A charming indoor and outdoor venue offering both a blossoming Spanish-style garden and timeless ballroom in the heart of historic San Juan Capistrano.
ABOUT THE VENUE
Franciscan Gardens is a hidden gem located steps from Californiaâs âJewel of the Missionsâ in San Juan Capistrano. The propertyâs courtyard is tucked way behind elegant wooden doors that open to a blossoming garden with fountains, vine-wrapped pergolas and bistro lights strung throughout. Originally built in 1920, the venueâs indoor ballroom displays the buildings original brick walls and wood flooring while modern and elegant crystal chandeliers adorn the ceilings. Operated by 24 Carrots since 2010, this charming hideaway offers a private, secluded backdrop for weddings, social gatherings and corporate events.
AMENITIES
⢠Two onsite get-ready suites, one with a pool table
⢠Historic brick walls and iconic chandeliers in ballroom
⢠Tables and bentwood chairs for up to 200 guests
⢠Circular archway included in rental fee
⢠12:00am end time both indoors and outdoors
⢠Unlimited photo opportunities located within walking distance
⢠Ample adjacent parking in City operated parking structure (additional fees apply)
CAPACITY INFO
⢠Seated Reception: 230
⢠Standing Reception: 350
Bar & Drinks, Food & Catering, Rentals & Equipment, Service Staff
Settings
Garden, Historic Venue
Business Attributes
Pricing for Franciscan Gardens
Option
Value
Starting Cost
Moderate
Cost Starting
Price Range
$16,050 - $28,750+
Couples Usually Spend
$22,400
Peak Season Months
March-December
Peak Season Cost
$16,050 - $28,750+
Peak Season Reception Cost
Peak Season Ceremony Cost
Peak Season Bar Service Cost
OffSeason Months
January-February
OffSeason Cost
$16,050 - $28,750+
OffSeason Reception Cost
OffSeason Ceremony Cost
OffSeason BarService Cost
Franciscan Gardens Reviews
Kaylee Anderson(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Franciscan Gardens is absolutely stunning, you feel like you are walking into another world the moment you step through the gates. After touring we quickly booked to secure a Saturday before they were gone for the year. Nasime was our main point of contact and we absolutely LOVED working with her. She was so easy to get along with, fun to be around, and she made all of our wedding wishes come true. It was nice to have a familiar face around and there for us any time we needed her throughout the wedding planning process. We also worked with Elizabeth and Anna and they were great as well if Nasime was unavailable! Other reviews are correct, the initial prices you are given seems great but keep in mind it will likely go up a LOT as you finalize details or if you want to add anything at all! Other than that you are definitely paying for top notch service and quality. We opted for their Italian themed dinner menu and all of our guests were raving about how excellent the food was, we liked that they had non traditional options to choose from. The venue staff was all so friendly and helpful and everything throughout the night transitioned perfectly without any hiccups being noticed. We were over the moon with how perfectly everything came together and we felt like a king/queen on our wedding night due to how flawless the 24 carrots team made our night go. Our wedding day happened to be the only day of the month that rain decided to creep in and while this was very disheartening at first due to the outdoor space being our favorite Nasime and her team did the best to reassure us, even calling us to chat about it several times on days leading up to our wedding. We are so grateful for their support and were confident knowing they had an indoor ballroom if needed due to weather. A few crazy things happened and we ended up with the miracle of landing a tented outdoor space and were able to keep the entire nights layout as originally planned. I have included some photos of the outdoor space tented for reference just incase any other couples find themselves in a similar situation as us! Anyways, 10/10 service and the most beautiful and intimate wedding venue in SJC is what you will get if you book with Franciscan Gardens. We truly have no bad things to say! Reviewed on 12-01-2024
Casey Hunt(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Franciscan Gardens created an experience far beyond our hopes and dreams for our wedding. We were so excited that we could have our wedding at this venue based on its beauty, location, and charm. The 24Carrots team (shout out to Nasime and Elizabeth!) were incredible to work with throughout the entire process. Leading up to our wedding, the team was super responsive and quite accommodating with our requests for our special day. They helped walk us through various costs to help figure out what worked with our budget as well as providing us some great vendor referrals. The food from 24Carrots is a selling point alone, we had a great time with our tasting experience, but we had so many people comment on how great the food was, from appetizers to the main courses. The venue also had so many great options with dĂŠcor and upgrades for dinnerware. But day-of is where the Franciscan really shined. We had to make some last-minute accommodations which they were more than willing to help with, and they operated so smoothly with our coordinators that my wife and I were able to be so present throughout the night, even to the point of having appetizers put aside for us, drinks on standby, and dinner set aside for us so we could eat. My wife really didnât know what to expect going into the day, but the Franciscan Gardens exceeded our hopes and dreams, creating a magical evening that my wife and I are so grateful to look back on. Also, a huge thank you to the incredible serving staff that evening, who were all so happy for my wife and I, and so gracious and accommodating with our guests! Reviewed on 15-11-2023
Kylie Cochran(other)5 out of 5 Rating
