University Club of Santa Barbara

I am so glad we had our wedding here!!! I cannot say enough what a pleasure it was to work with Breanna, the venue manager and Eli, the food and beverage director. Our wedding here was a destination wedding, so we were very concerned about making sure all of our family and friends that travelled a long way to get to our wedding had a good time. Being a couple straight out of grad school, we were also very concerned with keeping the cost manageable. Everything worked out on all accounts!
We first picked the venue for two reasons: the price was right and the venue is GORGEOUS. The pricing was very straightforward, which we really appreciated, and when looking at other options in the Santa Barbara area, the Riviera mansion was pretty comparable with other venues which are not all inclusive (ones where you have to find your own caterer, rent linens, etc etc). Planning a wedding without a coordinator and from across the country, it was also definitely worth it for us to go with a venue that minimized the amount of details we would have to think about.
The looks and layout of the place are what sold us though. With people coming from the east coast and middle of the country, we wanted something that would really showcase Santa Barbara’s cool architecture and vibe. The mansion is exactly that. The layout is also pretty perfect for a multigenerational wedding. We were able to enjoy the California weather for our ceremony and cocktail hour outside, then go inside for dinner, avoiding the cooler night air. Later, we could turn up the party in the bar/​dance floor area, while the older folks talked and relaxed on the couches in the living room. It really has something for everyone.
What I didn’t realize when we picked it was how absolutely awesome all the staff would be to work with. Breanna was super helpful, answering all my questions promptly and pleasantly, and accommodating my sometimes short notice visits to the area. When we did our walkthrough a couple of days before the wedding, Breanna and Eli paid attention to every detail and made sure we were taken care of, as they did the day of the wedding too. Eli was incredibly attentive and easy to work with! My dad is in the restaurant industry and was in charge of setting up desserts (we had family make some traditional desserts, as well as got some cupcakes from Enjoy Cupcakes– also a great idea!). Eli worked with him to get whatever he needed, risers, tablecloths, etc and was really sweet about it.
The attention to bartending at the Riviera Mansion deserves a paragraph of its own. Breanna worked with me and the bartender (who’s name I forget but has worked there for 20 years and is also incredibly awesome) to create a peach moscow mule as our signature drink (our colors were peach and green) and get it to taste just right. She even arranged it so we had fresh peaches! At the wedding, everyone raved about them, even guests who usually prefer something more manly sounding. The staff had all drinks ready to go for our cocktail hour, and also passed trays of drinks, so there was never a line at the bar (something guests also specifically mentioned that they appreciated). Hell, Eli even followed me with my drink for a couple of minutes around dinner since my hands were full of other things! Really spectacular and attentive service.
Five stars all around. It was absolutely a joy to have our wedding here.

We’re 6 months into Married bliss and I finally have a split second to write about how amazing my experience at The Riviera Mansion was. In the planning phases Breanna did an excellent job of reminding me and keeping me on track for any due dates and fun things like our tasting.
Speaking of tasting! We had the amazing fortune of having a fully customized wedding menu. I’m not sure my husband and I did a good job of describing what we wanted but, when we showed up for our tasting, it was what we wanted and didn’t even know we wanted. I had this vision of a modern and elegant take on some classic Mexican dishes. I wanted a chile relleno with a little pizzaz. Ours had yummy goat cheese white cream sauce with vibrant pomegranate and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. I also wanted romantic and traditional chicken mole. Chef Harley nailed it. He was so concerned with every detail, it warmed my crazy bride soul! I could keep going.
Now, don’t get me started about Eli! A saint. This man knows service. From our first tasting, to our walkthrough, to the day of, it doesn’t get any better. They most certainly exceed The Bacara (I’ve worked there). Did I mention we made the crazy request for «Pineapple cider» and at our tasting they brought at least 10 varieties for us to try! I am beating myself up not remembering some of the other attendants on that day. I recall having a sweet and magical conversation with at least two folks who made sure I couldn’t stop smiling that day. They did everything from keeping a fresh coconut cocktail in my hand to ensuring my dad’s plate was full and my mom was charmed.
On the day of, Breanna surprised me with a sweet gift, a MAC lipgloss for touchup. I actually happened to have lost my lipstick I had picked out and this gloss was my savior:)
I WOULD URGE ANY BRIDE WHO WANTS GREAT SERVICE, GREAT FOOD AND GREAT AMBIANCE TO HAVE THEIR SPECIAL DAY HERE.

