Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
Raw space venue
The venue will provide just the space. You’ll bring in your own caterer and vendors.
Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing
Starting at $12,000
Packages
Prices start at $4,000
Guest capacity
Up to 250 seated guests
About this venue
From outdoor ceremonies surrounded my manicured, lush trees and florals, to elegant evening receptions, the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum is an unforgettable venue. A hidden gem in the heart of San Diego's historic Balboa Park, the garden is a truly unique and ethereal venue. The garden features authentic Japanese architecture, multiple koi ponds and waterfalls, bonsai, cherry blossom trees and wisteria arbors. For full-scale weddings, 'mix and match' your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception locations; every wedding is unique. The Lower Garden provides both indoor or outdoor spaces for dancing and dining. Our daytime Minimony package is perfect for couples looking to hold a small ceremony at the garden and have the benefit of all the garden's photo op spots, with a reception elsewhere.
Our event spaces
Lower Garden Courtyard
An open-air haven where natural beauty frames every vow
This area, located right outside the Inamori Pavilion, is a great spot for outdoor events. The Pavilion Courtyard also serves as the main site for ceremonies. Ceremony: 250 / Seated Reception: 160
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, After party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Inamori Pavilion (Waterfall Side)
Beautiful authentic Japanese architecture; the room is open-air and has a flow with the Lower Garden Koi Deck and a view of a waterfall and koi pond.
The Inamori Pavilion is an indoor space with an outdoor feel, perfect for receptions. The location could also work great for a ceremony as well. Area includes a deck for guests to walk around, enjoying the gorgeous scenery and waterfall. Seated Reception: 200 (+30 if no dance floor) (+50 if Ceremony off-site) Cocktail Reception: 300 Ceremony: 250 (Room can be divided in half for small events)
Guest capacity
Up to 140 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Guests often feel this space is
“Luxurious and Chic”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Transportation -Wheelchair accessible -Wifi
Room cost
$1,000 flat-rate add-on
Inamori Pavilion (Courtyard Side)
Outdoor dining or dancing in San Diego
Beautiful authentic Japanese architecture; the room is open-air and has a flow with the Lower Garden Courtyard. Perfect for larger receptions, with half inside/half outside dining and dancing
Guest capacity
1-140 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Room cost
$1,000 flat-rate add-on
Lower Garden Koi Deck
A tranquil perch for intimate moments and sweeping views
The Inamori Pavilion's Koi Deck is an ideal place for a covered ceremony that still has an outdoor feel, or cocktail hour. Guests can enjoy the gorgeous scenery and waterfall.
Guest capacity
1-100 Seated
1-150 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Cocktail hour, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Fujidana Plaza
Celebrate in harmony with nature under the open sky
Our open air reception plaza is the perfect spot for a larger reception under the stars. The area includes a deck overlooking the plaza that can be used as an entertainment stage. Spring events can enjoy wisteria blossoms on the wooden fujidana (arbor).
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 300 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Luxurious and Chic”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Koi Deck
A serene waterside escape made for quiet reflections and stunning portraits
Nestled beneath the fujidana (wisteria arbor) and surrounded by the serene sounds of the waterfall, the koi pond is a beautiful spot for wedding ceremonies and cocktail receptions. Ceremony: 60 / Cocktail Reception: 80
Guest capacity
Up to 60 Seated
Up to 80 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Ceremonial Gates
Begin your journey through a timeless symbol of beauty and grace
The majestic backdrop of the Charles C. Dail Memorial Gate is the perfect location for small ceremonies and cocktail hours, or as the dancing area for large receptions. The Ceremonial Gate is a magnificent location surrounded by trees with a view of the towering Corinthian columns of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Ceremony: 80 / 200+ as a dancing area.
Guest capacity
Up to 70 Seated
Up to 200 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Engagement party, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Fun and Festive”
Included in this room:
-Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Earth Bridge & Garden Paths
The garden is art; a photographer's playground.
Wander through living poetry—perfect for romantic first looks, ceremonies, cocktail hour or private proposals. Our Lower Garden includes beautiful pathways where guests can stroll during cocktail hour, exploring a variety of plants and flowers along side a charming stream. The Earth Bridge can serve as an intimate ceremony spot or the perfect place for photos after the ceremony. Bars out in the garden entice guests to explore areas such as the Kannon Bosatsu statue and the new Azumaya gazebo.
