Abby Sent on 09/30/2025

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A Dream Wedding at The Riviera

We had our wedding at The Riviera, and it was everything we could have hoped for and more. From start to finish, the team was so easy to work with. Communication was always clear, prompt, and direct, which made the whole planning process stress-free. Pricing was also very competitive for the area, especially for everything that was included.
We held our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all at the venue, and the flow was perfect. The patio dinner under the string lights and olive tree was absolutely magical. Guests loved the family-style meal, which kept the food hotter than plated service, especially the fish and meat. The passed appetizers were a big hit too, and the coconut shrimp was especially juicy and delicious.
Because our planner KB Events had worked with the venue before, everything ran seamlessly. We also loved that we could use some of the venue’s furniture, which looked beautiful and fit the space perfectly. Both of us were able to get ready on-site in the bridal and groom suites, which created really special pre-ceremony memories with friends and family.
Our guests could not stop raving about the venue. The location right off State Street made things so convenient with no need to coordinate shuttles, and the free parking lot was a huge plus, even offering overnight parking in case anyone needed to leave their car and take an Uber. Later in the night, the dance party in the Living Room was epic: intimate, lively, and with cozy spots for guests to sit and chat if they wanted a break.
We loved that The Riviera felt unique, full of character, and not like a typical hotel venue, which was so important to us. We are beyond grateful to the entire staff for their friendliness and professionalism before, during, and after. Highly recommend to any couples looking for a truly special place to celebrate.

Kevin Sent on 06/01/2024

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The BEST Wedding Venue!!!

We are beyond thrilled that we chose the Riviera Mansion as the venue for our wedding day!!!

The food, the service, the smiles, and the congratulations created an exceptional ambience and unrivaled experience for us and our guests. Time and again, we’ve heard from our friends and family that the one word they would use to describe our wedding is “PERFECT!”. That’s in no small way a reflection of the seamless execution and exceptional service the team at Riviera Mansion provided to us. Speaking personally for us as the wedding couple, every team member at the Riviera Mansion made us feel not only welcome but like close family arriving at some grand homecoming. It was truly exceptional.

Christy, the events director at the Riviera Mansion / University Club is an absolute joy to work with! From the very beginning, she was responsive, open, flexible, and made us feel incredibly comfortable. Christy's communication and attention to detail set her apart from others by miles -- throughout the planning process, we had complete confidence in our wedding venue because of Christy's hard work . Thank you Christy for all that you do!!!

It goes without saying, you will not go wrong with the Riviera Mansion!

Finally, here's a few pointers on choices we made with Christy and we're so happy we did:

1 ) Family Style dinner was phenomenal -- everyone was served on time, the food was excellent (trip tip, chicken, pasta which works for vegans), and the guests were chatting it up as they passed plates

2) Dancing in the Living Room was awesome! We were a little nervous about the Hora and the chandeliers but it worked out perfectly.

3) Late Night Bites -- CHOOSE THE SLIDERS! All the guests (myself included) were chowing down on these at the end of the night. The Riviera Mansion kitchen works some serious magic on those.

G. Bice Sent on 03/20/2024

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Exceptional Venue for a Dream Wedding!

Exceptional Venue for a Dream Wedding! For context, I'm a project manager and have led several event planning teams for 500+ attendees. Our wedding at The Riviera Mansion was an absolute dream come true! From start to finish, every detail was flawlessly executed, making it a stress-free experience.

The venue itself is breathtaking, providing the perfect backdrop for our special day. The picturesque surroundings added an extra touch of magic to our ceremony and reception. Can we talk about the parking?! TONS of free parking for the event and ability for overnight for guests who ubered.

What truly sets The Rivera Mansion apart is their incredible team. The staff went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our day was perfect. From vendor referrals to coordinating with our other suppliers, they made the planning process seamless.

The catering staff and manager, Christy, deserve special recognition for their professionalism and attention to detail. They worked tirelessly to accommodate all of our requests and exceeded our expectations in every way. Last but not least, the hospitality shown to us and our guests was exceptional. From the moment we arrived until the end of the evening, we felt welcomed and cared for.

The food was beyond outstanding - our guests are still raving about it! From the appetizers to the main course and desserts, each dish was impeccably prepared.

We cannot thank the team at The Riviera Mansion enough for making our wedding day truly unforgettable. If you're looking for the perfect venue for your special day, look no further book it!

Brittany Sent on 05/25/2023

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Excellent experience!

My husband and I loved our venue! It was quintessential Santa Barbara, which is exactly what we wanted. We initially chose it because we were allowed to arrive to the venue as early as 9:00am, and they had a beautiful getting ready space for me and my bridesmaids. Christy, the Wedding and Events Manager, was probably my husband's and my favorite part about the whole experience in planning our wedding. She was so responsive and supportive with any and all questions we had about the smallest of details. The whole staff was extremely professional and kind. I would recommend!!

Julia Sent on 10/14/2019

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Beautiful Venue, Amazing Staff!

We loved Riviera Mansion when we toured it because it has a "home" vibe - dining room, living room, etc. We could see our guests, old and young, different personalities, all enjoying the spaces. We had no idea how right we were! The venue is perfect for that "family" vibe and created the perfect environment for our wedding. Not to mention, it is a gorgeous property. On top of it all, the staff was a delight to work with. Everything was executed flawlessly. Which allowed us to just relax and enjoy the day!

Sydney Sent on 08/08/2019

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Thrilled with our choice

The Riviera Mansion was the first venue we looked at and the one we ended up falling for. We loved that it had the option of indoor/outdoor spaces and that we could have the entire venue to ourselves for the day. It was the perfect size to accommodate our 100 guests comfortably. The mansion and the grounds were a beautiful backdrop for all of our photos as well. Breanna was very responsive to all of our questions and was so great to work with. Chef Jamie was also nice enough to help us create a menu that met our needs and was present at our tasting to meet with us. Very pleased with our choice!

Xochitl Sent on 05/02/2019

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Perfect All-Inclusive Wedding Venue!

The Riviera Mansion is the perfect wedding venue in the most romantic location. My husband and I got married here on 3/23/2019 and were blown away by our experience from start to end. The Mansion itself is gorgeous and it was love at first sight when we visited it for the first time.

Breanna, the venue coordinator was top notch when it came to helping us plan our wedding. She was so helpful, informative and attentive to our needs during every step of the process, and worked hand in hand with our wedding coordinator to ensure that everything turned out perfect.

The venue has everything you can think of - a gorgeous bridal suite upstairs and separate groom's suite downstairs. It has a wrap around courtyard/patio, and the most beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony space with a beautiful tree casting over the area. The venue provides all food and drinks - which were AMAZING.The service from the staff was phenomenol - they were on top of every detail and timing.

Our guests could not stop raving about the Riviera Mansion, and said that everything about it was perfect. I am beyond happy that we chose this venue for our wedding, and would choose it over and over again if I had to!

Thank you to the wonderful staff for making our special day perfect!

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Alex Sent on 01/12/2019

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Would Do It All Again

My wife and I were shown around the Riviera Mansion in late summer and we knew right away we had found our wedding venue for the next spring. We planned on about eighty guests and the fit was perfect! Breanna O'Toole, Director of Events at the University Club, was very helpful in the many decisions we had before us, from the delicious food choices to the arrangement of a special birthday cake during the reception, we could not have done it without her. Since neither my wife nor I lived in Santa Barbara, Breanna was also instrumental in making vendor recommendations to us, nearly every one of which we ended up employing.

Ample guest parking was a plus, but paled in comparison to the billiards room set-up for the boys. In the few hours before the ceremony, my groomsmen and I we were able to watch the game, have a couple of beers, and relax and shoot some pool. My fiancee meanwhile had an entire room upstairs for preparation of hair, makeup, and gowns, as well as some tasty snacks brought up from the kitchen for her and her bridesmaids and family.

We couldn't turn around without finding ourselves in yet another beautiful spot for a photo, and we had hundreds taken from beginning to end. The ceremony itself in the picturesque main garden was lovely, with the massive tree as a natural centerpiece and focal point for photos and videos, all of which turned out beautifully. The outdoor patio reception area with customized beverages and hors d'oeuvres was just the right size to walk through as bride and groom to talk with our guests. And of course, being Santa Barbara, the weather was perfect.

A wonderful plated dinner--the food was superb, and the service excellent--along with wine and drinks in the dining room, and toasts and dancing with a live DJ afterwards, and a whole separate room dedicated to dessert stations, sealed the evening into a spectacular memory of family and friends and laughter and love.

The Riviera Mansion University Club is an outstanding choice for a wedding venue, and we'll be recommending it for years to come. - Alex & Qing Marr -

Jeffrey Sent on 01/06/2019

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Perfect Wedding Venue

We are so thrilled that we found this gem of a location! After looking at numerous venues throughout southern California, this was the only place that ticked all of the boxes. It was everything we wanted and more. Both of us really liked the beauty and the versatility of the Riviera Mansion, allowing us to plan an outdoor ceremony and dinner, with the option of moving things inside at the last minute if the weather did not cooperate. As it turned out, we had a perfect day for our ceremony outside on the lawn under an enormous and incredibly beautiful old tree. Dinner on the patio under the twinkling lights was magical. Having exclusive use of the entire facility and being able to have music until 11:30pm were additional benefits we did not find in other places nearby. And there were so many different rooms that we could keep the guests entertained from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner to dessert to dancing, each in different sections of the mansion and grounds.
Two other real standouts we cannot fail to mention were the food itself and the staff of the mansion. So many guests raved about the food! Chef Jamie West was spot-on and the dinner exceeded everyone's expectation for a wedding meal, being more like dinner at a fine restaurant with exceptional attention to each course and each serving. A few of the guests even told us it was the best steak they ever had (we had the filet with port mushroom sauce). In addition, we also cannot say enough about the staff at the mansion, headed by event coordinator Breanna O'Toole. Breanna was simply the best, answering all of our questions in a timely manner and guiding us through the booking and planning process; and the entire staff was very professional, accommodating and helpful. We cannot recommend this place enough!

Julia Sent on 11/15/2018

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Gorgeous Venue with Above-and-Beyond Staff Team

We had our August 2018 wedding ceremony and reception with 115 guests at Riviera Mansion. The venue is of course gorgeous, and gave the classic Santa Barbara look/feel that we wanted for our big day, but what made both the planning and event itself better than any other wedding I have been to is the fantastic staff!

1. Planning: Venue coordinators Breanna and Sarah were extremely helpful in the planning process - promptly answering questions about the venue and helping us thinking of timeline and planning details we may have otherwise missed.
2. Event Execution: They also ensured the day of the event went so smoothly. Everything was timed perfectly - from serving dinner, bringing in our cake, and more - and the staff was incredibly gracious and attentive to our guests.
3. Food/Drink: We heard from so many guests that the dinner was one of the best meals they have ever had. Chef Jamie was so accommodating, creative and thoughtful in his menu recommendations - including an amazing dessert bar and wine selection.
4. The Space: Riviera Mansion provided something for everyone - and we noticed our guests in all of these places! From the games we set up on the lawn, to the gorgeous living room where our older guests lounged during dancing - the spaces are beautiful, don't require a lot of decor, and are well-maintained (some recently updated). We also loved that it was close to downtown SB, yet very quiet and private.

