Memory Garden
View Map
Tell a Friend
20 Custom House Plaza
Monterey, CA 93940
Contact: Catering
Phone: 831/649-3445
www.grapesofwrath.com
Request a proposal for your event from Memory Garden
Click thumbnails to enlarge image
Description
Stroll through Monterey’s downtown historic district, and you’ll find it studded with secret gardens. Each of them is private and within walking distance of hotels ranging from bed & breakfast to 4-star. Memory Garden, in the Monterey State Historic Park is perhaps the most intriguing of them all.
Framed on three sides by tall adobe walls with graceful arched cutouts and on the fourth by The Pacific House, an elegant 1847 Spanish-Colonial style building, it’s a grand plaza suitable for all kinds of events. Four 75-year-old magnolias shade the plaza, their branches casting an intricate web of shadows on the ground. In spring and summer the trees also provide a gorgeous floral display, along with the other flowers planted along the perimeter. A fountain burbling in the courtyard’s center soothes the ear, while sea breezes supply natural air-conditioning.
Corporate picnics, luncheons and dinners are popular here, but the Garden is especially lovely for weddings. The site can accommodate a formal dinner for 300 guests, yet it’s warm and intimate enough for a casual gathering of 50.
If you’re getting married in the Garden, you may choose as your backdrop the massive arched wooden gate at the entrance, the wisteria-covered pergola along the southwest wall or the towering cedar opposite the pergola.
Afterwards, the open configuration of the Garden lends itself to lively hors d’oeuvre stations followed by either a seated dinner or a buffet beneath the trees. And you don’t need a lot of decorations—a simple thread of color can pull together the surrounding foliage and architecture, creating a beautiful setting with little effort. Floral arrangements on the tables can be as elaborate as exotic blooms in a wrought-iron centerpiece or as understated as a terracotta pot with greenery. For evening events, permanent subtle lighting in the trees makes it easy to create a fairytale or Old California atmosphere.
To get just the right food for your celebration, turn to Grapes of Wrath Catering. They have lots of experience orchestrating events in the Garden, and will cook up a California Cuisine-style feast to satisfy your taste (and that of all your guests!). You might want to start off with an hors d’oeuvre griddle, featuring crab cakes, towers of layered polenta, and pesto risotto cakes, or indulge in the ultimate California treat—a sushi boat filled with assorted maki! Bright, fresh flavors are the hallmark of their main dishes, too. Choices from Monterey Bay include grilled salmon with a Mediterranean tapenade, fresh albacore with a mango salsa or maybe braised halibut in ginger and orange. These are often paired with a medium rare sirloin with rich cabernet mushrooms, or perhaps Castroville chicken, perfectly seasoned with artichokes, wine and herbs.
After checking out the local seasonal produce, Grapes of Wrath might serve up grilled vegetables, a crunchy sugar snap pea salad, or heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basilall colorful reminders that Monterey is in California’s premium growing region.
Two more elements for a successful event are great music and good wine, and Grapes of Wrath staff can help you with both. As full-service caterers, they’ll match you up with musicians and other vendors that best fit your vision, provide excellent (and affordable) wines, and coordinate the day of your event.
We don’t know how this garden got its name, but it was an inspired choice—when your party is over, you’ll walk away with a wedding’s worth of wonderful memories.
Capacity
Ceremony |
Reception/Special Events |
Meetings |
|
Max. Seated Indoors: 0 Max. Seated Outdoors: 300 |
Max. Seated Indoors: 0 Max. Seated Outdoors: 300 Max. Standing Indoors: 0 Max. Standing Outdoors: 250 |
Max. Seated: 300 |
|
CEREMONY, EVENT/RECEPTION & MEETING CAPACITY: The garden holds 300 seated or 250 standing guests for a cocktail reception. |
||
Fees & Deposits
A $500 deposit is required to reserve your date. 50% of the estimated event total is due 30 days in advance and the balance is due 3 days prior to the event. Rental fees range $500–1,500 depending on length of event.
Grapes of Wrath Catering is the preferred caterer, however, you may bring your own. All menus are custom-designed; for menus and pricing go to www.grapesofwrath.com. There is no cake cutting fee and beverages are provided at retail cost.
Availability
Year-round, daily, 9am–10pm, weather permitting. Closed major holidays. Setup must be done within the time stated on your permit.
CateringProvidedBYO AlcoholProvidedBYO Sites UsesCeremoniesWedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/AmenitiesCatering: Grapes of Wrath or BYOParking: covered garage within 2 blocks Kitchen Facilities: no Accommodations: hotels nearby Tables & Chairs: through caterer Telephone: office phones Linens, Silver, etc.: through caterer Outdoor Night Lighting: some provided Restrooms: wheelchair accessible Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no Dance Floor: through caterer Cleanup: caterer Bride's Dressing Area: nearby hotels, none on site View: garden Meeting Equipment: through caterer Other: walking distance to Wharf, downtown and hotels, event coordination available through caterer |
MusicOutdoorsw/ Restrictions Wheelchair AccessWheelchair AccessibleSite ViewsFountain/Water FeatureGarden Garden Patio/Courtyard Landscaped Grounds Park Site TypeBanquet/Events FacilityGarden Historic/Landmark Building RestrictionsAlcohol: provided, or BYO with permit and insuranceWheelchair Access: yes Smoking: designated areas only Insurance: required, CBA through caterer or arrange your own Music: amplified OK with limits Other: no rice, picking flowers, etc. |
Wondering what CBA or BYO means?
831/649-3445
www.grapesofwrath.com
Email or request a proposal for your event from Memory Garden
Tell a Friend
Don’t take chances on your wedding!
Certified By The Guide Northern and Southern California wedding vendors have all been highly recommended by tons of brides and fellow wedding professionals. If we don’t consistently hear raves, we don’t put them on our website.
Like it? Save it.
Wishing you could save a list of the places and services that interest you? You can. Register for MyGuide and:
• save your favorite locations and services
• email several of your favorites at the same time
• share your selections with your family and friends
• make notes to yourself about each location or service
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 sublime 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!