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    The doorway the chairs are facing will be used as archway for ceremony.
    Dar D.

    Looked at Memory Garden as a possible Wedding venue in Monterey. You can find extensive information on this place on the Here Comes the Guide wedding site, but it's kind of confusing. The "main caterer" for this venue put up the venue on Here Comes the Guide site, but are pretty clear that they are not the owners or the exclusive caterer. So here is the lowdown. The venue itself is part of the Monterey State Historic Park at the Custom House Plaza in Monterey. It's an enclosed garden area with 8 foot high adobe walls so it is private from the public. It is attached to the "Custom House?" but you do not have access to the house itself. You are only renting the "garden" area. It is completely outdoors and capacity is about 500 persons, though we talked to the caterer that was setting up that day and they mentioned that 250-300 is about the max if you plan on mingling areas, dance floor, etc. The garden itself is owned and operated by the California State Parks, so you pay a nominal rental fee of $750 for first 4 hours and $125 for every hour after. You must pay for a monitor (state park ranger) $30 per hour & a peace officer $50 per hour too. Pros: 1) Nominal fees for a large capacity venue and beautiful old adobe outdoor setting w/fountain huge magnolia trees, flowers etc. 2) No catering or alcohol restrictions: hire your own, BYOB (though be aware if you in the DIY category liability insurance & alcohol permits are required....usually a good caterer will help you with that). 3) Huge 5X16 BBQ available for cooking. 4)It's really like having a destination wedding..... Monterey for heaven sake!!!! Cons: 1) You are just renting the venue. They provide virtually nothing else...tables, chairs, dance floor, EVERYTHING needs to be rented and brought in! 2) Limited dressing area (though many hotel steps away), electrical and after dark lighting....but the little lights in the magnolias are lovely! 3) Parking not provided, though plenty of paid parking all around the area. 4) Kind of confusing to find venue for guests...maps, directions and parking info would be a MUST. Overall I really loved this venue.....but there seemed to be such limited info on it. I did some random Google searching just on name as a wedding venue and saw a couple of great wedding sites that couples had set up with information for their guests. The biggest deal for me about this venue is the no restrictions on caterer and alcohol. Most State parks are strictly beer and wine only, which ruled many of those venues out for me. Being able to bring your own bar/bartenders could cut costs considerably. Also having the option to utilize the caterer that you want can be another big cost savings. FYI, main caterer "Grapes of Wrath" looks like it has a pretty good alcohol policy. You can BYOB and hire their staff to serve it. I will say since they seem to do a lot of business at Memory Garden they seem to know the venue inside and out....so they really know what to bring, what will work seating and set up wise. They were actually setting for a 200 person wedding when we went by to see the site. I would feel pretty confident utilizing their services, but if you have a fair number of people that are willing to help you coordinate things and help out you might be able to have a lower cost DIY wedding there. I'm considering it.....and would love to hear from anyone that has done a wedding or been to a wedding there.

    Joe N.

    We used The Memory Garden for our Wedding Venue. It was perfect!! From the moment we walked in to check it out, we were sold. It was the Spanish Secret Garden we didn't even know we were looking for!! We worked with Eugene from the State Park office, he was so easy to work with and walked us through everything we needed. We used Grapes of Wrath/Central Coast events for the Catering and Linens. But the Gold Start goes to Dana Carrazo of East of Eden Weddings, LOOK HER UP!! Since The Memory Garden is a state park, we had to find a company and coordinator who would help. She took care of everything!! Made it an easy one stop shop, while making everything so personal!! Love this place and so glad we have it to visit for our future anniversaries!!!

    Outside gate area at the Memory Gardens

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    Review Highlights - Memory Garden

    Perfect as a wedding venue, but can be an issue for those with limited access.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    The Perry House - Bridal suite

    The Perry House

    (148 reviews)

    My husband and I got married at The Perry House on May 2nd, 2026 and it was the best day of our…read morelives! We had an intimate group of 34 which felt perfect at The Perry House (though they can certainly accommodate much larger groups than ours). The venue itself has so much coastal charm already that you don't feel overwhelmed with needing to infuse a lot of personality through decor. At the same time, it can still be transformed with florals and any additional decor elements. It was truly the best of both worlds. Our venue provided coordinator Alyssa was fantastic to work with! She answered so many of our questions and was always quick to respond over email. The catering provided by the venue was phenomenal and all of our guests raved about the food. We went with the New York steak and tarragon crusted salmon as our entrees and they were even better than we remembered at our tasting. Since we had a small guest count we even got to add on a slew of extra desserts to reach our food and beverage minimum and additional decor/rental items which was great because it felt like every dollar went towards something. They were even accommodating to our specific signature cocktail requests which were off-menu and our specific NA beer requests. Everything the day of the wedding went smoothly and without a hitch. We cannot recommend The Perry House enough to anyone looking for a charming, Monterey wedding.

