I was so excited about Castle Green when I first discovered it - so beautiful, so much character, so unique. The events coordinator, Shannon, seemed friendly and accommodating. Then we signed the contract, and slowly, things changed. Here are just some of the issues that no one ever bothered to mention when we were gathering information about the venue, but that suddenly became major problems long after we had signed on the dotted line: - First, despite the fact that we were holding our reception on the Sunday before Labor Day, the Castle categorically refused to allow us to extend the time of our rental (our reception-only event was slated to start at 6pm) beyond the usual 10pm deadline for Sundays. They said they would charge us $800 for any extension, even though the next day was a holiday. We explained that we weren't even having a DJ or dancing of any kind, so there would be NO issue of excessive noise, but we just didn't want to have to hustle all our guests out at 10pm sharp. Nope, absolutely no exceptions, $800 for any extension. - Months after we signed our contract, which had given us free reign to decorate the ballroom, with the stipulation that we could not make any holes in the walls or put tape on anything and only use the hooks that were already in the walls, the Castle suddenly made a new rule that the only way to have beautiful swag drapings was to use the Castle's own swag (one that they reuse each time, might I add, and is only available in one color), which costs $650. When I pointed out that our contract had not included ANY such requirement, and that we had counted on being able to use our own (cheaper) decorators who would follow all of their exacting rules, the indifferent response amounted to 'tough luck, that's the rule now.' - Similarly, long after we were locked in to our contract, I was suddenly told that the 100 votives and battery-operated yellow flicker candles (you can't use real candles in the venue unless you get a fire permit from the city) numbered only at 70, were in bad shape, and thus the Castle no longer made them available to brides. When I pointed to the fact that the contract had clearly stipulated in two separate clauses that the Castle WOULD provide these resources, I was told I could have the votives and candles, but they probably wouldn't work, and this resource was just a 'free courtesy' that the Castle was under no obligation to provide. That's fine, but it would have been really nice to know that further in advance. My mother ended up having to buy a brand new set of 75 electric candles a week before the event, yet another additional expense we hadn't counted on, thanks to lovely Castle Green. - Shannon, the events coordinator ,suddenly left Castle Green, without any warning or notice, and was replaced by someone entirely new, midway through my wedding planning. I only found out because I happened to call to followup on my several unanswered voicemails to her. - We suddenly got the news a month before our reception that the upright piano in the ballroom (which we had specifically notified the Castle we planned to use months beforehand, as we had hired a pianist to sit in the ballroom and play during the dinner) was broken and the cost to repair it was prohibitive. When I expressed my deep disappointment, given that we had already hired a pianist based on its availability, I was sarcastically told that if I was willing to spend $20k to repair the piano, I could use it, but otherwise, I would not have a piano in the ballroom. Interesting, how many of these things that I was led to believe were incorporated as part of what I was paying for in the venue, later became 'courtesy add-on's that the Castle was under no obligation to provide'. Just a few other things (I've got plenty more though) that I wish someone had mentioned during our many, many walk throughs: - There's no AC in the salon, and the castle has no fans, so if your wedding day happens to be unseasonably warm (as happened for us), don't plan on using the salon (arguably the most beautiful part of the Castle) unless you come bearing lots of fans. Our entire cocktail hour got shafted because of this. - The Castle takes absolutely no role in helping you arrange parking, and never even bothered to tell me after it found out that the Schoolhouse lot across the street no longer sells pre-validated parking permits for Castle events - yet another nasty surprise I had to discover on my own. - The castle also has NO fridge, NO ice machine, NO kitchen, NO sinks, NO trash cans, NO cleaning materials, etc. So your caterer/servers will have to bring everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING with them - this is a truly barebones venue. Our event ended up being beautiful, but that was more because of our amazing wedding coordinator and my parents' effort. Think twice before signing. read more

To start with the conclusion, you probably can't see this place, it's only open to the public twice a year. If you happen to be around when it is open it is extremely expensive at $35 a person. I would recommend touring the nearby Gamble House ($8) and Huntington Library & Gardens (free one day every month) instead, both rich in history and beauty, far more accessible, and at prices the general public can afford. I always wanted to see this place up close as it is hidden behind a huge hedge wall but looks really neat from what you can see from the outside, and I'm a fan of architecture. The public is almost never permitted to see this place but I knew that the annual open house tour would be on December sixth this year and since the near by Colorado Blvd is an attraction in itself I figured I would plan a date in old town Pasadena and along with eventually getting dinner and walking around old town Pasadena we would hopefully be able to get a closer look at this place. Well, we went into the front gate and a bunch of very snooty people that seemed to think were too young or something let us know that it would be $35 each, $70 total, to look around for a bit. Although I very much wanted to explore this place for an hour or so dropping $70 for the privilege seemed a bit, suffice it to say, exorbitant. To be fair I do hear that the grounds and structure are rather nice, it's just a shame that neither I nor anyone else in the public without a C note to burn for a one hour self guided tour is likey to ever find out. read more