Thank you, Riviera Mansion, for making our wedding day flawless, special and beautiful!

Jami Sent on 10/18/2018

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Best Staff and Such a Beautiful Place!

We worked with them on my Brother's Wedding. Riviera Mansion was an incredible place to hold their Ceremony and Reception. They all did an amazing job. Brianna (Catering Director) and Chef Jamie (Operations Director) were always available and responded quickly to questions. The food was awesome too! They were right on time and worked with me that day. It was super stress free, they were also within budget. I highly recommend them for your Wedding too!

Jacki Sent on 10/17/2018

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Loved the Riviera Mansion!

The Riviera Mansion was absolutely perfect for our wedding. The venue has just about everything you need for the celebration which was so helpful and relieved a lot of stress since we didn't have to worry about renting anything other than chairs. Breanna was amazing and helped us so much with planning along the way and gave great recommendations. We had a garden ceremony and it was stunning, it is very romantic and feels private. The dining room was the perfect place for dinner and dancing, it has plenty of room while keeping everyone together, and the bar area was fantastic for our open photo booth. Our photographers were able to plug in a drive to a tv and showed photos from the ceremony during the reception which was really cool for our guests to see. The food was outstanding and the desserts were amazing! Highly recommend the churro donuts as our guests could not stop raving about them :)

The decor is perfect and you don't need to do too much to make it feel like your own. The additional rooms were great for family that wanted to drink coffee, take a break and let kids run around for a bit. The bride and groom's suites were amazing as well, it was so nice to be in one place all day and not worry about traveling around town with all our stuff. I cannot recommend this venue enough. The location is in a great spot, you don't need to worry about any road noise either. I loved having our wedding here and it was truly a magical day at the Riviera Mansion!

Brooke Sent on 09/05/2018

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This place is seriously a dream come true!! Breanna was absolutely wonderful to work with. We booked this venue because of her. From the gorgeous oak tree where we got married, the beautiful cocktail hour area, and the amazing set up where dinner was served and where the reception took place, it was a dream come true. The food was also delicious. If you are thinking of getting married in SB, do it here. You will not be disappointed!!!!

Lacey Sent on 08/30/2018

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My husband and I made the best decision by having our wedding at the Riviera Mansion. I can't relay enough how amazing Breanna and the staff at the mansion are - they are not only wonderful to work with and in terms of customer service, but they truly are experts at what they do. We chose this venue because we wanted an intimate space that was comfortable for all of our guests. We were so pleased with the service, the food, the ambiance, the drinks and the overall planning experience. Thank you so much for making our wedding night absolute perfection!

Mark Sent on 08/05/2018

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We had our wedding at the Riviera Mansion in June 2018, and it was perfect. Breanna worked very well with all of our vendors and made sure that everything ran smoothly on our big day. Awesome prep spaces for the groomsmen and bridesmaids. The food was incredible - it is hard to consistently make 100 good meals and our guests were raving about the quality of the food. We also planned a late night snack (pulled pork sliders) that were unbelievably good. We had two signature cocktails that were delicious also. The decor was great and there are many spaces (front lawn, dance floor, lounge area, patio, library) with great functionality. Our photographer also took us across the street to the park for some great photos. Staff was polite and attentive. Overall, we could not recommend Riviera Mansion highly enough. Thank you for making our wedding so special.

Mark and Alyssa Westerfield
June 30, 2018

Arielle Sent on 07/27/2018

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My husband and I just got married at the Riviera Mansion on July 12, 2018! The venue and staff were absolutely PERFECT. We had 65 guests at our wedding and the space felt cozy enough but had plenty of room to accommodate a greater guest count as well. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour outside which was beautiful and then a sit down plated dinner inside. The staff exceeded our expectations with their attentiveness and attention to detail. The food was phenomenal- all of our guests were extremely impressed with the appetizers, salad, and main course selections. We were able to do a tasting a the venue prior to creating our menu which was also very nice and helpful. Breanna the coordinator for the venue was a pleasure to work with replied to all of my emails immediately. The venue was super accommodating to our needs, the staff were friendly and provided amazing service throughout the entire event, and the wedding venue is gorgeous. We especially loved the bridal suite and grooms room which allowed us to get ready on site with our wedding parties and family! The Riviera Mansion is a dream wedding venue and I would highly recommend this site!

Maggie Sent on 06/01/2018

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I can't stress enough how amazing this venue was for us! Not only was Breanna helpful and extremely prompt with her replies to my millions of questions, the staff on the day of our wedding was incredible! They were so friendly, polite and helpful to us and all our guests. Everyone was talking about the great service.
And if that weren't enough the mansion itself is so beautiful and the food and drink they serve is delicious!!
I highly recommend this place to everyone looking for a wedding or event venue. Plus it is one of the few places in town that can host such a large number of guests.

Haley Sent on 05/27/2018

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We are so glad we chose Riviera Mansion as our venue! The site was incredibly beautiful, the staff were kind and responsive, and the day was as smooth as I could have hoped for.

We live across the country, so we had to book it sight unseen and plan from afar, and from day one Breanna made that so easy and pleasant. She was able to answer every question we could come up with, and always did so with kindness and excitement.

Being able to have everything taken care of in one place, from a place for both wedding parties to get ready, all the food taken care of, and being very flexible (we could have moved inside if it had rained, we were able to switch the DJ's space at the last minute, etc.), took so much stress off, I can't even tell you. They even flipped the space from ceremony to reception during the cocktail hour. Having the different spaces in the mansion made it so everyone could enjoy themselves the way they wanted (dancing, sitting and chatting by the fireplace, hanging at the bar, anything!) without making the group feel fragmented or too spread out - I just can't say enough good things.

Also, Eli and the catering team were on point, and MANY of the guests have told me it was one of the best meals they've ever had - not just at a wedding!

Also, have I mentioned that it was BEAUTIFUL???

I'm so grateful we chose this venue, and for everything they did for us.

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Laura Sent on 05/16/2018

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We got married in April at the Riviera Mansion and it was the best decision we made to start our marriage off on the right foot! Having Breanna as our contact and our guide through the process made everything so straight forward. She is the best, the nicest person, and the best person for that job. She will make your life during this process easy (I promise!). She always welcomes emails and is so quick to respond. Whether you have 1 quick question or 10 other questions, she will answer each one of them so that you know the answer and are no longer wondering. The mansion is stunning, you can see that in photos, but what you can't see in photos are the details in each room, and the beauty of that oak tree on the lawn. Having the flexibility and ability to occupy the entire mansion on your wedding day makes it so special and truly one of a kind. The mansion is big, but at the same time it is so intimate, and that is something you will not find at most venues. We got married under the oak tree which set the perfect back drop while providing shade. During sunset, the staff so kindly opened up the balcony to us so we could get the amazing and romantic newlywed photos. The view is breathtaking. It is known, most people are skeptical of food at a wedding, here at the mansion, you do not need to worry about that. We went buffet style with chicken and salmon, polenta, salad, and veggies and people still talk about how amazing the food was. I highly suggest cocktail hour on the patio, there is nothing like a beautiful brick patio to toast to a new marriage before going into the stunning dining room. The best decision you can make is starting your marriage somewhere that is beautiful inside and out and that is just the beginning of many reasons as to why you will fall in love with the mansion.

April Sent on 05/14/2018

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The Riviera Mansion was the best choice for our wedding in Santa Barbara! My husband and I fell in love with the gorgeous courtyard and patio. The mansion itself is beautiful. All of our guests could not stop raving about the venue, food and service. Breanna the venue coordinator is a gem. She was so quick to respond to all of our questions and provided so much detail for our big day. She's amazing! Best all-inclusive venue. Highly recommend.

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Blythe Sent on 04/25/2018

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We are still spinning after the most magical wedding a couple weekends ago! We can't stop talking about how happy we were with our venue choice: there are many magical places to get married in Santa Barbara, but the Riviera Mansion/University Club was simply perfect. Breanna was very great to work with, she answered all many our questions :) The staff at the event were amazing as well! One guy (I think his name was Brandon) kept making sure I had champagne throughout the night-- so sweet when you're busy talking to all your guests. The food was stellar. The space itself is just set up for a stress-FREE wedding day, it's centrally located and it's gorgeous. What else could you need?!

Caitlin Sent on 04/22/2018

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The Riviera Mansion was everything we were looking for in a wedding venue. My husband and I were drawn to the location because it was so authentic. We got married outside under the tree, had cocktails on the patio, and the reception was held inside. We had a wonderful experience with Breanna from our first tour of the venue. She was so helpful, friendly and professional and answered all of our thousands of questions throughout the year leading up to the wedding. The entire staff at the Mansion was wonderful and accommodating on the day of the wedding. We cannot recommend the Riviera Mansion enough!

Caitlin Sent on 04/20/2018

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Everything about the Riviera Mansion was perfect! Breanna was so helpful, easy to get a hold of and very quick to respond. We were originally supposed to have our ceremony inside but due to a crazy rainy day, it was moved indoors. I was nervous at first but when the day came, I couldn’t have been more pleased with having the entire wedding inside! It added such an ambiance and feeling that would have been impossible to recreate. The day couldn’t have been more perfect and their staff was so professional! They handled everything so quickly, we’re always ready to help, and we’re all very personable. I can honestly say that our wedding day was the best day of my life and we owe it all to the Riviera Mansion! I would recommend the mansion to anyone looking to make their wedding day magical!

Kathy Sent on 04/03/2018

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The team at the Riviera Mansion is exceptional. Breanna O'Toole was unfailingly positive, cheerful and helpful as we worked with her to plan and implement our daughter's wedding. The staff on the day of the wedding was attentive and very professional. The venue itself is beautiful and provided lovely settings for the ceremony, the social hour, dinner, dessert and dancing. Our experience could not have been any better!

Brooke Sent on 03/09/2018

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I had my wedding here this past February and it was absolutely perfect. The customer service is amazing, the venue has charm (not the cliche golf course/hotel/farm vibe), and the venue has a very warm and intimate feel. We loved that we felt like we were having a fancy house party and that the bar was so close to the dance floor. My guests had the best time! Not to mention the FOOD!!! So many guests complimented the dinner. Definitely recommend this venue!

Frennie Sent on 02/22/2018

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Choosing Riviera Mansion as our wedding venue was the best decision ever!

Hannah Sent on 02/03/2018

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These five categories represent Breanna and Riviera Mansion perfectly! I cannot express enough how flexible and willing they were to make my vision come to life! the food was INCREDIBLE, the staff were so accommodating and wonderful, the venue was BEAUTIFUL, and felt very private. It was a perfect wedding space for an indoor or outdoor wedding either big or small. It is seriously such a gem, and being in Santa Barbara provides the perfect romantic backdrop for an unforgettable wedding.

Erin Sent on 11/08/2017

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We had our wedding this past October 2017 at the Riviera Mansion. It is such a beautiful venue and all of the staff is exceptional! Through the planning process any time we needed something Breanna would response very quick. They are so organized and everything from the beginning to end was exactly how we had planned it with them. The bridal suite and grooms room are amazing places to get ready before hand and its even more convenient that everything is on site. It is such a great venue for your guests to have a private experience at your wedding!! That was something very important to us. Everything went just the way we wanted and our guest were raving about how beautiful the venue was and everything turned out just perfect. If we could do our day over there is nothing we would change. Thank you to everyone at the Mansion it was amazing!!

