Founders Grove

We just had our wedding at Founder’s Grove. We chose the space because we wanted an quaint, casual, outdoor space with good weather. We didnt use the actual church at all, we used the grove area for our ceremony, which was really rustic, which we liked, but there were a TON of leaves (like a foot deep) that we raked ourselves. There was a trellis there that we decorated, which was our main décor for the ceremony area. The patio was perfect for our 10– 60″ tables (we had 80 guests). I think probably 100 would be the max for dining on the patio. Then we used the indoor area for the dance floor, cake, guest book table, etc. The few downsides about the space: you can’t hang much in the indoor reception space– the church doesn’t want you to put pushpins (holes) or tape on the walls. And there really isn’t much décor there to work with– we made a lot of decorations ourselves. You also can’t play amplified music outside, so for the ceremony, our speakers were projecting from inside.
Pat, the caterer, who was our main contact for the venue, was easy to work with. Our food, provided by Haute Stuff Catering in Martinez was good, especially the spinach salad, which had strawberries in it. Our guests said the bartenders were very friendly too.
This was the perfect, casual spot for our wedding– it turned out beautifully. If you’re looking for an easy going, rustic wedding site and non-​fussy good food, Founder’s grove is great!

My husband and I had our wedding here in October. The weather was nice and warm. The church is in a quiet neighborhood WITH FREE parking. The building is modern and has a large stone patio outside with a tree grove. The pictures on the website aren’t of the actual place. You won’t see those hills during your wedding and there is no fountain. However the actual place is beautiful so it’s worth the drive to check it out. My husband and I were married outside on the patio, had the reception literally 10 feet away in the hall and then converted the patio to a dancing floor at night. So we danced the night away under the stars with white lights along the stone wall. It created the perfect Frank Sinatra atmosphere. I had a 60 person wedding event and I wouldn’t recommend this location for over 100.
Pros
Good price by comparison.
Beautiful, private location– good for out door weddings
Did I mention FREE parking and lots of it.
Not a lot of sticky regulations: alcohol welcome, pictures welcome
Their preferred caterer, Haute Stuff, is someone I would definitely recommend. (read my review)
The church was available for a rain location and for getting ready
Cons
Can be easy to get lost getting there
People at the church can be difficult to reach. At one point had to have my caterer get in touch with the church bc she has a business relationship with them.
Sanctuary is truly ugly, we’re talking orange seats and 70’s design so you better pray it doesn’t rain on your wedding day.
no music outside so my DJ was inside while we were outside which actually worked out.
So I would overall definitely pick it again.