The Sanctuary Event Space

We had our wedding here in October, and it was perfect and beautiful. At first I had my heart set on getting married in a brewery with a lawn to play lawn games, but alas, due to ACL that weekend there were none that wouldn’t add a 2 hour drive between the ceremony and reception space. I wasn’t sure of Sanctuary looking at the online pictures, but once I went there and met Jess, I was sure that it was the perfect place.
Rental fee is reasonable, and I liked that the money also helped support the Amala Foundation. The inside of the yoga studio was great to set up cake and music, and upstairs worked great for getting ready. The lights are beautiful, and we got some paper lanterns to hang over them which lit up really well during sunset.
Everyone at the reception commented on how cool the space was, how smoothly everything went, and how unique our reception was. I highly recommend this space and the staff here!

This space is magical and has a life of it’s own. We were lucky to have our wedding at the Sanctuary this past weekend and even in the midst of a wedding… I felt so smitten by the beauty of the grounds– with it’s huge oak trees, climbing vines, string lit canopies, and the overall glow of the space. I am so grateful to have had such a beautiful and majestic venue as the setting for all of our wedding memories. What an amazing night that we will never forget.
Jessica and Willow were awesome… they so calmly navigated us through the uncertainty of the day and worked hourly in a paced and mindful way to create a seamless and effortless feel to our wedding– which allowed us all to relax on what could have been a chaotic day! I will recommend this space to anyone looking for an affordable, beautiful, and local venue.

This space is absolutely a hidden gem. It’s nestled in the heart of Austin and is surrounded by restaurants, hotels, and attractions for your guests. Most of the folks in our wedding were located less than a mile away. The price was great, there are chair rentals on-​site, and the staff was super-​helpful in brainstorming with us on solving difficult problems. We also resonated with the space because both my husband and I felt moved to give to a charity (The Amala Foundation, which owns the space) rather than a for-​profit organization. Their mission is wonderful.
Also, the venue is absolutely STUNNING in the evening time. They already have string lights set up for you, so you just flip them on and have gorgeous lighting the entire time. Wow.
There are three things to watch out for should you choose this as your venue, from experience:
1) If you’re doing the ceremony at the Sanctuary, you will not be able to fit 150 – 200 people. We had a wedding of 91 people, and even then, we had to «flip» the venue, meaning that we asked folks to move chairs from the lower terrace where the ceremony and set up tables/​decorations during the reception. It went just fine, but it was an extra stressor on us for a while.
2) Because the venue is within the city limits and also next to a residential location, sound must be kept at 75 decibels. This wasn’t a huge issue for us, but it did require the DJ to do some extra finagling of the speakers to make sure everything pointed away from the residential area and into the studio, and that the studio doors had to be kept shut at all times when music was playing (which can get you and your guests mighty steamy).
3) There is no smoking at the venue proper, and no high heels allowed in the studio. We thought this was going to be the biggest issue, but it ended up being a non-​issue; most people wore wedges, flats, or went barefoot when on the studio floor. If you or your family tend towards smoking or high heels, just an FYI that with the uneven ground and no-​smoking policy, it may not be for you. We also, when mentioning the uneven ground, got a fair amount of cancellations from our older guests due to the fact that we couldn’t guarantee their safety on the stairs and that there is no ramp/​wheelchair accessibility at the venue. Just a heads up.
Other than those three things, working with the venue was fantastic. We were able to flip the venue during the ceremony, turned the speaker inwards and kept it quiet and had lots of happy guests. Bringing the chairs back to the Sanctuary was so easy, and the wedding party tore everything down quickly.
All in all, it was a fantastic wedding brought to you by fantastic people. Thank you so much!

Wow, just wow! We were trying to locate a venue for our wedding, and upon first stepping into this space, the energy was instantly captivating. In the heart of South Austin, you could not ask for a better location. Jessica, Jonathan, and Willow were just AMAZING! They all had such care-​free vibes, all the wedding stress just melts away. I rented the entire space, including the tree house. We were there all day getting ready for the wedding. Our guests were comparing it to a fairy tale. The string lights at night, coupled with the grandfather trees that grow and crawl throughout the space just made for such an unforgettable evening. I honestly don’t think there will be a day I don’t promote the Sanctuary. It breathes perfection.