My husband and I came to the Riviera Mansion 3 months before our wedding after our original venue fell through. We are obviously stressed about our situation and nervous about going through a similar situation at a new venue. Fortunately, we could not have been happier with the wedding.
Breanna was extremely helpful, and the staff was fantastic. They checked in with us throughout the evening to make sure we had everything we needed. Our guests loved the food and complimented the service.
The venue itself is beautiful and ideal for a wedding. We would highly recommend the Riviera Mansion for any engaged couple.

I had the most wonderful experience having my wedding at the Riviera Mansion in August 2015. Breanna was so easy to work with from day one. I wanted to do my ceremony and dinner and dancing outside and she and her crew helped me to make it happen. I rented chairs, market lighting, and a dance floor from a rental company in SB it Iooked so beautiful out on the lawn. I also wanted a Mexican food buffet and she helped me to come up with a great menu. We didn’t want alcohol at our reception, so Breanna helped us come up with a mocktail station. We had 150 guests and there was plenty of room for everyone inside and out. The Riviera Mansion is a perfect spot for a Santa Barbara wedding. The building itself is so beautiful. The staff is awesome. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants a classic Santa Barbara wedding.

The Riviera Mansion is so special, not only because of its history, beauty, and location, but because of the people who work there. I could not be happier that I had my wedding at this wonderful venue. Here are a few of the reasons why:
1. Service — All of the staff went above and beyond. Chef Harley crafted a mind-​blowing meal, the wait staff was courteous, timely, and always made sure all of our guests had whatever they needed, and Eli devised a trolley to roll our cake out on (at the last minute to make sure everything was perfect). Enrique made the best margaritas and mojitos, and ensured my guests felt special, and were never thirsty. Breanna (primary contact for the venue) was quick to respond to any questions, concerns, and was great at communicating what needed to happen and when. She was a great at coordinating all of the details (something I found is so important when you are dealing with wedding vendors), very friendly, and on point. The people here make the place!
2. Amenities — This place has it all. You can have your bridal party get ready here (separate rooms for the ladies and gents), have your ceremony, AND reception here. There is plenty of parking (we had 150 guests, and everyone was able to park on the premises). The value of not having to transport your bridal party from a hotel to the venue after getting ready, or have to provide a trolley or bus for your guests to get from ceremony to reception site is tremendous. When our ceremony was done, our guests walked through the arch in the lawn and were greeted by staff with drinks on trays that were ready for them. If that doesn’t set the tone and say «Let’s celebrate!», I don’t know what does.
3. Location & Charm –In the heart of Santa Barbara, there are plenty of hotels nearby for your guests to stay at, activities to do, and places to explore in the «American Riviera». The décor in the estate itself is thoughtfully curated, and makes it so that an abundant amount of additional décor (other than the items to make it personal for your day) is not needed. There are multiple rooms your guests can peruse, interesting items for them to discover while they move through them, and elegant couches for seating in the living room if they need to take a break from dancing. To me it felt so personal, because we had the whole place to ourselves. The Mansion was built in the 1880s, so naturally it feels very vintage, but I’m sure with the right eye it could be adapted to any couple’s wedding style or theme.

The University Club has really improved over the last year or so. I am President of a professional association and we used to hold our monthly events at the University Club several years back but decided not to renew our long standing contract a few years ago because the quality of the food was declining while the price of renting space was increasing. A lot of our members were sad to see us leave the UClub but it was the most viable option for us at the time given the circumstances.
After working with a different venue for a three years, I contacted the UClub to explore the possibility of bringing our events back to their establishment. The process was pretty seamless and I was able to schedule our full 2015 programming on the dates/​times we needed. We’re 8 months into the year to date and we are very pleased with all of the events thus far. The food is incredible! The new chef and management are doing an exceptional job!
I have attended many other events at the UClub this year that are not affiliated with our association and they have all been equally delightful.
I highly recommend this venue for business luncheons, weddings, special events and meetings. The staff are warm and professional, the food is outstanding and the venue is very well maintained. It is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Santa Barbara adjacent to Alameda Park. There is plenty of free parking on-​site for both members and guests.
Members receive discounted pricing on events and catering, and guests can take advantage of those discounts as well if a member sponsors them. Definitely worth checking out if you are considering executive membership or venue rental.

