Today: Villa Montalvo, Saratoga

Where even to begin?! One of the most beautiful historic mansions in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was built in 2011 for then-San Francisco mayor James Duval Phelan; the surrounding 160 acres of meadow and forest were transformed into a manicured park in the Italianate style by John McLaren (who also designed Golden Gate Park). The name “Villa Montalvo” is a reference to popular 16th-century Spanish writer Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo, who first coined the name “California.” At his death, Senator Phelan was explicit in his bequest of Villa Montalvo. “I would like Villa Montalvo, to be maintained as a public park and for the development of the arts.” And that is exactly what happened! Today, the villa welcomes elegant weddings for up to 250 guests with indoor/outdoor options – so you are literally covered even in case of inclement weather.

One of the property’s most popular ceremony sites is the Love Temple, set inside the Italianate Garden at the bottom of the Great Lawn. A wide, rose-lined brick path flanked by antique marble statues leads to this open-air, white-columned pavilion, and couples wed in view of the surrounding garden with the Villa and woods in the background.

Directly behind the Villa, the Oval Garden offers a lush, intimate setting complete with classical statuary and wisteria-covered pergolas. A brick pathway serves as the center aisle, and a columned arcade makes a stately backdrop for exchanging vows. A third ceremony option is the new West Lawn Garden, which can accommodate 300+ guests.

While the newlyweds are photographed on the picturesque grounds, family and friends enjoy cocktails either in the West Lawn Garden or the scenic Spanish Courtyard.

Receptions follow on the Villa’s broad veranda, where everyone is treated to splendid garden vistas and the occasional visiting deer (and which can even be enclosed, should the weather not cooperate!)

The Villa’s interior is equally impressive. All of the first floor’s adjoining rooms open onto the veranda, creating a wonderful flow to your event. The huge Main Hall at the center of the house boasts a high, beamed ceiling, gilded chandeliers and an enormous fireplace. The Hall is often used for dancing, its many French doors left open so that the music carries out to guests relaxing in the adjacent courtyard and on the veranda.

Other unique gathering spots include the handsome Library, paneled with rare New Zealand walnut, and the Dining Room, a cozy salon with a century-old fireplace and richly paneled walls.

Perhaps the Villa’s most charming space is the Solarium, the perfect niche to showcase the wedding cake.

And that’s not all: The entire upstairs is reserved for the wedding party and their immediate family. The three spacious suites include a lavish dressing room, with its own balcony overlooking the Great Lawn.

In short: Villa Montalvo is the PERFECT wedding venue – offering privacy, elegance, historic ambiance and innumerable beautiful spots, year round. No wonder I love it so much for my couples…

Intrigued? Contact venue manager Bri Banners at [email protected], and for all your wedding planning needs, contact me at [email protected] for your free consultation.

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