Come celebrate your wedding at this quaint church in the middle of San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood. Though the church has an active spiritual congregation rooted in the Swedenborgian tradition, the wedding program is non-denominational and open to people of all backgrounds. Our historic Arts & Crafts chapel with its luscious garden is in the picturesque Pacific Heights neighborhood in San Francisco and provides an unforgettable setting for your wedding.The Parish House has three adjoining rooms (Garden Room, Fireside Room and Dining Room) that make up the general reception area.
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When you book a wedding with us at the Swedenborgian Church, you will work with a team of dedicated professionals who will do everything to ensure that your wedding is a joyous event. The Reverend Junchol Lee is native of South Korea with a diverse background in religion, language, history and philosophy.
The Swedenborgian Church sanctuary, reception hall, and gardens are available for your event bookings. The available time slots are general guides only. Feel free to specify the time frame in which you are interest or ask for more information if your time of day is shown as unavailable. All events must take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.
Though the church has an active spiritual congregation rooted in the Swedenborgian tradition, the wedding program is non-denominational and open to people of all backgrounds. The seating capacity of the church sanctuary is 100 guests (in addition to the wedding party, who, as participants in the ceremony, do not need seats).
Reviews (15)
Carol Pacas
Jan 25, 2022
Leslie D.
Aug 22, 2021
My son got married at the church on June 24th, of this year. Right in the middle of Covid, with mandates totally in flux. The staff at Swedenborgian handled the uncertainty with total professionalism.assuring us that the wedding would take place regardless of what regulations were in place at the time. I would not have changed anything about the venue.beautiful, intimate, romantic.
The church's wedding coordinator was a delight and kept the ceremony moving effortlessly. Our wonderful caterer (Hugh Groman) had done many weddings at this site so was totally at home in the kitchen and knew how to set the rooms up to maximize their size. The price was quite reasonable for the value.
The church's wedding coordinator was a delight and kept the ceremony moving effortlessly. Our wonderful caterer (Hugh Groman) had done many weddings at this site so was totally at home in the kitchen and knew how to set the rooms up to maximize their size. The price was quite reasonable for the value.
Randy Coleman
Jul 11, 2021
The church is magical a time capsule of over a hundred years ago it's like being in country church over in san a Selmo and the lovely gardens captivate your heart! The over 100 hundred year old redwood tree and there are always birds singing! really an amazing place! I fell in love with the people the coffee hour just all of it!
Erich L.
Jun 16, 2019
James R.
Mar 05, 2019
Our wedding day at the Swedenborgian Church of SF was just as we had dreamed. The space was so beautiful, and Reverend Junchol as well as the coordinator Molly were so helpful, accommodating, patient, and professional. We are so happy that we made this choice for the most special day of our lives. Thank you!
K. I.
Nov 27, 2018
My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception at the church in October. We had 60 guests and we couldn't have found a more beautiful or unique venue. The Sanctuary is something out of a medieval tale while the garden offers the perfect location for post-ceremony cocktails and the fireplace room is the most MAGICAL place to have your first dance by a lit fireside.
The church staff were beyond accommodating. Reverend Junchol Lee met with me a year before the wedding to give me a tour, and then was also incredibly helpful during the caterer walk-through. We feel blessed to have been able to so freely contact him for any questions or logistics. Jana, one of the church's event hostesses, was a pleasure to work with.
She was a constant source of wisdom during the final planning stages, and then managed our rehearsal and ceremony like a BOSS. She kept everyone organized and sane, and was just such a shining professional (thank you!). I would highly recommend the church to anyone looking to have an intimate wedding / reception in a unique and affordable venue.
The church staff were beyond accommodating. Reverend Junchol Lee met with me a year before the wedding to give me a tour, and then was also incredibly helpful during the caterer walk-through. We feel blessed to have been able to so freely contact him for any questions or logistics. Jana, one of the church's event hostesses, was a pleasure to work with.
She was a constant source of wisdom during the final planning stages, and then managed our rehearsal and ceremony like a BOSS. She kept everyone organized and sane, and was just such a shining professional (thank you!). I would highly recommend the church to anyone looking to have an intimate wedding / reception in a unique and affordable venue.
Aaron R.
Nov 21, 2018
Just had one of the best experiences ever at Swedenborgian Church. Thank you to Senior Pastor Jun Cho Lee for taking time to officiate our wedding. The venue is beautiful, historic and perfect. Paster Lee did a wonderful job with the vows and the ceremony. Thank you starting us through the next phase of our life.
Bill Lisa S.
Oct 24, 2017
Elizabeth S.
Aug 29, 2016
This venue was perfect for our 60- person wedding. When we first stepped in to the space we both knew it was it. We did ceremony, a garden cocktail hour and dinner here and it was all perfect. I especially loved signing the guest book -- it goes back to the 1800s! The space is perfect for dinner but a little tight for dancing. Don't let that dissuade you!
We just had an after party at another location for dancing and our guests loved it! And the best for last -- Ashley and Shannon made the planning and day of sooooooooo easy. Our day was perfect and stress free.
We just had an after party at another location for dancing and our guests loved it! And the best for last -- Ashley and Shannon made the planning and day of sooooooooo easy. Our day was perfect and stress free.
Abby D.
Aug 10, 2016
My husband and I were married at the Swedenborgian Church and had our 60-person reception in their parish house. We looked at about 20 venues before selecting the Swedenborgian. It's an unlikely, iconic find among some of the more predictable wedding venues the city has to offer. Despite an unexpected rainstorm on our wedding day, everything was still perfect.
