on 04/23/2010

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Our wedding was held on Friday, April 9th, 2010 - the first wedding to take place at Franciscan Gardens after it underwent new ownership by 24 Carrots Catering & Events. What could have been a total nightmare for us (imagine your wedding venue being sold and everything changing hands exactly 1 week before your wedding date - eek!), actually ended up being a complete blessing!! Luckily we had already been using 24 Carrots as our caterer, so it worked out perfectly - Lynn Rinek, our coordinator from 24 Carrots stepped in and did an AMAZING job for us. I actually think that this new ownership is going to do a world of good for Franciscan Gardens. We experienced a few difficulties along the way during our planning with the previous owner (for example, he ripped out the stage and put in a gazebo just 1 month before our wedding without any prior warning, causing us to have to re-arrange our entire floor plan and re-work our contract with the band we'd hired & rent a stage, etc etc - we were rather annoyed!). So, in my opinion the new ownership is fantastic news. 24 Carrots did an incredible job - not just with the food, but with everything - we couldn't have been happier. And, we are still receiving compliments from our guests who said it was one of the most personal, beautiful, fun wedding venues they'd ever been to. Being able to have the ceremony & reception all in one courtyard made logistics a breeze - the transition from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception set-up was managed brilliantly by 24 Carrots & their staff. We were able to have a loud band and a GREAT party until midnight - complete with a sparkler-tunnel grand exit at the end, which we really loved. The venue itself has a beautiful bridal suite where we women got ready, and the groom's lounge downstairs has a pool table and sofas that the guys enjoyed! And, we actually turned the groom's lounge into a 'childcare room' during the reception, which parents loved! Everything is so convenient at this venue. We had 155 guests - and it was the perfect size. Its location is great too - and, for a $50/hour fee, you can have photos done at The Mission SJC across the street, which turned out beautifully! I highly recommend Franciscan Gardens and 24 Carrots Catering & Events! You'll have a beautiful wedding here if you choose this venue.

Jonathan Sent on 04/19/2010

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Franciscan Gardens is now under new ownership. 24 carrots catering & events is now the operating owner of this spectacular venue. You can be assured that 24 carrots will be providing the very best customer service, incredible catering and very outstanding staff. Widely known as one of the top catering and event planning companies in Southern California, 24 carrots is dedicated to making Franciscan Gardens the "hot spot" of South Orange County...

Stephanie Sent on 04/07/2010

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Franciscan Gardens was perfect! I wanted an outside ceremony and reception! The gardens made such awesome backgrounds for my pictures!

Bummed we were not able to use the courtyard on the other side of the alley for pictures. It rained so we had to rent a tent. Which was fine because it was clear, but it did not cover the whole site. :-(

Rochelle was VERY HELPFUL!! She and Kerry(de-luxe-events.com) worked their buns off the day of the wedding. I did not have to worry about anything because I already knew it was taken care of. Rochelle was very helpful to my questions or concerns throughout the whole process.

The Gazebo was a nice addition to the garden even though it was finished a couple days before my wedding!

I would recommend FG to other brides.

Lauren Sent on 09/05/2015

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Growing up in Southern California, every time I walked past Franciscan Gardens I wanted to get married there. I can't believe how lucky I am that my dreams came true! Our wedding was breath-taking and I can not say enough about how magical our day was. I highly recommend this venue. The staff was fantastic and the food was by far the best of any wedding I have ever attended.

Ramon Sent on 09/05/2015

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My wife and I loved our experience at Franciscan Gardens. Everything was perfect and the food was incredible.

