The most detailed guide to your Estate on Second wedding!

Your Estate on Second wedding can be rustic or classic depending on what you dream of. This unique venue has lots of options to offer on your big day and accommodates events of any taste and budget.

The all-inclusive service of Jay’s Catering company and the vintage charm of the place in the heart of Santa Ana will make your wedding unforgettable.

Table of Contents

Location & History of the Estate on Second Santa Ana

The Estate on Second is a historic event venue, located in the downtown of Santa Ana, Orange County, California. This beautiful small city features many Mission Revival–style buildings. But the Estate on Second with its beautiful Georgian Colonial style stands out from all Santa Ana venues. This Georgian colonial is something rare for the county where most of the historical buildings are reminiscent of Spanish-style architecture.

In the past, the Estate on Second house belonged to Southern Counties Gas Company. The building was constructed in 1923 to a design by Walker and Eisen, one of the premier architectural firms of Los Angeles. They built many magnificent structures across the country. The Gas Company operated at this site until the mid-1960s. After that until late 1980, the restaurant Handlebars Saloon used the space.

In 2015 the place was renovated to become a one-of-the-kind event venue. From the past, the house still features many remarkable architectural details like bright brick walls, tiles, wood floors, and giant Palladian windows. These elegant features combined with modern facilities make the Estate on Second one of the most interesting & comfortable wedding venues in Santa Ana.

The Estate on Second weddings costs & facilities

The Estate on Second is a full-service venue, owned by Jay’s Catering company. They will provide you with all the necessities for your Estate on Second wedding, from food to party rentals.

The venue can accommodate up to 175 guests for a sit-down dinner. The rental fee for Estate on Second indoor & outdoor spaces starts from $4,000. In this facility fee it’s included:

5.5 Hour of Event Time
Tables & Chairs
Bridal Suite
On-site Furniture
DJ Booth
AV equipment (wireless microphones and HiFi speakers).

You have to use the service of Jay’s Catering and also their alcohol services. The detailed a la carte menu you will find on the official webpage. The estimated price per guest starts from $51 depending on your guest count. So, you’ll find the Estate on Second wedding cost quite affordable for a full-service venue: they prepare a food menu, as well as a cake and a bar package.

Besides, Jay’s Catering offers food tastings before events. Firstly, they have the Taste of Jay’s program that has over 10 food stations varying the most popular food. It’s held every 4-6 weeks. They offer private tastings for custom menus and plated dinner packages (minimum of 3 weeks’ notice required) as well. Also, they provide complimentary, free of charge cake tastings to the booked clients.

The caterer also offers you a design consultant to help you choose linens, table setting, and flatware, as well as offer help with a seating chart. It’s all complimentary, but they have also more expensive upgraded options available.

The venue also provides security guards, a parking lot for about 35 spaces in the backyard. It’s kid and pet-friendly and accessible for guests with mobility restrictions.

The Estate on Second event areas

The Estate on Second offers both indoor & outdoor spaces with different capacities.

The Crystal Ballroom is the main space of the venue on the 1st floor, with the biggest capacity of 175 persons. It has rustic brick walls, high wooden beamed ceilings, and Palladian windows. The venue offers complemented chandeliers for lighting.
The space of the 2nd floor is the Attic, with hardwood floors and the same brick walls.
Two outdoor areas of the venue are the Terrace and the Veranda, both uncovered. The Terrace’s design reminds of a rooftop garden, with its market lights, surrounded by hedges of greenery. It’s located on the 2nd floor and perfect for cocktails and small gatherings. The Veranda on the 1st floor is also a small paved backyard with nice vintage lanterns and a wrought iron fence. It’s usually used as a place to relax for guests, as well as for a cocktail break.

You can choose different areas for each of your wedding event parts. Bridal preparation can be made in the bridal suite or upstairs in the attic, then the bride comes downstairs for the ceremony. Cocktails are set up upstairs or in one of the patios. The reception is usually organized in the grand room on the 1st floor.

Bride & Groom Getting Ready shots

You are allowed to use the bridal suite of the venue 3 hours before your ceremony. This modest yet comfortable changing room for the bride, with a partial kitchen, is located on the 1st floor.

Some brides want more space and use the upstairs area for their preparation. Since there is no special room for the groom & groom’s party at the venue, the upstairs area is also suitable for the groom’s preparation. It’s very spacious and light, with a small sitting area. From there you can easily move to the terrace and enjoy the cityscape view. We were not an exception and used this attic room for the groom’s preparation as pictured below.

