History Club of Los Gatos

We got married on May 10 2015. We picked Los Gatos History Club because our wedding ceremony was at Sanborn County Park in Saratoga and this was a short straight drive from there.
The first thing which we liked about it was its simplicity (we had a Zen Buddhist wedding) and the architecture and energy of this space resonated with that. The giant tree fern backdrop on one side is beautiful. There is also a lovely balance between outside and inside– we had wine and appetizers outside in the patio and moved inside for dinner. The kitchen also served us well with respect to size and amenities. We weren’t planning on big decorations and the fact that there strict rules about what can and cannot be hung did not apply to us.
Dora the building manager was very easy to work with and responded to texts in seconds. The only concern we had was parking [there were limited parking spots for the wedding party] but it was not a problem at all on Sunday and our guests easily found street parking. The rental is very economical and included free chairs and tables (they have rounds and rectangles and saves a lot of money) and they have a nice audio system you can use (plug in your mac or ipod). Overall, we and our guests loved the space.

We were married on Valentine’s Day at St. Luke’s in Los Gatos. On Valentine’s Day. I know, romantic and crazy. :O) Don’t get me started on the flowers — sooo much more expensive!
Anyway, The History Club of Los Gatos is .8 miles away from the church and so renting it was a no brainer in my opinion. Several guests walked from the church and back to their original parking spot. The parking lot is petite, however not one of our guests had a problem finding street parking and some opted to car pool as well. Our idea of shuttling people by limo was superfluous as we were the only people using the limo.
We hired Panetta’s catering and the food was delicious. The staff was friendly and steered us competently throughout the evening. The History Club was perfect for our 100-​ish guest list. We could have fit more if we had desired. The ambience was lovely for our Friday night reception! Our guests went in and out of the Hall with the younger 20 somethings mostly outside. The wood floors are beautiful, and the lights elegant. I recommend the affordability of the location for wedding receptions, reunions, and other events. I will use the History Club for my next family get together or maybe a renewal of vows.

I have been to this location twice as a wedding venue. The service is held out doors in back while the reception is held inside. The buildign is pretty small but its perfect if you are on a budget or you’re aiming for a smaller wedding.
Parking around the area is a nighmare. The building is in a residential area, they dont have much of a parking lot, and if you have to park away from the building (a little walk isnt bad for your body) you must cross a semi-​busy street that is at an angel. Broads in heels walking down hills is never fun. I’m just saying.
Keep inmind this is just a building, when having an event its the people you invite and the decorations that really make the most of it. My people are awesom so i had a great time and I wouldnt mind looking into this joint when we start planning our own wedding… many years from now.

For the price, the venue is great. I’m sure if you’re looking for a site for a wedding, you might be better off going to the Rose Garden in SJ for your ceremony and then going to a restaurant for the reception. If you’re on a tight budget and need a small facility then this works quite well. It’s more like a community center, but the patio area outside is like the backyard of someone’s house.
We booked this place for a high school student event. And right now we got a nasty letter saying we’re not getting our deposit back. I have to admit, I looked through the lease afterwards and the kids (kids being kids) did violate some terms of the lease (they put confetti on the tables). However, we had some ridiculous claims such as cigarette butts (if anyone smoked, the whole event would have been shut down, and I supervised it), the trash wasn’t disposed properly and was excessive (they have a dumpster and when we tried to throw the trash away, the custodian Dora told us NOT to put it in the dumpster), and that the kids were hanging out outside after the event… on the sidewalk. It’s a public sidewalk. They told us we weren’t allowed there because the sidewalk is their property!!! it belongs to the city of Los Gatos! I understand if they wanted the deposit, but I don’t really recommend them based on the way they did it.

This was one of the first stops on our wedding venue shopping list, and it was nice, but not spectacular. Glenn from Panetta’s handles the booking here and he has some beautiful pictures of weddings (including his own) here. He says you can fit 180 inside and outside but we were all very skeptical, I would say like 75 max outside but whatever.
I liked that it was sort of an indoor/​outdoor venue, so while your guests are mingling, they can wander outside to the patio and chit-​chat and take photos.
But, for the bride and groom, it is not very picturesque so there is no exotic photo opps here. And the venue itself is just so-​so. Reminds me of a community center or rec hall that’s best for retirement dinners, not big fancy weddings.
That being said, on the plus side, it’s a «one-​stop shop» for planning your wedding, and it’s super affordable.
Parking sucks though, I think they have 13 spots. He encourages people to park on the street… I dunno about that.