Jennifer Sent on 10/21/2017

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My husband and I just got married in early October 2017 at Riviera Mansion and I could not have dreamed a more perfect day!
My favorite things about having our wedding at the mansion:
1. The service! From initial phone calls with Breanna, to day-of service by each server - it was unbeatable. Made planning and the wedding day stress free!
2. The separation of rooms inside the mansion. I personally liked that everything wasn't in just one giant room. There was a place to eat, a place to dance, a place to relax, etc. We got to utilize the whole place! It was a more unique setting than your classic ballroom, which made it fun!
3. Food/drinks were DELICIOUS. The plated option, which we chose, was a HUGE plate of food. It was quality and tasty and mentioned by many of our guests as amazing.
4. The outdoor grounds were beautiful for our ceremony on the lawn and cocktail hour on the patio.
Seriously worth every penny! I highly recommend going with Riviera Mansion!

Michelle Sent on 10/16/2017

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My husband and I got married at the Riviera Mansion this last August 2017, and it was the most incredible and magical experience. Each and every staff member at the Mansion went above and beyond to meet our every wish. Breanna was super helpful in the planning stages and responded quickly to all of our questions. Eli was a dream and changed things around last minute to make the event flow even smoother. He stayed during the wedding and made sure everyone was happy and things were running well. Both my husband and I were overwhelmed with the hospitality and genuineness of service at the Mansion. It was incredible to have use of the entire venue and to be able to have both the ceremony and reception there. The food was delicious and all the guests commented on how good it was. We loved being able to dance inside and have some of our guests relax in other rooms and be comfortable to do what they wanted. The Bridal Suite was gorgeous and the perfect setting to get ready with all my girls. We have nothing but raving things to say about the Mansion and would highly recommend this venue for any couple looking to get married.

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Shauna Sent on 10/15/2017

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My husband & I got married at the University Club in September of 2017. It was a flawless day. The venue is clean, beautiful, and incredibly unique. This is the wedding venue for people who do not want to get married somewhere generic and forgettable. The building is gorgeous and gardens are well-kept. Several of my friends took photos just admiring the venue and its ambiance. I will also add that the University Club recently re-did the bridal suite and the men’s bathroom—they are gorgeous!

The food was also fantastic. I highly recommend the beef entrée and the mushroom tarts. We got a lot of compliments on the food, and everyone loved it! We also paid extra to have late night food (pizza & burgers) and a s’mores bar—both were HUGE hits with our guests and we’re still getting compliments months later. The alcohol selection and wine is also excellent.

Lastly, and most importantly, the service at the University Club was fantastic. The staff and bartenders went out of their way to make sure our guests were taken care of the day off and had everything they needed. More importantly, the staff accommodated all of our special requests (of which there were many) before the day of the wedding. Breanna was there to answer our thousands of questions, and made sure our deliveries arrived in time before the wedding. They made sure our wedding day was everything we imagined it would be, and Breanna will make your life so much easier!

Amanda Sent on 10/01/2017

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I could not be happier with choosing the Riviera Mansion for our wedding venue. My husband and I met in Santa Barbara so it was only fitting that we got married in a place that reminded us of where it all began. One of the things I loved about the venue is it's rich history in Santa Barbara and how beautifully the architecture and gardens photograph. The staff at the Riviera Mansion are top notch and really created a premium experience for us, from the first email we sent to Breanna to the walk-through, the tasting, rehearsal and the wedding day itself! We felt so well taken care of throughout the night- they checked in on my husband and I and our parents throughout the night to ensure we had our favorite drink in hand, got to taste all of the appetizers by putting a special plate at our dinner table and kept our champagne topped off for all of the toasts. One of the big selling points for us was that the venue included a lot of the basics like catering, bar, dinner rentals, bride & groom suites, and different ceremony and reception sites. I was grateful to be able to get ready, take photos, have a light lunch before the wedding all onsite. The venue itself is BEAUTIFUL and so dreamy. It was just the right amount of space and with all of the different room kept things interesting for our guests and allowed people to spread out across the different rooms and patios. I would highly recommend the Riviera Mansion to anyone looking for a classy, iconic and romantic wedding venue in Santa Barbara.

Sara Sent on 09/07/2017

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Breanna, Eli and the team at the Riviera Mansion are so spectacular! They all really know their way around the wedding business. We looked at a few other places after our first tour of the venue, but knew right away this was the place for us. The communication with Breanna was easy and quick and she answered every small question we had. During our tasting, everything we had blew us away and come wedding day, the food did not disappoint. All of our guests continued to rave about it for days after the wedding. We did the custom platinum menu and everything was entirely customizable including the alcohol, dessert (hello, ice cream sundae bar!!) and prewedding snacks for the bridal party. The mansion is so beautiful on its own and needs minimal decor, if any. Many of our guests mentioned it felt like our home that we were inviting friends and family to for our wedding despite having almost 100 guests in attendance. Thank you so much to the wonderful staff at the Riviera Mansion for making our wedding day the best ever!

Olivia Sent on 08/23/2017

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After searching for what felt like eons, my family, fiance, and I finally found the Riviera Mansion. It was such a blessing finding this venue and Bree. Everything leading up to our big day was smooth and easy. Bree was extremely professional, friendly, quick to respond when we had questions, and encouraging of our vision. Day of was amazing!!!! Absolutely beautiful. The staff was excellent (chef - accommodating of dietary needs and special orders, serving staff - attentive, fun, funny, helpful), the food out of this world (custom biscuits and gravy/fried chicken/filet mignon), and our guest are still talking about how much fun they had. We flipped the space by the huge, gorgeous tree for ceremony and dinner, had happy hour on the patio across from the park, and had drinks/dancing inside. I was a bit worried about the transitions from space to space, but the timeline went flawlessly. There are also two great spaces to get ready in - for both sides of the bridal party. My husband and his groomsmen had a great time playing pool before the ceremony and there was more than enough space to have a party of 7 bridesmaids get ready in the bridal quarters. We absolutely made the right choice picking the mansion for our wedding. We could not be happier!!! Thank you!!!!!!

Billy Sent on 08/09/2017

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Superior Service ! Breanna and the Riviera Mansion team, helped my husband and I create the most magical wedding. Breanna and her team made every effort with genuine energy to fulfill all our request and accommodated all who needed it. Considering we were located in greater Washington DC , we had to confide in Breanna and her team a lot. Rise to the occasion they did. I never once shifted my confidence from knowing everything would be under control. We could not be more pleased with the out come of our wedding day. Thank you Breanna and team for helping us live in bliss.

Dara Sent on 06/23/2017

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I cannot say enough good things about the Riviera Mansion! Breanna and her team were absolutely amazing and the venue is gorgeous. We do not live in Santa Barbara, but planning a destination wedding at the RM was so easy. The responsiveness and attention to detail provided were top notch. The best part of the RM for us was that it was all-inclusive; the only things we needed to bring in were our flowers and cake! There's not one thing I would change about our wedding reception venue.

Amber Sent on 04/27/2017

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When we began planning for our daughter's March 2017 wedding in Santa Barbara, we soon narrowed in on the University Club. Though our daughter is a California resident, we would be doing much of the planning from across the country so needed a reception venue/staff to whom I could trust. The University Club was the perfect place for all the details of the starters, meal and celebration.

Beside finding the University Club structurally beautiful, centrally located, easily accessible and perfectly set up for a wedding reception of our size (150), their events co-ordinator, Breanna O'Toole, was a pleasure to work with. She was professional in every way - welcoming us to tour the home, explaining details of what they could offer and listening to our vision in order to customize to our need. She always responded in a timely manner to questions or clarifications we had, and was accessible right through to the event. And, much to my relief, everything was as promised. The staff was courteous, professional, responsive to any needs or requests we had, and clearly took pride in their work. We felt that they were truly as interested in our reception being beautiful and a joyful time as we were. My husband and I were able to truly focus on our family, guests and the joyful event largely because I had no worries about details being handled. Breanna and the entire staff at the University Club took care of all the details that might tempt a mother-of-the-bride to be distracted with.

Jessica Sent on 02/11/2017

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I cannot say enough great things about The Riviera Mansion. If I could give them 100 stars I would!
The staff is just amazing. From start to finish we could not have asked for a better venue! Our original venue went through major management changes, and a fire, making us uncomfortable with holding our wedding there. During our hunt to find a new one, we decided to make it a short destination wedding. We stumbled upon Riviera during our initial search. Fell in love with the photos and made an appointment to see it with Breanna. She is hands down the sweetest person we encountered during both our venue hunting excursions! We checked if our date was available, THANKFULLY it was! So we booked right away. No need to even look at any others! Called and canceled the rest of our tours for that day :)
On our wedding day, it was pouring rain unfortunately. The staff was nothing short of amazing in keeping me calm and helping to move the ceremony from outside to inside. They gave me several options the day before during our walk-through just in case (since rain was in the forecast). They were super prepared and ready to move the ceremony site, which helped keep me calm the day of. Which was so appreciated.
Dinner was amazing, wait staff was amazing, the woman helping us in the bridal suite with food orders and drinks was amazing, the bar tenders were amazing and the Food and Beverage Director was incredibly helpful and accommodating the night of the wedding.
So glad everything worked out, the silver lining to our original venue fallout was definitely landing on this stunning venue!
I would highly recommend this venue to any bride to be. It's amazing. Thank you Riviera Mansion team for everything!! :) xo

Sarah Sent on 01/29/2017

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My husband and I LOVED our wedding day, from beginning to end, and we're so grateful we chose the Riveria Mansion to have our ceremony and reception. We had searched ALL over the LA area before making the decision to go up to Santa Barbara, which we have strong ties to anyway. Nothing in LA met everything we wanted like the mansion did - BEAUTIFUL venue, outdoor ceremony, with your choice of indoor or outdoor reception, ample parking, a later curfew (what fun is it if have to shut down too early!), amazing menu, awesome rooms for both bride and groom to get ready, ability to use candles/open flames, etc, etc. The beautiful, classic Santa Barbara style of the building stole our hearts. For us, the venue was a bit of a splurge, but completely worthwhile because it made planning that much easier. Breanna was EXCELLENT to work with. I had a million, little random detailed questions at the end and she was always extremely helpful and thorough to get back to me. On the day of, I was still a little hectic about things and realized pretty quickly that there were so many details they were willing to take care of for me that I had anticipated. We had one minor hiccup during the day - the gentleman who ran the catering did not want to match the seating chart I had made. This was really frustrating because they had provided the seating chart (I had wanted to go out of the box with a straight table arrangement but had been in communication with them on it). I wouldn't knock them any points, because in they end, they accomodated what I had asked for, and Breanna was really gracious to apologize for the problem and help get everything back on track. When that is the only hiccup for your entire wedding day, you can't complain! Last but not least, the food was delicious. We got a lot of compliments on the food and happy guests throughout the whole night. They loved the venue and thought it was so cool to have the whole house and grounds to move around. I would highly recommend this

Michelle Sent on 01/05/2017

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We had such a fantastic experience with Breanna and the whole staff of the Riviera Mansion!! The venue is gorgeous, the banquet staff was amazing and Breanna was incredibly helpful (and patient) throughout the whole wedding planning process. Our guests raved about the atmosphere and the food and we all had such a great time. Thank you, thank you!!

