I had a 10/10 experience at this venue they have all inclusive options that really do take the stress off party planning! The catering was delicious and the decor was beautiful they help with set up and clean up and work with lots of vendors like photo booths and bar service which made a custom menu with delicious cocktails for us ! The coordinators are very helpful from start to finish and went above and beyond to make us feel stress free and enjoy our event! I will definitely be booking all my events here they also have multiple venues to pick from and all their rooms are timeless and beautiful! Thank you LAC for all your help and support bringing my vision to life! read more

Where do I even start... this place completely surpassed our expectations. About a year ago when we first toured the venue, Desiree scheduled our visit and walked us through everything we needed to know about booking. What stood out immediately was that she never tried to push or sell us on anything. At several other venues we visited, we felt pressured right away, but that was never the case here. Instead, she simply provided us with brochures, menus, and helpful information about packages and vendors and told us, "It's your day -- make it personal. You tell us what you want." That approach alone sold us. We booked the venue a year in advance, and throughout the planning process the team was incredibly supportive. Even when a few things changed along the way -- like DJ adjustments, officiant changes, and other small details -- they worked through everything with us and made the process feel manageable. We're truly grateful for that. We made several appointments with Elvia our decorator who is an absolute gem and went above and beyond ensuring that our colors and placements and every small detail was tended to and we were absolutely happy with how she put things together! We had our wedding last night, and we want to sincerely thank Desire, Josie, Elvia, Melissa and Nichole the floor captains, David the bartender, Desmond and his security team, and the busser Ryan. Their planning, execution, professionalism, and friendliness did not go unnoticed by us or by our guests. I want everyone reading this to know that weddings and events take planning and all these wonderful people working here need from you is communication. When you don't have that, don't be surprised when things are missing or if theres confusion. It's not the venues fault. We were in constant communication and because of that everything came together beautifully, and we're incredibly thankful for the effort everyone put in to make our day so special. Thank you all for helping create such an unforgettable wedding day for us! Love you guys! read more

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My wife and I held our wedding reception at the Life Arts Center on December 31, and unfortunately it was one of the most disappointing customer service experiences we've ever had. The problems started before the wedding. During the final weeks leading up to our reception, our assigned event coordinator went nearly two to three weeks without responding to us. For a couple trying to finalize details for their wedding, being effectively ghosted during such a critical time was incredibly frustrating and unprofessional. When we finally heard back, we were told they were overloaded and busy. That's not an acceptable excuse when people are trusting you with one of the most important days of their lives. The bigger issue happened on the day of our reception. A rainstorm exposed a major leak in the ceiling of the main reception room. Despite attempts to patch the roof, water continued leaking into the room during our wedding. The venue's solution was essentially a bucket on the floor. The event coordinator provided no meaningful solution, and our own friend--who was helping coordinate the wedding--had to leave, go home, and bring back pipe and drape to create a makeshift cover for the leaking area. We lost part of the room, had water coming through the ceiling during our reception, and ended up looking at a temporary curtain setup in the middle of our wedding celebration. Things go wrong sometimes. Roof leaks happen. What matters is how a business responds when they do. In our case, there was no real plan, no meaningful support, and no ownership of the problem. After the wedding, I didn't ask for a full refund. The reception still happened, and there were aspects of the evening we appreciated. I simply requested a reasonable partial refund given the circumstances. That request was made in January. Since then, the Life Arts Center has completely ignored us. No response. No resolution. No accountability. The leaking roof was frustrating, but honestly the way they handled the situation--and then ghosted us afterward--was worse. We paid thousands of dollars expecting professionalism and support. Instead, we were left to solve problems ourselves on our wedding day and then ignored when we tried to resolve the issue afterward. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this venue. read more

Was skeptical to book my daughter's birthday here based off of reviews. I'm so happy I went with them. Desiree was beyond helpful and friendly. I did opt to go a little extra on decor by adding draping and it exceeded my expectations. I ended up choosing to go with their new caterer Chef Mike. Food was delicious. Lemon chicken was by far my favorite. Overall my family and I are so thankful to the staff for making a stressful day easier. read more

