Unitarian Society Of Santa Barbara

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 $6,000 for off-peak dates, and $5,999 for peak dates

Guest capacity

Up to 200 seated guests

About this venue

The Unitarian Society campus includes the Sanctuary, a Reception hall, a Terrace and two Gardened Courtyards, allowing for wedding Ceremonies inside or out. Designed and built in 1930 in the city’s signature Spanish-Revival style, the rustic glamor is enhanced by antique architectural elements. Couples of any faith or sexual orientation are invited to pledge their love in this glorious space, a welcome solution for interfaith marriages and same-sex unions.

Best of Zola 2026

Seated guest capacity

  • 10-200

Venue type

  • Ballrooms, Banquet Halls
  • Historic Estates, Mansions

Venue setting

  • Outdoor
1535 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Our event spaces

Historic Sanctuary

Historic Downtown Santa Barbara Non-Denomination Church

Our Sanctuary is the jewel of our campus; a peaceful and powerful place to be. You can feel it as you walk beneath the 50 foot ceilings, and as the light fills the room from the stunning stained glass window. You can feel it as you listen to the acoustically-perfect sounds of our Steinway piano or the majestic 1,500 pipe organ. Our friendly staff will help you design your perfect wedding here!

Guest capacity

Up to 250 Seated

Up to 285 Standing

Square footage

2,035

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Parish Hall

The main ballroom at USSB

Parish Hall is our main ballroom. This beautiful room hosts most of the wedding receptions held at USSB, in conjunction with Parish Courtyard right outside the three arched doorways. It’s the place to dance the night away! And with our attached commercial Kitchen, Parish Hall has everything you’ll need for a full- featured event.

Guest capacity

12-120 Seated

Up to 150 Standing

Square footage

1,584

Ideal for

Rehearsal dinner, Farewell brunch, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

Sound System Elevated Stage Projector & Screen Commercial Kitchen Wheelchair Accessible

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Parish Courtyard

Parish Courtyard and parish hall in combination offer your guests a true indoor/outdoor experience on our beautiful historic campus.

Parish Courtyard is one of our most beautiful spaces. Nestled between our Sanctuary and Parish Hall, this gorgeous garden hosts most of our wedding receptions. And in the evening, when the Courtyard Lights are lit, our beautiful fountained courtyard becomes truly romantic. It’s the ideal place to make a memory.

Guest capacity

Up to 200 Seated

Up to 250 Standing

Square footage

4,580

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Included in this room:

Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom in Parish Hall Palm Tree Courtyard Lights Available

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Historic Sanctuary

Historic Downtown Santa Barbara Non-Denomination Church

Our Sanctuary is the jewel of our campus; a peaceful and powerful place to be. You can feel it as you walk beneath the 50 foot ceilings, and as the light fills the room from the stunning stained glass window. You can feel it as you listen to the acoustically-perfect sounds of our Steinway piano or the majestic 1,500 pipe organ. Our friendly staff will help you design your perfect wedding here!

Guest capacity

Up to 250 Seated

Up to 285 Standing

Square footage

2,035

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Parish Hall

The main ballroom at USSB

Parish Hall is our main ballroom. This beautiful room hosts most of the wedding receptions held at USSB, in conjunction with Parish Courtyard right outside the three arched doorways. It’s the place to dance the night away! And with our attached commercial Kitchen, Parish Hall has everything you’ll need for a full- featured event.

Guest capacity

12-120 Seated

Up to 150 Standing

Square footage

1,584

Ideal for

Rehearsal dinner, Farewell brunch, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party, Elopement

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Included in this room:

Sound System Elevated Stage Projector & Screen Commercial Kitchen Wheelchair Accessible

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Parish Courtyard

Parish Courtyard and parish hall in combination offer your guests a true indoor/outdoor experience on our beautiful historic campus.

Parish Courtyard is one of our most beautiful spaces. Nestled between our Sanctuary and Parish Hall, this gorgeous garden hosts most of our wedding receptions. And in the evening, when the Courtyard Lights are lit, our beautiful fountained courtyard becomes truly romantic. It’s the ideal place to make a memory.