Ivy Sent on 01/04/2017

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I would give even more stars if I could!! Hi brides and grooms to-be, my husband and I got married at the Riviera Mansion on October 9, 2016 and we had the kind of experience that you dream of. We were first drawn to the mansion for it's beautiful location (we live in LA but we wanted to do a mini destination wedding) and the romantic grounds. The price, all of the rooms and spaces that come with the rental, and the historic/Santa Barbara spanish building style inspired us to visit and take a tour. We saw there was a parking lot dedicated for guests (so convenient!), we found out that you get the mansion for the whole day (which was very important to us), and we found out just how many things were included in the rental price (so much I can't even list it!). I did a ton of research, looked at the amazing Yelp reviews, and compared venues/prices, and the Rivera Mansion was by far our #1 choice. Working with Breanna and her team truly felt like a luxury experience. From start to finish, Breanna was there for us every minute. If I ever had any questions or even just wanted to bounce ideas with her, she was always so sweet, patient, and outgoing. Breanna and her team are impeccably organized and responsive (every time I called, she picked up & every time we asked for information I'd get an email within minutes). Not once did I ever feel rushed or hesitant to call or email her. She is AMAZING!! There is so much that goes into planning a wedding, and having a venue and coordinator like the Riviera Mansion and Breanna made the process so fun and stress-free. It was so comforting to be working with such a professional, kind, and giving team. If you're looking for a beautiful location and venue, and you want to work with good people who are the best of the best at what they do, the Riviera Mansion is your venue. On a scale of 1-10, I would give our experience a 15. We're beyond grateful to Breanna and the Riviera Mansion for turning our dream wedding into a reality.

Kristin Sent on 12/21/2016

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My husband and I just got married at the Riviera Mansion this November and we could not have been happier with the venue!! From the beginning Breanna was unbelievable - she was able to accommodate every request in the months leading up to our wedding, and was even flexible on the day when we had a few last minute changes. Eli was also fantastic and was so responsive to our requests. Our friends and family RAVED about the food, the bartenders were amazing, and the space is just so special. Truly everything was perfect for our day, and the beauty of the outdoor ceremony area as well as the extraordinary indoor reception space was a gorgeous combination and exactly what we were looking for. My husband and I spent a lot of time in the early days of our engagement looking for a venue that felt unique and had character - the Riveria Mansion provided that and more. The staff are incredibly professional and will go out of their way to make you feel special and taken care of on your wedding day. I cannot imagine a more amazing wedding than the one we had at the Riviera Mansion!!

Annabeth Sent on 12/13/2016

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We're so glad we chose to get married at the Riviera Mansion! The outdoor space is really special and the inside is beautiful. You can make any vision a reality there, from completely unique to tried-and-true classic, and everything in between. The staff is so helpful throughout the planning process. Breanna is a treasure. And everyone was so nice and helpful throughout the day!

Caroline Sent on 12/13/2016

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This venue was the only one we looked at and it was clear we weren't going to have to look any further. Breanna was so helpful and lovely, and the entire staff went out of their way to make us comfortable throughout the entire process. The facility is gorgeous and came out beautifully in the photographs. We had the chance to enjoy both the indoor and outdoor space and it worked out perfectly. The food! The food was absolutely delicious and many guests said it was the best wedding food they could remember. It felt like a lovely dinner out for everyone there- I heard from people who had each entree that they thought theirs was the best. I think this is definitely the best venue in terms of value and quality in Santa Barbara. You can spend as much as you'd like to in this area, but it won't necessarily provide a better experience. Even if we'd had an unlimited budget at our disposal, we would have gone with Riviera Mansion. From having the whole place to ourselves all day, to the beautiful sitting room for guests to relax in, to the library where we served cake, it couldn't have been better. Also, as a couple of east coast transplants, the atmosphere captured both our roots and our west coast home. Absolutely perfect.

Natalie Sent on 12/04/2016

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We found this venue via Wedding Spot. It fit all necessary categories (within budget, ceremony and reception sites, provided most items) and we went ahead with booking our date without seeing it in person. From the moment we saw the venue and tasted the food we could not have been happier. Warning; this place is bound to book quickly! We ended up booking a date 11 months out and there were only two Saturdays available within the next year, so we went with a Sunday.
The People – I could not have asked for a better team to work with at the venue! Breanna and Eli happily accommodated all our requests, from our tasting through our wedding day including: allowing my parents to attend the tasting, pouring higher-end wine, passing champagne before the ceremony, etc. But the real winner was accommodating the unexpected weather! During our final walkthrough we realized we may have to move our wedding from the gorgeous tree back dropped lawn inside due to rain (I was admittedly in denial). Three hours before the ceremony, we pulled the trigger and moved the wedding inside. The staff moved all the chairs from the dining room to the living room (and seamlessly moved them back during cocktail hour) which accommodated our 85 person wedding. Although it was not what I envisioned, looking back it made our wedding exactly what I had wanted.
The Venue – To say the Mansion is beautiful is an understatement. It has character and class and required zero add-ons to become the perfect backdrop for our wedding day.
The food – We were happy with our tasting, but you never know how that will translate to a party of 85. It worked perfectly! With many of our attendees in the restaurant business they were thoroughly impressed with the execution of all the food. You hear you don’t eat on your wedding day, but we made sure we did and both the fish and flat iron steak were completely comparable to what we had tried 6 months before. Honestly, I would eat here again! Late night

Rebecca Sent on 11/06/2016

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As the mother of the bride, I only have the most positive things to say about our daughter and son-in-law's wedding at the Riviera Mansion. When you first book a venue, you really don't know for certain how it is going to work out. But the wedding couple's decision to have everything at the Riviera Mansion was the best one they could have made.

Lily Sent on 10/25/2016

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We got married at the Riviera Mansion in July and had a wonderful wedding. We looked at so many venues in different locations and styles. This place captured such a great mix of what we were looking for and we couldn't have been happier.

Enough cannot be said about the staff at the Riviera Mansion. They are so accommodating, kind, efficient, fun and patient. Breanna, the sales and events director, is fantastic from start to finish, answering questions, checking to see what she can do about any special requests, and making it easy for you! It feels like she cares and isn't just doing her job. Eli, who is the food and beverages director, was amazing. He took such great care of us and was so patient and good at his job! Gustavo was also so wonderful to us. He was so lovely to all our guests, gave us great marriage advice, and treated us like family. He even helped us with dismantling our arch! You really get the feeling that they want to make everything work for you and help make your wedding day as special as possible.

We had such a great time at the Riviera Mansion and our guests loved the charming venue. The outdoor lawn area for the ceremony is beautiful with the large tree as a backdrop, it has a really special feel to it. There are so many great places to wander to from the patio to the living room to the library to the dance floor, there is just so much character there.

We loved getting married here and can't wait to go back and visit in the future!

James Sent on 10/10/2016

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After visiting a few places on the central coast, my wife and I decided this was the perfect spot for our wedding. The venue was absolutely gorgeous. We had our ceremony in the outside area and reception inside. Very intimate and spacious. Breanna was an awesome event manager. Very prompt and thorough. Eli, the food manager was great, as well as the staff. Food was divine from top to bottom. I was very pleased with our experience here and overall was a great wedding. I definitely recommend this venue to any couple looking to get married. Awesome venue!

Ali Sent on 09/14/2016

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Everything about our wedding at the Riviera Mansion was perfect! Breanna and the rest of the staff were amazing - we got answers to all of our questions quickly and the entire process was very easy and relaxed. The food was incredible and we had so much fun at our tasting! Our guests loved that we had the ceremony and reception at the same location, and the parking lot made it very convenient for everyone. We had a separate room for the kids, which their parents loved, and the guys had a great time in the Groom's Room. Throughout the night, the staff was on point and when a guest spilled a drink on the dance floor in the bar, someone came over right away to clean it up. Everything was beautiful and went very smoothly, and the already-gorgeous venue allowed us to save some money on decorations and spend more on food & drinks.

Overall, everything about our wedding was absolutely perfect and we are thrilled that we chose the Riviera Mansion for our wedding venue. We would highly recommend it!

Helena Sent on 09/07/2016

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The Riviera Mansion (aka The University Club) in Santa Barbara is the ultimate venue for a wedding and/or reception. My daughter was recently married in the Riviera's garden and had her reception in the mansion's dining room. It was a fairytale wedding and the reception was beyond our greatest expectations. This was largely due to the outstanding staff at the Riviera.

Service was exceptional....better than at any five star hotel or restaurant. The chef at the Riviera is extraordinary! The compliments are still coming in on the quality of the food.

Breanna O'Toole is amazing. My daughter lives in New York, so almost all planning was carried out with Breanna over the phone or via e-mail. She is very responsive to your needs and did a wonderful job in working out details, facilitating changes with menus, updating estimates, communicating venue information, etc. So, if there are any out-of-state brides looking to hold their wedding or reception at the Riviera, don't let the distance be an obstacle. She will be there for you and help you all the way!

Once the planning is finalized, Breanna turns over the details to Eli and his staff. And they will make your dreams come true! During the wedding reception, Eli's staff were extremely attentive to every need. I overheard more than one guest comment on the outstanding service. Eli made sure the flow of events went smoothly. I don't know what I would have done without him! Because he was on site, overseeing everything, I was able to socialize and enjoy my daughter's wedding without worrying that something was going to be overlooked.

The Riviera Mansion is a bride's dream come true. As mother-of-the bride, I highly recommend this venue to all prospective couples. The venue is absolutely stunning. It is the perfect backdrop for a beautiful bride.

Selina Sent on 09/07/2016

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Choosing Riviera Mansion for my August 2016 reception venue was the best wedding decision I made. Here's why:
(1) Staff: Everyone I encountered at Riviera Mansion was remarkably professional and accommodating. Breanna, our main contact leading up to the wedding, was friendly, calm, responsive, and always found a way to say yes even as things changed last minute. She was a paragon of professionalism: she gave us a heads-up when she went on vacation months before our wedding and gently reminded us of deadlines as we got closer. Eli, the food director and our main contact during the reception, has a great energy, and right away when I met him I felt that he was totally competent and going to handle everything and let me relax. Everyone working there seemed genuinely happy to be there.
(2) Guest experience: Multiple guests told me they felt so honored, welcome, and special when they arrived at the Mansion, thanks to the staff. Guests also loved that we had the entire venue to ourselves. Although intimate, the space is big enough to create different areas for different interests: I saw my friends/family in the garden sharing a romantic moment, in the bar dancing like crazy, at the chill fireplace area chatting with grannies, at a game lounge area with the kiddos, etc. Happy guests = happy memories.
(3) Beauty: This place looks straight out of Pride & Prejudice: vintage, ornate, elegant, classy, quality furniture and exquisite details in the decor. Made for beautiful photos and made my life much easier, since I didn't need to add any extra decor!
(4) Price: My research of 50-75 other options convinced me this was the best bang for my buck. Breanna was also accommodating in helping me keep cost down, which I really appreciated, since my partner and I were paying for most of this ourselves.

It was perfect!

Victoria Sent on 09/06/2016

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My husband and I recently got married in July 2016 at the Riviera Mansion. We had a long engagement so we had plenty of time to think about where we wanted to get married. We visited countless venues and nothing seemed to fit with what we were looking for. When we visited the Riviera Mansion, we immediately knew this was the place that we wanted to get married.