Franciscan Gardens is incredible! As a wedding planner, itâs so important to have a wedding day team that compliments each other and the venue and itâs staff us arguably the most important part of that. The venue itself is stunning, but the staff that work at Franciscan Gardens make my job so easy. Itâs always such a joy to be on site. Every corner has the most beautiful details. This whole place is absolutely gorgeous! Reviewed on 21-08-2023
Ariel Macina(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-11-2021 We've been signed with them for 4 years since we planned ahead and COVID pushed it even further and every step of the way they nailed it. Melissa and Kayleigh were rock stars and made sure everything was put together for us and everyone said it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Thank you for everything!! Reviewed on 11-12-2021
Samantha Rekoon(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 14-11-2021 AMAZING venue for my wedding last week. Kaylie and Melissa are amazing and were always so helpful and attentive. Highly recommend. Also, amazing and they such a kind wait staff. 10/10 recommend âşď¸âşď¸ Reviewed on 21-11-2021
Lindsey Lucero(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-10-2021 Words cannot describe how amazing this venue was for our wedding! Having our wedding at Franciscan Gardens was a literal dream come true. Our wedding theme and inspiration was very classic, romantic and this venue absolutely brought this vision to life. Melissa and Kayleigh were an absolute pleasure to work with throughout this process! They were both extremely professional, communicative and responsive to our million questions we had over the past year planning for our big day. The staff was all extremely friendly and professional on the big day as well. The food was absolutely amazing as well (we ended up going with the Italian menu). All our guests raved about the food and services. The surrounding areas of downtown San Juan Capistrano are also lovely to take pictures with the bridal party. My husband and I too our first look pictures at the Mission SJC and had our bridal party pictures close to the venue, near the train tracks area. I definitely recommend doing the same! The whole area is very beautiful and charming. The day of the wedding ran incredibly smoothly with having our ceremony outside, and then transitioning the outside into our reception at night. The soft lights, Chinese lanterns and fountains all helped make the evening so beautiful and magical. I wish I could re-live that night over and over! I 1000% recommend having your wedding at Franciscan Gardens, you will NOT be disappointed in the slightest! Reviewed on 24-10-2021
Samantha Sansone(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-07-2021 THE PERFECT WEDDING!I fell in love with this venue the minute we saw it. It was our dream venue and it was the best night. Melissa and Kayleigh helped us a lot with everything and were so patient with us planning from another state. They made video calls with us and answered SO MANY of my emails with copious questions. Through it all they stayed so pleasant and professional! The courtyard was beautiful and the guests fell in love as well. We had 115 people and there was more than enough room for us to dance, chat, whatever! The cocktail hour inside was beautiful as well, with the chandeliers and brick accent wall!! Can't say enough great things about Franciscan Gardens! It will forever hold a special place in our hearts! Reviewed on 24-07-2021
J Y(bride)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-03-2021 One of my biggest regrets was booking this venue. The coordinators were fake-friendly and not well-organized. The only time they are nice is when they are asking you for a payment. The rest of the time, they treat you like trash. The costs initially seem reasonable, but they'll charge you for every tiny little thing. Reviewed on 24-06-2021
Jessica Labac(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-10-2020 I cannot say enough good things about our experience with Franciscan Gardens. Melissa, Kayleigh, and Sarah were all so wonderful to work with to make our day as special and perfect as it was. Planning a wedding in 2020 was not easy and their amazing communication and flexibility was extremely comforting. With our guest count fluctuating daily and so much uncertainty with state laws, it was a pleasure working with such an accommodating team. The day of the wedding could not have run any more smoothly. The entire staff at the Franciscan gardens was kind, efficient, and took all of the precautionary measures to make every one of our guests feel comfortable. Not only that, the quality of the food and drinks was spectacular and we continue to have guests commenting about every aspect of the venue. Additionally, every one of our other vendors commented on how well run the venue was and how amazing their staff was. I highly recommend Franciscan Gardens for anyone looking for a beautiful wedding venue supported by an amazing catering company and the highest quality of service. Reviewed on 05-12-2020
Eric Morales(partner)5 out of 5 Rating
My name is Eric and I own an entertainment company by the name of Extreme DJ Service. Franciscan Gardens is a preferred venue that we have had the privilege of working at for many years. If you are looking for an beautiful unique space along with great food and professional service... look no further, FG is the place. We highly recommend the venue and their staff. Eric Morales Extreme DJ Service Reviewed on 27-03-2020
