Darlington House

nue is beautiful, with stunning architecture and great outdoor space that provided the perfect backdrop for our ceremony and reception. Our guests are still raving about the elegant vibe and the overall ambiance of the venue, especially the gardens, outdoor courtyards, and historical interior of the house. We can't thank Darlington House enough for making our wedding day truly magical. If you're looking for a venue that combines elegance, exceptional service, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, we highly recommend Darlington House.

ull of charm. We received numerous compliments and were so happy to have our special day at the Darlington House.

were impressed with the large outdoor area, the beautiful indoor area, and especially the library. It was great knowing that proceeds from our event were helping a good cause as well. Our wedding was gorgeous and we received so many compliments on how perfect the venue was.

g. So glad I chose this venue for my dream wedding that I would like again and again.

library, and the luscious gardens outside. It's everything you could dream of for your special day. I love that you have each event in a separate place within the venue and you don't have to add a bunch of decor because the venue speaks for itself. Our guests absolutely loved it and so did we. I mainly worked with Carly and she was great! So helpful and quick to respond to my emails and random questions. Our day went so smoothly, we can't thank the rest of the staff enough for such a beautiful wedding!

t communication, provided us with some outstanding vendor recommendations to help make our day special, and the venue was absolutely stunning.

ial destination for out-of-town folks. Everywhere you look is another stunning detail. We hardly had to decorate because it is already so gorgeous. Planning with them was smooth and easy, and so was everything on our wedding day. I couldn't have imagined a better venue for our wedding.

ontract it says 9:30PM. She said that they don't mind if it goes towards 9:55PM (closer to 10PM) as long as the DJ knows that it has to be turned off by 10pm. Also, I was informed that we would be able to use any furniture from the house for the wedding, such as using one of the benches for our sweet heart table. There is also a balcony with stairs in which I inquired about us using it for pictures in which they agreed. The day of the wedding, we were not allowed to use any furniture for the sweet heart table, and not allowed to bring any furniture outside of the house. Also, we were denied using the balcony for any photo ops despite what they said previously since the venue manager working said no. Music went till about 9:40PM in which then the venue manager that night came and told the DJ to turn it off. There seems to be a lot of miss information provided and it really just depends on who is working your venue that night sadly. We still loved having our wedding there, however, I wish this information was more clear since then I would have considered other locations.

garden feel throughout made this venue any easy choice for us. Darlington House was the perfect starting canvas for our big day!

s to mingle and celebrate. Carly was so helpful in getting us all booked for the event, especially with navigating the changing pandemic situation. We were originally planning to get married in April 2021 but had to push back to October, and Carly was very accommodating. Thank you for a magical night Darlington House!

nds are beautiful; it's very much like you're getting married on someone's supremely gorgeous and private estate. Carly was wonderful to work with and we can't recommend Darlington House enough.

ion, this place is for you! The Darlington House is located near many hotels to accommodate your gusts who are traveling and for your wedding party to stay for the big weekend, and is close to Windansea beach if you want to sneak away during cocktail hour for some additional wedding photos. The mansion has a variety of patios and space that can be fully utilized throughout the entire wedding. There many lovely details in the design and decor such as the marble columns and rose bushes that add to the romantic setting. The venue also provides a list of preferred vendors that helps with the planning process if you are starting from scratch and are unsure who to work with. We loved that their mission is to serve low income seniors and that all proceeds from the venue goes back into the community it serves as well! If you are concerned with the early noise curfew, there are many local bars nearby to continue to wedding festivities afterwards.

market lighting and it takes on a whole new mesmerizing life. By far the best venue we looked at. If you’re looking to party late into the night the 9:30pm cut off won’t be super favorable, but we started our ceremony at 3pm and it was plenty of time for us and our guests! There is so much to look at. People commented frequently about how much they loved the venue and how convenient it was. We used all spaces and felt it was the perfect size for our 111 guests! The staff was incredible and not invasive at all-there are some rules (no red wine in the house, etc.) but that won’t take away from the experience-the main reason to be inside is the bathroom or to sit on a couch and take a moment to rest or listen to someone playing their piano! :) My pro tip-use one of their approved day of coordinators-they know the venue inside and out and are wonderful!