The Sales and Events Coordinator, Breanna was our point of contact for the venue. I can’t say enough about how amazing she is. She was always reachable and communicated with us very well, took the time to listen to what we wanted and worked within our budget. The venue provided staffing and they were phenomenal. They were an integral part of the wedding and because of them, our wedding day went smoothly and without any hiccups.

The Mansion had everything we wanted - located up the street from the Courthouse, two blocks from State Street, two parks located across the street and Alice Keck park a block away, parking for our guest and the ability to have exclusive use of the entire venue!

I know that it may not seem like a big deal, but, being the only wedding at the venue really made the day feel extra special. We didn’t have to worry about our guest accidentally wandering into another wedding and being the only event we were able to customize the entire day.

The venue has a bridal suite which was perfect for getting ready with my girls and it also had a shower. There is a grooms room which has a pool table and was located downstairs next to the bar.
Our ceremony was held outside on the Sola Patio. We only used about ½ of the patio and it easily accommodated 115 people. There is a large tree in the middle of the patio however, our family was able to assemble a manzanita arch covered with white orchids and placed it directly in front of the tree with no problem.

Our cocktail hour was held inside the mansion. Since we got married at the end of July it was still hot o

Joanne Sent on 08/22/2016

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Breanna and the entire staff at The Riviera Mansion made our daughters wedding magical! Everyone was so nice from beginning to end. The staff the night of the wedding were absolutely top notch....fabulous service, wonderful food (which you can't say about most wedding food). We felt like family by the time it was over!

Vicky Sent on 08/05/2016

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I booked the Riviera Mansion exactly one year before my wedding, and I never regret that decision. My husband and I live in Philadelphia and we decided to get married in Santa Barbara not only because of his family but also because it's one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the US we've ever been to. There were so many good places for weddings in SB, but we chose the Riviera Mansion (University Club) not only because of its old spanish charm and elegance, but also because of their good wedding packages. I was close to booking another venue, but my heart was telling me to look for one more place. The day I spoke to Breanna about the mansion, I was sold immediately. I booked the venue right away. She was very pleasant to talk to, and she was very patient in answering all my questions. We communicated via email and phone for almost a year before the wedding, and she was very consistent and accommodating! I sent her numerous emails about my plans and inquiries, and her turnaround response time was very quick. When we flew to SB for our initial meeting, she was very sweet and friendly, and gave us a tour of the mansion. We fell in love with the place all over again. Before visiting, I relied on the photos in the website and on Facebook, but after seeing the place in person, it was much better, and I felt so happy that I followed my gut. And until our final meeting before the wedding, Breanna went through the wedding timeline thoroughly to make sure that everything was in place, and even came on the day of the wedding to check if everything was all set. All in all, our wedding experience with the Riviera Mansion was a beautiful experience we will never forget, and we're so happy that we chose to make beautiful lifetime memories here.

Ellen Sent on 07/28/2016

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If I had our wedding day to do over, I would absolutely book the Riviera Mansion again in a heartbeat. After the beautiful experience we had holding our reception here this summer, I can't recommend the Riviera Mansion loudly, often, or enthusiastically enough.

Our guests have since remarked many times about how much they enjoyed the space and food. The staff helped direct the flow of the crowd and there were so many beautiful areas to celebrate. The staff made sure my husband and I ate (so many brides and grooms never get the chance!), let us serve the guests in the buffet line ourselves (this was very important to us, and ended up being my favorite part of the whole wedding), and took care of everything so we didn't have to worry about anything during the stress and excitement of the day.

Breanna is also a dream of a coordinator. She made me instantly feel like I was in good hands and my very particular vision was possible. When I started planning I was across the country for several months, and Breanna bent over backwards to help me create the wedding of my dreams long distance.

This place has an alchemy to it that made for the best day of our lives, in the most beautiful setting.

Molly Sent on 07/26/2016

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Having our wedding at the Riviera Mansion was the best decision we made in wedding planning! This decision set the foundation and tone for a classic, beautiful, seamless wedding. It was the perfect venue and Breanna, who truly went above and beyond in her role as Director of Sales, made it the perfect wedding. Not only did she answer every email, phone call and question with grace, timeliness and expertise, but she set us on the path for success from day one by helping to assemble an incredible team of vendors. From her recommendation on wedding planner to DJ - Breanna connected us with professional, excellent people. The Rivera Mansion tended to our every need, not only on our day, but leading up to it as well. The catering service was top notch - Eli ensured the staff was well-prepped with our plan, our guests' needs were tended to effortlessly and everything flowed. Harley made our tasting personal and every dish was made with care and attention on our special day. We did not choose the venue for the food, but once we tasted it and heard the many outstanding reviews from our guests on our wedding day it turned out to be one of our favorite aspects. I cannot say enough positive things about Breanna - she made sure our vision came true, allowed and encouraged us when we wanted to do an outdoors reception and executed everything to perfection. The bridal suite and groom's room were great spaces to prep and spend time with our bridal party. Both the indoors and outdoors of the property are impeccably maintained and make for great photo backdrops. I would choose this venue every time if I could do things again. Thanks to the staff for making our day magical!

Tara Sent on 07/11/2016

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The most asked question of our guests on our wedding weekend was "Where did you find this venue?" We are from the OC so getting married up in Santa Barbara was a mini destination wedding for us and our guests. I looked at hundreds of venues online before finding The Riviera Mansion and as soon as I looked at photos I knew I had to see it right away. Once you get to this venue you will be taken away by how gorgeous the grounds are, both inside and out, and how classy it feels. While it is called the Riviera Mansion it has a sense of intimacy that makes it so special. The bridal sweet and groom's room were absolutely perfect to get ready in. We had our ceremony on the lawn outside and our reception indoors which felt like the perfect balance. The staff, Breanna, and Elie (the catering manager) we're so amazing. Breanna was quick to respond and such a big help to us! Elie was willing to do whatever we needed - he was a huge help, too! The staff was so kind and were really great to our guests. When I think back on our wedding day I feel so lucky that we found this venue because it not only fit our style perfectly, but everyone there was such a pleasure to work with. While weddings can be very stressful at times, Breanna and her team helped me manage through those times. I would HIGHLY recommend this venue - it truly was the perfect backdrop to our amazing wedding day!

Dan & Tara

User2663570 Sent on 06/27/2016

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We had our reception at the Riviera Mansion in June 2016. The staff definitely exceed our expectations. Breanna was great to work with - accommodating, professional and responsive. I didn't have a wedding planner, so Breanna's expertise was invaluable to me. The food was outstanding! The chef worked with us during our tasting to craft a menu that was fantastic. We wanted family style service and it worked perfectly! Plus, Eli and his staff were very detailed oriented and attentive. The staff was always a pleasure to work with - happy and professional. The dessert station with bananas foster was a total hit! The guests loved it. Lastly, the venue itself was perfect. Our guests loved the outdoor cocktail and the many spaces available to relax - library for dessert, bar for good conversation, dance floor and lounge area for relaxing. I highly recommend the Riviera Mansion!

Mariko Sent on 06/23/2016

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From the very early stages of a venue visit to finalizing details of the big day, the Riviera Mansion exceeded our expectations. Breanna is an incredible coordinator--so lovely and warm to work with.

After researching several venues, we decided that the Riviera Mansion was a great fit for us. The menu looked fantastic, the staff was super accommodating, and Breanna really worked with us and our wedding planner to help design the vision and "look" we were going for. We said we wanted everything to be outdoors...no problem. We said we wanted string lighting and chandeliers in the trees...no problem. We wanted to use all the ourdoor lawn for cocktail hour, dinner and dancing, have a live band and a dj, sweetheart table and cake table. If we dreamed it up, Breanna and the staff were all hands on deck to work to accommodate it.

A few months before the event, we did our tasting for the menu. And the food was OUTSTANDING! Really great portions, delicious flavors and beautiful presentation. And I will say that the food was consistent from tasting to the actual wedding, and our guests RAVED about it. We even had people asking for seconds!

I would be remiss if I did not mention the Food & Beverage manager, Eli. Eli was such a sweetheart--making sure we thought about everything during the preparation walk through meeting and that we were happy the day of and throughout the event. You can tell he takes great pride and joy in his job and venue.

Breanna, Eli and team were so flawless in organizing everything that we honestly had nothing to worry about--working with this venue was stress free, which made for two very happy brides. The venue is beautiful, the staff is so dedicated and happy,

Charlotte Sent on 05/21/2016

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The Riviera Mansion was the PERFECT venue for our special day!

We first discovered The Riviera Mansion on a wedding site that listed the best wedding venues in Santa Barbara and we went and visited shortly after (we live in LA). Immediately we knew that it was the venue for us. Breanna, the venue coordinator, was so lovely and immediately made us feel at ease. During the contract process, she was responsive and accommodating. She is so great at her job and the Mansion is lucky to have her. She gave us countless recommendations for vendors and tried to make the planning process for us as easy as possible.

The on-site staff for the wedding was incredibly gracious and kind. Eli, who oversaw the reception, made sure that we were happy with every detail of the wedding--from the table arrangements to the run-of-show to the specialty cocktails (jalapeno margaritas!)

Then there was the food! We didn't do a tasting before selecting the Mansion as our venue, so we didn't get to taste the food until we went up for a complimentary dinner a few months after booking. What a chef they have. The salmon, steak and vegetable entrees were all delicious. The cocktail hour hors d'ouevres were amazing as well. So many of our guests told us they thoroughly enjoyed the meal. One guest even asked for the salmon recipe as a joke because he liked it so much!

Our guests all complimented the venue, noting the beautiful decor and intimate feel inside the Mansion. We had a 125-person wedding and everyone found a favorite spot to hang out at during the reception. Some on the dance floor, others in the gorgeous living room. For the ceremony itself, we chose to have it outside in the Mansion's front lawn in the front of the big tree. It is such a lovely spot and does not require a ton of decor given how beautiful it is.

Finally, it was so nice to have the full venue to ourselves on the wedding day and to have our family/friends come and go as they pleased.

Leslie Sent on 05/04/2016

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I can’t say enough great things about this venue and the staff. When Scott and I first came to site the mansion, his immediate response was “this place has charm and looks like Al Capone would have lived here”. Needless to say he loved it and I was sold on the fact that the ceremony and reception all could happen at the same venue giving our wedding a more intimate feel. I also loved that there’s a park right across the street so we had another beautiful backdrop option for pictures. From the tasting, to the planning, to the day of the wedding, Breanna and the mansion staff were helpful, attentive and made me feel like they were on top of everything. Unfortunately, it rained on my wedding day and the mansion was great with adjusting the room setup and working with me to recreate my ceremony inside the venue the day before the wedding! Even though I had my heart set on getting married outside, with the help of the venue, everything actually turned out for the better. Our wedding was exactly what we had hoped for, even with the rain, and it’s all thanks to Breanna and the staff at the Mansion. Thank you again for helping make it the best day of our lives.