Kathy Drinkwater(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-05-2019 Melissa K from Franciscan Gardens was Amazing to work with!! She is personable, funny, sweet, and thoughtful. She offers unbiased and very insightful advice and listens to her clients. This venue is beautiful and as an OCD bride who asked 1 million questions, I appreciated Melissa always getting back to me in a timely manner. Thank you so much, again, Melissa!!The venue: beautiful, intimate, romantic. Set-up is slightly awkward with the pergola smack in the middle but it works if you have 150 people or less, and makes for GORGEOUS photos. Everyone at my wedding enjoyed it. Only thing to consider is the weather, and whether or not you MUST have your wedding in the courtyard, (eg. in the case of rain, what will you do?).Overall, if I had to do it all over again... I would say YES, but maybe later in the year to ensure no rain. Reviewed on 04-07-2019
Allison Field(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-12-2018 Franciscan Gardens far exceeded our expectations for our wedding! To say our wedding was perfect would be an understatement and that was in large part due to the amazing venue and staff. Melissa was SO great to work with. She was kind, attentive, understanding and organized. I am self-admittedly not the easiest to please and I am crazy over details and there was not one thing that was not perfect. Leading up to the day, rain was predicted so to say I was stressed would be an understatement. Melissa was calm and helped us find an amazing tent vendor. Luckily, the stars aligned and we did not have to use the tent or even pay a deposit. Beyond the beautiful venue, the food was DELICIOUS, the bar service was AMAZING and the service/staff were on point. Couldn't recommend this venue enough! Reviewed on 21-12-2018
Anna Boccuzzi(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-08-2018 The moment we walked into Franciscan Gardens, I knew this was the place we would be getting married! My now husband was very kind in letting me take the reins in most of the planning, and I wanted to have a garden feeling outdoor wedding. The tall greenery of this venue is breathtaking and once the lantern lights go up, the centerpieces glowing, it was honestly the most perfect setting. Melissa and Haley were both very helpful and instrumental on helping us get everything finalized and making revision after revision to the contract. The final meeting to pick all of the little details went really smoothly, they were there for the taste testing, and made sure to answer all of our questions and concerns along the way. As far as the catering⌠We still have people telling us this was the best steak they had ever had at a wedding! During the tasting we were suspicious how they could make all of the food taste as delicious as it did for just the two of us for over 100 people but I must say that it was (all bias aside) probably the most delicious menu ever! The catering and bartending staff was perfect and even dedicated one waiter to the bride and groom for the whole evening to keep us boozed up and partying all night without having to stand in line for a drink or a bite. Thank you everyone!! Reviewed on 12-11-2018
Gina Hicks(bride)2 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-08-2017 The venue it self if beautiful, the moment we toured i knew i wanted to book this venue. Their weekends book up fast and they only had a few dates left for the summer when i was touring, I felt like i needed to book quickly. I wish i had fully understood before i booked all the up charges. The initial quote with the venue fee, food and bar wasnt so bad. It's the linen fees, table fees, mandatory coffee fee, bar glass fee, etc that i didnt think to factor into the over all quote and it adds up fast! Through the process it felt like everything was an upcharge , even down to a high chair at the reception. If you're a bride on a budget i would not recommend as their rentals are pricey! I am a DIY girl , a work a deal and contact every vendor to to get the best price kinda girl and this did not go over well with the venue. There was a lot of miscommunication as far as what i could do myself and what had to go through them which ended up causing riffs. Towards the end of the process when the wedding came i felt like the coordinator wanted nothing to do with us. There seemed to be a little bit of tension all around. A week after we paid the final payment on the due date required, the coordinator emailed stating she forgot to add some linens fees and it would be an additional almost $200. Imagine how hard it was to tell my dad, who just wrote a huge check the week before )what he thought was the last) that that there was yet again another fee due. That didnt go over well and put me an an awkward position between my dad and the venue because of an error on their part. Wjen i arrived at the venue on my wedding day, I was not greeted at all by the staff, in fact i had to hunt down the coordinator in her office while because people were walking around touring the property as i was unloading my car before getting ready. That was the only time i saw the site coordinator the entire day. Later my sister then had to find her again because more people came and were taking pictures of the bridal suite while we were in there getting ready in our robes. I had MULTIPLE guests complain to me about a very rude and unprofessional bartender. Saying that she was moody and snippy and had changed into her \"uniform\" behind the bar in front of guests and had a hole in her clothing. To add to that, My dad paid extra in our contract to have beer be poured into pilsner glasses and not served in the bottle (yes, another up charge fee ). When my dad noticed people carrying beer bottles during the cocktail hour, he went to inform the bartender about the upgrade for the glasses and her response was, \"well that wasn't communicated to me and people like to drink their beer from the bottle\" Not only was it not her place to decide that but it was so frustrating that she wasn't told in the first place when we paid extra for it! At the end of the night, staff walked around with huge trash bags throwing away everything in sight in what felt like a urgency to clean up. We had to stop them from throwing away leftover favors. Somehow in the process my custom Cake toppers were lost, as well as wedding cards. I did not notice until after we returned from our honeymoon. When i emailed the coordinator to let her know she re-informed me that they were not responsible for lost personal items. The cards i understand but not the cake toppers. For the amount of money we spent at this venue I felt disregarded on my wedding day and even after that when trying to track down missing items. Reviewed on 28-09-2017