We had our wedding reception at the Riviera Mansion on June 20^th and it was absolutely perfect! We loved how we could use the space the entire day to get ready in, and our guests had free rein of the entire space all night. The venue doesn’t require much in terms of decorations either because it’s already so beautiful! We were so happy with how everything we brought in just elevated the space since you really don’t need much!
The rooms to get ready in were also great. The Groom and Groomsmen hung out in the billards rooms for hours and played pool and relaxed. The room upstairs for the girls to get ready in is really beautiful and lends itself to great photos. There’s also tuns of natural light, which is great.
Breanna, the venue coordinator, is a dream! She was so amazing to work with. Some venders take days to respond to you, but not Breanna. She would respond right away and offered some great advice and information each time. She was so helpful and really made sure the day was everything we wanted it to be. You can’t ask for a better person to work with when you’re planning a huge event!
We really tried to use the entire space as best as possible, because each part was so unique and beautiful in it’s own right. We did our cocktail hour outside on the lawn and a sit down dinner in the dining room. We did the photobooth and cake cutting in the living room and desserts and coffee in the library. Our guests loved that they weren’t confined to the dance floor or their table all night.
The food was amazing and all our guests raved about it. We also were blown away by the attention to detail at our tasting and how we could customize everything to be exactly how we wanted it. All of the staff was so helpful and attentive and made the dinner feel that much more special. The entire night was exactly what we wanted it to be and we truly can’t imagine a better place to have spent the best day of our lives!

The Riviera Mansion is the most beautiful location for weddings; it has such a unique and totally Santa Barbara feel. Once we viewed the property we knew that it was our reception venue. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful — every time we came for a meeting they offered us complimentary beverages including champagne and beer. When we were doing our walk through a few days before the wedding, Eli, the catering manager made some really great recommendations for improvements in design (table locations) and flow and we were very glad to utilize his expertise. The day of our wedding it was incredibly hot — luckily they have a/​c — but Breanna came by multiple times to check on us to see if we were cool and comfortable. Because we purchased one of the wedding packages with a buffet style dinner, we weren’t able to taste our menu a head of time. However, the food was really good and they were very accommodating in substituting the vegetable on the menu.
We really loved that the Mansion has multiple rooms for dining, dancing and lounging, and that we had use of both indoor and outdoor spaces — which we used for lawn games and a cigar bar. Overall, the Mansion was more expensive than some of the other venues we were considering, but overall the benefits made up for the cost.

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the University Club of Santa Barbara and we loved it. The venue is beautiful and warm making it the perfect place to celebrate our big day with our friends and family. The fact that the club is a full service venue made our planning a lot easier as we didn’t have to coordinate with too many different vendors. I got ready at the bridal suite with my bridesmaids and got to experience the house amenities while my husband got ready with his groomsmen in the groom’s suite.
We had our cocktail hour outside in the grass area, which was beautiful and the dinner inside with a dance floor for a lot of dancing. The setup of the house is great which allowed our guests to wander around during the evening and find their comfortable spot in the dining room, living room, library or bar area.
The club atmosphere completed that extra touch that we wanted on our wedding theme and decoration.
On the event day we got really good assistance from the staff and were very pleased with the service provided. The food was great and presented really nicely too.
I would highly recommend the University Club to host events as we loved the experience we had at the Club.

