7 Affordable Wedding Venues in the San Francisco Bay Area
Yes, it’s totally possible to plan a San Francisco wedding on a budget! Check out these affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area to start.
Budget wedding planners, rejoice: affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area aren’t a myth! Even though San Francisco (and its surrounding locales in the East Bay, North Bay, South Bay and Silicon Valley) is well-known as one of the most expensive regions in the United States, couples planning a San Francisco wedding on a budget can find many hidden gem wedding venues with reception site fees that don’t top $5,000 — well below the average for San Francisco wedding venues. Most wedding budgets dictate that no more than 50 percent of the total cost go toward the venue (this also includes food, cake, drinks and rentals, like tables and chairs), so keeping the site fees low will help you stay within budget for your event.
Check out our favorite affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area!
Dolce Hayes Mansion
Even among beautiful, historical San Francisco venues, Dolce Hayes Mansion is a stunning standout. Built at the turn-of-the-century in Spanish Colonial Revival style, the former private residence has found a new calling as a handsome hotel and coveted wedding venue in South Bay’s San Jose. Visiting wedding guests will love this venue’s proximity to the city, local wineries and Silicon Valley. Offering a bit of Southern California for Bay Area weddings, the venue is surrounded by lush greenery and abundant palm trees while the indoor event space is a classic banquet hall that’s perfect for receptions with up to 500 guests. Best of all, reception site fees start at just $500 during the off-peak season and $3,000 during peak season. Site fees include use of a bridal suite, tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware and glassware along with set up, clean up and parking.
Learn more about Dolce Hayes Mansion »
Dipsea Gardens at Stinson Beach
As wedding landscapes go, an unrestricted view of the Pacific Ocean is a win on several fronts. Dipsea Gardens at Stinson Beach is located just north of San Francisco, adjacent to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, but feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The venue is a private, gated garden with an expanse of open space that can be transformed into various stations for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Much of the event space at Dipsea Gardens is manicured grass, but cobblestone steps and ground also protect parts of the venue. Because of the open nature of Dipsea Gardens, both couples who have an elaborate wedding vision and those who’d rather let nature be the decor will be able to make their wedding dreams come to life. With reception fees starting at just $3,000 no matter the season, Dipsea Gardens is also one of the most affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area. Save the extra dough for other wedding expenses (or not).
Learn more about Dipsea Gardens at Stinson Beach »
Community Congregational Church of Tiburon
Community Congregational Church of Tiburon is one of the affordable wedding venues in San Francisco that’s uniquely prepared to host traditional house of worship ceremonies and outdoor receptions. Situated in North Bay’s Marin County, this church wedding venue overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay and Mt. Tamalpais from the grounds of its beautifully manicured outdoor sanctuary. Couples can choose to use any of the three event spaces (or all three) for their wedding, including the indoor sanctuary, which holds 150 people, the outdoor sanctuary, which also holds 150, and the seminar room, which fits 60 people. Sasha and Emily chose to host both their ceremony and reception in Community Congregational Church of Tiburon’s outdoor sanctuary. The fees for this venue start at $1800 for 2.5 hours and each hour of overtime is $100.
Learn more about Community Congregational Church of Tiburon »
Marin Art & Garden Center
Couples in search of idyllic garden settings for their wedding should look no further for affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area than Marin Art & Garden Center. Just across the bridge in Marin County, this gorgeous venue is exploding with greenery, flowering bushes and lush grass, all set off by a classic white gazebo and white chairs for wedding ceremonies. The 11-acre center contains numerous indoor and outdoor event spaces, including the Gazebo Lawn, Livermore Pavilion, which accommodates up to 350 guests and the indoor Garden Room, which holds up to 120. Ceremony site fees start at $1,500 and reception site fees start at $4,500 year round. Site fees include use of a bridal suite, chairs and parking.
Learn more about Marin Art & Garden Center »
Cinnabar Hills Golf Club
You wouldn’t expect a golf club to be on a list of affordable wedding venues in San Francisco, however Cinnabar Hills is not only expansive, elegant and adaptable, but also fairly priced. Reception fees at this San Jose venue start at $1,998 during peak season and include tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, glassware as well as a set up, clean up, parking, use of a bridal suite and a wedding coordinator. Couples who choose this venue will wed among the rolling hills of Silicon Valley, surrounded by greenery for days. For the reception, Cinnabar Hills’ banquet hall is spacious and light-dappled with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Learn more about Cinnabar Hills Golf Club »
Fairview Weddings & Events
Not to be upstaged by the natural beauty of North Bay and South Bay, Fairview Weddings & Events is Oakland’s answer to couples looking for the perfect outdoor, rustic vintage venue to wed and frolic. Nestled on the very edge of Oakland, Fairview Weddings & Events is a stone’s throw from the San Francisco Bay and offers views of the San Francisco skyline. Most couples choose the large, open outdoor courtyard for their vows and head indoors to the banquet hall for the reception. The reception site fee for this inexpensive wedding venue in the Bay Area starts at $500 and include tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, glassware as well as a set up, clean up, parking, use of a bridal suite and a wedding coordinator.
Learn more about Fairview Weddings & Events »
Grandview Pavilion
Housed on the Alameda Golf Course in East Bay, Grandview Pavilion is a unique and stunning affordable San Francisco wedding venue. A stucco-tiled Spanish colonial building covered in bright green ivy, this ballroom location makes an unforgettable splash the moment your guests see it. Indoors, French doors spill in lots of natural light as elegant chandeliers and stylish Chiavari chairs transport guests from Northern California to Western Europe. Peak season reception site fees for this unique venue start at $1,600 while off peak (January to March) starts at $800. Fees include tables, chairs, linens, china, flatware, glassware as well as a set up, clean up, parking, use of a bridal suite and a wedding coordinator.
