Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
1260 Channel Drive
Santa Barbara
California 93108 Tel.
(805) 969-2261
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Average Base Cost: $43,000
Average base cost for a Four Seasons Santa Barbara wedding is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception with the hotel’s $30,000 food and beverage minimum for use of the El Mar/La Marina venues. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.
How it Breaks Down
Ceremony Fee: $4,000
You can opt to get married at a wide variety of locations at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara, including the Mariposa Garden (up to 200 guests), Monte Vista Lawn (up to 300 guests), or Escala Garden (up to 150 guests) depending on the size of your wedding. Click here for more ceremony/venue space details.
Reception Venues: There are several options for a Four Seasons Santa Barbara wedding depending on the size and location you’re looking for. Details for their most popular options are below along with their required food and beverage minimums (which take the place of an actual venue fee):
La Marina:
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- Accommodates 150 guests at banquet rounds
- Oceanfront view
- $9,000 F&B dinner minimum
El Mar:
- Accommodates 90 guests at banquet rounds
- Oceanfront view
- Includes a terrace
- $9,000 for lunch and $18,000 for dinner
*Note: The El Mar/La Marina are typically combined to make one flowing room. You would just combine their food and beverage minimums, as noted in the Average Base Cost above.
Loggia Ballroom:
- Accommodates 240 guests at banquet rounds
- Centrally located in the resort
- $18,000 for lunch and $30,000 for dinner
La Pacifica Ballroom:
- Accommodates 300 guests at banquet rounds
- Located directly on the beach
- $40,000 for dinner
Food and Beverage Minimum: While there is a ceremony fee of $4,000, there is no fee for the reception spaces. Instead, you have to meet a food and beverage minimum per listed above. Examples of how that would break down for a Saturday night wedding using the El Mar/La Marina rooms is as follows:
Appetizers
- Chicken Mango Salad on Sweet Corn Tarragon Blinis
- Selection of California Dungeness Crab Roll, Wasabi Pickled Ginger Aioli Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Grape Jam, Crostini,Lime
- Lamb Chop Lollipops, Orange Honey Cumin Brush, Mint Yogurt
- Tempura Shrimp, Ponzu Dip
- Sweet Corn Black Bean Empanada, Tomatillo Salsa
Plated Dinner
- Local Organic Greens, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Asian Pears, Walnuts
- Aged Sherry Vinaigrette
- Ginger scallops, silk carrot puree, pea tendrils
Choice of:
Herb Focaccia Crusted Beef Tenderloin, Crushed Fingerling Potatoes, Cipollini Onion, Tomato Tartare
or
Organic Scottish king salmon, saffron Italian couscous, Braised fennel, tomato relish
or
Eggplant ossobuco, soft polenta, mushroom bolognese, broccolini
Wedding Cake
- Lemon Chiffon Cake, Light Lemon Cream Filling, Fresh Raspberries
- (Actual Price Based on Design)
Beverages
- Cocktails (create a bar by choosing brands of Vodka, Gin, Scotch, Whiskey, Rum, and Tequila. Speciality drinks available)
- Gainey Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, California
- Candor Merlot, Paso Robles, California
- J Vineyards & Winery Sparkling Wine, Brut, Russian River Valley
Pricing
Food:
- Six Hors D’oeuvres 125 @ $42.00 $5,250.00
- 3 Course Dinner 125 @ $105.00 $13,125.00
- Children’s/Vendor Meals 10 @ $35.00 $350.00
- Wedding Cake 125 @ $12.00 $1,500.00
Beverages:
- Cocktails 375 @ $12.00 $4,500.00 (est. 3 drinks per person)
- White Wine 25 @ $55.00 $1,375.00
- Red Wine 25 @ $60.00 $1,500.00 (est. 2 glasses of wine per person)
- Champagne Toast 20 @ $60.00 $1,200.00 (est. 1 glass per person)
Estimated Food & Beverage @ $28,800.00
- 12% Service Fee @ $3,456.00
- 10% Administrative Fee @ $2,880.00
- Estimated Labor Fees @ $0.00
- Estimated Other Charges @ $4,000.00 (ceremony fee)
- 8% Sales Tax @ $3,130.88
Total Estimated Charges @ $42,266.88
What’s Included: A lot, actually, which is one of the benefits of having a wedding at a hotel/resort. Tables and chairs are included (though couples also choose to bring in alternatives from outside vendors), china, glassware, flatware, dance floor, market umbrellas (in case of rain), outdoor heaters, staging with skirting, floor length linens, votive candles, framed table numbers, in-house centerpieces.