Dani Sent on 09/02/2015

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My beautiful garden wedding day. From finding this hidden gem of a wedding venue, to the end of my wedding day I couldn't picture getting married anywhere else. My hardest thing with finding my wedding venue was I wanted everything out doors and I also wanted it to be a night wedding. Well that was hard to find until I found Franciscan Gardens. It had everything that I wanted and also came with the most beautiful Bridal Suite to get ready at, and a cool grooms room the guys hung out in before getting ready. Melissa was a pleasure to work with and made everything easy to do over emails. She was always so quick to respond and made our planning easy. Our special day was everything we wanted here at this venue. Truly is a beautiful setting at night with the lights and everything lit up, making it very romantic. I had a lot of compliments on how everything that day flowed and the food was beyond amazing. People told me and still are telling me how that was the best wedding food and greatly put together they had seen. Which makes me happy that everyone saw what we loved!!!

Jenni Sent on 02/20/2015

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I'm so excited for my wedding in May at the Franciscan Gardens! IT's the most beautiful and magical venue! All outdoors, huge bridal and grooms suite! Staff has been so helpful so far. I can't wait for my wedding there in a few months!

User1462246 Sent on 12/04/2013

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Loved everything about this place. I loved how it literally was like a hidden jewel. My husband and I got married here 05.26.12 and it was perfect. Dancing under the stars the intimate feeling with all family and friends.

They were very accommodating with everything

Savannah Sent on 10/06/2019

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Amazing but expensive

This venue is beautiful, however, as many beautiful venues-it comes at a cost. The venue more pricey than I was able to afford, but very accommodating and nice to work with.

Molly Sent on 07/27/2019

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An oasis in the heart of San Juan

From the moment I saw photos, I knew I wanted to be married in the beautiful courtyard and it did not disappoint. The venue staff are very accommodating and help with all the details. It is also incredibly helpful that catering is provided by an in-house vendor. The ready rooms are absolutely gorgeous and very comfortable and inviting. My husband and I could not have been more pleased with the day. The parking structure adjacent to the venue used to be free but became 3 hr max paid parking 2 weeks before our wedding so we were worried about our guests needing to leave mid-wedding to move their cars but we didn't hear a single word from guests about having any difficulty with parking.

Jackie Sent on 03/30/2016

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I had booked Franciscan Gardens over a year before my wedding. I knew it would be gorgeous but blown away on the day of. Since there's so much greenery surrounding, you can really do as much or as little as you want with the venue space.

First off, delicious food! We didn't want a hotel or golf club type food so having 24 Carrots as the owner/caterer was fantastic. Everyone loved our appetizers and there was plenty of food. I high recommend the slider, how do you go wrong with brie, honey, and caramelized pears?! The brisket in our buffet got a lot of compliments, fall apart tender. Also included was a very nice tasting with tons of food to take home at their corporate office.

Service: Fantastic! I dealt mainly with Melissa leading up via primarily email. She was VERY responsive to my many questions. She also worked with me on my budget as we hashed out our contract. We were able to also keep some costs in check by having only certain liquors on our consumption bar (which is not bad priced per drink at all). Day of Haley assisted and she was so nice and handled everything nicely. I even threw her a day of curve ball as a hey, maybe if you can swing it and she handled it like a PRO and it was done.

Luckily there was no rain and it was PERFECT. All my guests walked in a said it was perfect/gorgeous. Being 1 space if you like, the flip from ceremony to reception happened very quickly and they have their system down pat. They do require a day of coordinator and I can see why, not sure how you can manage all your other vendors and have that liaison during your big day! I would recommend this venue for a bride looking for a great location with a quaint (downtown San Juan Cap) feel surrounding and feeling like you're being married in a lush garden.