Serena Glees(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-08-2017 For our wedding, my husband and I wanted to find a venue that could host an outdoor reception, had a bridal room to get ready, allowed a live band, and allowed a reception that ended at midnight (other venues with outdoor space did not permit a reception ending past 10 due to noise ordinances). Franciscan Gardens checked all the boxes and had offered several additional perks. One of the best part of picking Franciscan Gardens was working with Melissa and Haley. These girls are professional, responsive, and have the sweetest personalities. My vision involved renting furniture and decorative pieces from several different vendors. At FG, all of the rentals are coordinated through the venue. Essentially, I just had to tell Melissa and Haley exactly what chairs, chargers, chandeliers, etc I wanted and they made it happen! Having the venue in charge of rentals saved us the trouble of having to reach out to several companies and coordinate services.We had our ceremony outside in the garden at 5:00PM. Since the walls of the venue are so tall, the entire ceremony was shaded from the summer sun so no one was too hot. In addition, being in the shade for the ceremony made some amazing photos (no awkward shadows in any of our ceremony photos!) In addition, Franciscan Gardens is next door to the Mission which provides such a beautiful rustic backdrop for the bridal party pictures. Tip- if you are interested in taking bridal photos at the Mission, be sure to call ahead and make a reservation beforehand to save some $$! As many previous reviews have mentioned, 24 Carrots is the exclusive caterer for Franciscan Gardens. For hors d'oeuvres, we selected mini grilled cheese served with tomato soup shooters, coconut shrimp lollipops, seared ahi on crispy wonton spoons, and pulled pork sliders. For our dinner, we started with an arugula salad, and served a duet of filet mignon and shrimp with broccolini and potato gratin dauphinoise for dinner. Every single food item was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS and had the most BEAUTIFUL presentation. Since my husband and I currently live in Chicago, we wanted to bring a taste of home to our wedding. 24 Carrots was gracious enough to make mini Chicago style hot dogs and pass them out as our late night snacks. Every detail down to the bright green relish was spot on! All in all, we are so thankful that we chose Franciscan Gardens as our wedding venue and we could not have asked for a better experience. THANK YOU Franciscan Gardens for making our dream wedding possible! Reviewed on 25-09-2017
Mika Miller(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-08-2017 We got married at Franciscan Gardens on August 13th and it was just amazing. Working with Haley and Melissa was fantastic. They were easy to get a hold of when needed and cheerfully answered the hundreds of questions I had leading up to the big day. My family and friends are still talking about what an awesome venue it was. It's truly a secret garden gem in the middle of San Juan Capistrano! Reviewed on 25-09-2017
Alyssa Garcia(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 04-06-2017 So glad my husband and I chose to get married at Franciscan Gardens! We had a great experience...no complaints whatsoever. They were always so helpful, easy to reach/easy to communicate with and organized! The caterer that they use (24 carrots) is awesome. Our guests couldn't stop taking about how good the food was. Day of the wedding went smoothly. I didn't even notice everything happening around me (the staff, etc.) and that to me is a great thing! Everyone was on top of their jobs, amazing/friendly service, so helpful, accommodating, etc. I always knew what was going on leading up to the wedding. The site coordinators were awesome.The only minor issue I had was trying to coordinate the rehearsal. Our wedding was on a Sunday...rehearsal is usually the day before the wedding so that would mean our rehearsal would be on Saturday (they had other options like during the week but the day before worked better for everyone). We had to move our rehearsal to a park across the way from the venue since the venue was occupied with another wedding on the Saturday before our wedding day. We didn't have any issues with the rehearsal being off site but I thought I'd give everyone a heads up just in case that might be an issue with you! Reviewed on 18-09-2017
Caitlin DeClercq(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 09-10-2016 Franciscan Gardens was the best decision we made for our October wedding! From the start, we knew we were in great hands with Haley and Melissa. They didn't skip a beat and were so organized, thorough, accessible and kind. Come wedding day, our guests raved about the venue location, and loved the food!! Wouldn't have changed a thing and so happy with our outcome. You will not be disappointed with Franciscan Gardens and their team! Reviewed on 23-01-2017