For ceremonies, white wood folding chairs, a beverage station, guest book table, and wireless mic and PA system are included.
More Stats
Space Type: Inside/Outside depending on desired location.
Bridal Suite: This would be your hotel room
Size: From 50-300+ guests.
Food Service Type: Buffet or plated.
Parking: The hotel offers free valet.
Restrictions: You must have a wedding coordinator and select vendors from their preferred list. All decor must be approved by the hotel.
How Will Grandma Get There? Ideally Grandma would stay at the Four Seasons The Biltmore Santa Barbara Resort. Prices start at around $400 and go to $1,000+, but there are less expensive Santa Barbara hotels nearby as well.
Party On!: Weddings are for a 5-hour period, excluding the ceremony. However, you can arrange to have an earlier start time which would cost you $35/per server per hour (there is typically one server per 10 guests, so for 125 guests I’d estimate you’re looking at around $500+ per overtime hour). A sample wedding timeline would be 5-6 p.m. ceremony, 6-7 p.m. cocktails, and 7-11 p.m. dinner/dancing.
Events must end by the times listed below (per area):
Las Flores, El Jardin, and El Presidente: 9 p.m.
El Mar, La Marina, Loggia Ballroom, La Salita and La Fonda: 11:00 p.m.
La Pacifica Ballroom: 12:00 a.m.
The Report
Originally the Santa Barbara Biltmore, the Spanish Colonial Revival hotel opened in 1927 and was bought by the Four Seasons in 1987. In 2000 Ty Warner (of Beanie Baby fame) bought the hotel (but retained the Four Seasons management). Locally the hotel is known as “The Biltmore.” The hotel is technically located in Montecito (which is gorgeous) and is a short drive from downtown Santa Barbara). While the hotel is not located directly on the beach (it is instead on 22 pretty gorgeous acres), guests have exclusive access to the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, which is open only to private members and hotel guests (there is daily fee of $200 to use the club if you are in a Deluxe or Superior room, otherwise it is free of charge). There are 207 guestrooms and 12 cottages for guests.
Woman Getting Married Says
I toured this property on a recent trip to Santa Barbara and had lunch with the hubs overlooking the oceanfront. The property itself is pretty amazing, and is classic Santa Barbara in terms of architecture and gorgeous views. It’s also classic Santa Barbara in that the prices are extremely high, not only for the rooms but for the food as well. While the view (and wine) during our lunch here was great, the food left a little to be desired (granted, I think its’ somewhat expected at larger hotel chains such as this one that you’re paying for the ambiance and not necessarily the food). I did appreciate the little touches, however, like free valet (which is almost unheard of here in Los Angeles) as well as great service.
I have corresponded with their wedding planner and she has been great, which is always a huge plus. If you’re planning a larger wedding in Santa Barbara, this is an ideal spot if you have the budget. It’s a larger hotel with all of the expected conveniences, but it’s also unique in that it has that old-world charm (like wooden beams in several of the property’s venues). With that said, I think you should definitely negotiate a couple of the prices above, particularly the per drink beverage cost. Ideally you could pay per person instead, because otherwise you will most likely end up WAY over your budget.
As a general rule I never advise brides to pay per drink, especially if you have a group of big drinkers. Ask the hotel what they might be able to do in that regard, as well as on the prices of the rooms and upgrades for you and your groom. Given the high cost of the rooms, you’ll definitely want to reserve a block at a less expensive hotel in the area.
