I had my daughter's bridal shower in the courtyard and with the exception of the high winds we had experienced that day, it was a perfect day! It felt like an enchanted garden. I chose a Sunday, to have a more intimate and private occasion as there are businesses facing the courtyard and all but one were closed. Kathy is a sweetheart and very helpful! read more

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Amazing location and Kathy is so helpful. Would highly recommend for any small party or gathering

The Pelican Courtyard is such a beautiful space- Newport's hidden gem! We are so happy we chose to have our Engagement Party here. The lighting is gorgeous and Kathy was a pleasure to work with. We also went with a preferred vendor, Soho Taco, for catering & got loads of compliments. Highly recommend The Pelican Courtyard. **Word of advice- our party was scheduled 5:30-8:30pm on a Thursday. We payed $200 for "clean up" since we thought we wouldn't want to bother with cleaning up. However if you choose the "DIY take-down/on-site rental cleanup," The Pelican Courtyard gives you one hour after your party ends to "clean up" yourself. Definitely clean up yourself! With parties that serve alcohol, you'll always have a few stragglers (we had 3, willing to help). We got charged an extra half hour since we didn't leave until just before 9pm. (The preferred bartender was also 30 minutes late, and didn't give us our coolers back until approx 8:50pm). We paid, not only $200 for cleanup (that would've taken us max. 40 mins), but were also charged for the venue from 8:30-9pm. In total, $350 for that last 30 mins & cleanup. That money could have been saved by doing it ourselves. We loved every minute of our Engagement Party and once again- highly recommend! read more

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Today I had a Galentine's date with my cousin and a new friend at this venue. This place is so cute. It has a shaded area for those who want to stay cool and away from the sun. It also has an area where there is sun to keep warm. The ground had some area with rocks and it was easy to walk through even though I was wearing heels! I can see why people use this venue for weddings also. If I attend an event that is at this venue in the future, I will with no doubt come. If someone is looking for a cute small venue, I will definitely suggest this venue as well. read more

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2 words: Hidden gem. My friends & I came here for a galentines event that we had won on Instagram. This little courtyard is very simple, elegant, and cozy all in one. You can tell the owner takes really good care of all the plants & gravel because it looked very well kept from the entrance forward. In addition, the way it was decorated was very charming & pleasing to the eye, especially us girls who are all about the cute pictures & nice backgrounds(of course hahah) Big plus, there's tons of parking in front of it in a lot and on the side, as well. My only negative comment was if the entrance wasn't decorated the way it was, we probably would've driven passed & missed it because the building doesn't say "pelican courtyard". In big letters it says "Seaside" so I just think that should be a little more clear to people. Otherwise, book your small, intimate gatherings here, decorate it as you please, and take tons of pictures!! read more

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I hosted a baby shower for my daughter at the Pelican Courtyard. The setting so is beautiful in itself, but with the added touches of flowers and balloons, the scene was magical! Kathy was a dream to work with! Her ideas on planning were fabulous and turned the already beautiful venue into the most gorgeous place! The baby shower turned out to be perfect!!! read more

This is such a beautiful spot for any event. I had my bridal shower here and it was absolutely amazing!! Kathy is so amazing and totally works with you. I was able to extend my bridal shower and hour late during the event and add an extra umbrella. She is the greatest. The place is so gorgeous it doesn't need much decoration but we still added a lot and it was so beautiful! read more

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My niece (the bride to be) had attended a candle making class here and loved the location. I know I've driven by it a hundred times and didn't even realize what was beyond the driveway... which turned out to be a magical little spot called The Pelican Courtyard. As we walked back to take a look, I knew from the look on her face that this was gong to be the location for her bridal shower. (That and the fact that she was already on Instagram in order to make contact with the owner, Kathy). It was perfect. The location is spot on, Kathy had tables, chair, umbrellas, and linens available for rent- and for less $$ than the rental places, plus no delivery fee! She and her husband Tom had everything set up when I walked back the morning of the shower- you can pay extra to have them do it, or do it yourself. Trust me... pay them to do it and you can do the clean up yourself. Or, pay for them to clean it up and you literally take your stuff and go. We cleaned it up and it was super easy. Being able to tap into their sound system through Bluetooth was a nice touch and even though it was a Sunday mid-morning, they had some of the tree lights on which just added to the ambiance. The restrooms are spotless, we had plenty of room for our group plus room for more. I brought it my own caterer, Something Special from Foothill Ranch and they were great. (Kathy gives you a list of suggested vendors, which you are not obligated to use, but helpful it you don't have your own resources) Flowers... I used my local Von's. Went to them. About a month before, brought all my own mason jars and other vessels to them with a photo of a sample and oh my goodness... between all the gorgeous greenery at Pelican Courtyard and then all the eucalyptus, roses and natural stuff in my arrangements from Vons, it was so pretty. Kathy knows what she's doing. There are schematics, certificates of insurance, timelines, etc... that you need to provide but in the end it's worth it. Again... she knows what she's doing, so just go with what she says (my layout was unrealistic for the space but hers was spot on). My security deposit was refunded quickly too. I highly recommend The Pelican Courtyard for a unique outdoor celebration. read more

