The Sanctuary on Penn Reviews
Reviews
4.7 out of 5 rating
4.7 out of 5 rating
34 Reviews
94% recommend it
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![Joshua]()
Joshua R. Sent on 04/04/2023Vintage Romance in the Heart of Indy
My husband and I cannot say enough positive things about The Sanctuary on Penn. When we were looking for an LGBT friendly venue in central Indiana, this place caught our eyes, and we could not be happier. The space is gorgeous with unique features that make it stand out among other wedding venues in Indy. The team is awesome, responsive, and very attentive to the needs and wants of the couples. The in-house contractors (DJ Don Masters, Heavenly Sweets, Sterling Expressions, and Post Road English Gardens) all hit it out of the park with their services. The full-service nature of the venue takes so much stress away from planning the wedding. Thank you Sanctuary for giving us a magical night that we will remember the rest of our lives! -
![Kerry]()
Kerry E. Sent on 08/09/2022Loved this venue!
We got married at The Sanctuary on Penn exactly a month ago from today and wish we could do it all over again! It was such a beautiful and special venue and we’ve gotten many compliments from our wedding guests on how much they loved our wedding. It feels like something straight out of Italy in the main room. We really appreciated Evan’s help all along the way with organizing meetings and answering all of our questions over emails and phone calls in between meetings.
One of the best and most special parts of our wedding day The Sanctuary coordinated was the private moment after the ceremony, when they set up a table with champagne, cheese and fruit, and we got to savor the moment with just the two of us after just having gotten married in front of a whole room packed with people we love. We also really loved the grand exits they do, from the ceremony and also at the end of the night on the way out to our limo.
Their decorations closet was very useful and though we brought a lot of our own decorations in, we saved a lot of money too by using their lanterns for our aisle. It was also so useful that they allowed us to pick up some items after the honeymoon, instead of some venues that rush you into collecting everything at the end of the wedding night.
The whole day was so special and magical, and The Sanctuary really felt like a world of our own for the day. We highly recommend it! -
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![Megan]()
Megan F. Sent on 08/25/2022Best Decision We’ve Ever Made!
From the moment we walked into the Sanctuary, we knew we had found our wedding venue. The space is absolutely stunning, beautifully decorated, clean and well-maintained, with thoughtful touches all over and fun surprises around every corner.
From there, our experience just kept getting better. We met Evan and his staff, and they immediately felt like old friends. We cannot say enough about how amazing they were during the entire process. They are so kind, creative, thoughtful, organized- they are magic. They let us handle the fun parts of planning, and they took care of everything else. All of our family and friends could not believe how stress-free and fun the planning, menu tasting, rehearsal, and wedding day all were. Evan and his staff made everything feel special.
We spent the entire day at the Sanctuary the day of the wedding. It was so nice to be able to do everything in one place. No running around town, no rushing, no stress. We decorated, we got ready, we hung out, we ate, we took photos, and then we went right into getting married!
And ohhhhh, the photos! There are so many beautiful, unique, charming, and romantic places in and around the building for wedding photos! We went with the house photographer Mariah, and she was fantastic! She knows the space inside and out, she’s such a nice person, she has great ideas, and her photos are beautiful.
We also went with the house DJ, Don Masters, and he was awesome. This guy knows so much about all different kinds of music! He was really fun to talk to, he was super helpful with planning everything involving music, speeches, etc., and he’s a really great emcee- he knows how to read a crowd, and he kept us all on schedule post-ceremony.
Let’s talk about the food!! The chef is incredible. This is not typical wedding food. This is a talented artist sharing her craft. This was really important for us. We both LOVE food- as culture, as art, and as a basic human right. We really, REALLY wanted to be able to treat all of our guests to a delicious, top-notch meal, and the staff at the Sanctuary made that happen. The passed appetizers and the main meal were absolutely amazing. They have so many great options, and they are super accommodating when it comes to special requests, dietary restrictions, kids’ meals, etc. PLUS they donate any food that gets left, so you can start the next chapter of your life by making a difference for others. They really do think of everything!
The day of the wedding, Evan and Jade made sure we were happy all day, and at the end of the night, we said our goodbyes, and they reassured us we did not have to worry about cleaning up or taking all of our stuff with us- we could pick it up whenever. What a gift that was! The last thing you and your wedding party will want to do at the end of such a long day is stay late to clean up. And since Evan and Jade honestly care about their couples and want them to have the best day of their lives, they take care of all that for you! And they don’t even charge you extra for it!