Great customer service Melissa is awesome very helpful and friendly as well as Joshua he greeted with a smile . Y'all need a raise. Keep up the great work I'll be back. read more

We attended a paint & sip class hosted by Kandycocktails in this building on the second floor. I was able to find parking on a Saturday afternoon in the lot behind the building. We entered the building on the side where Penrose records was located. Inside it's older but cute. I live in an older building so I can imagine it gets hot especially on the upper floors. I didn't notice an elevator so if you're not able bodied or have hip, knee, back issues, maybe call ahead and see if there are lifts or elevators in the building or a ramp? Penrose records is located in this basement of the building which was a highlight for me. It's a very cute shop and it's small, but if you're a vinyl collector or a fan of the label it's a must visit for sure. read more

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I went to a wedding there last weekend and Mel was super helpful. Staff was great. Decor was so beautiful. Love the building.

PLEASE READ: I've been calling and calling and no one is returning my phone calls BUT GET THIS!? Former brides who have had the same issues saw my original review and contacted me! Also, so many more of my guests are telling me they paid for the sodas that WE provided. Please be cautious of this. I'm so embarrassed read more

I recently had my daughters quince there. Desiree and Mel were absolutely fantastic. What a breath of fresh air. They helped from planning to decor, even helped me with finding a Photo Booth. I had no idea where to even start. Day of went smoothly, my floor manager James ensured everything happened accordingly to schedule. I also used their in house Dj X, who's my new favorite. I hope to have another event soon. This will be my go to. read more

Our organization held its annual gala at Life Arts Center on January 30, and the experience was far below expectations. The food was subpar, key accompaniments were missing, and overall execution did not match what was promised. The bar service was disappointing, with long waits and poor coordination that guests immediately noticed. Even more concerning was the lack of any follow‑up from venue staff. After hosting a major event with clear issues, we received no communication, no explanation, and no effort to make things right. A gala requires careful planning and responsive management. Unfortunately, this venue failed to deliver. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend Life Arts Center. read more

Where to start...... As an event planner, I find it very disheartening to attend an event and to witness a brides dream and event that she has waited so long for and put a lot of money towards to be treated so horribly. If I could give them negative stars I would. We arrived at Life Arts Center in Riverside on January 17, 2026, and were the first group of our party to arrive after we attended the wedding at a different location. We parked in the back parking lot and had to walk past several homeless individuals camped out on the sidewalk, with human feces on the sidewalk as well as the smell of urine as we headed to the front door of the venue. As we approached the front door, a gentleman who was acting as if in a security position opened the door asking what we were doing there. I explained that we were attending a wedding reception there. By this time there was probably 8 from our group who have begun to gather. He informed me that he didn't know about any wedding reception and to wait at the door while he tried to find out. There were two other parties going on in the two front rooms. When he came back to us, he told us that we were in the rear of the lobby in the back room. We entered the room to see the tables were set up, however the cake was not, and neither was anything else. We approached a lady standing behind the bar who was on her phone and she looked at me and said, "oh, I guess I forgot I had things to do"! We ordered a couple of drink and was told she didn't know if she was allowed to give us any glasses [which were right behind her]. We found our table as did other guest and we waited. When the bridal party arrived, they were walking to the entrance, and the father of the bride was assaulted by a homeless man. As the group finally got to the entrance of Life Arts Center, she was told she was not allowed to enter through the front door and that they had to come in through a side door which was not ADA approved. The other two parties going on were now blocking the front lobby door which the Fire Marshall should be made aware of. The bridal party had to push their way through to enter the building to advance to their reception area that they paid for. As soon as the bridal party arrived, they noticed that refreshments had not been set up and hurried to get hors d'oeuvre out, just as the caterers arrived. As I was observing staff who are now setting up the room they were cross contaminating the area touching everything from setting up tables for the caterers, silverware, and food without changing out gloves. All of this as the bridal parties guest are arriving. After her guests were served dinner buffet style, the staff began filling their plates and eating behind their stations in front of guests, playing on their phones and joking around with each other was extremely unprofessional. Not only were the staff just standing around, but they were also not coming around to clear tables or refill drinks. As the evening went on, no one from the staff had put the bridal cake on display or had any sense of urgency or willingness to help this couple with their event that once again, they paid for. The father of the groom came up to the bride and told her that they were cutting her cake and that she needed to hurry since they hadn't even gotten any pictures. She ran into the side room to find that it was not her cake and that they were slicing up two cakes from someone else's event. She then went to look for her cakes in the refrigerator. Someone had placed a case of sodas on top of one of her cakes. The bride and groom then proceeded to put their cakes on display. The staff member who finally came to help the bride cut and serve the cake needs formal training in cutting sections and display. The bride had gone to look for her coordinator to find that she had already gone home for the evening and had absolutely no one working her event. The staff are unwelcoming, unprofessional, and seriously did not care about this bridal party's event. It was observed that since it wasn't a larger event like the other two Quinceaneras in the larger event rooms that it wasn't as important. I'm very disappointed in the way things were handled from start to finish. Life Arts Center, you need to do better! You need to train a professional staff, and you need to remember who pays your salaries, because without clients you don't have anything. If you are wanting to have an event with no worries and a company that will follow the contract please do your due diligence and research and DO NOT book here. This is not a place I would recommend to anyone. They are in extreme violation of regulations pertaining to high occupancy regulations and ADA regarding handrails. read more