The Riviera Mansion is hands-​down the most gorgeous wedding venue; so quintessential Santa Barbara! Not only is it drop dead gorgeous AND a steal of a deal (seriously! Have you seen the price of other venues?), but Breanna is so much fun and so easy to work with! She really has the couples’ best interest at heart. And she’s really on top of her communication. Even when I dropped the ball and didn’t call her back for a week a couple months before the wedding, she was really good at following up with me and was so understanding and willing to help.
One thing I loved about the mansion was that it’s stunning architecture and charm of a gone-​by era were decoration enough for our wedding. All we did was bring the flowers and some pretty candle holders & table overlays, and the place looked immaculate! Not having to worry about drapes, fancy colored lighting, canopies, caterers and linens/​table settings really helped our budget! We found that the all-​inclusive price that the club offers is still night and day more affordable than so many other venues that aren’t all-​inclusive. Breanna and her staff were willing to work with us within the set budget we gave them, which was a huge plus!
The food was delicious! We did the buffet, and everything stayed warm through the whole serving hour and all our guests loved their fresh, flavorful food. Nothing was over-​cooked, bland, or mushy. It really hit the spot and was wonderful wedding food (contrary to the reputation wedding food usually has).
Another bonus of having your wedding in an old mansion is that multiple rooms allows for a more intimate feeling wedding. Instead of forcing your guests to stay cooped up in one big ballroom, guests can meander through the rooms and socialize away from the band/​DJ. All of our guests commented on this factor and how much they loved the intimate layout.
I would strongly urge all brides to book their weddings at the University Club!

We had the most perfect wedding, and it is all because we chose the most perfect venue! When deciding on our venue, pretty much our only prospect was the Riviera Mansion. Once I found out that they had the date we were hoping for, we booked it immediately without looking into any other venues. Having never planned a wedding before, I was at first very overwhelmed with all of the details that are involved. One of the best things about the Riviera Mansion is that they provide all tables and chairs, linens and everything else for the table, unless you want to rent your own. They do all of the food and beverage and have a very extensive food and drink menu with any option you can imagine! You can put together your perfect menu and package.
We had our ceremony there as well, and it was so beautiful and convenient! Our reception was flawless, and the food was absolutely amazing (our guests are still talking about the food!) We danced all night until 11:30pm which is a much later last call time than most other venues and hotels.
The very best part about the Riviera Mansion is the staff. I cannot say enough good things about everyone that works there. Breanna is the event coordinator and she was so thorough throughout the entire process! She took time to meet with me several times and gave me tons of advice and was there all day long the day of the wedding making sure everything was perfect. Eli, the food and beverage director was there the entire night and took care of everything! He was so accommodating and made sure that we had everything we needed. Chef Harley and his team made the best food, and the servers and bartenders took care of us all night long and were so sweet to all of our guests. They made the experience what it was and it is rare these days to find such impeccable service from start to finish, but we sure found it!
I would HIGHLY recommend the Riviera Mansion to anyone, and I plan on telling all of my engaged friends to seriously consider having it there. Having been to many other weddings in Santa Barbara, I really do think that this is the best wedding venue in town. It is so much more exclusive than having it at a hotel, and much more convenient than doing it at a private estate. We had the entire mansion to ourselves all day long which was so helpful. The guys have their own game room with pool tables and a TV so they can hang out and the bridal suite is upstairs and is so charming. Everyone had the most wonderful time, and there is not one thing that I would change!

