Environmental Nature Center

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Newport Beach Wedding Venue
1601 16th Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663
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Contact: Facility Rental Coordinator
Phone: 949/554-5556
www.encenter.org
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Why We Like This Place

Building a beautiful future together? How about starting it out with a fabulous eco-friendly celebration at the Environmental Nature Center’s award-winning new digs. After four decades of serving the community, the ENC now has a dreamy 8,500-square-foot facility with halls, patios, and native gardens planted in the midst of its gorgeous 3.5-acre natural setting. The first building in Orange County to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification, it features energy-conserving climate control, water efficient systems and fixtures, and the imaginative use of recycled and recyclable materials throughout.

Begin your party in the Center’s airy Museum, where guests can marvel at the effortless integration of “green” building solutions into stylish contemporary design. The ENC actually produces more energy than it consumes, and a computer monitor in the hallway displays its usage levels. Guests will find plenty of interactive exhibits to explore and discuss, as they meet and greet one another before stepping out though the glass foldaway doors and onto the broad Garden Patio.

Flanked on one side by a catering prep kitchen and patio, library/lounge with private powder room for the bride and her attendants, and a butterfly garden…and on the other side by the pale desert shades and dramatic shapes of its California native gardens, this is a stunning outdoor venue—day or night—for your scrumptious seasonal ocean- and earth-friendly reception. It’s also great for dancing under sunny skies or beneath a nighttime canopy of stars and the facility’s softly luminous solar-powered lanterns. At the foot of the patio, a small amphitheater with built-in bench seating frames a large open fire pit that’s ideal for an elegant version of a favorite campfire activity—that’s right, how about toasting the good times with champagne and smores?

Wondering about indoor options? Follow the paw prints in the sand-textured walkway to the Oak and Sycamore Rooms, two cozy chambers separated by a movable airwall that can be used individually or combined into one large space. Well-equipped for just about any function, the rooms have picture windows, high ceilings, handsome honey-colored cabinets (composed of recycled materials like wheat chaff and sunflower seed), and AV and internet capability. Center staff can help by providing all kinds of exciting biodegradable and reusable decorating options.

For a surprisingly affordable celebration with the tiniest possible carbon footprint, consider a picnic wedding and reception. You can tie the knot in a picturesque way in the little garden amphitheater or at the end of the small garden stream. Then hold your reception amid berries and blossoms on picnic tables under the trees before releasing guests to wander off along the ENC’s many enchanting paths. Whether your affair is large or small, you can be sure that you’re doing the world a big favor when you have it here. And you’re helping the local community, too, since your event fees are also recycled: Most of them go to supporting the Center’s operating costs and programs, and a big portion of your bill is tax deductible, too.

Capacity

Fees & Deposits

20% of the total event cost plus tax-deductable membership and permit fees are required to reserve your date and the balance is due 4 weeks prior to the event. Rental fees (including membership) range $4,000–6,000 depending on the month of the event and the permits needed.

Availability

Year round, daily; Monday–Saturday 5pm–10pm; Sundays 10am–sundown. All events are 4 hours, not including setup and cleanup.

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