Courtney Kassebaum(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 10-06-2016 Franciscan Gardens was the BEST place to get married!! It was the only venue we toured because it has everything you could ever need! The venue was beautiful on our big day with greenery everywhere and a beautiful courtyard to house our about 100 guests for the wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The bridal suite and groom's lounge upstairs were perfect and spacious for getting ready and holding all of our things during the ceremony and reception. Melissa and Haley were absolutely amazing throughout the year of prep and planning! They were always so easy to get ahold of and quick to respond with any and all questions and changes that I had. The details meeting two months prior helped to make sure everything was going to go smoothly. 24 Carrots, the catering service associated with the venue, has the most delicious food I've ever tasted!! It was the best! All our guests kept coming up to us raving about the appetizers, food, and s'mores station! We were so happy with our big day here and know you will be too! Reviewed on 30-06-2016
Michelle Thornhill(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-05-2016 My husband and I fell in love with Franciscan Gardens on our first visit. It was everything we were looking for in a venue: outdoor, private, and beautiful!! In addition to the gorgeous space, the catering company 24 Carrots owns the venue and has a kitchen onsite with the amazing food. The menu options are extensive and fully customizable which we loved. The bridal and grooms suites on site are also The professionalism of the staff was also excellent from the timelines of the setup to the attentiveness throughout the evening. My husband and I always had our glasses full and they were constantly checking up on us to see if we needed anything. We had 160 guests attend and people were constantly telling us how beautiful and intimate the space was, I couldn't imagine a better venue for our wedding!! Reviewed on 26-06-2016
Brittany Git(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 22-04-2016 Franciscan Gardens was everything we wanted in a wedding venue and MORE!! First, the venue itself is GORGEOUS! When our guests were dancing under the Italian lights and stars it felt magical! The tall green shrubberies (which made for AMAZING wedding pics) made it feel like you were in wine country but youâre right in downtown San Juan Capistrano. The bridal and groom suite were also a huge selling point for us because it eliminated having to get ready somewhere else and then transport the entire wedding party to the venue. The bridal suite had ample room for my 5 bridesmaids, my mom, hair and makeup team, and myself. Second, throughout the wedding planning process Franciscan Gardens and 24 Carrots were true professionals and a joy to work with. Hayley and Melissa were WONDERFUL and always so quick to respond to any of our questions. We found the fact that Franciscan Gardens works exclusively with 24 Carrots to be a HUGE convenience from a planning perspective. 24 Carrots really roles out the red carpet with their menu tasting. Their tasting room is so cute and elegant! It made our menu tasting a fun and memorable experience. Finally, on the day of the wedding the entire staff went above and beyond to ensure our day went off without a hitch! The food was delicious!! This is not your average wedding food! We served the chicken picatta and the hangar steak-both were phenomenal. The entire wait staff and bartenders were so attentive, accommodating, and friendly to all our guests. We are so happy we chose Franciscan Gardens for our special day and 24 Carrots was the icing on the cake! Reviewed on 08-05-2016
Jackie H(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 26-03-2016 I had booked Franciscan Gardens over a year before my wedding. I knew it would be gorgeous but blown away on the day of. Since there's so much greenery surrounding, you can really do as much or as little as you want with the venue space. First off, delicious food! We didn't want a hotel or golf club type food so having 24 Carrots as the owner/caterer was fantastic. Everyone loved our appetizers and there was plenty of food. I high recommend the slider, how do you go wrong with brie, honey, and caramelized pears?! The brisket in our buffet got a lot of compliments, fall apart tender. Also included was a very nice tasting with tons of food to take home at their corporate office.Service: Fantastic! I dealt mainly with Melissa leading up via primarily email. She was VERY responsive to my many questions. She also worked with me on my budget as we hashed out our contract. We were able to also keep some costs in check by having only certain liquors on our consumption bar (which is not bad priced per drink at all). Day of Haley assisted and she was so nice and handled everything nicely. I even threw her a day of curve ball as a hey, maybe if you can swing it and she handled it like a PRO and it was done.Luckily there was no rain and it was PERFECT. All my guests walked in a said it was perfect/gorgeous. Being 1 space if you like, the flip from ceremony to reception happened very quickly and they have their system down pat. They do require a day of coordinator and I can see why, not sure how you can manage all your other vendors and have that liaison during your big day! I would recommend this venue for a bride looking for a great location with a quaint (downtown San Juan Cap) feel surrounding and feeling like you're being married in a lush garden. Reviewed on 30-03-2016
Arianna Schester(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 07-11-2015 We LOVED our venue. We started our ceremony at 5:00pm during the first week of November and, with the high walls and time of year, it was a little dark but the lantern and string lighting made it so cozy and intimate! I would also recommend to your guests a jacket for this time of year at the evening if they aren't familiar with the area! Using the bridal suites was perfect for us with such a large bridal party! Its also a plus there is a shopping center around the corner for snacks while you get ready. For the reception, we opted for concrete as the dance floor and it was perfect especially right next to the DJ in the Gazebo and the bar! The venue had an extensive list of options for rental furniture which we used for under the awning near the fountain. We did have a small mishap for 2 chairs we wanted to rent for myself and my husband to sit it, I would recommend being vocal about reserving your rentals ASAP if you adamantly want them. \r\rBoth Melissa and Brianne were very efficient with answering emails and being available if we needed them. Reviewed on 01-01-2016