Guest capacity
1-120 Seated
1-200 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Lower Garden Courtyard
An open-air haven where natural beauty frames every vow
This area, located right outside the Inamori Pavilion, is a great spot for outdoor events. The Pavilion Courtyard also serves as the main site for ceremonies. Ceremony: 250 / Seated Reception: 160
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, After party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Inamori Pavilion (Waterfall Side)
Beautiful authentic Japanese architecture; the room is open-air and has a flow with the Lower Garden Koi Deck and a view of a waterfall and koi pond.
The Inamori Pavilion is an indoor space with an outdoor feel, perfect for receptions. The location could also work great for a ceremony as well. Area includes a deck for guests to walk around, enjoying the gorgeous scenery and waterfall. Seated Reception: 200 (+30 if no dance floor) (+50 if Ceremony off-site) Cocktail Reception: 300 Ceremony: 250 (Room can be divided in half for small events)
Guest capacity
Up to 140 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Guests often feel this space is
“Luxurious and Chic”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Transportation -Wheelchair accessible -Wifi
Room cost
$1,000 flat-rate add-on
Inamori Pavilion (Courtyard Side)
Outdoor dining or dancing in San Diego
Beautiful authentic Japanese architecture; the room is open-air and has a flow with the Lower Garden Courtyard. Perfect for larger receptions, with half inside/half outside dining and dancing
Guest capacity
1-140 Seated
Up to 250 Standing
Room cost
$1,000 flat-rate add-on
Lower Garden Koi Deck
A tranquil perch for intimate moments and sweeping views
The Inamori Pavilion's Koi Deck is an ideal place for a covered ceremony that still has an outdoor feel, or cocktail hour. Guests can enjoy the gorgeous scenery and waterfall.
Guest capacity
1-100 Seated
1-150 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Cocktail hour, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Fujidana Plaza
Celebrate in harmony with nature under the open sky
Our open air reception plaza is the perfect spot for a larger reception under the stars. The area includes a deck overlooking the plaza that can be used as an entertainment stage. Spring events can enjoy wisteria blossoms on the wooden fujidana (arbor).
Guest capacity
Up to 250 Seated
Up to 300 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Luxurious and Chic”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Koi Deck
A serene waterside escape made for quiet reflections and stunning portraits
Nestled beneath the fujidana (wisteria arbor) and surrounded by the serene sounds of the waterfall, the koi pond is a beautiful spot for wedding ceremonies and cocktail receptions. Ceremony: 60 / Cocktail Reception: 80
Guest capacity
Up to 60 Seated
Up to 80 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Engagement party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Upper Garden Ceremonial Gates
Begin your journey through a timeless symbol of beauty and grace
The majestic backdrop of the Charles C. Dail Memorial Gate is the perfect location for small ceremonies and cocktail hours, or as the dancing area for large receptions. The Ceremonial Gate is a magnificent location surrounded by trees with a view of the towering Corinthian columns of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Ceremony: 80 / 200+ as a dancing area.
Guest capacity
Up to 70 Seated
Up to 200 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Engagement party, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Fun and Festive”
Included in this room:
-Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Earth Bridge & Garden Paths
The garden is art; a photographer's playground.
Wander through living poetry—perfect for romantic first looks, ceremonies, cocktail hour or private proposals. Our Lower Garden includes beautiful pathways where guests can stroll during cocktail hour, exploring a variety of plants and flowers along side a charming stream. The Earth Bridge can serve as an intimate ceremony spot or the perfect place for photos after the ceremony. Bars out in the garden entice guests to explore areas such as the Kannon Bosatsu statue and the new Azumaya gazebo.
Guest capacity
1-120 Seated
1-200 Standing
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party, Elopement, Other
Guests often feel this space is
“Warm and Cozy”
Included in this room:
-Dressing room / Bridal Suite -Event staff -Pet friendly -Wheelchair accessible
Room cost
Included in total venue pricing
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum packages
Minimony Package
3-40 guests
Peak pricing $5,000-6,000
Off-peak pricing $4,000-5,000
Our ceremony-only package offers an intimate 2-hour event (including setup and breakdown) for up to 40 guests, with both daytime and evening options available. At minimum, a day-of coordinator is required to ensure everything runs smoothly. Monday-Thursday Minimonies are available throughout the day, while Friday-Sundays have a latest ceremony start time of 1:00 PM. The Earth Bridge is not available for Minimonies Friday-Sunday, unless it is before we open to the public.
- Up to 40 chairs
- PA system, mic and mic stand
- Bridal Suite $100/hr
- 1 Hour rehearsal for additional fee
Hourly Package
1-250 guests
Peak pricing $6,080-18,000
Off-peak pricing $6,080-12,000
Whether you have 30 guests or 150, we just charge hourly. You get the entire Upper or Lower Garden fully private for an evening event.