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10 Stars! The Pelican Courtyard is a Beautiful venue for a gathering. Our Wedding reception could not have been more Extraordinary! An open-air venue which transmits Love and Comfort. When the Sun light dissipates into the evening the Court Yard sky turns into a starry filled heaven with shimmering lights from above. The sound system infused the courtyard with our Music. It inspired everyone to dance and toast the night away. The Owners/operators and staff could not have been more helpful. They offered so many wonderful suggestions. They also had a vetted vendor list which gave us the Dance Floor, Bar tenders, servers and other rental ideas. They Worked so hard to make our night an Amazing Memory and it was indeed. I felt a great deal of confidence working with them. Thank you Pelican Court Yard and the Shaw Family for making Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien's Wedding reception a phenomenal event of miraculous proportion. read more

Pelican Courtyard - Thank You Pelican Court Yard - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Wow! I can't say enough about this beautiful venue and amazing owners, Kathy and Tony! I had a beautiful baby shower here on a recent Sunday afternoon. The space was immaculate, welcoming, and beautiful! The way they have designed and decorated the space makes it simply whimsical. To top it off, it is very easy for people to get to, plenty of parking, and lots of possibilities in terms of laying out your party. Kathy and Tony, the owners, are so wonderful to work with. They are exceptionally helpful and have such a good eye for space and design. I recommend this space for birthday parties, showers, engagement parties, and receptions! You will not find another space like this in Newport :) read more

Hidden Treasure!! This place was perfect for my moms 60th Birthday party. It was so gorgeous at night! They had streaming white lights across the entire venue, mason jars hanging from the trees with candles in them and a beautiful candle lit fire place. We rented a dance floor from one of there recommendations and it fit perfectly. Kathy was so wonderful to wk with answering all my questions. This was just a wonderful experience. If your looking for a beautiful intimate venue that has it all...no need to look any further you've found it!! The pelican courtyard is perfection! read more

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We booked the Pelican Courtyard for our wedding and we're so glad we did! Not only is it reasonably priced but you can bring your own caterer and alcohol. We got so many compliments on our venue and it was absolutely gorgeous in May. Kathy and her husband were so helpful and accommodating. They also have a spot to plug in iPods/laptops so we ended up just djing our own wedding with Spotify. There's a holiday inn express around the corner that we used to get ready and there's a park about 5 minutes away that's great for photo sessions, not to mention the beach across of the street. The courtyard photographs beautifully in daylight and at night. We had both our ceremony and reception there with about 46 people (including vendors and and our wedding party). The biggest con is how small it is because it forces you to cut your guest list down, but hey you also save money with less people. They gave us a list of recommended vendors and we used some but not all of them. Here's who we used in case you aren't sure where to start. Day of Coordinator - Feel the Spark Events, Kristina is very familiar with the venue and amazing at her job! Highly recommend! Caterer - Cart n taco Bartender - Tradewinds Hospitality Rentals - Harbor party rentals They're also very familiar with the venue and have measurements Officiant - You May Kiss the Bride There are also florists and salons inside the courtyard so you could always go that route for extra convenience. If you have any questions about our experience, feel free to reach out. We were so happy with our choice to get married at the Pelican Courtyard! You should definitely hold your event there! read more

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The Pelican Courtyard is a HIDDEN GEM!!! To anyone who is looking for the best venue ever for a dinner party, get-together, small wedding, proposal, etc... LOOK NO FURTHER!!! The Pelican Courtyard is perfection. I hosted a party for my all girls choir. There were about 30 of us and the venue was perfect for it. Kathy is super nice, accommodating, and helpful. The whole process was very pleasant even though this was my first time ever hosting a party. Kathy made everything run so smoothly and we all had so much fun!!! Additionally, this is the most reasonably priced venue I could find in OC. All of my friends kept commenting on how amazing and cute the venue is and asked me how I found out about it. Parking was also not a problem. There's a sound system included, 2 bathrooms on site, and the string lights are just so dang cute. There's also a cute black chalk board you can write on and there are pretty seashells throughout the courtyard. When I arrived, all of the benches and the whole area was clean and ready to go. I'm SO happy I decided to host my party at the Pelican Courtyard. Kathy is awesome!!! read more