Allie Tarle(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 09-10-2015 This venue is truly beautiful and transforms into a magical place for your special day. I absolutely loved working with Melissa and Breanne. They were so helpful every step of the way and super responsive. Honestly I miss hearing from them. Any question you have, they have the answer. The day of my wedding was absolutely perfect. They helped to make sure it ran smoothly and that everything was on point. From 10am til 11pm they were there making sure it was perfect! I would recommend this venue to everyone who is looking for a secret garden to say I do. I wish I could do it all over again thanks to them. Reviewed on 07-11-2015
Julie Nichols(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 03-10-2015 FG was the perfect venue for us! It is reasonably priced and Melissa was so easy to work with. You don't need to bring in too many decorations because the venue is already beautiful! Reviewed on 20-10-2015
Dani Williams(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-08-2015 My beautiful garden wedding day. From finding this hidden gem of a wedding venue, to the end of my wedding day I couldn't picture getting married anywhere else. My hardest thing with finding my wedding venue was I wanted everything out doors and I also wanted it to be a night wedding. Well that was hard to find until I found Franciscan Gardens. It had everything that I wanted and also came with the most beautiful Bridal Suite to get ready at, and a cool grooms room the guys hung out in before getting ready. Melissa was a pleasure to work with and made everything easy to do over emails. She was always so quick to respond and made our planning easy. Our special day was everything we wanted here at this venue. Truly is a beautiful setting at night with the lights and everything lit up, making it very romantic. I had a lot of compliments on how everything that day flowed and the food was beyond amazing. People told me and still are telling me how that was the best wedding food and greatly put together they had seen. Which makes me happy that everyone saw what we loved!!! Reviewed on 02-09-2015
Lindsey Hernandez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-03-2015 Having ruled out any hotels, country clubs or wedding banquet halls right from the beginning of my venue search, this venue was love at first sight. It's such a cozy little courtyard, it was perfect for our small wedding of just under 100 guests. We really wanted a romantic garden feel, and this place delivers on every level. Many of my guests commented how they felt like they somewhere completely different once they were inside. (Don't let the surrounding area of downtown San Juan Capistrano deter you!) \r\rThe catering that they use there, 24 Carrots, is also fantastic. I can't even begin to describe the amazing food! The staff really make an effort to have a seamless transition from ceremony to reception and pay special attention the needs of the bridal party. SO appreciated! There were several moments during my wedding where I stopped to think to myself, \"This is exactly what I always wanted\". \r\rTip: Get A LOT of directional signage for the parking structure. Reviewed on 18-03-2015
Lisa Turner(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-08-2013 Franciscan Gardens is the perfect place to get married!!! From the first meeting to the big day, Aimee and Ashley are there to make sure everything goes perfectly. They truly care about you and your wedding and it shows in their attention to detail. They respond to emails so quickly, they never make you feel silly when you're asking a ton of questions, and they are just genuinely nice people. The venue itself is amazing! It is so pretty and needs very little decoration (great if you are on a budget). It looks gorgeous on its own, or you can add a few of your own touches if you like. We loved having all of our guests in one area, it made it so easy to walk around and see everyone and everyone felt included in everything. Having the ceremony and reception in the courtyard was so convenient and the staff flipped the space around so quickly you didn't even really see it happen! We have had so many compliments on the beautiful venue, the friendliness of the staff, and on how good the food was! The food really is delicious. It's just like it was at the tasting, and it's hard to believe they can pump out that many meals and make them all taste so fresh. It was really wonderful. At night all of the lanterns added this wonderful glow to the reception. Another huge plus is that they do not schedule any other events on the same day as your wedding, so you have all day to use the getting ready rooms and all day to set up. The venue is also a great location for photographs and just across the street from the Mission San Juan Capistrano. We went to the mission for photographs and it provides a wonderful backdrop. We really could not imagine a better place to get married. Reviewed on 18-09-2013
Melissa Bermudez(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-09-2012 I fell in love with this venue from the beginning. I was looking for something different other than the typical banquet room, but romantic and personal. I had a 100 guests and everyone had a wonderful time. The food was amazing...everyone said they had never seen so much food served at a wedding and it tasted fantastic! The staff was professional and courteous they made the transition from the ceremony to the dinner setting seamless. I remember sitting at our sweetheart table looking out over our guests and thinking this is exactly what I pictured my wedding to look like...it was perfect! Reviewed on 03-12-2012
