Are you searching for the perfect wedding venue for your big day?   Then look no further, Andy and I are so excited to be rolling out this series on our blog!  Every Friday for the next several months we’ll be featuring one of our favorite wedding venues in the Sierra Foothills, Lake Tahoe, and Sacramento.  From rolling vineyards to quaint pillared chapels, elegant pavilions, and everything in between.   We’ve captured weddings all over California, and can’t wait to share our favorite places with you.  We ‘re starting off our journey right in our own backyard at the beautiful Empire Mine State Historic Park.   We’ll be sharing a new venue every Friday, so stay tuned for more beautiful places to tie the knot!

Empire Mine State Historic Park

Address: 10791 E Empire St Grass Valley, CA 95945 (view map)
Website: www.empiremine.org
Special Event Coordinators:
David Townsend, Special Events Coordinator  530-272-0123
Michelle Green, Special Events Program Coordinator  530-272-0124
Email empire.mine@parks.ca.gov (put “weddings” in subject line)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireMineSHP
(Scroll to the end of post for more photos and a link to our Empire Mine Gallery)

A little note from us……
Empire Mine is truly  the heart and soul of gold country and we’re so happy that to have this amazing wedding venue right in our own little home town!   We’ve been photographing weddings and engagements here for many years, and never get tired of exploring the grounds with our couples.   Since most of our couples who get married at Empire Mine are planning a destination wedding in the Sierras, we always ask how they found this beautiful venue.  We’re always surprised by how many tell us that they attended a friends wedding (sometimes many years prior), and could never get the beauty of the Empire Mine out of their heads. It really does have that kind of effect on you… it truly is one of the most beautiful venues in California for a garden wedding.  Here’s everything you need to know about having your wedding at Empire Mine….

About Empire Mine:

Tucked away in the Sierra Foothills, Empire Mine State Park is a historic landmark unparalleled beauty and history.  The largest producing mine in California History, Empire Mine produced a massive 5.8 million ounces of gold from 1850 until it’s closing in 1956. Today, visitors come from all over the world to visit the historic grounds with 13+ acres of beautifully manicured gardens, and over 850 acres of trails and scenery.  Couples can hold their  wedding in front of the historic stone cottage which was the summer home to mine owner William Bourn and his family.  

Is Empire Mine an outdoor or indoor venue?
Both the ceremony and reception areas at Empire Mine are outdoor.  The reception area can be tented if needed, although tents must be set up the same day.

Does Empire Mine offer year round or seasonal weddings?
Our wedding season runs from the first weekend in May through the first weekend in October.

How many weddings does Empire Mine host each year?
We can host up to 55 Ceremonies, and up to 40 receptions each year.

What’s included when couples book Empire Mine for their wedding?
Our couples get exclusive use of Empire Mine after the park closes, chairs and tables for up to 200 guests, set up of ceremony chairs, shuttling to and from the parking area for guests , finishing kitchen for caterers, bridal suite, and outdoor lighting, and use of the grounds for rehearsal *our venue does require couples to utilize a full service caterer, and we have a list of preferred caterers to help make planning easy*

How many guests can Empire Mine accommodate?
We can host up to 200 guests.  For small or mid-size weddings  weddings, our couples can hold their reception in our beautifully lit lower patio.

How do you help couples customize their wedding?
Our on site coordinators help with the “backstage” of your wedding day and help with shuttling couples and guests to the ceremony site.  We’ll check in with your vendors to be sure they have power, and are set up where they need to be.  We also have a list of preferred vendors to help make planning easy for our couples.

How far in advance should couples book Empire Mine?
Couples should plan over a year in advance. Since we have a limited number of dates available,  we hold a lottery in April for the following years dates.  The lottery is held in mid-April each year and you can obtain an application online HERE.

What’s one interesting fact about Empire Mine?
All of the water used to irrigate our 13+ acres of manicured gardens is pulled out of the mine.  This is how we can keep our gardens lush year round despite the long drought in California.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about Empire Mine?
Although our grounds are massive, we only host one wedding per day to ensure the best experience for our couples.   Since this is a public park, weddings begin after 5:30 pm to ensure you’ll have exclusive private access to the grounds once the park closes.  Although summers in the Sierra Foothills can get heated, the park stays much cooler than surrounding areas due to the lush landscaping and mature trees.

What do you have planned for the future?
We recently refurbished our bridal suite and are excited to share this with our couples.
Empire Mine is a beautiful place to visit with fun events happening throughout the year. From Holidays in the Park, to our popular Miner’s Picnic in August- it’s the perfect place to come spend a day in the Sierra Foothills.  To see a list of our upcoming events, click HERE.

View more from Empire Mine:

We hope you have a chance to come visit us here in Gold Country.  If you’d  like to see a gallery of more wedding photos from Empire Mine, Click HERE.
To see a slideshow from Empire Mine, Click HERE.
To read another blog post from Empire Mine, Click HERE.

Cheers!
Andrew + Melanie