I normally don’t write reviews (created my Unilocal account just so I could write this one), but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t let others know about the great people at The Amala Foundation.
Background Information
My sister and I had already picked out a place for our Mom’s 50^th birthday party. We were getting everything together when she decided she didn’t want a party. So naturally, we cancelled. But on Mother’s Day, unbeknownst to us, the party was still supposed to be going on! What?! With less than two weeks and a VERY tiny budget we scrambled to find a venue to host the party. We could have gone back to our original venue, but my mom decided she wanted children to be able to come… Our original venue spot was a club so you do the math. We tried Parks & Recreation but all of there spots were booked and even if they weren’t you had to give them a two week notice in order to host an event with them. We had less than two weeks. Frantically, I looked EVERYWHERE and I do mean EVERYWHERE to find a place. That’s when I talked to a sweetheart named Katie who worked for Parks & Recreation and she recommended some spot called The Amala Foundation. So I did a google search and lo and behold I found a spot called The Amala Foundation. 5-​star reviews??? Don’t mind if I do.
Review
So I called and asked (begged lol) if they had any openings for NEXT SATURDAY (that’s how last minute this was). The woman on the phone told me I had to speak with a guy named Jessie. When I spoke with him, he said that they did have an opening and gave me a number price. Defeated and frustrated, I told him I couldn’t do it because I had catering and decoration costs to consider. Willing to work with me, Jessie told me to get back with him and give him a counteroffer after I had taken care of the other costs. When I gave him my counteroffer he agreed and when we met he was just one of the coolest people I’ve ever encountered. I thought he had some kind of trick up his sleeve, but he was just a genuinely nice person. He told me about the foundation (you should seriously check it out. NICE NON-​PROFIT) and that the money for the party was going towards said non-​profit. #Pimp. When we met at a coffee shop to do the deposit, he actually paid for my coffee. Might not seem like much to anyone, but to me it’s the small things that count.
Now about the space. It’s great. I don’t know if you’ve seen the pictures, but this place is beautiful. There’s a front house/​office area, the AMAZINGLY beautiful backyard area, with two strings of lights, a tire swing, nice greenery, and an awesome tree, and then there’s the yoga/​reception area, with its peaceful presence. We hosted the party in the front area, with some people hanging out in the backyard (sidenote: It rained the entire day before and the morning of our party. So when we got there I was surprised that it wasn’t muddy. Jessie and company went through the trouble of laying down fresh mulch for us. Again, going that extra mile, my friends). There were hula hoops there so the children hula hooped in the yoga area (… okay, I did too). I brought a bubble machine so it looked great in the backyard with the lights.
All in all, the event was a great success. The event space was phenomenal. The people who we worked with were exceptional. I would recommend this place to anyone (unless you’re shady and looking to con people. If that is you, BE GONE FOUL DEMON!). Its quite the quiet gem of Austin that more people should know about. Also it’s rare that you actually get to work with such nice and caring people. When I thanked them for renting this space to me Jessie told me «I think its great that you’re trying to do something nice like this for your mom. I wanted to help.»
Great people, great space. If you’re having trouble deciding where to host your party, I hope this has helped.

We just had our dream wedding ceremony at The Amala Sanctuary, and everything was so beautiful and just what we had envisioned! We worked with several different folks through the foundation to plan the big day, and everyone we communicated with was so kind and helpful. We really couldn’t be more pleased with how it all turned out, and our out of town guests were wowed by the beauty and uniqueness of the space. If you are looking for truly magical oasis in Austin that benefits a great cause, the Sanctuary is perfect!

The Amala Sanctuary is an Oasis. The entire property has a welcoming sense of home. The beautiful gardens and magnificent Oak trees (visible from inside the studio space) are pulsing with life force and truly inspire awe. The moment one steps into the Sanctuary there is a palpable sense of peace and sacred space. I love how spartan and Zen it is… clear of clutter and yet versatile and purposefully equipped with what one might need to host a workshop, event or class. I recommend this magical spot to anyone who is interested in a unique, beautiful, functional space.

The Sanctuary is exactly that, a SANCTUARY; truly a precious, cozy, healing, beautiful and safe space. Because the activities within the space happen from a place of elevated consciousness, there is a continued increase of sacred vibration that is palpable. I always feel renewed and refreshed after each visit!

I first contacted Amala because I was looking for a large, available space to teach some early morning yoga classes. Kerry was quick to get back to me, and always courteous, kind and professional.
I was blown away when I saw the space. It’s simply gorgeous. One wall of the room is entirely windows, looking out on a beautiful back-​yard setting with massive oak trees and the most hypnotic windchimes I’ve ever heard.
The room itself has sprung hardwood floors, perfect for any type of movement, and plenty of facilitation amenities, including candles, an ipod dock, yoga mats, sitting cushions and an earthen jar water cooler.
I love teaching at Amala, and I look forward to continuing to do so.

Tucked away like a precious jewel, the Sanctuary at Amala Foundation is a space that lives and breathes with positive. loving energy. You will feel it yourself when you enter the courtyard and feel your body relax. As a Teacher of conscious movement, I feel 100% alignment with my values and the venue that supports what I have to bring. For me this is rare. The space is welcoming, clean and beautiful. Provided by the space are, cushions for sitting, large carpet to be used or rolled up, Yoga mats (about 10) and the outside area has a variety of places to sit, write, play and visit. Two magnificent live oak trees inhabit the outdoor space, and one is so generous and easy for kids of all ages to climb and enjoy. I am happy to recommend this space and let others know that it exists — you will be delighted and surprised.

The SANCTUARY at Amala Foundation is truly a sanctuary in every sense of the word. It is home for many deep practices and enriching programs — sittings, meditations, yoga classes, kirtans, devotional music, bodywork & healing workshops, afterschool programs, house concerts, community gatherings, wellness seminars, Community Healing Projects and more. We are rooted in Truth and Remembrance, just like the grandfather oak tree who quietly and steadily provides sanctuary to all who come.