The symbolic and historic Santa Barbara Courthouse is a highly desirable wedding venue for couples who wish to say I do with modern sophistication and a sprinkle of panache. If you’re considering a Santa Barbara County Courthouse wedding, you’ll find a full guide to help you plan your wedding in the Mural Room or the Sunken Gardens. Details include total capacity of each space, how to reserve your wedding date, the fee associated with your wedding rental, and details on how to obtain your Santa Barbara marriage license.
Applying for Your Santa Barbara Marriage License
Ahead of your Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding, you’ll need to apply for your marriage license. Santa Barbara Marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
Step 1.
Your first step will be to complete the online application. You will be given the option of selecting a public marriage application or a confidential marriage application.
What’s the difference between a Public Marriage License and a Confidential Marriage License?
There are a few key differences between each type of marriage license. For a Santa Barbara marriage license that is public, your wedding ceremony will require at least one witness who will also need to sign your marriage license.
The fee for a public marriage license in Santa Barbara is $100
To apply for a confidential Santa Barbara marriage license, you must both be currently living together. Additionally, a copy of your record will not be available to the public, and your wedding ceremony will not require a witness to attend or sign your marriage license.
The fee for a confidential marriage license in Santa Barbara is $111
Step 2.
Once your online application has been submitted, you will have 7 days to appear in person to purchase your license. You must both appear at one of the two locations for the Clerk-Recorder Office with your valid government IDs.
Locations
| Clerk-Recorder | Santa Barbara 1100 Anacapa St Hall of Records Santa Barbara, CA 93101 | Clerk-Recorder | Santa Maria 511 Lakeside Pkwy Suite 115 Santa Maria, CA 93455 |
Say I Do With A Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room Wedding
Couples so often choose a Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding for the beauty of the historic architecture seen at the venue. Construction of the SB Courthouse began in 1926, and the building was completed in 1929. The overall design embodies the Spanish Colonial Revival style with ornate details and an effervescent atmosphere. The Mural Room includes its own brand of history, which features a 4200 square foot mural painted in 1928. Each wall within this space features a unique aspect of history owing to Santa Barbara, Spain, and Sicily.
Formerly, the Mural Room served as the County Supervisors’ Assembly room. However, it is now accessible to couples who wish to plan a wedding ceremony steeped in history and iconic works of art.
In fact, at any given time, multiple weddings and corporate events can be taking place at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. If you choose to plan a Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room wedding, you will have exclusive use of the space through a confirmed reservation. But it is possible that tours, smaller weddings, and rallies may be occurring during your wedding throughout various other settings at the SB Courthouse.
Finally, your Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room wedding does not come with the inclusion of an officiant. Above all, you will need to hire a private wedding officiant or work with your planner to find an officiant who can add personal details and unique elements to your wedding ceremony.
Total Capacity of Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room
A Santa Barbara Mural Room wedding has the ability to accommodate up to 100 guests, who can be comfortably accommodated through the room’s elaborate benches.
Rules and restrictions that apply to a Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room Wedding
- LED candles are allowed
- Altogether, you may not use open flames of any kind
- Ceremony music must be soft acoustic music with no amplification
- No rice, confetti, flower petals, birdseed, or sequins
- The door to the Mural Room must be open at all times
- Wedding rehearsals are not included with your reservation
- You may not rope off the courthouse grounds
- Food & beverages are not allowed
- Draping, furniture, and benches cannot be moved
Reserving The Mural Room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse
As is noted below with the Sunken Gardens, a Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room wedding may be reserved in advance. Booking this space ahead of time allows you to have a wedding ceremony with only your chosen guests present to celebrate your love story. It is possible that other smaller weddings may be taking place at the same time as your own; however, the Mural Room, once reserved, is exclusively yours.
Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room weddings can be booked for three distinctive time frames. Find further details below.
- 12 pm to 2 pm – daily
- 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm – daily
- 10 am to 12 pm – Saturday & Sunday only
Reservations for a wedding at the SB Courthouse Mural Room are for a total of two hours, which will provide you with ample time for setup, your wedding ceremony, and your exit.