- For Lower Garden: Bridal Suite
- For Lower Garden: Parking
- 1 Hour Rehearsal
Available services that can be provided by Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
Services & amenities
- Dressing room / Bridal Suite
- Event staff
- Pet friendly
- Transportation
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wifi
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Shuttle
- Wheelchair accessible
Reviews
Write a review5.0 out of 5
5 reviews
Beautiful Garden Wedding
I am a wedding planner and The Japanese Friendship Garden is one of my favorite venues. Everywhere you look there is beauty. They have gorgeous flowers and trees, coy ponds, waterfalls, and bridges. There is an incredible amount of natural beauty even in the winter. My couples love this as it makes for magical photos. Their events coordinator, Marina is wonderful! She is incredibly organized, responsive, and knowledgeable about the venue. Her warm and professional presence puts my couples at ease and her exceptional organization keeps things running smoothly. I can tell she genuinely cares about the couples and their guests. The rest of the team at the garden is also great to work with. I highly recommend JFG&M to anyone looking to get married. Also, if you have a chance to attend their Dream of Niwa Wedding Expo, definitely do that!
The Fearless Leader Marina
I'm one of the preferred vendors of the Japanese Friendship Garden and without a doubt Marina has proven to be to exude confidence in her ability to manage weddings and the space. From the details of the history of the venue and all of its architecture, she cares and it shows. She managed and ran yesterday the entire Dream Of Niwa wedding expo, which amounted to over 200 people. Something that would make a lot of people crack, she handled with grace and made sure everything was done. Did I mention the ceremony spaces you can choose from? Holy moly. What's amazing about the JFGM is that the venue ambiance is the nature, the koi fish deck, the beautiful river that flows throughout the garden. Spectacular staff by the way who literally helped me unload my truck the last event we did with them, they are the dream wedding space and team.
Gorgeous Venue with Great Staff!
Marina was incredibly responsive and helpful from the get-go. She's got a ton of experience making magic happen at the garden, and all of her recommendations were spot-on—most helpful were probably her pointers on the timeline from start to finish, which we deviated from only very minimally. The only thing I wish I would've known that she didn't cover in advance was that the garden is located in a valley, so it gets darker a little faster there than the surrounding areas of Balboa Park. We had an October wedding ceremony that ended at 6pm, and we barely had 45 minutes for photos before it was just too dark to shoot outside. However, there is some lighting around the garden after sunset.
Gorgeous Venue!
My husband and I just got married last week at the Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) in Balboa Park, and we are so happy we chose this venue! The garden is absolutely stunning, especially in June. We visited so many venues and the JFG just kept calling to us. We really wanted our wedding to be an experience for our guests. With its natural beauty, there was really no need for much in terms of decorations. Marina, the venue coordinator, was a joy to work with--always prompt in answering my many questions and very upfront from the beginning about the venue's requirements, since it is first and foremost a museum and garden. The JFG can be a bit tricky in terms of its strict timelines, so using their recommended vendors who truly understand the layout and setup logistics is absolutely critical. For example, setup can only begin at 3 PM, and the earliest guests can arrive is 5 PM. You're also required to purchase a one-year membership as part of the venue rental, which we used as an excuse to keep visiting. We found a lot of inspiration from the NIWA Wedding Expo in November--it was incredibly helpful to meet so many of their recommended vendors. We also attended the Cherry Blossom Festival in March, which was so beautiful, and even got the idea for my signature drink, the Naguri Sake, from their beer and sake garden! The month leading up to the wedding wasn't without challenges. We ran into some issues with our original event rental company and ended up having to switch vendors just five days before the wedding. Marina was incredibly quick to act and helped us adjust our rental timing at the last minute, which made all the difference. We ended up getting to enjoy the venue space an extra hour! A few things I learned from planning our wedding that might help other couples: I highly recommend getting quotes from all the vendors on the venue's preferred list. It's a great way to help you have a budget baseline and understand your options--it's definitely worth shopping around. Consider having your wedding coordinator work directly with the event rental company instead of going through the caterer. I'd highly recommend Platinum Even Rentals. Overall, their pricing was significantly lower than all the other event rental companies I got quotes from. They did an excellent job -- everything was on time, there were absolutely no issues, and their setup was so smooth that none of our guests even noticed the transitions. In our case, the caterer was going to charge an additional 22% operational fee and 7.75% sales tax, which we avoided by having our coordinator work directly with the rental company. Thank you so much to Marina for helping make our day absolutely perfect. We were truly able to relax, enjoy the moment, and take it all in.
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