Home | The Venues - UC Berkeley Botanical Garden 

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden

200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720

Contact: Margie Richardson
Telephone: (510) 642-3352
Email: mdrich@berkeley.edu

Website: botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu

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Ideal Guest Count

  • The Botanical Gardens have several facilities to choose from
  • Depending on which facility you choose, you can have from 30 to 130 guests
  • The Redwood Grove and Amphitheater can hold up to 130 guests

Recommended Event Flow

  • Redwood Grove and Amphitheater make for ideal ceremony locations
  • After the ceremony, move your guests to the terrace area for cocktails, allowing them to enjoy the gardens.
  • After cocktails, the conference center is perfect for dinner and dancing

Catering and Facilities

  • An approved list of caterers is available, but a ‘caterer buyout’ is available at a $500 fee
  • All events must end by 11pm, with clean-up crew out by 12am
  • You can bring your own alcohol, which can be a huge money saver!

The Bottom Line

  • Renting the Redwood Grove and Amphitheater will run $300 per hour, but a $25/hr discount is given if you also rent the Conference Center
  • The rental fee for other rooms range from $85 – 225 per hour
  • Complimentary services include free rehearsal and photograph time and locations, dressing room, and podium with microphone (Conference Center)
  • Chairs, tables, seat cushions, and canopies or umbrellas are all available at an additional charge

Color Palettes, Themes, and Design

  • A color palette of warm summer tones – bright yellows, oranges, pomegranate, and pale greens – will blend seamlessly into the surroundings
  • A darker color palette of fuchsia and violet paired with chocolate browns and creams will also hold its own in this magnificent setting
  • If using the Conference Center for dining, we recommend investing in one wall of pipe and drape to give the room elegant and clean lines
  • Natural fabrics like bamboo rattan folding chairs, paired with natural linens or twill fabrics will contrast well with the terracotta floors and neutral toned walls

Entertainment and Photography

  • Soft background music is permitted during open hours, but amplified music is permitted both in- and outdoors after 5pm
  • For the outdoor enthusiast, the gardens are rich in color, fragrant flowers, and botanicals from around the world
  • Stand in the middle of a Parisian lavender garden; feel as though you are in Joshua Tree National Park next to 10-foot tall yucca plants; feed the Koi fish in the Japanese water garden
  • This is one of the few locations where you can take a mini-trip around the world with only a camera lens as a passport…

Let’s Talk

  • This is the perfect venue for a bride that wants to embrace the natural beauty of her venue
  • Leave time in your wedding day schedule to allow your guests to enjoy the gardens
  • The affordable venue fee allows you to really have fun with catering and decor!