Ah, early April in Southern California. Gorgeous weather, blue skies, a light breeze. There is no better place in the country to have a wedding than in Socal, the weather is almost always cooperative. Recently, I was hired to DJ a wedding at Cafe Mozart, a restaurant and Event facility in San Juan Capistrano. Although the drive for me personally is a little far, I was so pleasantly surprised by this place that I wouldn’t mind working there every week, but since we have Orange County Wedding DJs who work for Elegant Event Entertainment and live further south, they too will love to DJ events at this location.
The owners chef Hans and his wife Carla are wonderful people and both are great chefs. Hans is a highly trained European chef and Carla is an incredible pastry chef, she makes the Wedding Cakes, so you can check that off your list right away. The cake at this wedding was gorgeous and tasted great! 
The food was wonderful, from the passed hors d’oeuvres to the salads and entree, I could tell everyone was enjoying the food immensely, which is not something you always expect at wedding facilities. Nevertheless, the ambiance of this quaint reception area is set in a courtyard with a beautiful fountain flowing gently throughout your reception, the architecture has that wonderful Spanish influence, and the lighting is very romantic when the sun goes down, reducing the need for any outside lighting to be rented and brought in, which can be a costly venture. This facility also holds events inside for up to 150 people and outside up to 250.
The dance floor was perfectly sized, the area for the DJ was set slightly apart from the tables but could easily be heard at any volume level throughout the cocktails and dinner. As for noise ordinances, I am not aware of one, I was able to crank the dance music when that was appropriate, but the venue did close at 10pm for this particular event. The truth is, if your reception begins at 5pm, ending at 10:00pm gives plenty of time to enjoy a great reception. They may arrange to stay open later for some events, but I’m not certain about that.
Cafe Mozart also hosts Wedding Ceremonies. They have a Wedding Chapel on the property along with Bride and Grooms dressing rooms. And how cool is this? To accommodate friends and family members who are unable to attend, the chapel is equipped with a live web cam, giving them the opportunity to watch the ceremony live on-line. I have to say, for Weddings under 250 people, this is a great location. It’s easy to get to, only 1/4 mile from the 5 freeway and the train station and there’s lots of parking. Cafe Mozart is also a restaurant and is open during your event, but the two are kept separate, including a separate restroom and event staff.
If you live in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, or really any part of Southern California, have a moderate wedding budget, and are looking for a California Wedding Location that is quaint, simple, yet elegant and fun, this is the place. Cafe Mozart Weddings are a perfect example of the wide spectrum of wedding facilities in Southern California, but we like this one for it’s good food, friendly staff, and convenient yet quaint and romantic setting. Elegant Event DJs have a great time here, we think you will too.
You may also enjoy our:
Map of where to have a Los Angeles wedding reception