User2605099 Sent on 04/18/2016

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The Riviera Mansion was truly amazing! From the decor to the location to having the bar and dining room all in one was so great! The location doesn't hurt either, being in the heart of Santa Barbara was gorgeous! The groomsman had their own room to get ready in with a billiards table, which they all enjoyed! The brides room was perfect for all the ladies to hangout and get ready in as well. Breanna, the coordinator, was so helpful and was there anytime we had any questions or concerns. There was no hidden fees, everything was straight forward. Eli was the manager on the day of the wedding and he was at our side for anything we needed! The food was on point, and the servers we're all so kind and catered to the Bride and Groom all night if needed anything. We didn't have to do much more decorating either, for the place already looked so elegant. From the beginning of the process to the end it was flawless! After the wedding we had gotten so many compliments about the wedding and the venue and how stunning it was. Thank you Riviera Mansion for making our special day that much more special!

Meagan Sent on 02/13/2016

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I couldn't be happier with the Riviera Mansion - I am so glad we had our wedding there! First, it is so unique and cool - everyone raved about the space. It is the perfect representation of Santa Barbara...part mission and part glam. It is absolutely gorgeous and Breanna and the rest of the staff are all so easy to work with. I fully recommend the Mansion!!

Breanna is lovely and was always totally available to answer any questions I had, and she and the chef were so great when we sat down to do the tasting. The food was exactly what we'd hoped it would be, and they worked with us to make the menu perfectly us. I also really appreciate that the Mansion was so amenable to what we wanted to do décor-wise - we brought in tables, which meant a LOT of work for the staff, but they did an amazing job! And, speaking of the staff: I'm still getting comments from my family about how awesome the staff was - how attentive and nice they were.

I'm so happy we had our wedding at the Riviera Mansion - it was perfect!!

Roberta Sent on 02/01/2016

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I am writing on behalf of myself and my daughter, Emily, the bride. Emily, and her new husband, live in Atlanta GA, so I did much of the wedding planning, although Emily did pick the venue from the pictures and reviews. We could not have been happier with her choice. First, The Riviera Mansion/University Club is so elegant, yet casual with a beautiful entry and living room, dining area, bar/dance area and library (which we used for desserts). The fireplaces, ambiance and decor are perfect. And as an added bonus, the location is so centrally located to hotels that many of our guests waled to the venue!
Breanna O'Toole, the venue coordinator, was amazing to work with. Always accessible, her attention to detail and any of our thought or concerns were met with "no problem, we can do that".
The food from appetizers, soup, salad, entrees and more were DELICIOUS! We got so many compliments on all!!
The wait staff was wonderful. Very attentive and everyone could not have been nicer or more helpful. Wonderful coming in from an outside, bit chilly ceremony, to staff waiting with drinks and appetizers! No rush to the bar for drinks!
All in all, we could not have chosen a better venue or worked with a better staff. We would highly recommend The Riviera Mansion for a wonderful wedding venue!

Lorrin Sent on 12/14/2015

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We had our wedding at the Riviera Mansion in November and it was absolutely perfect! This was the first and only venue we looked at and we are over the moon about our decision. We live in LA so it wasn't always easy planning out our details because of the distance, but the minute we stepped into our reception everything looked better than we could have ever imagined. We didn't really even need too many details because the venue was beautiful all on it's own. All of our guests can't stop talking about the venue and how much fun it was, everyone had a different place they could hang out in. Some people were dancing, some hanging by the bar, some lounging on the couches in front of the fire, some playing pool, some outside and some at the photobooth. So many different places to go so nobody even had a chance to feel tired or bored. Breanna was so helpful and anytime we were worried or stressed about anything we would just shoot her a quick email and it was solved. Everything was all inclusive so that saved us sooo much time from having to plan and coordinate a lot of vendors. The food and the drinks were amazing too! It was seriously the best night of our lives and we owe most of it to the Mansion and the staff!!

Stephanie Sent on 12/14/2015

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My husband and I got married at the Riviera Mansion in October. Since we live on the East Coast, we had to do a lot of our planning long-distance, but Breanna's helpfulness and responsiveness made the whole process very smooth. Breanna and the staff were very accommodating and flexible--they truly catered to our every need. We were able to schedule a few site visits for planning with no hassle.
The venue is very beautiful (we had an outdoor wedding, indoor reception) and the price is a steal, especially for a place like Santa Barbara. Breanna and the staff were wonderful to work with, the food was fantastic, and the service was amazing. All of our guests really enjoyed themselves.
It was also lovely having the entire first floor of the mansion for our guests. Throughout the day we saw our guests enjoying not only the ceremony site and dining area and dance floor, but it was nice having the living room, library, and pool room as well for guests to have more quiet and intimate conversations.
I highly recommend choosing this venue for your wedding!

User2374443 Sent on 10/18/2015

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The Riviera Mansion was the perfect place to hold our Rehearsal Dinner. This venue is a lovely property, but that is not the only quality that makes it special. The staff is simply incredible.

Our main contact was Breanna O’Toole; she is the epitome of what a Director of Sales and Events should be. We were planning the dinner from a distance and needed someone we could trust to handle the details for us. Breanna earned that trust; her attention to detail, follow through, accessibility and organizational skills made us feel very comfortable throughout the planning process.

From the moment we met Breanna, we realized that she had great listening skills in that she wanted her venue to meet our expectations. When she heard we were thinking of doing a Greek-style dinner, she immediately suggested that she speak with Chef Harley to come up with a custom menu. We decided to hold the dinner outside on the Garden Lawn and Patio. The food was delicious, and the ambiance set the tone for a successful event.

The entire excellent and well-trained staff works as a team. We met with Eli to do the preplanning meeting and felt confident the event would come off as designed. As we waited for the guests to arrive, I noticed the staff waiting on the steps with trays of drinks; I immediately thought of Downton Abbey. A few last-minute requests were made and each one was met with a calm tone and smile, “Oh, that is no problem, we have a lot of staff that can take care of that.”

If you are looking for a venue that is lovely and a staff that will exceed your goals, the Riviera Mansion is the place to choose. I read the excellent reviews before deciding to visit this venue; the consistency of the special events they hold is not an accident. Their successful events are the result of their attention to detail, teamwork and follow through.

Alex Sent on 09/21/2015

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I had the most wonderful experience having my wedding at the Riviera Mansion. Breanna was so easy to work with. I wanted to do my ceremony and dinner and dancing outside and she and her crew helped me to make it happen. I rented chairs, market lighting, and a dance floor from a rental company in SB it Iooked so beautiful out on the lawn. I also wanted a Mexican food buffet and she helped me to come up with a great menu. We had 150 guests and there was plenty of room for everyone inside and out. The Riviera Mansion is a perfect spot for a Santa Barbara wedding. The building itself is so beautiful. The staff is awesome. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants a classic Santa Barbara wedding

User2346946 Sent on 08/27/2015

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The Riviera Mansion is so special, not only because of its history, beauty, and location, but because of the people who work there. I could not be happier that I had my wedding at this wonderful venue. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. Service - All of the staff went above and beyond. Chef Harley crafted a mind-blowing meal, the wait staff was courteous, timely, and always made sure all of our guests had whatever they needed, and Eli devised a trolley to roll our cake out on (at the last minute to make sure everything was perfect). Enrique made the best margaritas and mojitos, and ensured my guests felt special, and were never thirsty. Breanna (primary contact for the venue) was quick to respond to any questions, concerns, and was great at communicating what needed to happen and when. She was a great at coordinating all of the details (something I found is so important when you are dealing with wedding vendors), very friendly, and on point. The people here make the place!

2. Amenities - This place has it all. You can have your bridal party get ready here (separate rooms for the ladies and gents), have your ceremony, AND reception here. There is plenty of parking (we had 150 guests, and everyone was able to park on the premises). The value of not having to transport your bridal party from a hotel to the venue after getting ready, or have to provide a trolley or bus for your guests to get from ceremony to reception site is tremendous. When our ceremony was done, our guests walked through the arch in the lawn and were greeted by staff with drinks on trays that were ready for them. If that doesn't set the tone and say "Let's celebrate!", I don't know what does.

3. Location & Charm -In the heart of Santa Barbara, there are plenty of hotels nearby for your guests to stay at, activities to do, and places to explore in the "American Riviera". The decor in the estate itself is thoughtfully

Jane Sent on 08/14/2015

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Not only is the Riviera Mansion so unique and beautiful but working with Breanna was amazing! Anytime I had a question I would e-mail her and she would get back to me extremely quick! She was also so sweet and personable. Eli was also great he made sure everything was exactly as I wanted it and had some great recommendations to help make our wedding day go smoothly. All my guests were raving about how amazing the food was. We did buffet style and had the chicken and salmon. Everything tasted so good! Usually food is terrible at weddings so I was very happy about that. The venue itself is so romantic and intimate. We had the ceremony under the big tree on the Lawn it was so beautiful and the tree created so much shade that we weren't too hot which I was concerned about for an August wedding. I would highly recommend having your wedding at the Riviera Mansion! I wish I could relive that day over and over again!

User2219204 Sent on 07/09/2015

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I had my ceremony and reception at the University Club and it was perfect! The outdoors was beautiful and the inside was elegant and amazing. I met with them multiple times (because I am a bit of a control freak) and every time they made sure that they were on the same page with what I was looking for. Eli was our go to man the day of the wedding and he prepared everything perfectly as we described to him after only one meeting. The ceremony was held in the grassy area which provided both beautiful scenery and privacy from passers-by. The food was very good and there was plenty of space for our assortment of guests. We are very happy we picked the University Club - Riviera Mansion to say our I do's.

Catie Sent on 07/06/2015

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We had our wedding reception at the Riviera Mansion and it was absolutely perfect! We loved how we could use the space the entire day to get ready in, and our guests had free rein of the entire space all night. The venue doesn't require much in terms of decorations either because it's already so beautiful! Breanna, the venue coordinator, was so great to work with. Anytime that I had a question, she emailed back right away and was always so helpful. We did our cocktail hour outside on the lawn and a sit down dinner in the dining room. I also loved how they set up the library with cake and coffee after--it was so pretty! The food was amazing and all our guests raved about it. We also were blown away by the attention to detail at our tasting and how we could customize everything to be exactly how we wanted it. All of the staff was so helpful and attentive and made the dinner feel that much more special. The entire night was exactly what we wanted it to be and we truly can't imagine a better place to have spent the best day of our lives!

Helen Sent on 04/15/2015

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The Riviera Mansion made our wedding dreams come true! I am from Santa Barbara and there are so many venues to choose from. Since we were on a budget and wanted something comfortable, quaint, and intimate, the RM was the place for us. The heart of our positive experience from day 1 comes with the event manager, Breanna. She is awesome and goes above and beyond to make your wedding day become a magical day for you and your guests. The staff are like family - respectful, courteous, professional, friendly, and cater to your individualized needs.

Details of our wedding:
- 100 guests (7 children)
- Outdoor lawn ceremony on a gorgeous day, cocktail hour outdoors, indoor plated dinner reception in main dining room, cake cutting in living room, cake served in library, main dance floor with professional DJ, who was awesome!
- First look photos on site with gorgeous hedges and oak trees; wedding party photos a block away at Alice Keck park before the ceremony
- Bridal party/groomsmen are able to get ready and pampered on site at the RM, which was so much fun!

All our guests hailing from California to Pittsburgh loved our intimate wedding. It gave them a taste of SB history, elegance, vintage décor, class, and excellent service.

We could not be happier! So grateful for a beautiful day from start to finish!