I can’t say enough positive things about our experience with the University Club (Riviera Mansion). My (now) husband and I were pretty decided on the Club before we even walked in, we were tempted to cancel our other venue walk-​throughs. From the second you walk in the door, you will be blown away by the hospitality and décor of the Riviera Mansion. My husband (!!!) and I have lived in Santa Barbara for a while, and knew we wanted to get married in town, but we are NOT beach people, we wanted a venue that could host both the ceremony and the reception, and we didn’t want a cookie cutter ballroom wedding. The Riviera Mansion swept us off our feet from day one.
Breanna O’Toole, the event director, worked with me on every detail of the day, making sure that our timeline, food order, and vendor coordination was running smoothly. We moved the ceremony location THREE TIMES throughout the planning process, and Breanna didn’t even sweat it. The ceremony ended up taking place in the living room, and when I arrived at 9am the day of the wedding, every piece of living room furniture had been moved out, and around 70 chairs from the dining room had been moved in. After the ceremony, we went outside to take an all-​guest photo from the balcony, and in about 20 minutes, the entire room was flipped back to normal. We could not believe it. Eli, the catering manager, convinced us to do the room flip just a few days before the wedding. I was very nervous, I didn’t want to keep our guests waiting too long before cocktail hour started, but he just said, «Don’t worry, we have it under control.» Never doubt Eli. That’s all I can tell you. He definitely has it under control. He’s been in charge of so many weddings at the Club, that any kind of customization you can think of, he knows how to make it work.
The reception was flawless. Everyone loved the food, we had several guests comment on how excited they were for the coffee bar with cake, and how delicious the passed appetizers were. We’ve all been to weddings where the food is so-​so, or just good enough, but that is not the Riviera Mansion. The chef truly cares about his craft, and works to ensure that all the guests are happy and well-​fed.
The décor of the venue makes it feel like you’re having an elegant dinner party with all your closest friends and family. It’s warm and personal, there are even fireplaces that the staff will light so you can sit by the fire and chat if you don’t want to dance. The amount of different rooms is great to accommodate the needs of your different guests. My grandma, for instance, enjoyed sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee because she wanted to be away from the dance floor.
We took photos all around the venue — the garden, the foyer, the living room, the library, the beautiful wood doors at the entrance, the getting ready spaces — so our photos reflect a wide variety of spaces, instead of just one backdrop for everything. We also were able to go to the Courthouse after the ceremony for additional bride/​groom portraits. Our photographer said that we even had time to go to Alice Keck Park, but we were anxious to get back to our beautiful venue and see all our nearest and dearest! The central downtown location means that wherever you want to go for portraits, you have that opportunity.
All in all, we loved our wedding, and the Riviera Mansion staff allowed us to relax and enjoy. We’d wholeheartedly recommend the venue to any couple looking in Santa Barbara.

Okay brides! I looked up and down the coast of California. Having seen over 100 venues and reading up on about 150 venues, I started to realize over time that I wanted something intimate, vintage, somewhat glamorous (yet, not over the top), historical, and overall unique! I did not want the average country club, hotel banquet room, or over-​priced venue. The hardest part was finding the venue!!! I came across the University Club on a wedding website and clicked on the link. I liked the pictures on their website and they had a very reasonable deal on a wedding package. I would not say their prices were cheap, but also not expensive either. This place was so reasonable for what is included and they worked with me to customize what I wanted as far as drinks being served, etc.
I decided to go check out the venue and the minute I walked in I had stopped and was hit with a wave of emotions! I felt so relieved and knew in my heart that this was the perfect spot for me and my soon to be husband!!! Perfect in everyway. There were individual rooms so that your guests can disperse if they want to be somewhere more intimate where they can talk or they can dance in the other room. The place has a historical Spanish influence with high wood beamed ceilings and a vintage grand piano in the living space. The food was great! The veggie napolean was apparently amazing, but I had the steak. The service was great and everyone at the club is thoughtful and accomodating. Breanna is the sweetest and when my coordinator was nowhere to be found, Breanna came to my rescue! Great place, unique, great ambience, and historical. The University Club is a fantastic wedding venue and affordable!

I wish I could get married there again. Everyone at the University Club was great to work with. Everyone truly helped to make our day one of a kind. I can be type A at times and I felt like everyone at the Mansion met and/​or exceeded my expectations.
We had our ceremony and dinner reception outdoors, and dancing and dessert inside. The food was fantastic! 3months after the wedding people are still talking about the food! Harley makes the best wild boar ribs! The food is AMAZING. There are pages and pages of food choices. Narrowing the food choices was the hardest and most delicious part of the wedding process.
The price is reasonable especially for SB. It costs a little more to have dinner outdoors because you need to rent tables, chairs, linens, lights, and (if you have it in the parking area) carpet and hedges. We brought our own lines and set up dinner on the lawn and just rented tables and chairs. It worked out perfectly.
If we could redo the day, the only change I would make would be to allow more time for dinner because my husband and I both wanted more time to eat the wild boar ribs… mmm