User1982719 Sent on 09/13/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Franciscan Gardens was such a beautiful venue! For us, a smaller wedding was ~150 people which is right about the number they max out at. The venue was our "splurge" in wedding cost and it was definitely worth it!! But what came with it was the best wedding we could have hoped for. We wanted an intimate, outdoor venue that could be both ceremony and reception that went with our theme of simple, romantic and fun. Since the reputable 24 Carrots owns the Franciscan Gardens, we loved that the venue came along with catering, linens/tables/chairs, heaters/tents and on-site Bride/Groom suites. I loved that the bridal suite was nice and huge for the girls to get ready and the groom's suite had a pool table for the guys to hang out. And yes, their food is THAT good and delicious, so don't even worry about guests not enjoying it. The venue speaks for itself when you're there in person and it's right next to the train station/mission which is great for photo shots. It's also great that it's so close to the 5 freeway with ample parking in the structure. It's also so enclosed that if the DJ is blasting the music, you wouldn't even be able to hear it on the other side of the plaza where the movie theatre is. It rained the morning of our wedding so it was great that they were able to provide some umbrellas for the light rain that occurred throughout the evening on such short notice. The only negative (and partially stressful) experience we had was that there were a lot of staff changes for this site throughout 2014 and we went through about 3 girls that we had to repeatedly update what we wanted. Regardless they were still organized and kept up to date on what we needed when we finally had the wedding in November. I loved my wedding and don't regret having Franciscan Gardens/24 Carrots as my vendors at all.

Jean Sent on 06/08/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My daughter's wedding reception was here and it was beautiful. Anne & Abbi helped us plan the perfect reception adn were very flexible in accommodating our ideas. All the guests raved about how spectacular the reception was.

Kate Sent on 08/22/2013

4.7 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4.5 out of 5 rating

Ashley and Aimee, the detail coordinator and the catering coordinator at Franciscan Gardens, were both a dream to work with. They were so patient working with me as I changed my mind, added some details last minute, etc. They did an awesome job setting the venue up on the day of and making a dream come to reality. People commented on how cute the venue was and how delicious the food was, which isn't always the case for wedding food. They gave me some vendor recommendations, as well, that turned out great. Renting the venue itself is a little pricier than I'd liked, but it's on par with the area.

Ps- ashley and aimee are very calm, which is nice for a bride, as we can get a little stressed as the big day approaches. I'd recommend this venue and the team working behind the scenes!

Weston Sent on 12/04/2020

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Look no further

I cannot say enough good things about our experience with Franciscan Gardens. Melissa, Kayleigh, and Sarah were all so wonderful to work with to make our day as special and perfect as it was. Planning a wedding in 2020 was not easy and their amazing communication and flexibility was extremely comforting. With our guest count fluctuating daily and so much uncertainty with state laws, it was a pleasure working with such an accommodating team. The day of the wedding could not have run any more smoothly. The entire staff at the Franciscan gardens was kind, efficient, and took all of the precautionary measures to make every one of our guests feel comfortable. Not only that, the quality of the food and drinks was spectacular and we continue to have guests commenting about every aspect of the venue. Additionally, every one of our other vendors commented on how well run the venue was and how amazing their staff was. I highly recommend Franciscan Gardens for anyone looking for a beautiful wedding venue supported by an amazing catering company and the highest quality of service.

Jamie Sent on 09/27/2016

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

From the start to the end, Franciscan Gardens was absolutely amazing. They were the 3rd venue I toured and right from the moment I stepped in the venue, I knew this was it. Melissa was amazing to work with- I was an out of state bride, so it made planning a bit more challenging. Melissa was extremely responsive with any question I had. 24 Carrots the catering service they use has the BEST food. On the day of our wedding, the entire garden area looked like a fairytale. It was gorgeous! The day of the wedding went so smoothly I almost wanted to pinch myself. I wouldn't change a thing. I't was my dream wedding. You will not regret getting married here.

Rita Sent on 01/15/2016

4.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

This venue is gorgeous and the service on the day of was impeccable. Of course you pay for it; make sure to check your contracts in advance and ask if anything not on it costs extra (they will charge for every little extra thing, including table tops). It's pretty popular, so I understand market forces are at work in the cost. So, it costs a lot. The food was really good though, it looked great and tasted great (done by 24 carrot catering, who actually owns this venue). The people who work there were generally pretty responsive to any questions I had (and I had a lot). But they were always very professional. There were a couple times I had noticed some errors on the contract (minor errors), so just look out for those. But again, everything went off without a hitch on the day of, it's gorgeous and my wedding photos looks great because of that, and food was great. What more can you ask?

