Jefferson Street Mansion
Services:
Caterers, Ceremony Venues
Phone: 707-746-0684
|
1063 jefferson st, Benicia, CA 94510
Overall Rating
4.8 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
4.8/5.0
Responsiveness:
4.8/5.0
Professionalism:
4.8/5.0
Value for Cost:
4.6/5.0
Flexibility:
4.8/5.0
Perched above the Carquinez Strait, the sleepy little town of Benicia is a rich nugget of California history. Its former incarnations include the capitol of California, the Solano County seat and the location of the militarily significant Benicia Arsenal. Though the political and military movers-and-shakers are long gone, they left behind a legacy of beautiful old structures like the Jefferson Street Mansion. Built in 1861 for the commanding officer of the Arsenal, this classical Federal Italianate-style building was purchased by current owner Reed Robbins in 1997. Since then, she has spared no expense to renovate, retrofit and restore the mansion, giving it a new lease on life as a fabulous special event venue.
Click here to see beautiful weddings celebrated at the Jefferson Street Mansion
Once inside the Mansion, turn to your right and enter the magnificent double parlors, whose cream-and-pale green washed walls are adorned with custom gilt molding and medallions. The twelve-foot-high windows have sumptuous wine velvet drapes, bedecked with gold fringe and tied back with plump gold tassels. (Incidentally, these drapes were custom-made in New Orleans by renowned designers Buzz Harper and Les Wisinger, whose other projects include Savannah’s Calhoun Mansion, location of the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.) The parlors also feature two marble fireplaces, oil paintings, crystal chandeliers and gilt-framed antique mirrors.
Upstairs is the bride’s dressing room. Like the parlors, it has gilt molding, a chandelier, fireplace and custom-made drapes in cream and peach brocade, as well as practical items like a white-and-gold wooden dressing screen, an antique mirrored armoire and a dressing table. Nervous brides can regain their composure on the primrose brocade “fainting couch,” or pose for whimsical photos with the groom in a carved wooden “courting chair.” Also on this floor is the elegant Salon, whose generous balcony is the perfect spot for bouquet tossing.
Other rooms at the Mansion include Reginald’s Pub, designed to resemble a French officer’s club in Rangoon, and three antique and collectible showrooms. It’s quite clear why “Bay Area Backroads” called the Mansion the “Most Romantic Spot in Northern California,” the California Heritage Council gave it the 2004 “Preservation of the Year Award” and CBS “Eye On The Bay” featured it as a top wedding site.
Though you and your guests are encouraged to wander through the Mansion, the primary festivities take place outside. On the generous side lawn, with a water vista, a classic colonnaded fifteen-foot-high arbor guarded by two majestic palm trees makes a charming spot for exchanging vows. Receptions take place on the Mansion’s opposite side. Here, your guests mingle among fountains, statues and flowerbeds, or seek shade in the two elegant fabric-draped pavilions (each with its own chandeliers). The buffet is set up in front of two exquisite antique back-bars, fashioned with intricate carving and spoolwork.
No matter how beautiful the surroundings, your event isn’t going to be much of a success without a competent staff working hard behind the scenes, and that’s exactly what you’ll get when you book an event at the Jefferson Street Mansion. Reed Robbins, who is a wedding coordinator as well as the owner, considers it her personal mission to keep each bride “calm, elegant, and relaxed.” There’s plenty of parking, plus a “one event per day” policy mean you can celebrate as long (and as enthusiastically) as you want. And although we’ve described the Jefferson Street Mansion in terms of weddings, the entertainment possibilities at this topnotch facility are practically endless. So if you’re seeking a venue with the romance of the past and the convenience of the present, take a trip to Benicia and the Jefferson Street Mansion. Your event may not go down in California’s history, but it’s sure to be a day you and your guests will never forget.
Photos courtesy of Bella Pictures
Click here to see beautiful weddings celebrated at the Jefferson Street Mansion
Once inside the Mansion, turn to your right and enter the magnificent double parlors, whose cream-and-pale green washed walls are adorned with custom gilt molding and medallions. The twelve-foot-high windows have sumptuous wine velvet drapes, bedecked with gold fringe and tied back with plump gold tassels. (Incidentally, these drapes were custom-made in New Orleans by renowned designers Buzz Harper and Les Wisinger, whose other projects include Savannah’s Calhoun Mansion, location of the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.) The parlors also feature two marble fireplaces, oil paintings, crystal chandeliers and gilt-framed antique mirrors.
Upstairs is the bride’s dressing room. Like the parlors, it has gilt molding, a chandelier, fireplace and custom-made drapes in cream and peach brocade, as well as practical items like a white-and-gold wooden dressing screen, an antique mirrored armoire and a dressing table. Nervous brides can regain their composure on the primrose brocade “fainting couch,” or pose for whimsical photos with the groom in a carved wooden “courting chair.” Also on this floor is the elegant Salon, whose generous balcony is the perfect spot for bouquet tossing.
Other rooms at the Mansion include Reginald’s Pub, designed to resemble a French officer’s club in Rangoon, and three antique and collectible showrooms. It’s quite clear why “Bay Area Backroads” called the Mansion the “Most Romantic Spot in Northern California,” the California Heritage Council gave it the 2004 “Preservation of the Year Award” and CBS “Eye On The Bay” featured it as a top wedding site.
Though you and your guests are encouraged to wander through the Mansion, the primary festivities take place outside. On the generous side lawn, with a water vista, a classic colonnaded fifteen-foot-high arbor guarded by two majestic palm trees makes a charming spot for exchanging vows. Receptions take place on the Mansion’s opposite side. Here, your guests mingle among fountains, statues and flowerbeds, or seek shade in the two elegant fabric-draped pavilions (each with its own chandeliers). The buffet is set up in front of two exquisite antique back-bars, fashioned with intricate carving and spoolwork.
No matter how beautiful the surroundings, your event isn’t going to be much of a success without a competent staff working hard behind the scenes, and that’s exactly what you’ll get when you book an event at the Jefferson Street Mansion. Reed Robbins, who is a wedding coordinator as well as the owner, considers it her personal mission to keep each bride “calm, elegant, and relaxed.” There’s plenty of parking, plus a “one event per day” policy mean you can celebrate as long (and as enthusiastically) as you want. And although we’ve described the Jefferson Street Mansion in terms of weddings, the entertainment possibilities at this topnotch facility are practically endless. So if you’re seeking a venue with the romance of the past and the convenience of the present, take a trip to Benicia and the Jefferson Street Mansion. Your event may not go down in California’s history, but it’s sure to be a day you and your guests will never forget.
Photos courtesy of Bella Pictures
Jefferson Street Mansion services wedding Caterers in the Napa Valley area. Find reviews and a portfolio for Jefferson Street Mansion here on Best Napa Valley Weddings.