Which brings us to our final point. The price. It is shocking how affordable this wedding was. We looked at many other venues, and every single one was at least twice the price and less than half the value. Do yourself a favor, and have your wedding at the Sanctuary. You won’t regret it! -
![Lauren]()
Lauren R. Sent on 11/22/2021I wish I could relive this day!!
Our wedding day was truly the greatest day of our lives. Evan worked his butt off to make sure everything went smoothly! He also had amazing communication between all of our vendors and the day could not have gone better! We had such an amazing time. The food was incredible, the decor was spot on, the changing of the room during cocktail hour went over without issues, and the whole day was incredible thanks to Evan, Tiffany (the chef) and the rest of the staff. I also was told by many, many of my guests that the bartenders were so fun and really great to work with! Thanks to the Sanctuary's team of people! We had the best wedding we could've ever dreamed of. -
![Josh]()
Josh B. Sent on 02/02/2020A Beautiful Wedding Day
Evan and the entire team at the Sanctuary on Penn was unbelievably accommodating and helpful throughout the entire wedding planning process. Evan met with us as many times as we wanted and was very helpful in walking us through the details of the wedding planning process. We used the officiant, DJ, Chef and Florist through them, and all of them did a phenomenal job! We have had endless amounts of compliments on our venue and how beautiful it was! Thank you Sanctuary on Penn for an unforgettable and amazing wedding day! -
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Eleni S. Sent on 05/03/2020
Highly Recommend!
My husband and I held our wedding reception at The Sanctuary on Penn on 12/28/19, and it was everything we had dreamed of for our wedding. We only looked at one other venue before deciding on The Sanctuary and were immediately in awe when we walked in the building. The historic beauty of the building was exactly what we were looking for - the large stained glass windows, the wood floors, the walls, the bar/cocktail areas. It is dark and dramatic but warm and inviting at the same time. We were looking for something more unique and historic than a hotel/ballroom atmosphere, and we are so glad we decided on The Sanctuary!
Throughout our planning process, we worked with Evan Appleman, who was SO helpful, responsive, and flexible! I had a very specific vision of how I wanted the reception to look and feel, and Evan helped to make that vision a reality. He was responsive to mine and my mom's many questions as we planned and met with us as many times as needed throughout the year of planning. The day of the reception, Evan ensured that everything ran smoothly from set up, hair/makeup, cocktail hour, and dinner (our guests are still raving about the prime rib!). He even hurriedly put my shoes on my feet when I wanted to switch from heels to flats for the dances at the last minute! We also worked with The Sanctuary's DJ, Don Masters, who was fabulous! Everyone had so much fun on the dance floor, and he helped to make sure each part of the reception was on time and running smoothly. Also, Chef Becky was incredible! The appetizers and all of the meal choices were delicious!
It was an absolutely magical day, and we are so thankful we chose The Sanctuary on Penn!! -
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![Isabelle]()
Isabelle Sent on 10/23/2019Rustic charm
ALWAYS a bridesmaid, never a bride! I have been to quite a few weddings and this is my best experience so far. The staff is really nice and helpful, its really organized too. We went from the mail room for the ceremony, were ushered out the side and into the cocktail hour and then directed back into the main space. Within that hour they had completely transformed the room. Dinner tables, centerpieces, dinnerware everything in 1 hour it looked amazing! The food was good and plates were cleared fast. As a guest I had a great experience!The Sanctuary on Penn's reply:
Hey Isabelle!
Thank you so much for reaching out to us, and I'm so glad you had an amazing experience with us here at The Sanctuary on Penn!
Many thanks!
The Sanctuary Team -
![Kelsie]()
Kelsie Sent on 12/26/2018All Inclusive - Most Amazing Experience
This venue is incredible. We loved the whole experience working with them and having a multi-room venue with outdoor access, was such a bonus for the value of hosting an event here. We have so many great things to say about The Sanctuary on Penn.
The staff is great - several of our family members told me how friendly and helpful everyone was and we appreciated the speed and accuracy of all the setting up and preparation of the various points of the night. Scott and Evan made everything such an easy process and we appreciated their efforts to make our entire day perfect.
The food - we loved it and our guests have raved about our selection of options an how good they were so we are more than thrilled that we were given the opportunity to customize our meal to our specifics! It was a memorable meal and the quality of the food was above and beyond so many catered wedding buffets - I believe the quality comes in the fact that it is made in house by The Sanctuary's own staff of chefs.
