Ainsley House and Gardens
Campbell Wedding Location300 Grant Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
Phone: 408/866-2119
www.cityofcampbell.com/museum
Request a proposal for your event from Ainsley House and Gardens
We'd love it
if you would mention that you found Ainsley House and Gardens on the Here Comes The Guide website.
Click thumbnails to enlarge image
Description
In 1925, in the twilight of a highly successful life as the founder of a local fruit cannery and export company, expatriate Englishman John Colpitts Ainsley built for himself and his wife, Alcinda, a lovely English Tudor Revival home. With fifteen rooms (including a modern kitchen with a refrigerator, a six-burner two-oven stove, and adjoining maid’s quarters), large bay windows, a swooping mock thatch roof, and blooming English-style garden, the Ainsley’s home was one of the finest in the Santa Clara Valley.
During the years following JC Ainsley’s death in 1937, family members used the house occasionally for Christmas parties and other reunions. In 1989, the family donated the historic house to the city of Campbell. It was moved from its original site on Bascom Avenue to its present location, and restoration was begun immediately. The result is a living museum with period furniture (most of it original to the house), walls covered in delicate silk fabric, glowing oak-paneled hallways, closets that display period gowns and tiny flapper-era shoes, and a kitchen stocked with cans of JC’s fruit! Because of the fragile nature of these antiques and artifacts, the interior of the house is not available for parties. The parlor, however, may be used for an intimate ceremony (up to 15 guests), and couples getting married or having their reception here can also take wedding photos inside.
The gardens that now surround Ainsley House retain much of the character of the original gardens. Blossoming crabapples, rhododendrons, irises, and bridal veil encircle the house and back lawn. Several rose bushes were transplanted straight from the Ainsley’s 1925 flowerbeds. The front of the house opens onto the Orchard City Green, a lush lawn used for a local concert series.
Weddings are held in the backyard, a large private lawn bordered by flowers and redwood trees, and enclosed by latticed fencing covered in climbing roses. For the ceremony, the bridal party emerges through French doors at the rear of the house, and walks across the lawn to the wisteria-shaded redwood arbor where the bride and groom exchange vows. Afterwards, guests are seated at beautifully set tables on the grass for an al fresco reception. With colorful English gardens all around and the Tudor house as a backdrop, the celebration is infused with considerable old-world charm. Dancing takes place in the arbor, which is romantically lit at night by hanging period lanterns.
Ainsley House provides elegance, beauty and a taste of a time when life was more relaxed. If JC Ainsley could come back for a visit, he would be pleased to see that his home is still one of the finest in the region.
Capacity
Ceremony |
Reception/Special Events |
Meetings |
|
Max. Seated Indoors: 15 Max. Seated Outdoors: 200 |
Max. Seated Indoors: Max. Seated Outdoors: 200 Max. Standing Indoors: Max. Standing Outdoors: 250 |
Max. Seated: 150 |
|
CEREMONY CAPACITY: The garden holds 200 seated guests. Indoors, the Parlor holds up to 15 seated and standing guests. |
||
Fees & Deposits
For special events, a $400 refundable security deposit and the entire rental fee are required to secure your date. For ceremonies and rehearsals, the rental fee starts at $500 for a 3-hour minimum. For a reception, the fee is $800 for a 5-hour minimum and for a ceremony and reception, the fee starts at $1,300 for a 7-hour minimum. For each additional hour, there’s a $200/hour charge.
Availability
May–October. Very small events can take place indoors; call for more information.
CateringBYOAlcoholBYOSites UsesCeremoniesWedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/AmenitiesCatering: BYOKitchen Facilities: no Tables & Chairs: BYO Linens, China, etc.: BYO Restrooms: wheelchair accessible Dance Floor: cement area Bride's Dressing Area: yes Meeting Equipment: BYO Parking: ample complimentary Accommodations: no guestrooms Telephone: emergency use only Outdoor Night Lighting: yes Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no Cleanup: renter or caterer View: English cottage garden |
Musicw/ RestrictionsOutdoors Indoors Wheelchair AccessWheelchair AccessibleSite ViewsGardenLandscaped Grounds RestrictionsAlcohol: BYO, champagne, wine and beer onlySmoking: restricted Music: amplified OK, volume limits until 10pm Wheelchair Access: yes Insurance: not required Other: no rice, birdseed, petals or confetti |
Wondering what CBA or BYO means?
408/866-2119
www.cityofcampbell.com/museum
Email or request a proposal for your event from Ainsley House and Gardens
Tell a Friend
Have you found your caterer yet? Your wedding photographer? Your wedding flowers or wedding cake maker? We can help! Be sure to check out our Certified by The Guide Northern and Southern California wedding vendors. We’ve done the pre-screening for you.
Rehearsal Dinner?
Here Comes The Guide is a great tool to use to find your rehearsal dinner location! And, Read more about how to personalize your rehearsal dinner.
Wedding Dresses
We’ve selected the best California bridal salons to help you find your wedding dress. And, get great deals on your wedding dress and see entire wedding dress designer collections at California Trunk Shows.
Central Coast Weddings
We have just opened up a whole new section for Central Coast wedding locations and Central Valley ceremony sites. We think this gorgeous region, full of beach wedding locations and winery reception venues is the “next big thing” in destination weddings.
Santa Barbara Weddings
Santa Barbara is a stunning region for destination weddings. Its gorgeous weather is perfect for garden or beach wedding ceremonies, and its chic hotels and restaurants will rock your wedding reception. Most of our beautiful Santa Barbara wedding locations have Virtual Tours, so take a sneak peek right now!