This place deserves 0 stars but you have to give 1 to leave a review. Went to a wedding here and myself and other guests were complaining about the bar and drinks to start. Drinks we found out were supposed to be free and provided by the bride and groom yet they were charging everyone for drinks. Not only that, a couple hours in they decided ti randomly raise the prices of the drinks. When asked why and who okayd this, he said the manager but when we asked for the manager, she wasn't available. After being told drinks were free , he still continued to charge guests. I felt really bad for the bride as the guests heard the food was wrong and not what was expected and the set up was wrong. Parking was ridiculously expensive! Don't recommend this place. Its apparent they don't follow the contract according to the bride and groom. read more

Omg what an amazing venue , if you are looking for a wedding venue this is it ! The staff is amazing ! Best ever experience of my life! read more

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Had my Fathers 60th birthday party and have to say it was quite a success. Catering, floor manager, bartender were very much on point. They were very accommodating and attentive to our guests and last minute requests. They are an Amazing team from the decore coordinator to the owners. Very flexible and always showed that they cared for our event to be as memorable as possible. Will definitely be booking future events! read more

Life Arts Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

gorgeous venue and an even more gorgeous coordinator!! desiree helped my cousin's wedding reception go off without a hitch! my only complaint would be the lack of parking (though there are plenty of surrounding lots) and the bathroom (could use some renovation). Otherwise loved the lighting and the historic/rustic feel. read more

The planning process was organized and Desiree was pleasant and helpful to work with. She was very accommodating and helpful. The venue itself is beautiful. We reserved the Victoria Vault and had 200 guest. This place has that classic, rustic charm. The perfect cozy venue that my daughter was looking for. Great team work as well for Angelica floor captain, with Blanca and Juanita. read more

An absolutely charming venue with a hospitable staff. We were given ample time to prepare for an elaborate wedding reception with over 200 guest. All felt welcome and enjoyed the experience.. read more

Very unprofessional, not honest, the owner tried to fix things but pretty much wanted to pay me to not let others know how bad their customer service is. I don't recommend them, and please know this company isn't truth worthy. I think that's the worth part. When doing business for such an important day, you need professionals you can trust. read more

Poor management and slow response to book. The venue was dirty. I was surprised because the pictures made this place look like a palace. Must be the filters? No street parking. I really wanted to like this place because of the location however, I was much happier elsewhere with friendly and professional service. read more

if you want to have your bartender leave an hour into your wedding because they were fired right before your event, this is the place for you. If you want to have to go over your contract with 5 different people because so many people were fired or quit, this is the place for you. Elvia is their decor lady & was our saving grace throughout the planning process and wedding day. Her daughter Ruby was a reliable point of contact as well. Beautiful venue, but the owners are an absolute nightmare!! All in all, the process was incredibly unorganized and was an unnecessary stressor. The fired bartender called it a toxic work environment. Makes sense with the employee turnover rate. Our guests had to step in and bartend until we were able to get a new bartender (Elvia resolved this issue, thankfully). Although we loved how this venue looked, I cannot recommend booking here due to the lack of professionalism and terrible communication. read more