The Riviera Mansion was a dream come true! To get planning started we visited 3 different venues in Santa Barbara and The Riviera Mansion/​University Club was the first on our list. It was my favorite from the very beginning when I had originally found it on Borrowed & Blue. The pictures on the website don’t even do it justice! Don’t get me wrong they’re gorgeous but once you arrive and see the spanish architecture and the beautiful lawn for an outdoor ceremony (which we decided to do) you just fall in love! We personally fell in love with the HUGE tree on the lawn that was a great accent to our ceremony space. The mansion is absolutely beautiful in person. Inside it has all original furniture and flooring. It’s Just stunning. There is a gorgeous library, kids dining room, bar area, 2 options for a dance floor, dining area, living room space, and grand piano! AND it’s all yours to use for your special day! You can transform the mansion into anything you want or leave it for it’s classic beauty. My bridesmaids and I were pampered beyond belief by the Mansion staff as well as my husband and his groomsmen. Treats, champagne, and a butler the day of who so kindly waited on us hand and foot. AWESOME! The staff at the Riviera Mansion were all truly wonderful. Everyone was so helpful and always professional. Breanna Quam is such a sweetheart. She was always there for our concerns, and quick to reply to our emails and questions. We were beyond pleased and so glad we chose to have both our ceremony and reception held at this amazing venue!

We had an incredible experience with the University Club (Riviera Mansion) in Santa Barbara (used for both wedding and reception on 9.6.14). It was an absolute pleasure working with all of the staff, and the location and venue could not have been more beautiful or perfect for us. Breanna O’Toole did an exceptional job organizing and working with us planning the event details. Despite a few very specific dietary requests for our guests and last minute changes to our bar service, the U. Club staff handled it with ease and professionalism. Most notably Eli Khoury, Director of Food & Beverage, really took care of us as well as all of our guests. We have not stopped receiving positive feedback and compliments from our guests about the degree of attentiveness they received as well as the exceptional presentation and taste of all the meals. We have zero regrets about any of the details of our wedding day, and highly recommend The University Club to any other couple looking for the perfect Santa Barbara wedding venue and reception.

The University Club of Santa Barbara is a beautiful place to have your wedding. There is the gorgeous arching hedge to get married under outside, the beautiful grounds with grassy areas wrapping around two sides of the building, flowers and hedges offering a lot of great photo spots.
Their outdoor patio area with a fountain can be re-​made for dancing or outside dining.
The interior is old world all the way and charming in it’s over 100 year old vibe. The tall ceilings and big fireplace in the main room offers the perfect area for your reception. They have a grand piano and the acoustics are quite nice.
They have a choice of dining rooms and resident Chef Harley, who makes wonderful food and is very creative and will accommodate the gluten-​free and the vegetarian easily and deliciously.
The fact that they have all the tables and chairs and furnishings means no rentals! Woo Hoo!
The staff are very good about moving the furniture around and remaking spaces for your needs.
Chrissy the event coordinator, for the club has been there for seven years and is very helpful and fun to work with. I personally prefer a positive and confident coordinator for mocking up an event and she fits the bill with smiles. She has tons of pictures to inspire you. Like the one of the rented chandelier for the outdoor patio. Yup, I’d do that!
Being able to spread out at the club for your wedding is one of the advantages of using the UClub. If you’re dirty dancing in the main room and you Granny can’t take the volume, she can hang out in the quieter Library with other volume averse members of the family. And if the kids are on a screaming sugar high, they can run it off outside.
The University Club of Santa Barbara is a fantastic venue for your very special wedding day!

Chef Ethan at the University Club is an incredible talent and does an amazing job with lunch and dinner! His new, healthier lunches like quinoa salad and zucchini lasagne are excellent menu additions and his daily specials are always great. The University Club has become the perfect place to bring or meet friends and clients. It is located in the heart of Santa Barbara next to 3 parks and it is a lovely place to host a wedding! Their reciprocal club membership is awesome too.

Oh my goodness! Just had my daughter’s reception at the University Club. They were so easy to work with. The venue is beautiful at night with all the candle light and the big roaring fireplace. Chrissy and Shane did a great job and the food was terrific. Usually banquet food is not so great, but this was outstanding. Many compliments from our guests. If looking for a reception site in Santa Barbara you will not go wrong here.

The design and interior of the club is Spanish Colonial. This is Santa Barbara you know! Very welcoming and at home feel throughout the building. Check out their web page for more details.
The new Executive Chef, Harley Hall is an excellent addition to the culinary staff. Trained at Johnson and Wales, Harley can make seafood dance and sing! Formerly Executive Chef of the Arts and Letters Café, Harley now proudly calls «The Club» his new home.
Although a private club, if you wangle an invite from a member, you will not regret the time and energy it took to get in the door.