Elings Park is a vast and tranquil public park located in the heart of Santa Barbara. It has not one, but two venues available for weddings of up to 200 guests known as "Singleton Pavilion" & "Godric Grove." The park provides a gorgeous natural setting full of old oak trees and vast open spaces. It is truly magical during golden hour when the sunlight is streaming through the trees. Both locations are a true blank slate to be creative and design your own wedding!
Singleton Pavilion
Singleton Pavilion is a gorgeous, large open grassy area with beautiful views of Santa Barbara. It is a great place to host an outdoor ceremony followed by an outdoor reception all in one location - which is nice for you and your guests!
If you are looking for a truly open space to design as you wish - this is it! Check out some highlights from Karla & Trevor's wedding!
Godric Grove
Godric Grove has a similar open lawn space, however, there is a lot more variety and options in terms of setup. They have a large wooden patio with a view of the mountains as well as an amphitheater overlooking downtown Santa Barbara. It is a completely personal choice where you choose to have your ceremony because both are beautiful locations!
I have photographed wedding ceremonies on the lawn and as you can see it has a flat lawn space with a gorgeous oak tree in the background.
I have also photographed weddings at Gordic Grove with the ceremony in the amphitheater. This location is a bit more shaded for your guests to sit under the oak tree and allows for a stage-type view of the ceremony. You will not have to rent chairs for the ceremony, but you can use the bench seating in the space. You can add a personal touch with any type of arbor you like.
The reception patio space at Gordic Grove is divine! It truly looks like it is straight out of a movie with the mountain views and gorgeous looming trees. The space is big enough for 200 guests and a dance floor, however, if you have a large wedding and the dance floor is a bit cramped it can be moved onto the lawn to have more space. It is a great space for dinner and dancing under the stars and twinkling lights.
Things to Keep In Mind
When hosting a wedding at Elings Park there are some important things to keep in mind. You will need to bring in ALL of your vendors including catering, tables, chairs, linens, DJ, etc. It may be wise to hire a wedding planner to help you plan and coordinate everything that you will need for your event and be there for the pick-up and drop-off of all the items. Elings Park also has a preferred vendor list you can check out to help you book your vendors who are familiar with the location. On the plus side, both venues do provide access to bathrooms, so you will not have to add a portapotty to your rental items list!
It can get cool in the evenings. To keep everyone comfortable, heat lamps for your reception are recommended. Due to the location of the park close to neighborhoods and homes, DJs are only allowed to play music at a certain volume and a firm stop time.
It is also important to consider how all of your guests will get from Point A to Point B. If you have a guest in a wheelchair or with limited mobility, be sure your ceremony and reception space are accessible to all your guests. An event host will be on-site to guide and help your guests from the parking lot to your event space. You will be responsible for acquiring liability insurance to use the space.
Whether you are planning a 200-person wedding or a small elopement, Elings Park is one of Santa Barbara's top wedding locations! Check out more top Santa Barbara wedding locations!