RUN... I attended a wedding here back in the summer of 2023 and it was unpleasant to be there as a guest and only imagine what it would have been like to be the bride and groom that actually paid for their services. For one, their bathrooms were dirty. The floor is pealing and I almost tripped at some point walking across their venue. Their ceramic plates are beige, not white and their silverware is a joke.. Their AC did not function at all... it was sooo hot. Definitely not a place to host a wedding ... read more

Venue was organized, well accommodated, they let you set up in advance, the facilities were clean, the food, and DJ were great. Desiree was absolute amazing with communication leading up to the day of the wedding. I would definitely recommend this venue for special events! read more

Recently had a family wedding here. The venue itself is beautiful and the vendors were awesome but the venue management and wedding organizers are shady and do NOT follow through with what is written in your contract. Make sure to double check you contract and confirm what you were promised is in writing as well. A lot of misinformation and manipulation, won't be coming back to use this venue. read more

Don't event think about booking this place the staff and new owners don't know what they are doing! Unprofessional, they cannot keep promises verbally or written. Plus the place it dosent look like the pictures any more ever the new owners from 2021 buy the building. plus they are thiefs, the place it's ugly in ruins and charging over ridiculous too much. Not worth it. Any Hotel will treat you better and keep their promises in writing or verbally. No GOOD read more

Beautiful facility and great staff. Located in downtown Riverside near the Mission Inn. Highly recommend! Contact Sylvia, manager, to have a tour and book this site. read more

The venue itself is beautiful. The wedding day was amazing due to our vendors and family helping. If you have the support to do everything yourself, then this venue could work for you. But the people were a nightmare. I booked the venue 1 year in advance. They changed ownership during this time. They changed management 3 times. We won a $750 raffle for flowers. (We were the only ones to book). I was told the manager asked the florist to lie to us about the prices so that they didn't have to pay the full amount. I paid for a bridal suite and grooms suite. A month before, they said we didn't get it in writing and they already sold it to a quincenera next door. After my family and I cooled off from being upset, I agreed to get a random room and asked to see the contract. Upon reviewing the contract... The "Bridal Suite" was on there "in writing". They double booked the suite! The office "manager" , who quickly advised she's not a manager (after being called one by the coordinator) said the last manager made her contracts strangely. "If it wasn't highlighted, it didn't count" or vice versa. I threw back the "well it's in writing?" that they apathetically told me just moments before. My husband was still out of luck on a groomsmen suite as they said they were separate. I went through 3 different coordinators because they all kept getting fired or quitting due to poor management. By the time we got the last one a few weeks before the event, we were so over it. The week of, we had to repeat the same thing to 5 different people and stuff was still forgotten. Last coordinator ended up being sweet leading up to it and helpful the day of. The venue was patronizingly apologetic. Always throwing off the responsibility to the "last owner" , "last manager" , "last coordinator", "not in writing" (even though it was sold as a package). Sorry but we can't do anything" Incredibly stressful and uneasy process. Beautiful venue though. read more

The building is beautiful....we had a wedding there and the bride was so stressed last minute because the (new) management began telling her certain things were extra charge which were included in the original contract. The bridal and groom suite were no longer available and given to another event. She had to negotiate new terms last minute which was very unprofessional and upsetting. There are three halls and we were told our entry would be private....we had people from other events coming through our area (not cool). Securtiy guards were late. Elvia (employee) was the only person who really tried helping us out however was overruled by upper management. During the event water was spilled on the dance floor and I asked one of the employees to dry the area....she (annoyed) brought out a big wet mop and added more water to the dance floor (a couple of guests fell). A wedding should be a joyful event....so much time and work goes into it....I felt horrible for my daughter (bride) she tried to look on the bright side......not happy with the venue....felt they said what you wanted to hear and didn't come through. Shady So beware! read more