    Our wedding was everything we hoped for and more! The Perry House is beautiful, the food is…read moreincredibly delicious, the staff is amazing and most of all, our day-of coordinator, Jennifer D. was fabulous! From the moment I met her, I knew our day was going to be spectacular. All my worries went out the window. She made sure every detail I envisioned came to life. She is sincerely kind and loving. We cannot thank Jennifer enough for the effort she put into our day. Her assistant Alyssa is also a breath of fresh air! She is always smiling and always offering a helping hand. I feel so blessed that they were a part of our experience and I highly recommend the Perry House to anyone looking for an unforgettable, classy and beautiful wedding!

    The Barns at Cooper Molera - Wedding Day | 1985Luke Photography

    The Barns at Cooper Molera

    (38 reviews)

    We are incredibly happy that we chose to do our wedding at the Barns at Cooper Molera, and we…read morerelive our beautiful memories every day. We truly got to enjoy every minute of our wedding day with no stress, because we knew that Makenna, Chef David, Amanda, and the whole team were on top of every detail. Our wedding was 240 people with a morning ceremony/lunch, a full space flip, and an evening cocktail/reception. The Barns team seamlessly pulled off two layouts in the same space in one day, with different meals, bar offerings, decor, and rentals for each. Beyond the amazing team - the venue itself is truly stunning; it's so beautiful that we only had to minimally decorate to create a warm and elegant atmosphere. The space is the perfect balance of rustic and modern, and the barn is deceptively large; we were able to fit everyone on the dance floor! The attached garden is perfect for photographs and a quieter space for guests. We were even able to do an Indian Baraat, due to the unique downtown layout with street access. The Barns are walkable to multiple downtown hotels, so if you do a hotel block or ancillary events, guests can easily move between the spaces without worrying about late-night transportation. From the start, working with our sales manager Amanda was a joy. She coordinated a pre-booking tasting for us and showed us many different layouts for the space, to help us feel confident that the Barns would be the right fit for our wedding. Amanda helped us with flexibility throughout our planning process - helping us contract reasonable spend minimums well ahead of having a firm guest count. Our event manager Makenna went above and beyond to enable our vision. She accommodated a remarkable number of requests, questions, and add-ons with grace and professionalism. Makenna kept us organized, and her meticulous notes ensured no detail was forgotten. She liaised with our photographer, DJ, florist, and rental contact to ensure everyone was working off of the same schedule. She took the time to understand the context behind each of the cultural aspects of our wedding ceremony and event flow, and ensured that the spirit and the intent was carried through. Finally - Makenna was a constant source of creative ideas; she knows every detail of the Barns in and out, and has thought through every possible configuration, down to the height of plants that might block views and where the sun might fall at different times of the day. We were so lucky to have had Makenna's expertise, dedication, and creativity throughout the process. Chef David and the culinary team at the Barns were truly exceptional. The team learned how to make multiple Indian dishes for our wedding, and managed two large multi-cuisine meals in one day. We're still hearing rave reviews of the food 6 months later. Throughout the whole process, the team was open to feedback and refining flavors and sizing to match our vision. Finally, we appreciated the level of attention given to dietary restrictions, including willingness to label tray-passed items, which we had never seen before. We highly recommend getting married at the Barns at Cooper Molera. The team at the Barns worked with us for 18 months to bring our vision to reality, answering countless calls, texts, and emails to ensure every detail was perfect. Thank you to the Barns team for making our dream wedding come to life!

    Our daughter's wedding at The Barns at Cooper Molera in Monterey was absolutely spectacular from…read morestart to finish. We could not have imagined a more beautiful venue or a more seamless experience. From our very first interaction, J'Nell was incredibly helpful, responsive, organized, and attentive to every detail. Her guidance throughout the planning process gave us confidence and peace of mind, and she was always available to answer questions and offer support. The venue itself is stunning. The historic charm, beautiful grounds, and warm atmosphere created the perfect setting for a truly memorable celebration. Our guests are still talking about how gorgeous everything was. The food was outstanding--delicious, beautifully presented, and plentiful. Guests kept coming back for seconds and raved about the quality throughout the evening. The open bar was also a huge hit and contributed to the fun, festive atmosphere. The Barns at Cooper Molera was incredibly accommodating in helping us incorporate special touches, including our cigar bar, which was enjoyed by many of our guests. We also chose several of their preferred vendors, including the DJ, photographer, videographer, and and bakery, and we could not have been happier with our selections. Each vendor was professional, talented, and contributed significantly to making the day unforgettable. Every aspect of the wedding exceeded our expectations. The combination of exceptional service, breathtaking surroundings, outstanding food, and top-notch vendor partnerships made for a perfect celebration. We are so grateful to J'Nell and the entire team at The Barns at Cooper Molera.

    Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa - Courtyard Facing Room, 2nd Floor

    Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

    (1.2k reviews)

    $$$

    This is our second visit in an ocean view room, and the experience was just as stellar as the…read morefirst. The views are magical, the room is perfect and the beds and pillows are like clouds. We enjoyed their rooftop spa overlooking the bay- next level. The entrance to the hotel opens up to a beautiful first floor with ocean view, large fireplace, sofas and seating areas, and a small bar. The hotel offers a nightly happy hour and musical performances. During our visit we had the pleasure to discover a highly talented artist by the name of Adrea, who has the most incredible voice and presence. We were so impressed by her and were very fortunate that she performed both nights of our visit. It was a performance we would have gladly paid to see, she is a rising talent for sure. I can't state how exceptional our experience was to enjoy the music in such an elevated atmosphere, relaxing by the fire, enjoying the outstanding craft cocktails by their highly talented mixologist. Schooners is not to be missed, the food is as outstanding as the ocean view! A special mention to the superior customer care provided by Pracha, a guest service manager at the hotel, who is an absolute star. And yes, the long review is a love letter to the Monterey Plaza Hotel, until next time!

    We needed a little family getaway, so we booked a stay from Friday through Sunday. Walking into the…read morehotel, the first thing I noticed was how nice it smelled. The lobby has an older, vintage feel to it, which gave it some charm. Unfortunately, the check in experience wasn't the best. The front desk receptionist wasn't very friendly or welcoming, so it didn't exactly start our trip on a positive note. Our room with two queen beds was pretty standard, but it was clean and had a beautiful view overlooking the water, which was definitely the highlight. The service throughout our stay was pretty disappointing. I called the front desk to ask for extra bath towels, and after waiting 30 minutes with nothing delivered, I had to call again. They finally arrived another 20 minutes later, which seemed way too long for such a simple request. The shower was also confusing because the hot and cold labels were reversed, and the water pressure was extremely weak. Neither of those things ruined the trip, but they definitely made the stay less enjoyable. We also ordered room service around 7:30pm. Jerry, who took our order, was very friendly and told us it would take about 45 minutes. An hour later there was still no food, so I called back around 8:45. Jerry apologized, checked on the order, and said it would be another 10 minutes before offering to personally bring it up. I appreciated his effort, but waiting well over an hour for room service was frustrating. To make matters worse, they already charge a service fee and then tack on an additional 20% service charge. The food wasn't worth the wait either. The ceviche lacked flavor and the portion was tiny, the ahi tuna wraps were just okay and didn't taste very fresh, and the Wagyu burger was dry and underwhelming. The fries were probably the best thing we ordered. Overall, I don't see myself staying here again, and next time I'd rather book the InterContinental instead.

    Club Del Monte at Monterey Naval Postgraduate School - Check in/out desk.

    Club Del Monte at Monterey Naval Postgraduate School

    (15 reviews)

    This review is strictly for walking the grounds and having dinner, not something more significant…read morelike a wedding or special occasion. The food was decent, the service was fine and while I find the atmosphere and environment a bit on the cheesy side, the depth of history and the cleanliness makes it stand out. The staff are friendly and there's 'free movie night' on Wednesdays It's an interesting place, I came primarily because there's only 2 Navy credit Union locations in northern California and would visit Monterey with my ex and kids on the weekends and because my Grandfather was stationed there after WW2. I wouldn't go out of your way to see it but for anyone in the reserves or on active duty passing through, it's worth a visit.

    We usually stay at the Naval Post Graduate school in Monterrey when we go down to the area. You…read moreneed to have some form of a military ID to stay and can reserve rooms by calling or online. The rooms have a fantastic price compared to the local area and are rally nice compared to other Navy lodges. It is located just off the freeway and has easy access to downtown, Fisherman's ward, and the aquarium (via car bike or walk). The walk (70 minutes or so) will take you a bit but if you have time and are up for the exercise, we enjoy it! The Trident room is in the basement and parking is available on the grounds restricted during the week to certain lots as parking is needed for students and faculty.

    Memory Garden - venues - Updated June 2026

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