Bride & bridesmaids finished their makeup & hairstyles in one of the hotels nearby. They used the bridal room only for some wedding party shots, as well as to relax before the ceremony and change into wedding dresses.

First Look at the Estate on Second Santa Ana

We made First Look in front of the building, right at the entrance. The tall glass-paneled entrance door is in itself a very beautiful vintage-styled piece. Lots of such architectural details you will find on the adjacent street. You’ll feel transported to another time on the East coast with its historical attributes like ironwork, cobblestone, vintage ornate street lamps, and brick walls.

Some nice shots we made also on the other side of the building on the Veranda. A wrought-iron gate, wooden fence, and surrounded trees add to a rustic vintage vibe. Besides, this spot was well-shaded because the building itself gives a good shade even in the afternoon time.

The bride decided on an alternative First Look with her father. (Why it can be a great idea you can read here). We chose for it the attic room upstairs and got very emotional and touching photos in front of the exposed brick walls, with plenty of light and space. The space is also great for group shots, relaxing with the family, and exchanging gifts before the main event will start.

Family & Wedding party shots at the Estate on Second venue

Before the ceremony, you’ll have a bit of time to make your photo session with family members upstairs (as we did) or snap some shots together with the bridal party in the bridal suite.

Guests that arrive early will be suggested to stay on the terrace while the staff will set up the grand room for the ceremony. So, it’s also a good moment to take some group shots with family members on the impressive background of brick walls and the iron fence.

Another opportunity to capture some nice shots is surely a cocktail hour. The cocktails at the wedding where I was photographing were set up upstairs. While guests enjoyed their cocktails moving freely from the attic to the rooftop patio, we had been making fun wedding party shots in front of the Estate and on the adjacent street. Great sunset light, very few pedestrians around, a small fountain as a focal point, and the overall historic atmosphere are in themselves an excellent backdrop for sunset portraits & group shots.

Ceremony & Reception at the Estate on Second

We had both the ceremony & reception downstairs in the grand room. The venue provided chandeliers hanging above, some decor, and Chiavari chairs. The giant centrally located door, draped with white cloth and adorned with florals & greenery, served as an altar spot. After the ceremony, this door served as a beautiful framework for the couple’s sweetheart table.

Because the wedding pictured below was rather small, the staff used a room divider to separate the ceremony area from the reception. During the ceremony, they already started to set up the tables.

If there is a big event, they make the set up after the ceremony when all the guests move upstairs for the cocktail hour. During this break, the staff transforms the downstairs space into the reception area.

The Estate on Second venue was designed with versatility in mind. After the ceremony, the well trained staff of the venue will quickly transform the grand room into the reception site as pictured below.

For your setup, the day-off coordinator will offer basic linens, china, flatware, and glassware complimentary. But they also have more expensive upgraded options available in case you need a more elaborate and customized setup.

There is a separate area for a DJ and AV equipment. The grand room is well air-conditioned. Even with a big amount of guests, you will not feel that tables are too close to each other or there is no room for dancing. Space gives really to breathe, there is plenty of room to walk around, both indoors & outdoors.

And another great plus of the venue is a sparkler exit opportunity. Usually, couples make it from the courtyard side. Lots of memorable wedding send-off pictures guaranteed 🙂

All advantages of your Estate on Second wedding

If you are a fan of exposed bricks and rustic vibe, the Estate on Second is your venue that does not need much to dress up. The Estate has all the advantages of a big house plus all the positives of a real venue.

Maybe, you want your wedding to be classic and timeless: the Estate on Second is a perfect option for it as well. Just put a few elegant decor details to your liking to make the area totally yours.

You will have the entire space only for you, both indoors & outdoors, without uninvited visitors or another curious folk. Besides, the venue allows you to have everything in-house, no need to rent any chairs, tables, draping, or even accent furniture.

Jay’s Catering who owns the venue is a reputable company that was named “Best Caterer” on the Orange County Hotlist in 2010-2014 years. They invite their couples to the Taste of Jay’s which they host at their different venue options. They also have rehearsals & private tastings, you just need to check in advance.

You’ll have all the modern facilities in a nice vintage-styled venue including AC, and AV equipment. It is also accessible for guests with mobility restrictions, which is another plus.