al courtyards outside and rooms inside makes for a really fun experience for guests. All areas are beautiful as they are, which means you don't need to do a lot in terms of decorating or floral - there are a ton of amazing options for photos too! Darlington House is perfectly and centrally located in La Jolla which is great if you have guests traveling in from out of town - it's an easily walkable area with lots to do. You're also only a few blocks from the beach if you want to sneak out for a few minutes on your wedding day to take pictures there. Street parking is limited - Darlington House partners with a valet company which we initially didn't think was necessary but are so glad we used them, no one was late due to trouble finding parking. We had about 160 guests and fit in the venue very comfortably. With a wedding of that size, you'll likely need to use the same space for the ceremony and reception, which means you'll need to plan for about a 1.5 hour cocktail to make the flip.

wedding day.  The different spaces around the house made everything run smooth, and allowed everything to feel like it was this perfectly sized party at your own house (granted it's much nicer than our own house).  Being the only event for the day at the venue was something we didn't know we were looking for at first, but it made the day feel even more special, without guests needing to ask which party was ours or where to go.  The little details like the painted accent tiles, the beautiful gardens and the gorgeous interiors really made this the obvious option for us.  We couldn't be happier with the way our day went at Darlington House, and recommend anybody else hold their wedding there too!  Plus your fees go to help out the neighboring elderly home too, so there's an even better added benefit.

d the venue was a perfect size and fit for the elegant, intimate and warm wedding we envisioned. I didn't want the typical hotel ballroom wedding - this venue is the complete opposite, TONS of character! We planned each portion of our wedding in different areas of the venue so there was a beautiful flow and our guests loved moving from area to area. Awesome photos: this venue has so many gorgeous backdrops that you will have such a great variety of photos. The beach is super close by so you can walk there during golden hour with your photographer and snap some awesome pictures. Staff: Carly was super accommodating with many of our requests and my frazzled bride emails, thank you, Carly! Don't let the 930pm end time put you off - we started early (3pm invite time) and six hours of event time was more than enough. We didn't feel rushed. We also had a Sunday wedding so that probably helped. We had an afterparty booked nearby and it was the perfect ending (if you need recs, just message me. I researched every option in La Jolla!). Yes, the venue doesn't come with anything so you must bring in everything yourself BUT it's an opportunity to customize it exactly how you like it (trust me, you would end up upgrading chairs and what not and paying more at a hotel anyway) and all the wedding vendors in the area have worked there so they will know what to do. Ashley with Always Flawless Productions was our planner and she was amazing as she's planned so many weddings there, highly recommend her! Cherry on top: it's a nonprofit, so your venue costs are going towards a good cause. Thank you, Darlington House, for a beautiful, magical day!

mmend Darlington House!

a more beautiful venue. Carly was very helpful throughout the entire planning process. Darlington House is the most amazing venue full of the most incredible details, and the privacy of the venue cannot be unmatched. This venue truly made our wedding day so much more special and we loved every second spent in the venue. 10/10 stars!

hen my husband and I first saw Darlington House. The venue was very beautiful with a touch of class! We held our wedding reception for 5 hours. Brides, I highly recommend this venue!!! It's not the usual, ordinary "hall" wedding reception. We didn't have to put so much decoration (which is a A++++ SAVES YOUR BUDGET!!) just because the venue itself is more than enough. The architecture of the house is so classic!! It's been a week but our guests still couldn't get over of how beautiful the place was. They all love the venue, they couldn't stop taking pictures and videos. I also highly recommend this place just because, you'll surely have a beautiful and elegant wedding portrait photos with your groom.

My out of town guests loved the proximity to La Jolla hotels. The Darlington House impresses all ages, it is a beautiful and well maintained home with stunning gardens. It will make any wedding - regardless of budget - a memorable event.

o perfect atmosphere for everyone to feel at home yet like they were part of an upscale event! The layout of The Darlington House is unique and makes each aspect of the day special. We began our ceremony in one area under beautiful arches, then our guests were escorted to a gorgeous patio that is connected to the library (where we set up the bar) for cocktail hour. During dinner & reception our guests were taken to yet another beautiful area to eat and have fun! All of these spaces are connected by just a few steps. The wedding party utilized the upstairs bedrooms which are so elegant! We truly felt like royalty. Every single guest approached us at some point in the night, raving about how beautiful our venue was. My husband and I were absolutely blown away by the space. It felt like a fairytale!! Thank you Carly, and all of The Darlington House staff, who helped make our day perfect in every way.

nice and the grounds made for awesome photos. It was the perfect venue for our guest and again I LOVED this venue. We even took a short drive to the beach to get beach photos!!