Below are the detailed steps to reserving the Santa Barbara Courthouse Mural Room:
- Access the application for a reservation at this link
- Select facilities & hourly rentals
- From within the map, or on the left-hand side, select the courthouse
- From there, you may select “details” under The Mural Room, which will pull up a calendar with available dates and times
- You may select a wedding date up to 12 months in advance,
- Once chosen, download the application at this link
- When your application is complete, email it to events@countyofsb.org
Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding Cost for the Mural Room
The total cost to reserve the Mural Room for your wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse is $700. This fee is comprised of a $500 facility fee and a $200 non-refundable deposit. Full payment is required at the time of reserving your space and confirms your wedding date.
Plan a Wedding at The Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens
Undeniably, the Santa Barbara Courthouse features beautifully historic architecture, embodying the legacy of the Spanish-Moorish period of the 15th century. In addition to the stunning facade of the building, the Santa Barbara Courthouse also features a lush, tropical landscape.
Towering palm trees frame the appearance of the building, with an abundance of verdant greenery filling the space, creating a brilliant, romantic garden. This outdoor space is referred to as the Sunken Gardens and can be reserved for your Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding. The Sunken Gardens encompasses 5 spaces in total: The Sunken Gardens, Palm Terrace, Fiesta State, Bird of Paradise, and the Rotunda Lawn.
It is important to note that when reserving the space for your garden wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, these spaces are all reserved as one.
The Santa Barbara Courthouse is a flexible, multi-use event facility, and at any given time day to day activities can include tours, weddings, corporate events, rallies, and celebrations. During highly sought-after wedding dates, it is possible for a special event and exterior kitchen placement to be visible from within the garden space.
Lastly, your Sunken Gardens wedding at the Santa Barbara courthouse does not come with the inclusion of an officiant. You will need to hire a private wedding officiant who understands the vision for your ceremony.
Total Capacity of Sunken Gardens Santa Barbara
The total maximum capacity of a wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens is 250 guests.
Rules and restrictions that apply to a Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens Wedding
- Ceremony music must be soft acoustic music with no amplification
- All chairs & equipment must be hand-carried to your wedding site
- No rice, confetti, flower petals, or birdseed
- Wedding rehearsals are not included with your reservation
- Food & beverages are not allowed
Reserving The Sunken Gardens at the Santa Barbara Courthouse
One of the benefits of hosting your wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens is that you are able to reserve the space in advance. A confirmed wedding date ensures the gardens are available to you on the day you have selected, without any other weddings taking place within the same space. While it’s true that other, smaller weddings may be taking place at the same time as yours, once the gardens have been reserved, you will have peace of mind in knowing that your space is available to only you and your guests.
Sunken Gardens reservations are for a total of three hours. Reservations can be booked in two different time frames. From 11 am to 2 pm, or from 3 pm to 6 pm. Keep in mind that the interior of the courthouse closes at 4:45 pm, thus limiting access to any necessary facilities for weddings taking place after this hour.
Below are the detailed steps to reserving the Sunken Gardens at the Santa Barbara Courthouse:
- Access the application for a reservation at this link
- Select facilities & hourly rentals
- From within the map, or on the left-hand side, select the courthouse
- From there, you may select “details” under The Sunken Gardens, which will pull up a calendar with available dates and times
- You may select a wedding date up to 12 months in advance
- Once chosen, download the application at this link
- When your application is complete email it to events@countyofsb.org
Total Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding Cost for the Sunken Gardens
The total cost to reserve the Sunken Gardens for your wedding is $1200. The total of this fee is a $1000 facility fee and a $200 non-refundable deposit. Payment in full is required when reserving the gardens. Thus confirming your wedding date.
Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding Packages
Are you planning a Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding? The Siren & Co. creates modern, stylish wedding films for sophisticated couples. You can find more detailed information on the Santa Barbara Courthouse wedding packages we offer at this link. Or, you can step inside some of the weddings we’ve captured featuring pure emotion and serious fun when you view our portfolio of work here.
Creative Team
Videography | The Siren & Co. Films
Ceremony Venue | Santa Barbara Courthouse
Reception Venue | La Paloma Cafe
Planner | Jen Events
Photographer | Selina Bell
Florals | Aivy Florals
Cake | Awkward Pastry
Stationary | Rue Paperie
Hair | Yvette Gomez Beauty
Makeup | Shanie Crosbie
Ceremony Rentals | Speedy Party Rentals
Rental Car | Santa Barbara Tours a la Carte
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