Kaysha Weiner(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-11-2012 I LOVED having my wedding at Franciscan Gardens! Not only is it a beautiful venue, but the food was delicious, and the service was top notch. \r\rWorking with Aimee and Ashley was a dream - they walked me through every step, and were never out of touch! \r\rIf your considering Franciscan Gardens don't waste any more time and book, you won't be dissapointed! Reviewed on 15-11-2012
Nicolette Waterfield(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-09-2012 I was immediately interested in this venue as it met all of my needs and was so charming! What exceeded my expectations was how amazingly supportive the staff was. I could not have asked for a better experience or a more beautiful location. Also, they worked very hard to help me stay within my budget; incredibly grateful!!!! Reviewed on 06-10-2012
Marina Suzuki(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-08-2012 This place looks pretty.\rThe vendor is owned by 24carrots catering company.\rTheir food was good!\rThe staff was nice!\rI also liked bride's room and groom's room. Bride's room is cute. Groom's room has a pool table and a tv.\rI could walk to Mission SanJuan Capistrano to take picture.\rI liked everything and it wasn't expensive like others!!\r\rHowever, if you are looking for a nice view, this place is not for you. Reviewed on 16-09-2012
Jess Fetner(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-07-2012 Franciscan Gardens was the most perfect venue. They work along side 24 Carrots,who provided the catering, tables, linens, bar service, and much more. The venue alone is absolutely stunning and the staff is amazing. They helped so much during the planning process and made sure that everything was exactly how I envisioned. The day of, the staff was wonderful. They were extremely professional, genuine, friendly, and went out of their way to help with everything. Couldn't have asked for a better wedding experience. Reviewed on 23-08-2012
Hannah Ruiz(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-04-2012 Franciscan Gardens was amazing! They were wonderful to work with throughout my entire planning process. The day of was way more than I could have ever dreamed of! Everything turned our beautifully and I was stunned, and so were my guests! The food is amazing, the service was wonderful, and the venue is beautiful! My guests were in such awe of how beautiful everything looked and everyone raved about the food! Reviewed on 23-05-2012
Denell Payne(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 31-03-2012 I don't even know where to begin! When I started my venue search, I had nearly 2 years of wedding planning ahead of me! I searched A LOT of venues, but we only had a tour of 2 before deciding on Franciscan Gardens. Every email I sent to Anne with some question was always promptly responded to. When we had our visit, we met with one person, but Anne sent me an email first thing that following Monday. We loved this place! The courtyard setting is beautiful and the bride & groom suites are amazing. They had done a lot of work renovating things from the time we booked up until the day of our wedding, and although I was worried at first, everything made the venue even better! Anne was always available to help me with any changes I needed to make to the contract or answer any questions I had. Once it was the month of the wedding, I met with Ashley to do the layout and all the final details and started working with her. She was a big help to me as well, and she always responded to my emails quickly. Just a note to brides, this is an ALL outdoor wedding, so be prepared, but don't let that stop you! With the addition of all my decor- this venue turned out to be a beautiful location for my wedding. I couldn't have asked for anything better! Reviewed on 18-04-2012
Aimee Limberg(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-01-2012 For me, I wanted a Winter Wonderland wedding outdoors. It is very challenging to find an outdoor setting in Orange County without involving the ocean. When I found Franciscan Gardens, I knew it was the perfect place for our wedding. After meeting with the Assistant Venue Manager and looking at all the options to fill the courtyard, I was even more excited to book with them. I am all about individuality and didn't want my wedding to look like anyone else's. The amount of options are endless with this venue and no wedding looks the same in the space. On the actual wedding day, the staff made my dream of a Winter Wonderland come to life. It was absolutely beautiful and the staff was amazing. Even though the staff probably does 75+ weddings a year, they make you feel like your day is just as special to them as it is to you. I could not be happier with the venue and the staff. \rOne other huge selling point for me was the enormous bridal suite and grooms suite. We had a massive bridal party (18 total) and trying to fit everyone in a hotel to get ready would have been a challenge. The bridal suite was perfect and had plenty of room for everyone AND it looks like something from Anthropologie (my fave store). The groom's suite is perfect for the guys too. They were able to watch football, play pool, and just be boys. Everything photographed beautifully at Franciscan and you can tell a lot of thought went into creating the space. I absolutely LOVE this venue and I would use them again for another event in a heartbeat. Reviewed on 15-02-2012
Sally Asmaie(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 03-12-2011 I feel that Franciscan Gardens was a wonderful choice for my wedding. The venue manager (Anne Watson) was a pleasure to work with and she did all that she could to make this a very special day for me. It is an outdoor venue and my wedding was on December 3rd so naturally the fear of rain was always there. Luckily it did not rain and turned out to be a beautiful day, but the venue was readily prepared if mother nature did take a turn for the worse. This venue is owned by 24 Carrots and the food could not get any better! DELICIOUS! I would recommend this venue to any bride! I loved my experience here! \r\rSally Chronister\rWedding Date- 12/3/2011 Reviewed on 20-12-2011