Me and some friends attended this "tour" of the "Castle" Green yesterday and it was a TOTAL let down. First of all there is no guided tour, its more of an open house where you just meander around the place on your own. Secondly there is nothing castle-like about the building. It's basically just one large 1920's building of apartments. The $20 entry fee was waaayyy to much. I think it was worth about $5 AT MOST! Their were a lot of people there, but about 75% were senior citizens, I assume reliving their childhood memories in this old building. Total waste of time and money on this place. NEVER AGAIN! read more

Attended their open house today and it wasn't really that fun to attend compared to other bridal shows I went to. They only had people there that was on their preferred vendors list so there wasn't that many vendors. I was hoping to meet some makeup and hair people and some event coordinators, but they only had one event coordinator there. I also came 15 minutes early and they weren't ready yet. One of the main coordinators for Castle Green, Danielle, was a bit rude about how I wasn't allowed in yet and told me to get out. Asked to use the restroom first and she said no you can't, go to the coffee shop down the street. Honestly that kind of attitude irritated me. It's one thing to be stressed, but if your a coordinator, then you should know how to handle your stress better and provide good customer service. Makes me think twice if I made a mistake booking this venue for my wedding. Venue is gorgeous though. read more

I went to an evening wedding here and found the location to be quite unique. The wedding and reception were both held here. We walked up and it had a great architectural design like a lot of the buildings in Pasadena but as I looked up it looked like an apartment building...kind of strange. We were escorted to the wedding area which was indoors because of the weather. We walked into the wedding hall and it looked a little old, smelled a little musty and as they had these nicely painted gold chairs for seating they were obviously very old and creaked with every movement. It was strange and a lot of people noticed the noise. Luckily the ceremony was short and after the ceremony we were all escorted to the reception area. It felt like we were on a tour but it really is a unique place to have a wedding. We went to a living room/lounge area for the cocktail hour with couches, tables a fireplace and a grand stairway. There was an open beer and wine bar YES! so it was on to get this party started. The bride made her entrance down the stairway that was cool but then they showed a video on a plasma screen set up and it was awkward as we all stood there to watch the video I am short so I have no idea what the video was and thought mmm maybe they could have done with out this. We all took a group photo which was a great idea and an ideal space as the photographer just stood on the stairs and got all 130 people in the shot. We were escorted to the ball room which was a strange layout but it worked. The food was good, a little slow coming out but still tasty. The restrooms were cute and clean and conveniently located. It was really cute the bride I am sure thought of this but she had baskets of goodies in the bathroom, with mints, tampons, mirrors spray etc... really cute touch and candles all over the bathroom. All in all it was different unique and classy. read more

We got married here recently and we LOVED the venue. The grounds are very pleasant and the inside is lovely. We particularly liked the vintage vibe of the interior rooms, the elegant staircase, and the stunning windows in the ballroom. The decor is so great, that you really don't need to add much to it. Dior was also very easy to work with. This was a very special, unique place to celebrate our wedding! read more

The building and grounds are indeed beautiful but the staff is less than competent, informative and potentially misleading. Our wedding experience was dulled by the promise of being able to use sparklers on our departure. Confirmed at the 3 week prior to mark then withdrawn 2 hours before the ceremony. A $125.00 loss. Don't forget to ask about wine on the table for dinner. Shannon said nothing about a policy that no wine goes on the table for fear of minors getting some. I found out about it while dinner was being served from a staff person because Shannon had left. By the way, average age in attendance was 40s/50s, NO minors at the wedding and no one bothered to ask. I told them no minors and in spite of a feeble attempt to get wine out, most tables had none, A $400.00-$500.00 loss. Ask every minor question, get it in writing and get a penalty for non performance or go elsewhere. read more

