Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden
Palo Alto Wedding Location1431 Waverley St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: 650/329-1356 x202
www.gamblegarden.org
We'd love it
if you would mention that you found Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden on the Here Comes The Guide website.
Click thumbnails to enlarge image
Description
The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden is one of the most perfect garden ceremony/reception sites we’ve seen. Miss Gamble, granddaughter of the co-founder of the Procter and Gamble Company, willed the home and its grounds to the City of Palo Alto. The estate is now run by the Elizabeth F. Gamble Horticultural Foundation.
The main house is a 1902 Colonial/Georgian Revival-style structure built in a lovely, older residential area of Palo Alto. Inside, a dining room, drawing room and library are available for receptions. Each room has been carefully restored using colorful, turn-of-the-century reproduction wallpapers. Dark natural wood wainscoting has been returned to its original splendor and there are graceful, molded ceilings and nicely finished oak floors throughout. Each room has its own fireplace. A set of French doors in the Library opens onto a brick porch that leads down to the first of many beautifully landscaped spaces.
Our favorite spots are the formal and informal gardens—the collective work of a full-time horticulturist and 300 volunteers. Each separately landscaped area feels like a private secret garden: the rose garden (with its 100 species of roses), the wisteria garden, and the Victorian grotto—separately or combined—provide elegant settings for small wedding ceremonies and receptions.
After the ceremony, guests are invited to gather at the Tea House, where hors d’oeuvres and beverages are served. The bride and groom often slip away from the festivities at this time for a quiet moment together in the Gazebo, an Edwardian-inspired garden house.
The reception is usually held at the Carriage House. While the buffet is set up inside, guests are seated on the adjoining brick terrace. Five sets of French doors make it easy for people to move indoors and out, giving them the feeling of being in a garden pavilion.
Miss Gamble succeeded in creating a place of serenity and beauty. We recommend it highly.
Capacity
Ceremony |
Reception/Special Events |
Meetings |
|
Max. Seated Indoors: 50 Max. Seated Outdoors: 50 |
Max. Seated Indoors: 50 Max. Seated Outdoors: 50 Max. Standing Indoors: 50 Max. Standing Outdoors: 50 |
Max. Seated: 30 |
|
CEREMONY CAPACITY: The Wisteria Garden, Rose Garden, Tea House Terrace and Carriage House each hold 50 seated or standing guests; the Drawing Room holds 50 seated or standing guests. |
||
Fees & Deposits
For weddings, a $600 partially refundable deposit is required when reservations are confirmed. The rental fee on a Saturday or Sunday is $1,200 for an 8-hour minimum block of time. Monday – Friday, $100/hour, for a 6-hour minimum block of time. Any rental has a 50-guest maximum, in accordance with our use permit. The rental balance and an $800 cleaning/damage deposit are due 220 days prior to the date reserved (or as soon as the date is reserved if less than 220 days). The damage/cleaning deposit is generally refunded within 2 weeks following your event.
For meetings and business functions, fees vary based on rooms rented and rental time frames; call for more details.
Availability
For weddings, Saturdays noon–10pm, Monday–Friday 4pm–10pm. For business functions, year-round, Monday–Thursday 9am–6pm.
CateringBYOAlcoholBYOSites UsesCeremoniesWedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/AmenitiesCatering: BYOKitchen Facilities: fully equipped Tables & Chairs: BYO Linens, Silver, etc.: BYO Restrooms: wheelchair accessible Dance Floor: yes Bride's Dressing Area: yes Meeting Equipment: screen, cable modem Parking: lot Accommodations: no guestrooms Telephone: house phone Outdoor Night Lighting: yes Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no Cleanup: renter or caterer View: Edwardian gardens Other: piano available, event coordination |
MusicAcoustic OnlyWheelchair AccessWheelchair AccessibleSite ViewsFountain/Water FeatureGarden Garden Patio/Courtyard Landscaped Grounds Park RestrictionsAlcohol: BYO wine, beer or champagne; no beer kegs or red wine in main houseSmoking: not allowed Wheelchair Access: yes Insurance: required Music: acoustic only; no amplified or recorded music Other: rose petals only (no rice, birdseed, etc.) |
Wondering what CBA or BYO means?
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!