Nicole Sent on 01/14/2015

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The Riviera Mansion is hands-down the most gorgeous wedding venue; so quintessential Santa Barbara! Not only is it drop dead gorgeous AND a steal of a deal (seriously! Have you seen the price of other venues?), but Breanna is so much fun and so easy to work with! She really has the couples' best interest at heart. And she's really on top of her communication. Even when I dropped the ball and didn't call her back for a week a couple months before the wedding, she was really good at following up with me and was so understanding and willing to help.

One thing I loved about the mansion was that it's stunning architecture and charm of a gone-by era were decoration enough for our wedding. All we did was bring the flowers and some pretty candle holders & table overlays, and the place looked immaculate! Not having to worry about drapes, fancy colored lighting, canopies, caterers and linens/table settings really helped our budget! We found that the all-inclusive price that the club offers is still night and day more affordable than so many other venues that aren't all-inclusive. Breanna and her staff were willing to work with us within the set budget we gave them, which was a huge plus!

The food was delicious! We did the buffet, and everything stayed warm through the whole serving hour and all our guests loved their fresh, flavorful food. Nothing was over-cooked, bland, or mushy. It really hit the spot and was wonderful wedding food (contrary to the reputation wedding food usually has).

Another bonus of having your wedding in an old mansion is that multiple rooms allows for a more intimate feeling wedding. Instead of forcing your guests to stay cooped up in one big ballroom, guests can meander through the rooms and socialize away from the band/DJ. All of our guests commented on this factor and how much they loved the intimate layout.

I would strongly urge all brides to book their weddings at the University Club!

User1920518 Sent on 11/13/2014

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We had the most perfect wedding, and it is all because we chose the most perfect venue! When deciding on our venue, pretty much our only prospect was the Riviera Mansion. Once I found out that they had the date we were hoping for, we booked it immediately without looking into any other venues. Having never planned a wedding before, I was at first very overwhelmed with all of the details that are involved. One of the best things about the Riviera Mansion is that they provide all tables and chairs, linens and everything else for the table, unless you want to rent your own. They do all of the food and beverage and have a very extensive food and drink menu with any option you can imagine! You can put together your perfect menu and package.

The very best part about the Riviera Mansion is the staff. I cannot say enough good things about everyone that works there. Breanna is the event coordinator and she was so thorough throughout the entire process! She took time to meet with me several times and gave me tons of advice and was there all day long the day of the wedding making sure everything was perfect. Eli, the food and beverage director was there the entire night and took care of everything! He was so accommodating and made sure that we had everything we needed. Chef Harley and his team made the best food, and the servers and bartenders took care of us all night long and were so sweet to all of our guests. They made the experience what it was and it is rare these days to find such impeccable service from start to finish, but we sure found it!

I would HIGHLY recommend the Riviera Mansion to anyone!

Stephanie Sent on 10/25/2014

5 out of 5 rating

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I can't say enough positive things about our experience with the University Club (Riviera Mansion). My (now) husband and I were pretty decided on the Club before we even walked in, we were tempted to cancel our other venue walk-throughs. From the second you walk in the door, you will be blown away by the hospitality and decor of the Riviera Mansion. My husband (!!!) and I have lived in Santa Barbara for a while, and knew we wanted to get married in town, but we are NOT beach people, we wanted a venue that could host both the ceremony and the reception, and we didn't want a cookie cutter ballroom wedding. The Riviera Mansion swept us off our feet from day one.
Breanna O'Toole, the event director, worked with me on every detail of the day, making sure that our timeline, food order, and vendor coordination was running smoothly. We moved the ceremony location THREE TIMES throughout the planning process, and Breanna didn't even sweat it. The ceremony ended up taking place in the living room, and when I arrived at 9am the day of the wedding, every piece of living room furniture had been moved out, and around 70 chairs from the dining room had been moved in. After the ceremony, we went outside to take an all-guest photo from the balcony, and in about 20 minutes, the entire room was flipped back to normal. We could not believe it. Eli, the catering manager, convinced us to do the room flip just a few days before the wedding. I was very nervous, I didn't want to keep our guests waiting too long before cocktail hour started, but he just said, "Don't worry, we have it under control." Never doubt Eli. That's all I can tell you. He definitely has it under control. He's been in charge of so many weddings at the Club, that any kind of customization you can think of, he knows how to make it work.
All in all, we loved our wedding, and the Riviera Mansion staff allowed us to relax and enjoy. We'd wholeheartedly recommend the venue to any couple looking in Santa Barbara.

User1883222 Sent on 10/24/2014

5 out of 5 rating

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Okay brides! I looked up and down the coast of California. Having seen over 100 venues and reading up on about 150 venues, I started to realize over time that I wanted something intimate, vintage, somewhat glamorous (yet, not over the top), historical, and overall unique! I did not want the average country club, hotel banquet room, or over-priced venue. The hardest part was finding the venue!!! I came across the University Club on a wedding website and clicked on the link. I liked the pictures on their website and they had a very reasonable deal on a wedding package. I would not say their prices were cheap, but also not expensive either. This place was so reasonable for what is included and they worked with me to customize what I wanted as far as drinks being served, etc.

I decided to go check out the venue and the minute I walked in I had stopped and was hit with a wave of emotions! I felt so relieved and knew in my heart that this was the perfect spot for me and my soon to be husband!!! Perfect in everyway. There were individual rooms so that your guests can disperse if they want to be somewhere more intimate where they can talk or they can dance in the other room. The place has a historical Spanish influence with high wood beamed ceilings and a vintage grand piano in the living space. The food was great!! The veggie napolean was apparently amazing, but I had the steak. The service was great and everyone at the club is thoughtful and accomodating. Breanna is the sweetest and when my coordinator was nowhere to be found, Breanna came to my rescue! Great place, unique, great ambience, and historical. The University Club is a fantastic wedding venue and affordable!

Lisa Sent on 10/15/2014

5 out of 5 rating

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I wish I could get married there again. Everyone at the University Club was great to work with. Everyone truly helped to make our day one of a kind. I can be type A at times and I felt like everyone at the Mansion met and/or exceeded my expectations.
We had our ceremony and dinner reception outdoors, and dancing and dessert inside. The food was fantastic! 3months after the wedding people are still talking about the food!
The price is reasonable especially for SB. It costs a little more to have dinner outdoors because you need to rent tables, chairs, linens, lights, and (if you have it in the parking area) carpet and hedges. We brought our own lines and set up dinner on the lawn and just rented tables and chairs. It worked out perfectly. It was a beautiful day so no tents were needed.
If we could redo the day, the only change I would make would be to allow more time for dinner because my husband and I both wanted more time to eat the wild boar ribs...mmm

Drew Sent on 10/01/2014

5 out of 5 rating

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The Riviera Mansion was a dream come true! To get planning started we visited 3 different venues in Santa Barbara and The Riviera Mansion/University Club was the first on our list. It was my favorite from the very beginning when I had originally found it on Borrowed & Blue. The pictures on the website don't even do it justice! Don't get me wrong they're gorgeous but once you arrive and see the spanish architecture and the beautiful lawn for an outdoor ceremony (which we decided to do) you just fall in love! We personally fell in love with the HUGE tree on the lawn that was a great accent to our ceremony space. The mansion is absolutely beautiful in person. Inside it has all original furniture and flooring. It's Just stunning. There is a gorgeous library, kids dining room, bar area, 2 options for a dance floor, dining area, living room space, and grand piano! AND it's all yours to use for your special day! You can transform the mansion into anything you want or leave it for it's classic beauty. My bridesmaids and I were pampered beyond belief by the Mansion staff as well as my husband and his groomsmen. Treats, champagne, and a butler the day of who so kindly waited on us hand and foot. AWESOME! The staff at the Riviera Mansion were all truly wonderful. Everyone was so helpful and always professional. Breanna Quam is such a sweetheart. She was always there for our concerns, and quick to reply to our emails and questions. We were beyond pleased and so glad we chose to have both our ceremony and reception held at this amazing venue!

Jenny-Marie Sent on 11/17/2011

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

This was the first and last venue we visited to book our wedding reception! We fell in love with this venue at first sight! We loved the decor, history, atmosphere, and cozy feel to the place. It was great to have use of the entire property for the day and we could add all the personal touches that we wanted to share with our guests. Great location, service, and staff.

Lori Sent on 09/27/2011

5 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

The University Club was an amazing venue to work with. Chrissy and the staff were very relaxed, accommodating and quick to help. Everything from the prep leading up to the day, to the day-of events was executed promptly and just the way we discussed. The Club was very flexible even with some of our last minute changes. The food was delish and it was super convenient to have the caterers, bartenders and service staff all on one tab. Not to mention the chair, tables, linens and even candles for the tables. Our wedding was about 110 people and I found it the perfect size for our group. I highly recommend this venue for anyone who doesn't want to totally break the bank by going to one of the fancier hotels in the area, or who wants a more intimate, personalized wedding experience. For bang for your wedding dollar, the Club can't be beat.

Claudia Sent on 02/13/2018

4.9 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

My husband and I got married at the Riviera Mansion in April 2017 and we are STILL getting compliments on how great our wedding was! We wanted something different for our reception venue, not the old boring ballroom reception; the Riviera Mansion was exactly that: unique, beautiful and classic! Not to mention having the beautiful bridal suite and the groom/billiards room in the same building made prep, pictures, storage and clean up so much easier. The food was delicious; the staff was so hospitable which made everyone feel comfortable and have a great time. Lastly, Breanna made the planning process a breeze. She not only accommodated me and my requests but also my vendors. I have never emailed someone so many times and continued to receive a friendly response, she made me feel calm and at ease while planning. I cannot recommend the Riviera Mansion and their staff enough!

User2615726 Sent on 05/20/2016

4.9 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating

Classic timeless elegance

My husband and I got married the University Club of Santa Barbara (the Riviera Mansion) in May 2015, and from beginning to end, we were exceedingly pleased with our choice. We toured several wedding venues in the area about a year in advance. And from the moment we walked into the University Club, we felt at home! We were both made to feel comfortable from day one, and we loved that the space was so versatile and all-inclusive. The Club provides all the tables, chairs, and linens, which was one less thing for us to worry about, and we greatly appreciated that. And it is simply a charming and beautiful site and location that captures the unique Mission Revival architecture style that began in the late nineteenth century and evolved into the Spanish Colonial Revival Style that the city of Santa Barbara adopted in the wake of the devastating 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake.

I grew up in the area and have attended many weddings and other events throughout the Santa Barbara area over the years. I had actually never heard of the University Club until we started researching wedding venues, but, at every turn, the venue exceeded our expectations. Even though much of my family still calls the area home, my now husband and I planned the wedding from Texas, and we were pleasantly surprised by how easy the Club made the planning process for us as a long-distance couple. We also got to introduce my large extended family to a lovely new area venue, and we were all impressed with its unique charms.

Breanna O’Toole, Director of Sales and Events at the Riviera Mansion, was a pleasure to work with throughout the year leading up to our wedding. She was super responsive via email and consistently replied to us promptly with detailed information about our questions. I also wanted to sing the praises of Eli Khoury, the Club’s Director of Food & Beverage. He made an excellent suggestion about the dance floor, and we were thrilled with the final set-up!

