Tangata at the Bowers Museum

Orange County
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Santa Ana Wedding Location
2002 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Contact: Special Events
Phone: 714/567-3630
www.patinagroup.com/
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Tangata at the Bowers Museum

Description

As you walk through the entrance arch of the museum’s Mission-style belltower, you leave the city streets behind and enter a far more satisfying world. Suddenly you’re in a quiet courtyard, so serene and lovely you can’t believe it exists in the middle of town.

Looking around, you quickly realize that the reason this haven feels so secluded is because it’s completely enclosed by the museum buildings. To your left is a 1930s hacienda, with a second-floor balcony and a sun-dappled garden. Forming an L-shape to your right and behind you is an inviting arcade, whose shady interior offers a cool contrast to the buildings’ bright white walls and red-tile roofs. At the far end of the courtyard is a sunny terrace, backed by the museum’s new wing, which houses some striking event spaces including a gourmet restaurant, Tangata. And linking them all is a broad tree-shaded lawn in the center, bordered by flowers, palms and cacti.

The Courtyard is a natural for weddings. A wide stairway leading down from the hacienda’s second story provides a graceful entrance for the bride. Vows are exchanged anywhere in the Courtyard you like—beneath the bell tower, under the hacienda’s balcony or in front of the statue. Afterwards, the reception is usually held here, too, with tables set up on the lawn and patios. You can also turn the arcade into an open-air dining room; softly lit at night, it makes a very romantic setting.

Another option is hosting your reception in Tangata. Opened in 2000 by famed restaurateur and chef Joachim Splichal, the restaurant serves a diverse menu of California cuisine, "colored" with Splichal’s signature French style. In the main dining room natural light flows in through large picture windows, illuminating the Mediterranean décor. Al fresco dining takes place outside on Tangata’s two-tiered patio, which overlooks the courtyard.

The Museum’s interior spaces also lend themselves to a variety of events. The Fluor & Family Gallery, located on the second floor of the hacienda building, accommodates upscale dinners, cocktail receptions and small ceremonies. The ambiance here is Old World, thanks to the stunning beamed ceiling inset with vibrant murals. These colorful paintings, as well as the exhibits in this room, depict the history of Orange County and California. A stained-glass window at one end also makes the space feel a little like a chapel. The gallery opens out onto a balcony, giving you the option of having cocktails outdoors and a sophisticated sit-down dinner inside. However, one corporation actually hosted a medieval banquet on the balcony itself, seating 40 people around a long table set with candelabras.

Other conference and meeting rooms are available, and for corporate parties you can arrange to have specific exhibits, and even the gift store, kept open for your event. It’s a rare facility that has everything—drama, beauty, excitement and good food—but the Bowers Museum delivers on all counts. So take that walk through the belltower entrance and be enchanted. You won’t believe you’re in a museum, and you’ll be ever so grateful you stopped by.

Capacity

Ceremony

Reception/Special Events

Meetings

Max. Seated Indoors:
Max. Seated Outdoors: 450
Max. Seated Indoors: 450
Max. Seated Outdoors: 450
Max. Standing Indoors: 1200
Max. Standing Outdoors: 1200
Max. Seated: 150


CEREMONY CAPACITY: The courtyard holds up to 450 seated guests.
EVENT/RECEPTION CAPACITY: Indoors, the museum accommodates 50–450 seated or 100–1,200 standing. Outdoor areas hold 60–450 seated or 100–1,200 standing.
MEETING CAPACITY: The Auditorium accommodates 300 theater-style. The Fluor Gallery holds 50 guests seated theater- or classroom-style. The Kidseum holds 40–150 guests seated theater-style.

Fees & Deposits

50% of the nonrefundable facility rental fee is payable to Bowers Museum along with a $2,000 damage deposit. A nonrefundable deposit payable to Tangata is required to reserve your date. The rental fee balance is payable 1 month prior to the event; the food and beverage balance is due 3 days prior. To rent the facility, you must become a museum member; annual membership starts at $65. Museum rental is $25/person (with a $2,500 minimum), which includes security, parking and rehearsal time.
Meals range $45–65/person. Wedding packages run $75–85/person, and include beer and wine; tax, alcohol and a 20% service charge are additional. Extra security costs may apply in rare situations.

Availability

Year-round, daily; 7am–midnight.

Catering

Provided

Alcohol

Provided

Sites Uses

Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Special Events, Parties
Business Functions/Meetings
Rehearsal Dinners

Services/Amenities

Catering: provided, no BYO
Kitchen Facilities: n/a
Tables & Chairs: provided
Linens, Silver, etc.: provided
Restrooms: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: provided
Bride's Dressing Area: CBA, extra charge
Meeting Equipment: CBA, extra charge
Parking: large lots; valet CBA, extra charge
Accommodations: no guestrooms
Telephone: emergency only
Outdoor Night Lighting: yes
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: CBA, extra charge
Cleanup: through caterer
View: garden and Museum exhibits

Music

Indoors
Outdoors
w/ Restrictions

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair Accessible

Site Views

Garden Patio/Courtyard
Landscaped Grounds
Other

Site Type

Restaurant
Historic/Landmark Building
Museum
Banquet/Events Facility
Garden

Restrictions

Alcohol: provided
Smoking: outside only
Music: amplified OK with restrictions
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: not required
Other: no rice, birdseed or confetti; no tacks, tape or nails

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