So upset about this place. First time we came to look at the place was great. We had a lot of questions and the answers we got were vague but consistent. I schedule a second tour and let Heidi know we were thinking of putting a deposit down this time. We walked in with our deposit ready and brought some family along with us so they can see the venue as well. This time was a complete 180 flip, she didn't remember anything we had talked about, or that she had given us a paper with the cost breakdown. She was very inconsistent with the prices and began to give us different pricing this time even though we had the pricing in writing. She said that there was no way she would have given us that pricing, even though we reminded her multiple times that she gave it to us in writing. We were willing to move past the pricing and we began to ask questions again to make sure we were clear on things like bartending, catering and decorations now to ensure there were no more inconsistencies, and every time we asked a question she would scoff at us then answer as if we were bothering her with our questions. Long story short, get EVERYTHING in writing if you decide to take a chance on this place, and be ready for them to try to change it later. read more

The booking was easy seemed nice understanding and lenient. Comes the day of the event. HORRIBLE. I paid extra for private parking because I found out the day of the dead evn eas happening the same day. This is a parking g lot of about 45 spaces. Upon arrival about 1/4 of it was full. They promised someone would be there running the parking lot but instead, there was a cone with a hand written sign taped to it that had already been knocked down. I called immediately and they said they'd take care of it, another client decided to disrespect my family, myself and even got infront of my guest car to avoid them parking. Police were called by manager of place. Manager threatened to cancel our party. They allowed others to park there. My live band arrived late due to parking.. 3 families told me it took them 45min to fund parking and that they were about to leave. People missed dinner time because of parking which then caused fir some food to go to waste. I called Monday morning, with no answer. So I filed a claim with the BBB. The parking ruined alot of my party, AND I PAID EXTRA to avoid this. Then.. the manager decides to cut my music short because it was suppose to end at a certain time, BUT the music arrived late because of parking. She didn't even allow them to finish the song that they were already playing. SHE KNEW that because of parking everything got delayed! Securities started acting so tough at the end of the night, stereotyping my guests, But they didn't act tough when I needed them to be. They allowed others to park on the PAID RESERVED parking.i have videos and pictures. I cried.. i was so stressed put. I put so much effort into my daughter party to be treated like this. Something better be done or attorney will get involved. read more

Marie and her team were/are incredible! My wife and I needed to replan and organize our entire wedding in 3 weeks after our venue was destroyed. Thanks to Marie, and this amazing venue, we were able to have our dream wedding and more! Attentive, helpful, and incredibly kind, we loved our experience with this venue and cannot stop singing it's praises. Book here, you won't regret it read more

Life Arts Center - Our magically fun exit at our wedding! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

We just completed our experience with LAC and over all it was a good experience. Pro Tip is to make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing, especially if in the event of staff turnover. We worked with Marie though most of our planning and she really seemed to want to get all of those negative reviews from the past turned around. Very easy to get a hold of and work with. Also, would honor any price discrepancies that we encountered (again, get everything in writing). Jessica came back some where close to our event and Marie left. We didn't have to work too closely with her since everything was already settled so I don't have much to say about working with her but we didn't encounter any issues moving forward. A few things we didn't know until the week of and including the day off the wedding that would have been good to know upfront 1) no glass bottles are allowed. Understandable but we weren't informed of this when we booked and so we had to send someone to get more cups for the bar to be able to pour beers. 2) We were told we have access to the ice and that each room has ice. What they didn't tell us until the week of the wedding is that we have access to unlimited ice for $1 per guest. Definitely cheaper and more convenient than bringing your own but nobody is going to be excited about surprise expenses so late into the planning. My biggest annoyance would be the serving staff that we paid for were basically useless. They were supposed to clear plates from tables...didn't happen. We had fluted plastic cups for Prosecco and specifically had stemless cups for apple cider. They told us that they had passed these for the toast, however, they only passed to a very few guests and didn't use the cups as requested. They passed while people were not seated and so we had a bajillion bottles and cups left over at the end of the night. We asked for them to keep an eye on drinks needing to be replaced (cans of soda, water bottles and juice boxes)...none of that was done. We brought 3 different types of cakes to be cut and made available for our guests and one whole cake was left back in the kitchen untouched. They stayed in the kitchen basically the entire night hanging out. There were enchiladas that were designated for the vegetarian option and they wound up being plated and given to whoever ‍. This was a DIY wedding so I thought hiring them would have been more helpful than it actually was. The venue is beautiful. Basically a blank canvas to build your dream wedding. The flamenco room was perfect for my 1920s themed wedding. Parking became and issue only because the city was using the back parking lot for a street fair type situation for Festival of Lights. They had security at each door to keep randoms out. I would absolutely encourage people to use this venue. In fact, we did, and will have friends getting married here next October! Just get everything in writing!!!!!! read more