Rebekah Sent on 09/14/2014

4.9 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating
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We had an incredible experience with the University Club (Riviera Mansion) in Santa Barbara. It was an absolute pleasure working with all of the staff, and the location and venue could not have been more beautiful or perfect for us. Breanna O'Toole did an exceptional job organizing and working with us planning the event details. Despite a few very specific dietary requests for our guests and last minute changes to our bar service, the U. Club staff handled it with ease and professionalism. Most notably Eli Khoury, Director of Food & Beverage really took care of us as well as all of our guests. We have not stopped receiving positive feedback and compliments from our guests about the degree of attentiveness they received as well as the exceptional presentation and taste of all the meals. We have zero regrets about any of the details of our wedding day, and highly recommend The University Club to any other couple looking for the perfect Santa Barbara wedding venue and reception.

Lori Sent on 07/17/2019

4.8 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful place for a wedding!

Our daughter was recently married at the Riviera Mansion and it was perfect! The entire planning process was painless and simple, as Breanna makes sure of that. She is wonderful to work with, as was the whole staff. Breanna was always quick to reply if we had any questions at all (and we had plenty!). She was a delight and made us feel that we were her priority. Breanna was completely awesome in every way! We had so many compliments on the venue. The outdoor setting for the ceremony is stunning, yet simple. The indoors has a charm of it's own. The food was delicious, the drinks were awesome! The night ran beautifully and couldn't have been any better. I would highly recommend this venue. Everything was absolutely amazing!

Crystal Sent on 07/31/2016

4.8 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating

When my husband and I first started looking for wedding venues, we looked at hundreds of options online and then at least 15 in person -- from San Diego to Santa Barbara and everywhere in between (we live in LA). When we visited the mansion though, we immediately knew we had found what we were looking for. First of all, we loved the location -- it was close enough to home but far enough to feel like a mini destination wedding. Also, the mansion is right downtown, which made it super easy for guests who were spending the night to leave their cars there in the free parking lot and cab back to their nearby hotels together (if you have an open bar that's a big plus). Another thing about the mansion that stood out to us was the amazing value. It was affordable, while still feeling classy and elegant. We wanted our wedding to be unique and intimate, and the mansion offered exactly that -- a historical venue with amazing ambiance and beautiful grounds for our guests to explore. Our guests loved that! If they weren't on the dance floor, they could sit in the library and have a piece of cake or take a walk outside in the courtyard with a cocktail -- there were so many different spaces to utilize, and we tried to use all of them. And the last thing that really made the day special for us was the excellent staff. Breanna and Eli were so helpful from start to finish. We had a lot of special requests, and they executed all of them beautifully. Overall, I would definitely recommend the mansion for a wedding reception. All of our guests raved about the venue, the food, and the service, and they had a great time, which was really what was most important to us.
Godfrey & Crystal Griffin

Marilia Sent on 02/03/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the University Club of Santa Barbara and we loved it. The venue is beautiful and warm making it the perfect place to celebrate our big day with our friends and family. The fact that the club is a full service venue made our planning a lot easier as we didn’t have to coordinate with too many different vendors. I got ready at the bridal suite with my bridesmaids and got to experience the house amenities while my husband got ready with his groomsmen in the groom’s suite.
We had our cocktail hour outside in the grass area, which was beautiful and the dinner inside with a dance floor for a lot of dancing. The setup of the house is great which allowed our guests to wander around during the evening and find their comfortable spot in the dining room, living room, library or bar area.
The club atmosphere completed that extra touch that we wanted on our wedding theme and decoration.
On the event day we got really good assistance from the staff and were very pleased with the service provided. The food was great and presented really nicely too.
I would highly recommend the University Club to host events as we loved the experience we had at the Club.

Jennifer Sent on 08/07/2016

4.6 out of 5 rating

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4 out of 5 rating

RM was a wonderful venue for our wedding. We were particularly taken by the historic building, its interior design, and its location. We also loved the romantic, elegant atmosphere, and there was little that we had to do to make the place look great. In addition, Breanna was wonderful at answering all of our questions. She'd always reply to our e-mails within 24 hours, and she was great at making us feel like no question was a stupid question. The other staff were also wonderful to work with, and the servers were so thoughtful. Without us asking, they provided a sampler of all the starters because they knew as the B&G, we didn't get a chance to try any of them during the cocktail hour. They also always made sure we had a glass of wine or champagne in our hand. And, the food was AMAZING!!! We had a number of guests tell us afterward that it was the best wedding food they'd had. We had tried the food previously at one of RM's holiday dinners, and we loved the fish and steak that we had there. We were thrilled, then, that the food was just as good on our wedding night!

There were only a few things that could have been better, although we still love RM. For example, we had our ceremony outside in front of the large tree. Unfortunately, the traffic on SB Street was really loud, and pedestrians that walked by the venue also were really loud. The noise was distracting and disruptive a few times during our ceremony, and when we watched our video afterward, we could also hear the loud street noise. Another thing that disappointed us was that we had placed favors on each guest's plate, and the servers took away guests' favors when they were clearing the plates. We hadn't anticipated them doing this, and we didn't know it happened until some of our guests told us.

Despite some slight issues, we loved RM and would highly recommend it. We had so much fun at our wedding, and we felt confident that all of our guests would enjoy the venue.

Jennifer Sent on 12/14/2015

4.6 out of 5 rating

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3 out of 5 rating

My husband and I came to the Riviera Mansion 3 months before our wedding after our original venue fell through. We are obviously stressed about our situation and nervous about going through a similar situation at a new venue. Fortunately, we could not have been happier with the wedding.

Breanna was extremely helpful, and the staff was fantastic. They checked in with us throughout the evening to make sure we had everything we needed. Our guests loved the food and complimented the service.

The venue itself is beautiful and ideal for a wedding. We would highly recommend the Riviera Mansion for any engaged couple.

Lindsey Sent on 02/23/2015

4.6 out of 5 rating

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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating

The Riviera Mansion is the most beautiful location for weddings; it has such a unique and totally Santa Barbara feel. Once we viewed the property we knew that it was our reception venue. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful – every time we came for a meeting they offered us complimentary beverages including champagne and beer. When we were doing our walk through a few days before the wedding, Eli, the catering manager made some really great recommendations for improvements in design (table locations) and flow and we were very glad to utilize his expertise. The day of our wedding it was incredibly hot – luckily they have a/c – but Breanna came by multiple times to check on us to see if we were cool and comfortable. Because we purchased one of the wedding packages with a buffet style dinner, we weren’t able to taste our menu a head of time. However, the food was really good and they were very accommodating in substituting the vegetable on the menu.

We really loved that the Mansion has multiple rooms for dining, dancing and lounging, and that we had use of both indoor and outdoor spaces – which we used for lawn games and a cigar bar. Overall, the Mansion was more expensive than some of the other venues we were considering, but overall the benefits made up for the cost.

Christina Sent on 08/15/2013

4.6 out of 5 rating

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5 out of 5 rating
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3 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating

Food for our wedding was amazing! Site is beautiful incl the bridal & groom suites! They pretty much provide everything but floral, such a breeze and great help to our wedding!

Chelsey Sent on 11/11/2011

4.4 out of 5 rating

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4.5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating

Our wedding was about 120 people and the University Club was the perfect size for our wedding reception. We held the ceremony at a beautiful park just 2 blocks away, which made the reception site easy walking distance. We loved the classic charm of the University Club and also liked that there was an outdoor area for cocktails, before the dinner and dancing inside. Another bonus was having the tables, chairs, food and drink, all set up and taken care of by the venue. Chrissy was easy to work with and organized during our preparation leading up to the event. It gave us confidence that everything would work out well, and it did. It's a great venue if you want your reception in a downtown SB location!

Nicole Sent on 10/09/2016

4.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
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3 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating

As soon as we started looking for venues for our wedding ceremony and reception I fell in love with the Riviera Mansion- and that was just from the website! When I finally got to visit the venue I was blown away by how beautiful it is, while also having a very comfortable, homey vibe. The pictures on their website are very accurate. It is an old, historic building though, and it does show a bit of age in certain spots.
During the wedding planning process we worked with Breanna to understand the packages, pricing, food options, etc. She was super patient and helpful. Both of us are pescetarians and they were super flexible about our preference to not serve meat. We really appreciated that!
We did a pre-wedding walk-through with Breanna and the catering manager, Eli (and our wedding coordinator, Shauna from Alegria by Design) and they were very thorough and accommodating. They were even willing to move furniture to make our wedding vision come to life!
On the day of the wedding it was absolutely magical to get ready in their beautiful bridal suite! We spent all day doing hair and make-up in that lovely room- sitting on the lovely white couch I felt like I was character in a Jane Austen novel! And it makes for super pretty pictures :) The air conditioning in that room did experience a glitch that day, but luckily we didn't get too terribly warm and were able to access other air conditioned rooms to cool down when needed.
Our guests also loved the Riviera Mansion! Not only is it a beautiful and very comfortable venue, but the staff were incredible! They took great care of everyone, always making sure that people had exactly what they needed. Multiple guests commented on how fantastic the staff were! We were absolutely thrilled with our wedding day at the Mansion. It's such a unique and memorable location. I loved seeing our guests exploring and enjoying all of the different spaces throughout the event. It was a fantastic choice and I definitely recommend it!

Mariana Sent on 12/18/2018

4 out of 5 rating

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2 out of 5 rating
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3 out of 5 rating

Over all decor and service

Very friendly but not high quality.

Alex Sent on 08/23/2014

4 out of 5 rating

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4 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating

The University Club is a lovely venue and the food was great. The staff, including Breanna the current wedding coordinator, was friendly, helpful, and professional throughout the planning process and on the day.

Cari Sent on 01/12/2012

4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
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3 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating

The University Club is a beautiful facility. We were so fortunate that we were able to have our wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all in the same venue! The food was fantastic and the wait staff was incredible!!! The food was delivered seamlessly, and our drinks were always refilled. They were very professional, attentive and unobtrusive! The perfect combination!

The facility is GORGEOUS and well maintained! Chef Harley Hall created the perfect menu for us! He was easy to work with, and accommodated our special request regarding the timing vendor meals which we appreciated very much. We received so many compliments from our guests regarding the food. I highly recommend the University Club of Santa Barbara.

Rachel Sent on 09/29/2010

2.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3.5 out of 5 rating
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2 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2 out of 5 rating
Value
3.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

The University Club and was a wonderful venue for our wedding -- great character, lots of space, beautiful views, delicious food and pleasant staff... except for the event director Chrissy. It became clear after we put down our deposit that her priority is sales, not service. She is flakey, rude and generally unhelpful.

Like most couples, we were working with a budget and thus had some family/friends as vendors. Chrissy was extremely rude to several of them, and changed the rules/accommodations for them last minute.

She gave us short notice about her vacation, which also took place while some of our planning documents were due to the club. I don't expect someone to plan personal vacations around my event, but advance notice and an alternate contact would have been nice.

Chrissy didn't even show up to our rehearsal the day before the wedding, and for the two seconds I saw her on the wedding day she was wearing cut-off sweatpants!!

I am glad we chose the Club as our wedding venue, but would NEVER choose to work with Chrissy again. If you pick this venue you will definitely need your own wedding planner/coordinator!!

Riviera Mansion Reviews

Reviews

Riviera Mansion