Guest capacity

Up to 200 Seated

Up to 250 Standing

Square footage

4,580

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Included in this room:

Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom in Parish Hall Palm Tree Courtyard Lights Available

Room cost

Varies by day of the week

Available services that can be provided by Unitarian Society Of Santa Barbara

Services & amenities

  • Dance floor
  • Event coordinator
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

12 reviews

  • DP

    Danielle P.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Apr 25, 2026

    A gorgeous, quintessential Santa Barbara wedding!

    Joanie and the USSB staff were prompt, organized, and on top of making sure everything was set up just right for our reception. The courtyard and Parish Hall were perfect for our evening, making the celebration relaxed, fun, and beautiful! We also got some lovely photos across the street at Alice Keck park. Excellent location in Santa Barbara!

  • CR

    Corina R.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Apr 16, 2026

    USSB Wedding

    The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara was an incredible choice for our wedding day. The team was easy to reach and knew every detail of their venue, which made planning feel smooth and stress-free. We loved the beautiful space, and while the bathrooms could use an update, the courtyard looked stunning at night with all the lights on. They helped us create a rain backup plan and handled all the table setup and takedown, which took so much off our plate. We also stayed at the Simpson house across the street, which was a perfect spot and made getting to our ceremony a breeze. If you're planning a Santa Barbara wedding, we'd definitely recommend this venue—plus they have an amazing list of vendors to connect you with.

  • NC

    Nicole C.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Mar 2, 2026

    USSB was amazing!

    USSB was seriously amazing for our November 2025 wedding. Joanie and her team were so great to work with, super responsive, organized, and just genuinely helpful the entire time. Communication was easy from the beginning and I honestly have zero complaints. We had both our ceremony and reception there with about 100 people, and it was the perfect size. It felt intimate but still had plenty of room for everyone to celebrate comfortably. They also recommended some incredible vendors, which made planning so much easier. We booked our caterer through their recommendation, DJs Catering, and I’m so glad we did, highly recommend! Our wedding planner was also a recommendation, Melena with Sage and Slate. she was the best and has worked weddings there before. The venue also recommended our DJ... DJ Darla Bea. Overall, it was such a great experience and I would 100% recommend USSB to anyone looking for a wedding venue. It truly felt perfect for our day! Thank you so much USSB!!!!!!

  • KE

    Kirra E.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Feb 25, 2026

    Perfect Santa Barbara Location!

    The Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara was an exceptional choice for our wedding venue. From the very beginning, their communication was fast, informative and always encouraging and positive. We appreciated their great value, clear pricing without any hidden fees, and their overall honesty throughout the process. They provided us with a beautiful sample photo book, kept us informed every step of the way, and set realistic expectations that were all exceeded on our wedding day. The easy access for all vendors, ability to host 135 guests both indoors and outdoors, beautiful architecture and venue customization made for an unforgettable celebration. We are so grateful to theUSSB team for helping make our special day truly perfect.

  • AM

    Analee M.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Feb 24, 2026

    When civil wedding meets church

    USSB was more than I could have wished for. I myself am catholic, however my now husband was not raised catholic therefore a traditional catholic wedding was not going to be an option for us. We got lucky enough that USSB was recommended to us before we had just settled on getting married at the court house. Although Santa Barbara is home to a beautiful court house, nothing would have compared to USSB. It was the most beautiful ceremony I could have asked for, allowing me to incorporate the perfect touches of a catholic ceremony with the freedom of being in a non-denominational setting. Joanie was also great to work with she kept us at ease every step of the way & was already readily available when we had any questions or concerns planning the ceremony in getting all the vendors aligned together. If you’re looking for a timeless traditional venue with a touch of church setting USSB is the place for you.

Real couples who got married at Unitarian Society Of Santa Barbara

Show all photos
Your reservation includes 8-10 hours from start to finish, for a ceremony and reception, depending on the day and 4 hours for just a ceremony including the time it takes our staff to set up and clean up.
Alcohol must be served by a licensed bartender, but many of them on our vendor list will work with the client to serve the client-provided alcohol.
No, but we have ample street parking
Yes
Our starting rental fee includes exclusive use of the venue for your event, pew seating in the Sanctuary for guests, and access to our historic spaces for your ceremony and reception. You’ll also have time for setup and cleanup, plus support from our on-site venue supervisor to help ensure everything runs smoothly.

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