Ally Sent on 11/09/2012

4.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Franciscan Gardens was very flexible in accommodating our budget along with food selection and rental equipment. I would definitely recommend them to everyone!

Kelly Sent on 12/13/2010

4.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Once 24 Carrots took over this place, it made a complete 180 turnaround! I loved all the people I worked with on my special day. Our wedding attendees are still raving about the beautiful garden setting. The overall day was glorious!

Cari Sent on 07/02/2008

4.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2 out of 5 rating

We had the most beautiful stress free wedding! Lori was a great asset and she was always available for questions before the big day. Many of our guests said it was the most fun they had had at a wedding. The only snag that came along in the planning process was going against the vendor list. We wanted to use our own photographer, which was a process, but we were able to work it out. The vendor list is top notch though, and we were so happy with our other vendors!

Christine Sent on 10/28/2011

4.1 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.5 out of 5 rating

Anne was absoultely amazing. Very friendly and personable. Meeting with Abbi, the event planner was also a nice experience, she was patient with us as we made our final decisions. I wish they would have informed us ahead of time that the buffet was only a single line which made i take a really long time to get through all the guests. The servers were all very attentive and were always asking us what we needed the whole night. There were a couple things I wish would have gone more smoothly - I hoped that the wedding arch would be moved over to the sweetheart table like we had discussed, there were a couple of things that were missing too which we had paid for, no fries or heaters, which we didn't realize until after the wedding because the weather was so great that night. Overall I would recommend this place because of all the great staff here, just check and double check what you want to have before and during (hopefully with the help of a wedding coordinator). It is a beautiful venue.

Alexis Sent on 09/23/2019

3.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3 out of 5 rating

Beautiful Garden!

Such a gorgeous place to get married, in the heart of San Juan Capistrano. My only complaint is they charge for anything extra - even down to plastic vs glass cups for drinks! And you cannot start getting ready on site until 10 am, unless you want to be charged more for them to come early. But overall everyone had an awesome time. They do your rentals for you which is nice because they send you what has been used and what is available and are very responsive - I swear my mom and I called them randomly like once a week. The garden is beautiful and intimate, the inside has been gorgeously re-done. Perfect for our day!

Stefanie Sent on 06/15/2012

3.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.5 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.5 out of 5 rating

We turned our venue into a magical night. Although the venue staffed changed hands several times in the few months we had to deal with them, we felt we were treated fairly. A few things that need to have some attention are - the landscaping, there is alot of dead or wilting plants, shrubs, etc. I feel like there needs to be landscapers there after every wedding either cleaning up the the plants or re-planting so that the surrounding landscape always looks pristine. Sweeping up after each event will do good too. I felt we had to do a lil cleaning up in the garden area prior to decorating our selves, not alot of detail goes into making sure the garden stays perfect for the next couple. The admin fees you have to pay to get married here are very expensive, to me its its like for what? what are you doing for me for these fees?

Although my wedding was beyond magical, i must say its a sweet little venue, but some changes need to be made to the upkeep of the place.

Brittney Sent on 01/16/2024

2.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Not a good experience

The venue was beautiful. However, we didn't have a very good experience. I'm listing five issues from least to worst.

1. The rows during the ceremony were really close together.
We only had around 60 people in attendance and the seats were so close together that it looked weird in photos. I noticed it in our walkthrough and was told we'd make the rows further apart, but it didn't happen.

2. Our head server gave bad service.
The bride and groom receive a server to get drinks, or whatever we need, so we don't have to leave the sweetheart table. She was super offputting, didn't seem like she wanted to be there, and never asked us what we wanted to drink. Just handed us our Featured drink that I chose for the guests before we had any chance to request something else.

3. The bartender HEAVILY overpoured.
I'm not one to complain about a heavy hand but multiple guests said they didn't partake in cocktails because the bartender filled their cups to the rim with alcohol, even after requesting a lighter pour, Which, is disappointing because we paid for an open bar.