ed for things that were not in our contract. We signed our contract in 2017 for a 2018 wedding, and I believe that we should be held to the 2017 rules. Carly, asked us to provide certificates of insurance for each vendor and for our coordinator, we needed letters of recommendation because she was not a "preferred vendor". This extra stuff that we didn't know about caused me to be stressed about contacting all the vendors and trying to find the time to get everything sent over to her. Also, you are required to use a preferred vendor for catering. Take it from me...DO NOT USE PERSONAL TOUCH!!! They were awful!!!

than we could have imagined. The staff - especially Carly - were great to work with and were so helpful and accommodating. Don't be intimidated by the need to bring in all vendors - they provide great recommendations and it's a fun opportunity to customize your event to your preferences. Added bonus - the fee charged goes toward the La Jolla Social Service League which provides housing for low income seniors. Can't recommend this venue enough!

e day of the wedding we noticed the upkeep was poor the rose garden wasn't much of a garden and the fountain was dirty and looked old. Parking For guest is a struggle, valet parking is almost a requirement if you want guest to be on time. The office hours aren't flexible and the response time from our docent was poor. its an empty venue you bring everything from lighting to heaters and tents they provide nothing for you except for a rude girl that will not acknowledge you when you ask questions regarding the suites upstairs. I paid $17,000 over all, that's more than most all-inclusive clubs offer with half the stress. I did give this venue 3 stars because the place was nice.

as historic charm and the backyard wedding feel we wanted. I love that you have access to the whole house, it made for beautiful details in every corner and provided a great flow between cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. The one "downside" is that music has to be off by 10 pm since it's in a residental neighborhood, but we actually didn't mind calling it a night on the early side. It left people wanting more rather than getting bored! We went ahead and paid for 2 extra hours of time beyond the usual booking so that our cocktail hour could start without a large gap after our ceremony (at USD). Our guests are still raving about how gorgeous the reception was, and the photos are amazing. The staff was very helpful throughout the planning process and made sure everything was squared away. I would absolutely recommend the Darlington House to anyone wanting to have a classy, intimate outdoor reception. We pretty much maxed out the capacity with 175 guests, so that amount or less is ideal for this venue.

The staff is extremely helpful and responsive. They do their best to make your experience as special as possible. The only downside is that you must be out of the venue by 9:30pm on the dot. We decided to host an after party to keep the night going. You also have to pay $150 per hour to use the bridal suite if you want it more than 2 hours before the event start time. Other than that it's a wonderful place to get married and I would highly recommend taking the time to view the venue!

. The staff is helpful and the venue is gorgeous! We received so many compliments for choosing this venue!

had so many guests tell us that our wedding was the best they've ever been to, and I owe a lot of that to the ambiance and beauty of Darlington. That's not to say that there weren't downsides: we had to stop the music around 9:30pm and start ushering guests out at that time due to the noise ordinance (San Diego County has a 10pm shut off time for music for outdoor events) and because it's right next to the retirement home (this is what your payment for the space helps fund). Also, while some staff were nice throughout the process, others were downright unpleasant. They are VERY strict and our wedding coordinators were locked out of the house at 10pm on the dot! They were absolutely unyielding. They also have other rules in the contract about no red wine inside the house, which is reasonable for a historic home. Just be sure to follow the rules because they very much hold you to every single detail in the contract. Overall, we have no regrets and loved having our ceremony and reception there.

maintain the house and gardens in pristine shape so it looks spectacular on your wedding day.

Darlington House were very pleasant and helpful! We could not have asked for a more beautiful evening!

:30pm. That isn't so bad but you have to have everything out by 10pm...no excuses. We were all having such a good time and lingering a bit and were literally asked by the staff to leave. It was kind of a drag.

hing different than just another hotel wedding! And you are in La Jolla, can't beat that.

lucky with a cancellation, otherwise they are booked all year you need to reserve a date over a year ahead of time. I would recommend the Darlington House to every bride!

pens up into 3 different ajoining courtyards which have beatufiul flowers fountains citrus trees tiles and arch ways. Everyone loved the setting and the romantic charm of the Darlington House.;the only draw back of the location is the noise restrictions of the neighborhood you absolutely have to be out of the site by 10pm so you wanted a late night party this wouldn't be the place.

unique and it was not just another hotel ballroom. My wedding was beautiful there!;The ceremony site can only fit about 110 chairs. I was promised we could fit 150-160 so alot of my guest had to stand. I was upset that they lied to me about it. The whole reason I asked was because I wanted to make sure there would be enough space or we might have considered another location.