The Ruth Bancroft Garden Reviews

We loved getting married at the Ruth Bancroft Garden! We got married there at the end of April when everything was in bloom in the garden and it was so so beautiful.

The team was so nice and kind and super responsive. Tawny was so great to work with from booking the venue to the execution of the event and responded so kindly to all my questions. She has an amazing team and they also work to set up all the chairs and tables and stay on site for the whole event. She worked seamlessly with our coordinators, Contigo Events, to make sure the wedding ran smoothly!

I found this venue to be very affordable compared to a lot of venues in the Bay Area and it was one of the most beautiful venues that me and my husband looked at. We were very picky and were looking for the perfect place to have a garden-y wedding where we could have a delicious meal outside in a beautiful location and we were so lucky to have found Ruth Bancroft! The garden feels so intimate, there are so many different nooks that you can explore, and so many cool plants. We had a 45 person wedding and it was just worked wonderfully.

We also loved that we were able to bring in our own vendors -- we were able to save a lot of money on food and alcohol by having our event here. You do have to bring everything in yourself, except for tables and some miscellaneous furniture, but it was very worth it to us to customize our event and save money on food and bev that are usually even more marked up at all-in event centers.

We 1000% recommend Ruth Bancroft Garden for your wedding venue. Such a beautiful garden and an amazing team!! We had no hiccups planning the wedding and our day went perfectly, we can't recommend them enough!

Tawny and the events team at The Ruth Bancroft Garden made our wedding planning and special day a total joy! On top of just being incredible humans, they were supportive, highly responsive, and detail-oriented throughout the process. RBG was the first and only wedding venue we looked at — it’s just that good. Our buyout gave us the flexibility to use the entire garden and events space to create our ‘Palm Springs Meets Northern California’ wedding vibes. From our fall sunset ceremony in the garden to our EDM-inspired reception and dance party in their new and modern event hall, we couldn’t have asked for a better venue. Highly recommend RBG if you’re looking to host a a once-in-a-lifetime event. Thanks, Tawny and team!

We LOVED having our wedding at the Ruth Bancroft Garden! The venue is beautiful, and was such a cool place for guests to explore during the event. There are amazing cacti and desert plants everywhere, and it made for really lovely photos as well. We loved the indoor/outdoor vibe (we had our ceremony outdoors, and there are lots of spots to pick from; our dinner was inside which was great as it got a little cooler at night). The garden itself is just so stunning, so we didn't have to have a lot of florals or decor, since it was naturally beautiful.

Also have to give a huge shout out to the venue team at Ruth Bancroft—every step of the way they were so responsive, helping us plan the layout of our dinner and answering every question we had. And during the event, they were also amazing. Tawny and her team were SO organized and set everything up for us without a hitch, including setting up all the table and chair rentals, and moving all the chairs to the reception area from the ceremony area. They were also so helpful in cleaning up—my partner and I were still seeing the last few guests out while the venue team and our coordinator cleaned and packed up everything for us!

Would 1000% recommend the Ruth Bancroft Garden for anyone planning their wedding!

Ruth Bancroft was everything we could ask for! The gardens are absolutely stunning and meticulously maintained, and we loved hosting our wedding at a venue that serves a greater role for the community.

Tawny and the other staff were so easy to work with - very responsive, helpful, and accommodating. They provided great suggestions for the event organization, and helped with set up and breakdown on the day-of.

The venue policies are very reasonable - we were able to provide our own alcohol and they are very accommodating with vendors.

The garden itself is absolutely stunning (which is great if you're trying to do minimal florals/decor) and gives you flexibility to host different aspects of the wedding in different areas of the garden. Our guests loved getting to walk around the gardens during cocktail hour and see all the sculptures on display.

Absolutely would recommend!

Thanks to Heather Rose Garden who canceled us for burst pipe, we found this amazing venue! I fell in love with it immediately when I walked — the big variety of succulents, the color and the otherworldly shapes of them.

Had a little rough time with the previous event manager until Tawny took over! Tawny is such a sweetheart. Sweet, patient, professional and thoughtful! She cares! If the venue itself is 95 out of 100, Tawny had definitely made it 101/100.

I originally booked my wedding venue with Heather Farm, which canceled on me due to a water pipe problem. And I’m so glad I found Ruth Bancroft Garden, because it’s just a much better choice (much more modern reception hall and much bigger garden with an Arizona feel to it). If you are based in the Bay Area and want a garden themed wedding, this is THE place! I had a small wedding with 36 guests and I couldn’t be happier on my wedding - everyone is so helpful and every detail is exactly how I want it to be. Twany and Julia are a dream to work with - I love love love how easy, professional and caring they are. RBG is the PERFECT wedding venue 💜

It was love at first sight when I went to Ruth Bancroft. The garden is beautiful and unique, with wonderful scenery and natural beauty that it needs little decor. I could have the California boho wedding of my dreams without trekking to the mountains or desert! I loved that the garden allows you freedom to choose your vendors unlike a winery or typical event space. I worked with their preferred caterer and day of coordinator who was a dream, and would highly recommend booking Elisa’s Catering and Brandy to work your event if you book at the garden. They have a wonderful understanding and partnership with the RBG staff that put me at ease and made me feel so supported as I did the bulk of my wedding planning on my own!