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I got married here almost 4 years ago. It was such a perfect space. We had about 40 people semi formal and everything fit perfectly. Very affordable and accommodating when scheduling. Love that we got to use our own rentals and caterer. I was so happy I found this on yelp to give a review. read more

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We used The Pelican Courtyard for our volunteer appreciation event and it was beautiful! We booked the event for brunch time on a Saturday and everything turned out gorgeous. Kathy was great to work with and planning was easy. The flowers and greenery we're absolutely stunning in all of the pictures. All of our volunteers and board members loved the venue! Highly recommend if you need a small, outdoor venue!! read more

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Thanks Tony and Kathy... What a real special "FIND" right in my "neighborhood".... we sure were lucky to discover your small and intimate venue! It was perfect for our combined wedding ceremony and party! Loved how it's atmosphere changed as the evening went on. The weather was perfect! I know the arrangements felt like we had exceeded our limits, but for our guests it was perfect. We are able to have seating, yet mingle, eat, take our vows in front of the fireplace, dance and mingle some more! We are so pleased and thankful for your assistance and advice! Everyone had a great time, especially us! I am recommending this place to others, so look out... you maybe busy!!!! read more

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I hosted a book signing for a local esteemed author at the Pelican Courtyard, and we were VERY pleased with the outcome. Kathy was so helpful and easy to work with. She was personable and hands on. The venue itself is gorgeous. It transformed into an even more beautiful and intimate space when the sun set and the lights in the trees and draped over the space came on. The attention to detail is surprising and wonderful. I can't wait until I can have another event here. The community loved the space and we had so many compliments on finding this local gem! read more

The Pelican Courtyard was the perfect location for my wedding ceremony. The location is prefect and beautiful on its own. I added very little decorations and the venue was very reasonably priced. I searched high and low for the perfect wedding ceremony location but ever venue required we book their location for not just the ceremony but for the reception (and in grand ballroom) as well.. this was not my dream wedding of small and intimate. LUCKILY my sister found the Pelican Courtyard and it was everything I wanted. We were able to have a wonderful ceremony and have our reception just a few blocks away at a winery. Kathy was wonderful and carried out exactly what visioned the venue to look like for my big day. read more

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The Pelican Courtyard has provided us the perfect venue for several of our gatherings. We had to put together a reception following a ceremony in local Newport Beach but then we were in a bind to find a venue that would hold 60 plus family and friends in relatively short notice when our primary venue double booked(and was triple charging). All our needs were met and after things wound down- we walked to the nightlife on the harbor and continued as others that had a little less energy were able to go on their way. Several weeks after that we used the venue again for a weekend outdoor business seminar that again worked out just fabulously! Highly recommended. Looking to book an end of summer extravaganza there! Chris Beckner read more

I booked the pelican courtyard for my October 2018 wedding. 30 days prior we asked for a refund. The maximum capacity of the venue is 100. That is posted in the contract, and that is also posted on there ads. (WeddingWire, Facebook, instagram) If Kathy doesn't like your table set up, if you don't serve hors d'oeuvres, there's no way they'll compromise with more than 60 people. The price of the venue was perfect. The venue was perfect in my eyes. I had visioned every single detail. It was so upsetting that 30 days prior Kathy had a problem with all my plans. She did not like that I was my own wedding planner. She wanted me to pay someone to be the wedding coordinator because of her prior experience, she would end up being the coordinator when that wasn't her job. I understood where she was coming from, but she wouldn't let me take control and do all the planning myself. 30 days prior her 1st problem with us: we could not afford a bartender, we were just going to have a cooler with beer, she didn't like it. 2nd problem: our dj did not have a license, he is a close friend, and that wasn't acceptable for her. 3rd problem: we were renting chairs and tables from close relatives, that was not acceptable, they had to have a license, (mind you, she had not mentioned any of this beforehand) 4rth problem: a close friend was making our cake, again no license. If you are willing to pay for all these things go for it. But if people wanted to help you out, Kathy doesn't like it. In the contract it says that you have to provide proof of licenses. This was discussed beforehand, we read the contract. She confirmed with us that we just needed a catering license, nothing else. She also called the owner, and they both agreed that we had to do the 60 guests or refund (which was only an estimate we had given her, she said it was ok to just give an estimate) so we did a refund because we were an 'inconvenience' to them. Like they didn't just ruin my plans. They ruined my dream wedding. I had already sent out invitations. I had the date set. I bought decorations. Relatives were flying in from out of state. All our close friends and family asked for the day off. But we were an inconvenience???! read more