Bar Staff was well-loved by our bar-visitors. Overall, our crew enjoyed interacting with the bartenders which was a great plus on the night.
Our one complaint was in the Bathrooms - they do have one bathroom near the stage upstairs which worked for handicapped access, however most guests need to use the restrooms which are located in the basement where the wedding party gets ready and keeps their things nearby. Many of our guests drove 40 min to 2 hours directly to the venue for the ceremony and so it seemed, EVERYONE was going to the bathroom beforehand and thus walking down to the basement, seeing me and the rest of the bridal party, which I did not prefer. It would have been nice if the bathrooms could have been partitioned from the rest of the basement to maintain the suspense before the wedding. It was nice, however for the guys to have the ability to go outside and use the little back yard space to hang out, play cornhole and get some fresh air before getting ready.
We highly recommend The Sanctuary on Penn for a wedding of up to about 220 - much more than that and it gets to be pretty full during the reception, although we expected 232 and had seating for that many and it fit, just a little more snug than I would have liked.
Finally, the All- Inclusive Payment plan - that was the best - made it so easy to feel like the wedding of our dreams was possible and easier to save for knowing there wasn't going to be a lump sum to pay at the end. We decided to use the prefered vendors of the Sanctuary for Florals, DJ, and Videography, so we paid all of them through The Sanctuary as part of our payment plan. We loved how simple it was to work with the vendors and they were all incredibly professional and did such a great job. You can't go wrong with partnering with this venue for your most special events. -
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Caitlin Sent on 09/05/2018It was literally a dream! I couldn’t have picked somewhere better for our big day! Thank you Scott and Evan!
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![Charla]()
Charla Sent on 04/08/2015I first visited the Sanctuary on Penn for a NYE event celebrating 2014. My (now) husband and I walked in and said to each other that we wanted to eventually get married there. A little over a year later and we did!
Choosing a venue was one of the first planning tasks I completed. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to afford the Sanctuary and checked out other places. I found some really affordable hotel ballrooms and community spaces, but no one had the charm of the Sanctuary. Once I factored in how much we would save on decor and all of the complementary services provided by the Sanctuary it was a no brainer. The Sanctuary would give us the biggest bang for our buck.
What's awesome about the Sanctuary is its all inclusive style. I had my own DJ, photographer, hair, and makeup artist, but anything else I needed the Sanctuary provided. It was such a mental and financial relief to be able to bundle all of these services into one rate. They also had a wonderful payment option of making monthly payments for services rather than requiring large 50% deposits and another large payment due with our final count. For my husband and I, who share expenses with our parents, this was a smooth plan that ensured we walked away from the wedding with no debt.
Our ceremony and reception were beautiful. As expected, we needed minimal decorations because the space is beautiful on its own. Scott and Lorie made sure everything rolled out smoothly and Rosie left all of our guest stuffed and satisfied. Speaking of Rosie... she's good. So So Good. You know that food that makes you hum when you eat it.... yea our reception dinner made us do that.
I would suggest the Sanctuary on Penn to anyone looking to get married in the Indianapolis area. They staff was wonderful to work with and the space is beautiful. -
![Danielle]()
Danielle Sent on 09/15/2014We loved the look of the Sanctuary and would not have wanted our wedding anywhere else. It was absolutely beautiful!! Scott and Lorie were amazing to work with and really brought everything together on our day and made sure everything went smoothly. The staff was attentive and helpful. The food was delicious. Our wedding day was everything we wanted it to be!! :) -
![Cassandra]()
Cassandra Sent on 06/18/2014We got married at The Sanctuary on Penn on May 31, 2014 and had a great experience! Scott and Lorie did everything they could to make sure we had exactly the wedding we wanted. They were very helpful in keeping us on track during the planning process by going over our "homework" to-do checklist at each of our meetings, and were available to help as much or as little as we needed. Their chef sat down with us and really talked with us about the type of food we wanted, and came up with a menu just for us. On the day of the wedding, they checked in with us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed, and were able to deal with the inevitable hiccups in a professional manner. It was great not having to worry about set-up and break down, or coordinating vendor deliveries, so we and our family and friends were able to enjoy the entire night. They took care of so many of the little details that would have otherwise driven me insane.
And I also must say the venue itself is BEAUTIFUL! It did not take a lot of decoration to make the room look amazing. All of our guests said that everything was wonderful, and they all had a great time. If you are looking for a gorgeous, unique venue and great people to work with, this is your place. I would definitely consider holding other events here in the future.
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