4. No one saw a security Guard
We were assigned a security guard but neither I nor anyone else saw one. My husband even ran our card box to our car, just for safekeeping, and never saw security.

5. A guest's car was stolen along with multiple things inside the venue.
Someone came in, stole my dad's jacket, my mom's shoes, a purse (with car keys inside) along with the car those keys belonged to.
There were only 60 guests, so IF there was security, they didn't do a good job. My parents noticed their stuff was missing right away and the cleanup crew didn't allow anyone to enter the venue and check. Luckily the police located the car. All of the things stolen from the venue were in the trunk. So, it was confirmed that whoever stole the items inside the venue also stole the car. The venue doesn't require the bridal/groom suites to be locked or watched, so make sure all valuables are put away.

Kaleigh Sent on 04/14/2008

2.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
2.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2.5 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.5 out of 5 rating

We had a great time at the franciscan gardens during our wedding. The location is absolutely beautiful and we love the city. Our pictures turned out incredible. I would reccomend this location to others. The only problem we had with the location were the rules they have set in stone. It is easy to have a standard wedding there but if your looking for something unique or if you have special or different plans in mind, (ie a friend playing your music or pringing in your own vendors...etc) thats when things get sticky. Yes, it is a great and beautiful location but watch the details and pre-approved vendor list.

Gina Sent on 09/28/2017

2.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

I wish i had fully understood before i booked how they up charge for everything . Even down to a high chair at the reception. If you're a bride on a budget i would not recommend as their rentals are pricey! I am a DIY girl , a work a deal and contact every vendor to to get the best price kinda girl and this did not go over well with the venue. Food is top level but they dominate every aspect of booking vendors and rentals. There was a lot of miscommunication as far as what i could do myself and what had to go through them which ended up causing riffs. Towards the end of the process when the wedding came i felt like the coordinator wanted nothing to do with us. I was not greeted at all on my wedding day by the venue staff, in fact i had to hunt down the coordinator while getting ready because other people were touring the property and taking pictures of the bridal suite while we were in there. That was the only time i saw the site coordinator the entire day. I had MULTIPLE guests complain to me about a very rude and unprofessional bartender. My dad paid extra in our contract to have beer be poured into pilsner glasses and not served in the bottle (and yes there is a fee for that). When my dad noticed people carrying beer bottles during the cocktail hour, he went to inform the bartender about the upgrade for the glasses and her snippy response was, "well that wasn't communicated to me and people like to drink their beer from the bottle" Not only was it not her place to decide that but it was so frustrating that she wasn't told in the first place when we paid extra for it! At the end of the night staff walked around with huge trash bags throwing away everything in site. We had to stop them from throwing away leftover favors. In the process my custom Cake toppers were lost, as well as wedding cards. When i emailed the coordinator to let her know she re-informed me that they were not responsible for lost personal items. The cards i understand but not the toppers.

Bree Sent on 05/20/2010

1.7 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
2 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
1.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1.5 out of 5 rating

Since the gardens has new owners they have completly made changes that will hurt this venue. It is a great spot to have any event, however...the new staff and owners are rude to their customers and employees. I am truly sad that the gardens was not sold to some other owner, it is a great shame that they will be taking away the grooms room and you will also only be able to use there food and beverages. I would not use 24 carrots for any reason, and i am not a prospective buyer. I was a client

Jaq Sent on 06/24/2021

1 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
1 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

Horrible people

This venue seemed like a good value when I initially toured. However, they are very rude and secretive about all the upcharges. They'll be nice to you until you sign in a contract - then they couldn't care less. The communication is poor, and the coordinators simply do not care about you. No one was on site to help us on the wedding date. They allow people to tour the wedding site even on your wedding day, so there's no privacy. If you want your wedding day to be ruined by rude people who are terrible at their job, then this is your place.

Franciscan Gardens Reviews

Reviews

Franciscan Gardens