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About

The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara is a historic, non-denominational church located in downtown Santa Barbara, California. Their picturesque sanctuary lends tranquility and beauty to provide a lovely, classic wedding. The 80-year-old church building was designed in a Spanish style and maintains antique, pristine architectural components.

Facilities and Capacity
The church sanctuary with wooden pews can host up to 285 guests. Beautiful stained-glass windows adorn the walls, along with a rounded ceiling, raised chancel and alter that give way to a gorgeous space for ceremonies. Supplemental lighting can be added with candelabras placed at every pew. This venue faces the Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. An elegant brick courtyard and fountain are provided outdoors, accessible from the sanctuary or reception facility. The church grounds feature a reception hall that can please both formal and informal receptions.

Services Offered
The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara offers rentals for use for the wedding ceremony as well as lighting and sound. A Steinway grand piano and a 1,800 pipe organ are available for rent during the wedding. The lower Courtyard is also available for clients and guests to use for dancing, music or cocktail hour. Their services include:

  • Spacious reception hall featuring a full commercial kitchen
  • Audio equipment
  • Lighting
  • Chairs
  • Dance floor
  • Tables
  • Central downtown location
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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Clean Up
Lighting/Sound

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

20

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

10

Describe your venue:

Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Religious

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception

What event services do you offer?

Event Rentals

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs
Dance Floor
Lighting
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Shuttle
Wheelchair Access
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4.9 out of 5 rating
24 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara (USSB) is highly recommended as a wedding venue by multiple reviewers. The indoor chapel, with its stunning arch detailing and large stained glass window, creates a dream-like atmosphere for ceremonies and beautiful photos. The staff, particularly Joanie, is praised for their incredible service and quick response time. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility and affordability of the venue, as well as the ability to bring their own alcohol and rent tables and chairs. The USSB is described as a gorgeous and accommodating venue, perfect for both intimate and larger weddings.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara (USSB) is highly recommended as a wedding venue by multiple reviewers. The indoor chapel, with its stunning arch detailing and large stained glass window, creates a dream-like atmosphere for ceremonies and beautiful photos. The staff, particularly Joanie, is praised for their incredible service and quick response time. Reviewers appreciate the flexibility and affordability of the venue, as well as the ability to bring their own alcohol and rent tables and chairs. The USSB is described as a gorgeous and accommodating venue, perfect for both intimate and larger weddings.

Nadia
Nadia F. Sent on 01/23/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect Space for an Intimate Ceremony

My husband and I had a “mini/micro-wedding” at USSB December 30th, 2023. After being together for almost 7 years and 2 years engaged, we decided to move forward and elope! We spontaneously made the decision about 3 weeks before the date we chose to do it on. After so much searching and favor from the Lord, we fell upon USSB and fell in love with the sanctuary space. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect for what we were looking for. We had a small, intimate ceremony with our immediate family and a couple friends followed by a dinner at a local restaurant.


THE SPACE:
The indoor chapel is stunning. We are so thankful to have our ceremony and forever photos in a beautiful space like this one.The arch detailing of the architecture and the large stained glass window made our ceremony photos look like a dream. It was just the perfect space for an intimate ceremony. Our family sat in the first two rows of seats. We decided not to mic up or use the sound equipment the church provides, but our guests could hear everything and it was nice to have everyone close to us. The sanctuary also has a beautiful grand piano so we hired a close friend who is a professional pianist to play before & during the ceremony. That was a beautiful touch.

We were also provided a space for myself (the bride) to get ready in. With it all being short notice, we did not arrange for a rehearsal or a tour of the property before the day-off. I was not able to get an early hotel check in to get ready in SB before the wedding, so it was really useful to have somewhere to change and touch up hair & makeup before walking down the isle. The exterior of the church was absolutely beautiful for photos after the ceremony.

THE PROCESS:
Incredible! We worked with Joanie who is just wonderful. She worked very hard to flip the space for us since it was so close to the holidays, AND she did it on short notice! Joanie made our dream come true. She was kind, excited with us, and so generous with her time. Joanie always got back to me very quickly even though we were communicating in between the holidays.

POST-WEDDING REGRETS:
The only thing I wish I could have had the opportunity to do would be to have a large wedding at the USSB! The property is just stunning and truly makes the perfect wedding venue inside and out. I’ve said it a million times already, but the sanctuary was the perfect space for an intimate, romantic ceremony. I cannot have pictured having our “mini/micro-wedding” anywhere else.

I don’t have all of my photos yet, but I will attach the ones I do have!
So-Cal Photographer Instagram: @leenanesh
T
Tania W. Sent on 07/17/2023
5 out of 5 rating

A perfect day at the Unitarian Society

We are so glad we chose to have our wedding and reception at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. We wanted an indoor ceremony venue that embodied the classic Santa Barbara central coast Mission style, but we very much did NOT want a church. USSB was perfect for us because although it has church-ish vibes (and has a PIPE ORGAN, which you're darn right we utilized), there is zero religious iconography inside; nary a crucifix in sight. For us, this was huge.

The staff was always professional, helpful, and quick to respond. They were very flexible around where we placed our catering and even allowed us to block some of their loading zone spaces in order to accommodate a last-minute catering change where instead of being under a tent, our caterers worked out of their food truck to better be able to quickly serve our volume of guests. (Note that we did have to coordinate this with the city as well as USSB.)

We loved that we were able to buy & bring our own alcohol instead of being locked in to purchasing from the venue like so many other locations in SB. And, for all this AND MORE (don't get me started on the convenience of having tables and chairs available to be rented from the venue -- and set up by them too!), USSB was one of the most affordable venues we considered. We have zero regrets in choosing USSB for our wedding & reception and recommend them wholeheartedly to any other couples considering a wedding in Santa Barbara.
Alexandra
Alexandra B. Sent on 06/18/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful Wedding @ USSB

USSB was the perfect place for our ceremony. Very few restrictions on timing, etc and Joanie and her husband were both very accommodating. Guests commented on the organ and the space itself looks stunning in pictures — like a cathedral! A gorgeous church.
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Awards

24

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Professional Network & Endorsements

4 Endorsements
The Tent Merchant The Tent Merchant Wedding Rentals

A wonderful venue with beautiful inside and outside options. We love working here!!

Pure Joy Catering, Inc Pure Joy Catering, Inc Wedding Caterers

Beautiful Venue run by the most gracious people.

Father Jerry Bellamy Father Jerry Bellamy Wedding Officiants

I have performed so many weddings at this location. Each and every time the location has been perfect and the staff are always the best. Thank you for providing this for my brides and grooms.

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Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara frequently asked questions

Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Clean Up
  • Lighting/Sound
The space offered by Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara for wedding events is known for:
  • Banquet Hall
  • Historic Building
  • Religious
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Event Rentals
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara is recommended by 99% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in average response time, 5 in value, 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in flexibility and 4.9 in professionalism.

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