This venue was beautiful for my wedding on september 8, 2017. Besides the heat, I love the building. the AC is only in the main room. so when its hot out... the venue is hot. The two girls that pretty much run everything are wonderful to work with. I dont think I have a single complaint about them. The decorator was super nice and worked with us. My wedding pictures turned out amazing becuase the building is just so amazing. photo credit: Morningbird Photography www.morningbirdphoto.com read more

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Do not give your trust/money to this business. My husband and I paid upfront to secure a banquet hall at the Life Arts Center for our wedding. The services we paid for were not provided and several contractual promises were not met on the part of the staff at the Life Arts Center. While there were many issues throughout the day of the event, the most notable was that they double-booked our venue. As per our contract, we were to have access to our paid portion of the building from 10:00am until midnight. However, because they also signed a contact with a local church (after our event was booked and paid for) we did not have full access to our space until 1:00pm. Naturally, this caused a long list of issues for us as our ceremony was scheduled to start at 3:00pm. I'm addition to this, we paid additional money to use preparation rooms starting at 8:00am. Again, we were not able to access the rooms until 9:30. On top of all of this the service was poor, the space unclean, and the decorations that we set up with the decorator were incomplete due to the lack of time available for prep. My husband and I met with the building manager, staff, and COO after the event to discuss our problems and request a partial refund in order to avoid legal battles. They refused and instead offered us a weekend hotel package. We informed them that we consider taking legal action before immediately accepting their offer. After a week, we responded and accepted their offer, mainly to avoid sacrificing time that we did not have. At that point the office manager began avoiding us. Finally she responded saying that she did not know if they would still give us the hotel package because we considered legal matters after their offer. The staff and management treated us with disrespect the entire time. The planning staff was grossly disorganized. No business, especially a special event venue, should get away with treating customers so poorly and not even attempting to recover for their own contractual mistakes. Lastly, the staff assured my that my handicapped guests would be able to use the front parking near the ramp, but this was not the case. I had several guests who struggled just to enter the building! read more

This place was amazing! I recently had a reception party here and everything was spot on. The staff were very alert and helpful, and the food was to die for. Especially the Chicken Chill - an absolute 10/10. I do recommend this place to anyone! read more

We just had our wedding reception here and let me tell you about Marie and her husband Josh!! They were excellent and made our experience so easy and fun. Every time I messaged Marie she would reply really fast and each time I wanted to go see the venue she was just so accommodating to me. Thank you Marie you made the whole process so easy. You and the team did an excellent job- can't wait to celebrate here again soon! read more

I cannot say enough great things about my experience at LAC. I had my wedding there a few days ago and it was nothing short of perfection. My husband and I had to cancel our previous venue for COVID reasons. We were three months away from our wedding and we're definitely worried. I reached out to several venues in hopes of finding someplace fast. Elvia reached out to me and we set up a tour. She was so patient and answered all of our questions. We fell in love instantly and booked right away. Our planning process was so smooth and worry free. Elvia was always available to answer my calls and we always found someone at the building to talk to if we dropped by. We met another coordinator, Marie, who was also super helpful and kind. She helped setup my timeline and put me at ease. The day of, everyone worked so hard to make sure we had the best day possible. Our room was beautifully decorated, security and the bar tender did a great job. I have no regret in choosing this place to host my wedding. I will always look back and remember it as the best day ever. read more

I cannot say enough great things about my experience at LAC. I had my wedding there a few days ago and it was nothing short of perfection. My husband and I had to cancel our previous venue for COVID reasons. We were three months away from our wedding and we're definitely worried. I reached out to several venues in hopes of finding someplace fast. Elvia reached out to me and we set up a tour. She was so patient and answered all of our questions. We fell in love instantly and booked right away. Our planning process was so smooth and worry free. Elvia was always available to answer my calls and we always found someone at the building to talk to if we dropped by. We met another coordinator, Marie, who was also super helpful and kind. She helped setup my timeline and put me at ease. The day of, everyone worked so hard to make sure we had the best day possible. Our room was beautifully decorated, security and the bar tender did a great job. I have no regret in choosing this place to host my wedding. I will always look back and remember it as the best day ever read more

