California Botanic Garden 1500 North College Avenue • Claremont • CA 91711

Booking California Botanic Garden in Claremont gets you time and space at the garden venue you choose. For a catered wedding, that's up to 5 hours of event time, plus 2 hours for setup and 1 hour for cleanup, and your guests don't pay garden entry and park for free. Chairs, tables, linens, lighting, a dance floor, umbrellas, heaters and bar service aren't part of the rental; the garden's Private Events Team arranges them for you. Catering is separate too and comes from an approved caterer, covering food, non-alcoholic drinks and staff. Security is required for private events: one guard for up to 100 guests, two for more than 100, added to your event fees.

Yes, you can host both at California Botanic Garden, with guests walking between garden spaces instead of driving. The Lewis Family Forest Pavilion and the California Courtyard each hold receptions of up to 250 guests, and you can add a second space for your ceremony, like the Cultivar Garden gazebo. The garden is a walking venue, so build a little time into your timeline. Ceremony-only bookings are also available, with up to 2 hours of event time.

Catering at California Botanic Garden has to come from one of its approved caterers: As You Like It Events & Catering, Gourmet Gourmet Catering, Mantra Indian Cuisine or Summit Events Catering. For other vendors, the garden keeps an approved list, and you can bring someone who isn't on it with permission in advance. Weddings with a reception need a day-of or full-service planner, and your own planner works with advance permission. Bar service is arranged through the garden's Private Events Team.

At California Botanic Garden, a wedding with a reception gets up to 5 hours of event time, plus 2 hours for setup and vendor access and 1 hour for cleanup. Extra hours can be added if you arrange them in advance. The garden is open to the public until 5pm most days, so weekday events usually start after 5pm, and your guests can arrive up to half an hour before your start time.

Here's the thing: California Botanic Garden in Claremont is an outdoor garden with no indoor backup space for bad weather, so your rain plan is a tent. Tenting can be arranged through the garden's approved rental company, and the California Courtyard can fit a large canopy. The Lewis Family Forest Pavilion is partly covered by its wood and metal canopy, which gives guests some shelter. If you're booking in the rainier months, talk through tent options early so the plan is set well before your date.

California Botanic Garden in Claremont is a nonprofit garden devoted to California's native plants, covering 86 acres of woodland, chaparral, wildflower meadows and streams at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. Instead of one ballroom, you choose from more than ten garden spaces, from the Lewis Family Forest Pavilion and the California Courtyard, each holding up to 250 for a reception, to spots built for 10 guests. Your ceremony and reception can both happen on the grounds, and a complimentary one-hour ceremony rehearsal is included. ADA-compliant trails and one or two courtesy trams help guests with mobility needs and carry your wedding party between spaces. If you want a wedding that feels like the outdoors of California itself, this is a rare find.

Yes, California Botanic Garden has several spaces made for small weddings. Percy C. Everett Memorial Garden seats 50 for a ceremony and 30 for a reception, Johnson Memorial Oval seats 60 for a ceremony and 40 for a reception, and the Reflecting Pond suits a ceremony of 30. For an elopement, the Thorne Council Ring and Benjamin Pond each hold 10, and the Cultivar Garden small gazebo fits 20 standing. A ceremony-only booking includes up to 2 hours of event time and doesn't require a planner.