This review is long overdue. I had my wedding here on 11/1/13 and loved every minute of it. I have no regrets picking Castle Green as my venue. The building is so beautiful and historic which is what we wanted. We didn't look at any other venues as we knew we wanted to get married here long before the actual proposal. The only downside to this venue was all of the rules, the price and customer service. On the day of the wedding, the coordinators were no where to be found, which was fine as we had everything handled. For having so many restrictions, I thought someone would be there to enforce the rules or if things went wrong. Pros: the building itself and all rooms accessible to your event. Cons: Cost, time restrictions, kid rules (need paid baby sitter), no shots of alcohol allowed (wasn't aware of the rule until my caterer told me), parking and overall customer service. Building isn't easily accessible throughout the planning stages. Every visit needs permission and scheduling. Regardless, I loved Castle Green for my wedding venue! read more

Castle Green - Castle Green wedding on 11/1/13. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

I have been a guest at a wedding and a few years later I was married at the Castle Green. The location and service is awesome. The Castle grounds are unbelievably beautiful. Tis located in the city but you dont get that feeling once you are inside. The coordinator(Shannon) was extremely helpful and went out of her way several times to make us feel as though we were her only clients. You are doing yourself a disservice if you dont take a look at the Castle Green. Thank you Shannon and Castle Green for making my wedding a perfect day for this Prince. read more

I came here with my best friend for their bi-annual tour every thing was fantastic. we had such an amazing experiance . recommend highly recommend it. read more

My now-husband and I got married on Sept. 5th, 2015, at Castle Green. I don't know how we got so lucky to find this place and the two ladies who held our hands through the whole thing, Dior and Rosalinda. I have seen other reviews mentioning a "Shannon" but those might be old, because the two people we dealt with from start to finish were Dior and Rosalinda and they were both warm, professional, accommodating, and extremely supportive and helpful. They helped us have the most awesome day as well as the most wonderful wedding-planning experience, and I feel so grateful for that! The space itself is stunning. We did not want a hotel wedding where you run into the other bride whose wedding is going on in another room down the hall. We wanted something unique, classy, and memorable, and that is 100 percent what we got. We had a beautiful outdoor ceremony, followed by a cocktail hour both indoors and out, a toast by the couple on the landing of the gorgeous stairs, and then quite the spectacular dinner for our reception. Castle Green has a choice of caterers, and we combined two. We wanted a Chinese banquet-style reception (I don't think my Chinese family would have felt comfortable any other way) so we used Hotel Banquet (also known as Grace Catering) in partnership with Castle Catering to make this happen. By the way, both of those vendors are stellar. It went off so smoothly and our guests were soooo pleased! We also used the day-of coordinator, florist, and DJ recommended by Dior and Rosalinda because we wanted a team very experienced with pulling off events there. They were also terrific choices. You might assume that the rates for this place are cost-prohibitive but we did A LOT of comparisons, and we found it to be a great value, especially considering you can bring in your own alcohol (they will help you with that too). l feel so grateful and lucky to have found the right venue; all else flows from there, in my opinion.Loved this place as well as the people associated with it, and am so glad my memories of our wedding day are so beautiful. read more

As a long time resident of Pasadena I always dreamed of having my wedding at Castle Green. It came true last month and it was fairy tale like. I was worried about some of the things that people mentioned in their reviews in particular parking and noise. But in the end, our guests figured it out. They always do! That said, I find that some of the reviews about Castle Green are off the mark. Yes comment on the lack of parking, but the historical building; it is a restored over 100 year old building! Some people mentioned in their reviews the traffic noise, the inside was old, the sketchiness of the city, poor sound managment, food, and servers. Food and servers are not even provided by Castle Green they are always outside vendors which are hired by the hosts. If you are going to complain at least be correct about who you are complaining about. And let me emphasize you are only renting the venue. The food, servers, chairs, sound system, DJ, flowers, etc. are all arranged by the host and are not connected with the renting of the venue. They have a preferred vendor list which makes it easier to choose but they have no control on whether or not your guests will hear you reciting your vows. Visiting here once should give you the idea the garden will not be quiet at 5 p.m. on a Friday. I know this because during our ceremony we heard buses and traffic but with a microphone that made the noise not really noticeable and it added to that "city" feel. If you want a quiet venue you don't pick a secret garden in the middle of a busy city. Parking is a big issue in any city and Pasadena is no exception. If you are having your event here make sure to let your guests know about this issue way ahead of time. There are options, parking structure across the street, rent the parking lot across the street, hire a valet, or let your guests figure it out themselves. Since we only had our ceremony here, we directed our guests to the parking structure which was free for 90 minutes. If you can't afford to rent the entire venue, a ceremony option is a nice alternative. It was $1500 which was a great deal considering other locations in Pasadena, City Hall at $2000 with permits, some churches charge up to that amount. read more