The church provided an absolutely gorgeous candle-lit backdrop to our ceremony, and the photos were divine. The Swedenborgian staff couldn't have been sweeter. The events coordinator, Ashley, was fantastic whenever we had questions leading up to the big day; and the church's day-of-coordinator, Julie, was a huge help, too. We didn't get to enjoy our cocktail hour on the lawn as planned because of the uncooperative weather, but the parish house was cute, cozy and still had enough room for some dancing. The Swedenborgian is a definitely a special place.
The church provided an absolutely gorgeous candle-lit backdrop to our ceremony, and the photos were divine. The Swedenborgian staff couldn't have been sweeter. The events coordinator, Ashley, was fantastic whenever we had questions leading up to the big day; and the church's day-of-coordinator, Julie, was a huge help, too. We didn't get to enjoy our cocktail hour on the lawn as planned because of the uncooperative weather, but the parish house was cute, cozy and still had enough room for some dancing. The Swedenborgian is a definitely a special place.
Vicki L.
Jan 13, 2016
The Swedenborgian Church is stunning. It's elegant, charming, quaint, and intimate. I came here for a wedding ceremony on a Sunday (and we were able to find parking a block or two away). It's a pretty small church on a steep hill, but it allows for a very intimate and classy ceremony. If you decide to have your wedding ceremony here, please note: 1.) Since the church is very small, every phone ringing or conversation will echo and be heard clearly and loudly across the halls.
In the ceremony I attended, phones were ringing and babies began crying. It can be distracting since this was occurring at the exact moment that the bride and groom were exchanging their vows. I couldn't really hear clearly because of this. I recommend reminding attendees to turn off their phones before entering for a better experience! 2.) Once the ceremony is over, we took some group photos in front of the church. There's a mini grassy outdoors area, but it's not that scenic for a wedding photo and it's quite small. Keep this in mind if you plan to take a lot of photos right outside the church.
In the ceremony I attended, phones were ringing and babies began crying. It can be distracting since this was occurring at the exact moment that the bride and groom were exchanging their vows. I couldn't really hear clearly because of this. I recommend reminding attendees to turn off their phones before entering for a better experience! 2.) Once the ceremony is over, we took some group photos in front of the church. There's a mini grassy outdoors area, but it's not that scenic for a wedding photo and it's quite small. Keep this in mind if you plan to take a lot of photos right outside the church.
Brittney B.
Jan 02, 2016
I just had my wedding here, and it was so beautiful! There is a perfect bridal party changing room, a lovely outdoor garden space for photos, and a warm, romantic interior including fireplaces. The staff/wedding coordinator were very helpful throughout the whole process. Parking is free, but it does require skilled parallel parking and a little hunting/reading street signs.
The venue does allow wine, beer and champagne, which is unique for a church. I would recommend this venue for a couple looking to host an intimate wedding in a 10k price range.
The venue does allow wine, beer and champagne, which is unique for a church. I would recommend this venue for a couple looking to host an intimate wedding in a 10k price range.
Lisa X.
Oct 09, 2015
Very charming and historic place. We considered this church as a wedding venue when we first started planning. Some of my husband's relatives got married here previously and he remembered attending their weddings here as a child. We didn't rent this place because we had a lot of relatives coming in from all over, and the limited parking situation around this area did not work for us.
Diana V.
Nov 27, 2012
**This review is about the reception area, and not the church interior** What a great place to have an event! Yep, you can rent out their reception room for a private event -- and it doesn't even have to be religious or wedding ceremony-related. If you're looking for a classy, cozy, and vintage home-style event space to fit 80-100 people, check out this venue. Located among million dollar homes in Pacific Heights, the old stone church sits on a corner deep in the neighborhood.
Definitely not a usual destination point, yet a delightful one! Walking through a steel gate and stone archway, you are greeted with a lovely little garden, perfect for mingling with champagne and hor d'oeuvres amongst high tables. At first when I entered the reception room, I thought that I had walked into someone's quaint old-world home!
Wooden rocking chairs, lounges chairs, and a wooden bench all stood in a dark wood great room. Two adjacent rooms had tables made of -- wood -- one large dining table, and another smaller sized, with more oversized wooden chairs. The kitchen off to the side was relatively large, and was able to produce food for a large number of guests without getting bogged down.
I really enjoyed the coziness, intimacy, and elegance of the venue. Despite the number of people in attendance, I could still find a seat and relax and not feel like I was squashed in a crowd.
Definitely not a usual destination point, yet a delightful one! Walking through a steel gate and stone archway, you are greeted with a lovely little garden, perfect for mingling with champagne and hor d'oeuvres amongst high tables. At first when I entered the reception room, I thought that I had walked into someone's quaint old-world home!
Wooden rocking chairs, lounges chairs, and a wooden bench all stood in a dark wood great room. Two adjacent rooms had tables made of -- wood -- one large dining table, and another smaller sized, with more oversized wooden chairs. The kitchen off to the side was relatively large, and was able to produce food for a large number of guests without getting bogged down.
I really enjoyed the coziness, intimacy, and elegance of the venue. Despite the number of people in attendance, I could still find a seat and relax and not feel like I was squashed in a crowd.
S. B.
Aug 11, 2011
Disclaimer: I'm a Hindu. Knowing nothing about churches and ceremonies, I recently attended a wedding here and I have to say, I loved it (right wingers, calm down, I'm not quite ready to convert). It's small, cozy and warm (figuratively and literally since there's a fireplace in there!) which made it perfect for watching two of my close friends tie the knot. It's also not overtly religious so I felt totally comfortable sending my blessings to the bride and groom through Hindu prayer.
A lot of churches I've been to over the years felt quite intimidating, and this was the exact opposite! I hope all of my friends get married here - it's peaceful and perfect!
A lot of churches I've been to over the years felt quite intimidating, and this was the exact opposite! I hope all of my friends get married here - it's peaceful and perfect!
