Montalvo Arts Center occupies a 175-acre estate in the foothills above Saratoga. The former summer villa of California Senator James Phelan, completed in 1912 in a Mediterranean Revival style with formal Italianate gardens, a wood-panelled library, and miles of woodland trails through coast live oak and madrone. The estate's garden spaces, including the grand elliptical garden behind the villa and the small classical Love Temple set into the hillside, make it one of the most architecturally distinctive and romantically charged proposal settings in the entire South Bay. While the trails and gardens are free to walk, a proposal setup at the Love Temple or the formal gardens requires booking the venue directly with Montalvo Arts Center in advance.
Why Propose Here
- The Love Temple, a small classical temple structure set into the hillside garden, surrounded by stone steps and framed by mature trees, is one of the most intimate and genuinely romantic proposal spots in the Bay Area. It was literally designed as a place for quiet reflection and connection.
- The formal Italianate gardens behind the main villa provide a structured, photogenic backdrop with manicured hedges, stone paths, and the villa's Mediterranean architecture in the background, offering an entirely different visual register from beach and park proposals.
- The 175-acre estate means true privacy is available even on busy weekends; the woodland trails beyond the formal gardens are almost always quiet, and the Love Temple area specifically sees light traffic.
Venue Details
Best Time
Late morning or afternoon on a clear day; spring (March–May) for the fullest garden colour
Parking
Free parking lot on site off Montalvo Road
Just reach out to Montalvo Arts Center directly to book the venue for the date you have in mind. The Love Temple and gardens need a reservation, so it's not really a spot you can just show up and set up at. Weekday mornings tend to be the quietest, and the Love Temple in particular is often completely empty once you've got it booked.