My daughters wedding and reception 4/27/14, was in the Florence Room. I loved the space, the exposed brick, the old beams, the worn floors, and. Oh, that staircase!!! We did everything ourselves, all the set up and decor, and it was breathtaking. We brought in our own food and omelet chefs for a champagne brunch, and it was unique and lovely. And much cheaper!!! I loved that they didn't mind me doing that, or charging me for the privilege of doing so as most other venues did. I found much nicer chairs to rent for less than half of what I would have paid to have them included, so it rented those elsewhere. I'm a detailed planner, who communicates clearly and in writing, especially after losing my date. I must say that nothing frustrates me more than not being called back. The fine folks here really- REALLY struggle in the area of communication. We lost our first date while waiting for them to provide me a quote, after the manager telling me not to worry, he would hold it while HE did the quote. There's a lady who answers the phone mid day, who is sweet, but not real bright, and knows nothing. So, leaving many messages for Rosie or Ivan to call back requires a lot of patience. They ignore emails and don't have a fax machine, claiming email is "easier" but you still have to call them to see if they read it, and most of the time not. Wedding day was lovely. Our event manager, Guerrmo was just delightful. He really was. He complimented our planning saying it was one of the nicest and most beautiful events he'd seen there. He was around and on top of things, without being in the way. I paid $200 for the globe lights on the beams and they weren't plugged in until halfway thru the reception. No offer of refund. Their bartender poured heavy, so we ran out of champagne, twice. we were supposed to be serving Bellini and mimosas, which is how I calculated my quantities, but he was pouring straight champagne to the rim, even after telling him to ease back. That bugged me. All in all, I was pleased with the turnout. Ivan and Rosie are super nice, but they tend to over promise in their attempt to accommodate, and don't follow through, so I ended up feeling like a pest trying to get contracts finalized and details communicated. I think it would have been worse had I hired them to handle everything. read more

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We actually just stumbled into the venue while touring other downtown Riverside venues. We didn't have an appointment, but the gracious and knowledgeable Marie kindly sat with us and gave us a tour. This is a beautiful space, with more than one setting available in historic downtown Riverside. They have dedicated parking for your event also. Marie was so helpful and accommodating. I can definitely recommend their service and this beautiful building. read more

My husband and I had our wedding reception here and it turned out beautiful. We had our reception in the room with the brick walls, the Florence I think it was called. Elvia, the decorator is amazing. There was some scheduling so we weren't able able to do the final walk through, but we did that with Jessica who was so great to work with us. She made sure she had every detail down to ensure she could relay everything we wanted to Elvia. My husband and I went over what we wanted and she executed it beautifully. We had to do our own center pieces, which wasn't a problem but she handled everything else. While planning the whole thing, my biggest issues was getting a hold of people. I would call during open hours, no one would answer. I would then leave a message, and I wouldn't get a call back for two weeks. When the phone would get answered and I was able to ask my questions, they would say they'll call me back and then I would rarely get a call back. Thankfully I lived near by so I was able to physically go down there and talk to someone. One of the most helpful people there was Curtis (the on call accountant on the weekends and I believe that is his name) because he was the only one I remember that would call back promptly if he couldn't get to the phone on time. When I went to go sign the papers for the contract, he was the one that gave me the grand tour, not the other sales people who I initially spoke with in the beginning when I was inquiring about the venue. As I said before, in the end, our reception was everything we wanted. However, the process of getting a hold of anyone by phone was extremely irritating and unfortunately, makes me not recommend this venue to people. I hope others don't encounter this problem because when planning a huge event, it makes it much more stressful. That is the reason I gave it two stars. :/ whenever I encountered anyone form there, they were always so pleasant and kind. I enjoyed talking with them. It's just the the lack of communication and struggle of getting a hold of people that was so irritating. read more

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