I also want to add that I had to reschedule my wedding (2 days before it was supposed to happen!!!) due to Covid and Tawny and Julia could not have been kinder or more supportive or amazing while myself and my fiancé were going through a difficult time. I am so grateful that I could have my wedding at RBG and cannot express how much I appreciate them.

If you are looking for a venue, this one is a show stopper, but the amazing staff will be the real cherry on top!

Ruth Bancroft Garden was our savior venue after our original venue cancelled on us two months before our date. Since they were so experienced working with our coordinator (TLC Events) it was an incredibly seamless transition to move our day plan and vendors over. Our only tough point was coordinating pictures/timeline since the earliest they could possibly allow guests arriving was 4 and sunset was at 5 (mid November date), but they let us begin pictures at around 230/3 so we were able to get enough sunlit pictures. Because the garden is so beautiful and the patio area is already lit with cute bistro lights, we didn’t have to bring too many outdoor decor/lighting, but did have to rent heaters since it was chilly and everyone wanted to hangout near the bar outside. Our group was around 70 people so dining and dancing fit inside the great room, bar outside in the patio, buffet out near the courtyard.

What is there to say? The Ruth Bancroft was such an outstanding wedding venue. I was hesitant because we had a larger wedding and I knew that the garden would be open to the public until a specific time, but Tawny and Julia worked with my wedding planner, Jenni Grubba, and all of our vendors to make sure everything was set up and they had access to whatever they needed. It was absolutely STUNNING and having both the indoor and outdoor space meant that people could warm up inside during the chillier portion of the evening. We received so many comments on how perfect and stunning the garden was If we had do it all again we would still choose the RBG.

We will forever hold a special place in our heart for the Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery for our outdoor wedding in May of 2022! The space was perfect for our 120 guests and the events team led by Julia was just wonderful to work with. I'd highly recommend this to any couple looking for a beautiful, versatile outdoor space for their special day.

We decided on the garden for several reasons (among them, an outdoor space for mitigating COVID risk): Ruth Bancroft is simply stunning -- full of photogenic greenery and winding paths that make for a magical setting and great photo ops. The venue also allowed us to use different areas around the garden of our choosing to hold our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The venue team's staff of high school interns were speedy and courteous in "flipping" the spaces at different times of the night! The garden also has an indoor space that allowed us to create an indoor hangout for guests that wanted to be inside (not to mention bathrooms, a room for the wedding party to get ready or changed, and professional kitchen for caterers.) Another bonus for us too: this venue allowed us to bring our own liquor!

The venue team offered us a package starting at 1pm for a 5pm wedding and a hard stop at 10pm (music off by 9:45pm). The early time cut off is partially due to the fact that the garden is set in a residential area and we heard that neighbors sometimes complain about the noise during the party. We were a little nervous about this issue, but in the end it wasn't a problem for us: we just made sure our DJ knew the expectations and we had a great dance party until our party bus came at 10pm and took our guests to the after party.

Our wedding coordinator, Reyna Hess, was very familiar with the venue (she's on the recommended venue list I think) and, together with Julia, they helped us ensure a super smooth planning process and day-of coordination across multiple vendors. All in all, we are so glad we went with the decision to get married at the Ruth Bancroft Garden!

Getting married at the Ruth Bancroft Garden was a dream come true!! Not only is the setting itself absolutely gorgeous, but the staff was incredible! They were always responsive to our questions and very supportive with our requests. Every meeting with them felt productive, and when it came to the actual wedding day everything came together and unfolded just as we had hoped it would!! We can't thank the staff enough for all their help and encouragement. It was the most incredible day and we are so grateful to everyone at the Ruth Brancroft Garden for all their amazing work!

The events team - Tawny and Julia - are incredibly easy to work with. They are responsive, requirements are clear, and they're very good at making themselves available to the client. We had a lot of loose strings on the day of the wedding, but the RBG staff handled it beautifully. They were really fun to work with, too! I would definitely work with them again if the situation presented itself.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden staff were so helpful! I loved the venue and we have some truly memorable photos and experiences from this night. Thank you!

This place is a dream! Gorgeous and serene. My husband and I are beyond thrilled that we were able to have our wedding at Ruth Bancroft Garden. Lucy Kim, the event manager is so helpful. She helped to make our day seamless and perfect!

We would absolutely recommend this place for an unforgettable experience. Thank you Ruth Bancroft Garden!