The Prado at Balboa Park 1549 El Prado , Suite 12 • San Diego • CA 92101
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Why You'll Love This Place
A Here Comes The Guide Wedding Venue Review
- This 1915 Spanish Colonial gem in the heart of Balboa Park is a San Diego landmark. Multiple gorgeous indoor and outdoor event spaces exude an elegant, Old World charm, adorned with sculpted archways, colorful tiles, and large French doors that open onto garden courtyards framed by bougainvillea and tiled fountains.
- Multi-level terraces tucked among the lush foliage of the Casa del Rey Moro Garden—a favorite site for exchanging vows—are bursting with elegant details, like historic fountains, reflecting pools,and a wishing well. Toast with cocktails in the Spanish-inspired Fountain Courtyard before stepping into the Grand Ballroom to dine & dance beneath the soaring, 27-foot hand-stenciled ceilings.
- Your wedding cuisine is provided by the award-winning experts at Cohn Restaurant Group, who offer innovative, custom-designed menus, top-shelf bar service with their signature sangria, and staff-synchronized service for a truly luxurious experience.
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DEALS: What discounts, special offers, or packages are available here?
Micro-weddings of 25–50 guests are welcome when the wedding date is within three months of the inquiry date!
Enjoy your ceremony at The Casa del Rey Moro Garden, located just south of The House of Hospitality, when you book a ceremony alongside a reception, with a $2,000 fee plus service charge.
Inquire to secure your date and let them know Here Comes The Guide sent you!
PRICES: What's this going to cost?
Ceremony Fee
- $2,000/event
Ceremonies must be booked along with a reception immediately following; there is no ceremony-only rental option.
A ceremony in the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens has a $2,000 fee plus service charge. This includes:
- Ceremony chairs and gift and guest book tables
- Space to get ready
- Rehearsal time
- Power for client-provided sound system
Package Prices
- $150/person and up
The wedding & reception dinner package starts at $150/person, plus service charge and tax, and includes:
- Gold Chiavari chairs, full-length table linens, and porcelain china
- Tray-passed hors d’oeuvres
- Wedding menu designed by The Prado executive chef
- 1-hour Downtown Beer & Wine with silver brand spirits
- Champagne toast
- Staff-synchronized service
- Custom wedding cake
- And more!
Pricing varies depending on factors like the day of the week, time of day, time of year, space reserved, guest count, event duration, package chosen, and type of event.
Service Charge or Gratuity
- 25%
Additional Info
Valet parking services can be arranged. Please contact the venue for more details.
COUPLES ARE ASKING: We've got answers
At The Prado at Balboa Park in San Diego, the Wedding Reception Package is all-inclusive, bundling food, drinks and the basics into one per-person price. It includes tray-passed hors d'oeuvres, a lunch or dinner menu designed by the culinary team, one hour of Downtown Beer & Wine with a silver-level brand bar, a formal champagne toast, a wedding cake, staff-synchronized service, full-length table linens, gold Chiavari chairs and porcelain china. A ceremony in the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens adds rehearsal time, white padded chairs, gift and guest book tables, a changing room and a sound system for your officiant. Budget separately for the 25% service charge and tax.
Yes, and you'll keep everyone in one spot: at The Prado at Balboa Park, ceremonies in the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens are offered only together with a reception there, and there's no ceremony-only rental. The gardens hold up to 320 guests for a ceremony, with multi-level terraces, historic fountains, a reflecting pool and a wishing well. Afterward, guests move to the Fountain Courtyard for cocktails, then into the Grand Ballroom, which seats up to 320 under a 27-foot hand-stenciled ceiling.
Catering and bar service at The Prado at Balboa Park are in-house, run by the Cohn Restaurant Group team, so your menu and drinks come from them. Your wedding cake is part of the reception package too, along with linens, gold Chiavari chairs and porcelain china, so there's less to source on your own. The bar also offers a signature sangria if you'd like a drink that feels a little different.
At The Prado at Balboa Park in San Diego, wedding packages start at $150 per person, and a ceremony in the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens adds a $2,000 fee. Both are subject to a 25% service charge, and tax is added to the package. Your final number depends on your day, time, season, space, guest count, event length, package and type of event, so it's worth asking for a quote on a couple of different dates. Here's what the per-person price covers: tray-passed hors d'oeuvres, a chef-designed menu, an hour of beer, wine and silver-level spirits, a champagne toast, a wedding cake, linens, gold Chiavari chairs and porcelain china. Valet parking for guests can be arranged as well.
The Prado at Balboa Park is a 1915 Spanish Colonial landmark in the middle of Balboa Park, so historic gardens and fountains come built in. Everything happens in one place: you can marry in the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens, gather for cocktails in the Fountain Courtyard beside the Donal Hord sculpture Woman of Tehuantepec, then dance in the Grand Ballroom, which seats up to 320 under a 27-foot hand-stenciled ceiling. Packages are all-inclusive, with food, drinks, cake, linens and chairs bundled together, and the ballroom has its own dressing room for the wedding party. Smaller groups have options too, with the Loggia seating up to 100 and the Alhambra up to 80.
Yes, The Prado at Balboa Park welcomes micro-weddings of 25–50 guests when your wedding date is within three months of when you inquire, and elopement packages are offered too. For a smaller reception, the second-floor Loggia seats up to 100 and opens onto two rooftop terraces overlooking the Plaza de Panama. The Alhambra seats up to 80 and has a private covered balcony above the Casa del Rey Moro Gardens. You get the historic setting without needing a huge guest list.
GUEST COUNT: How many people can we have here? What’s the max capacity?
| Indoors | Outdoors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Seated | 350 | 350 |
| Cocktails, etc. | Standing | 350 | 350 |
| Reception | Seated | 100 | 100 |
| Meetings | Total meeting capacity for this venue is 350. | ||
Venue Info & FAQs
OPTIONS: What kinds of events can we have here?
- All-Inclusive
- Outdoor Ceremony
- Ceremony
- Wedding Receptions
- Outdoor Reception
- LGBTQ+ Friendly
- Elopement Packages
- Small Wedding
- Rehearsal Dinner
- Special Events / Parties
- Business Functions / Meetings
- Late Night
POLICIES: What are the food, alcohol, music, and other rules here?
Price
$ • $$
Catering
In-house
Alcohol
In-house
Amplified Music
Indoors
Outdoors
Wheelchair Access
Wheelchair accessible
Availability
Year-round, daily.
STYLE: What’s the style and overall vibe of this venue?
Buildings & other settings available:
- Ballroom
- Garden
- Historic / Landmark Building
- Park
- Restaurant
- Patio / Deck / Terrace
VIEWS: What kind of views does this place have?
Peep the views you’ll enjoy from this venue!
- Cityscape
- Fountain / Water Feature
- Garden
- Landscaped Grounds
- Park
The Prado at Balboa Park
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