Christine Wu(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 09-10-2011 Anne was absoultely amazing. Very friendly and personable. Meeting with Abbi, the event planner was also a nice experience, she was patient with us as we made our final decisions. I wish they would have informed us ahead of time that the buffet was only a single line which made i take a really long time to get through all the guests. The servers were all very attentive and were always asking us what we needed the whole night. There were a couple things I wish would have gone more smoothly - I hoped that the wedding arch would be moved over to the sweetheart table like we had discussed, there were a couple of things that were missing too which we had paid for, no fries or heaters, which we didn't realize until after the wedding because the weather was so great that night. Overall I would recommend this place because of all the great staff here, just check and double check what you want to have before and during (hopefully with the help of a wedding coordinator). It is a beautiful venue. Reviewed on 28-10-2011
Diina Horo(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-05-2011 We just got married last weekend at the Franciscan Gardens and had the most beautiful wedding. Anne is so great to work with and very accommodating! All the staff from 24-carrots were amazing. The Bridal Suite and the Groom-room on location were wonderful! Everything was so organized and beautiful...we are absolutely 100% satisfied and loved every minute we spent there! Reviewed on 29-05-2011
Krista Helmboldt(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-04-2011 The make over of the property in early 2011 is gorgeous. Anne and the entire staff were fantastic. Food was wonderful! Reviewed on 14-05-2011
Christine Bond(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-08-2011 After looking at over a dozen venues in Orange and LA counties, I can say Franciscan Gardens is the most beautiful outdoor garden setting that is available. Not only, is it a stunning venue for both wedding and reception, but the staff at this location are very professional and easy to work with. Working with the event Manager, Anne Watson, has been incredible. She will take care of your wedding as if it is her own, and do all that she can to make your vision a reality for your big wedding day. The charm of down town San Juan Capistrano and photo opportunities are incredible coupled with a venue that is everything you can imagine for your big day. It is perfect for both wedding and reception and among the highlights are the modern bride and grooms suites included with your event. I would highly recommend this venue to any bride to be. Reviewed on 03-03-2011
Mrs Treadway(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-01-2011 We were notified a few months after booking the site that it had been sold and was being handled by a new manager. Our initial fears were laid to rest when we sat down and spoke with Anne who took over as the site manager. She was so sweet and nice and helpful and could really empathize with the stress we were under, having just gotten married at FG herself. Fortunately, they honored all of the contracts we had set to that point and there were no problems at all. A few months before the wedding we went by the site to see some changes we had heard about and we were so impressed and delighted! The new owners and Anne had worked to make the place SO much nicer than when we originally booked. She told us about the future plans for the site, all of which will make it even better! Our guests were so impressed with the location. Having the ceremony and reception in one spot made things so much easier, they are pros at switching everything around. Not to mention, the area around the site is absolutely beautiful. We were able to take photos at the Mission, train station, and Los Rios District. We have so many great photos we can't decide which to put in our album! Reviewed on 15-02-2011
Melissa Kalman(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-09-2010 I picked to have my wedding at Franciscan Gardens becasue of the amzing location right in downtown San Juan Capistrano next to the Mission and the train station. These locations made for amzing photographs, not to mention the actual site itself. They have the most amazing Bridal and Groom's suites! The on-site staff was so friendly and amazing. The grounds are gorgeous and everything was perfect! Reviewed on 09-10-2010
Stephanie Abogado(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-03-2010 I wanted an outdoor wedding and FG was perfect!! it did rain on my wedding day so we had to rent a tent. Rochelle was very helpful from the beginning. She worked hard on my wedding day since we had to make changes due to the rain. The Gazebo was just finished a COUPLE DAYS before my day. I was a lil bit worried, but it worked out to display my cupcakes :-) Reviewed on 25-08-2010
Whitney Swendseid(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 25-09-2004 I liked that there was an open courtyard with a fountain and enough room to have a buffet and dance floor;The only thing I would say was bad was that the wedding coordinators changed 3 times from when we booked to the actual day. Some people may not like that people walking by in SanJuan can look in at your wedding from above. Reviewed on 10-05-2010
Janet Nguyen(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-05-2009 I loved the feel of the outdoor courtyard. We had an evening wedding and the venue had lights everywhere. Once night fell everything lit up and it was such a romantic evening wedding! Reviewed on 09-06-2009