Old St Hilary’s Church

Our daughter was married at Old St. Hilary’s last month and it was the perfect beginning to a very special event. Barbara was delightful to work with, and gets the prize for the quickest email responses of all of our vendors! Barbara was out of town for the big day, but her A-​list assistant, Susie, did a great job for us at both the rehearsal and ceremony. The setting is so beautiful and peaceful, and where else does the newly married couple get to ring a bell following their nuptials? The church is beautifully maintained including the regularly tuned baby grand piano, and while the site does have guest capacity limits and transportation logistics, we found it more than worth the extra effort.

We almost got married here, but decided to marry elsewhere because the slope leading up to the church was just too hard to navigate for the older guests we invited. The view up at the church is just breath taking. We love places that have character and this church certainly has it.

This is an absolutely stunning gem of a church. Placed high on top of a beautiful little knoll. Its stark white exterior, and sharply precise steeple is absolutely breath taking. Not to mention the beautiful view that this wonderful place of worship provides. We came across this gorgeous little church when looking for venues to be married. While we will probably not use this place because its location just seems a bit far for our older guests. If I did not have to consider our older family members, I would most definitely still consider having our wedding here.

My husband and I were married here in May and it was love at first sight. Not with my husband but with this beautiful, quaint church :) It’s a secret gem of a wedding location – intimate, humble, beautiful. With amazing views and gorgeous surroundings. It’s the kind of place I had always dreamed of, but never thought actually existed. Perched on a hill overlooking the Bay, we couldn’t imagine a more magical place to tie the knot!
Barbara was friendly and accommodating – a real pleasure to work with. There’s a piano and parking for a select number of vehicles. Overall, it was an amazing experience and definitely worth the shuttle arrangements to get guests to and from the venue.
Just perfect! Thank you!

I love two things that helped me love Old St Hilary’s Church: country churches and history. As a kid of a pastor from the Ozarks, I have been in my share of little country churches, so they are near and dear to my heart because of the history behind such church buildings. Last summer when we were in Tiburon, we drove up to Old St. Hilary’s and enjoyed taking pictures of the outside and the view from the hill. I was pretty excited to learn that it was open on Sunday afternoons for the majority of the year, so this summer, we made a point of visiting so we could see the inside. It did not disappoint!
We drove up on Sunday afternoon to find a lovely docent to give us the story of the church. The architecture and the woodwork are so lovely. Many of the original features have been saved and are found in the building. Two of the original pews are in the back, and an old pump organ sits in the back of the corner. I don’t know if it is functional or not; it looks like it could be. A baby grand piano sits on the small stage, and I was allowed to play a song. The acoustics are phenomenal for a small venue, and sometimes local concerts are held here. It was hard for me to leave, as I simply enjoyed being in the sanctuary and hearing the stories from long ago. Some very inexpensive books and pictures are available that give some additional history and some pictures from the past.
So, I can only imagine the stories held within the four walls: funerals, weddings, baptisms, fellowship, worship. Such an amazing place with a gorgeous view of Belvedere and Tiburon. When I grow up, I want to move to Tiburon and be the docent at Old St. Hilary’s Church.

Absolutely spectacular location, it can’t be beat. The white stark church stands in the blue sky on top of a hill. Highly recommend for weddings, special events.

My husband and I were married in this church February 2014, it was an amazing venue! A dream location, with amazing views both inside and outside. As soon as we first saw the church; when visiting Tiburon we knew we found our venue. All of our guests loved the views and location. Working with Barbara and Sue was wonderful, the day went off without a hitch and our pianist enjoyed the recently tuned piano.

This is the most stunning church in a wonderful town. I would highly highly highly recommend having a wedding here. It’s just lovely. The landmark staff is great too.

I would give this 5 stars because I think my wedding day turned out to be incredible; but I realize that I’m biased, so 4 stars it is.
Pros:
You really can’t beat the location — my family, most of whom were from out of town, absolutely loved the views from the church. The outside and inside of the church are very charming, too. The photos speak for themselves.
Cons:
–it gets pretty hot inside the church — we had our wedding in early Oct. and our guests, as well as my husband and I, were sweating quite a bit during the ceremony.
–parking is extremely limited, so much so that you’ll need to arrange a shuttle for your guests to get to/​from the church — planning that was a little nightmarish.
–while I enjoyed most of my interactions with Barbara, I felt that the evening of our rehearsal she was quick to rush us out of the church, and I also did not realize that she would not be at the church or the landmarks art & garden center (where we had our reception), which was confusing to me since she was the only person from the landmarks society i had ever dealt with, so it was unsettling to see someone totally new on my wedding day.
Overall, though, this was the perfect spot for our wedding ceremony and we can’t imagine having done it anywhere else.

Old St. Hilary’s is the little white church that girls dream of getting married in. It would be perfect all on its own, but it also has this panaoramic view of everything from the SF skyline to the Golden Gate and Sausalito in addition to being in the center of a rare wildflower preserve.
Our daughter was married here this past May and everyone loved the intimacy of the church and its breathtaking views. The acoustics were very good for the harpist the couple chose for the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony after the guests are outside, you are encouraged to have someone ring the large bell. This is to let the town know that there is a newly married couple and can be heard for quite a distance. There are few places that can compare with this one. One thing to note –you will have to arrange shuttle service for your guests as there is no parking at the church itself.
A special thanks to Barbara who was extremely helpful in coordinating the rehearsal and answering our questions as they came up and also in providing a list of local vendors.

Our wedding ceremony at Old St. Hilary’s Church in Tiburon, was like it was taken from our dreams. We knew from the first moment we drove up the hill that this was where we wanted to be married. The beauty and timelessness of the little white chapel was enchanting and made for a perfect location for the ceremony. The location and breathtaking views of the bay were the talk of the wedding guests and added a perfect touch of class to our special day. Gwen was there to assist us throughout the wedding and we could not have been more happy with her service. Her experience with weddings at Old St. Hilary’s was a great help to us and we would like to especially thank her for her kind hearted congratulations. We plan to return to Old St. Hilary’s each year for our anniversary and could not think of a better place to continue our dreamy marriage.

The most beautiful little white church on the hill… breathtaking, ethereal, romantic, quaint, and full of rich history. You can’t help but feel moved when you see this church. It is perfect.

I wouldn’t call this vista point a location for extraordinary panoramic views of SF skyline. It’s a fairly short hike/​trail (10 mins) to get to the church if you are walking from Vistazo Drive.
Church only open Sunday from April-​October.

Old St. Hilary’s is so classic and sweet! I was married there in 1999 and returned as a wedding photographer March 2011. I don’t think anything has changed and I like it that way.
It’s so sweet and wonderful!

I stare at it all day, I hike around it all the time. It reminds me of a less oppressive time, and a more quaint reasoning behind the workings of it’s main intent. But aesthetically, there can be no squabbling… it’s noble and stunning. They have a nice lady in their most days who will talk to you about the history, offer pamphlets and local history. Pretty cool.
AND… the Old St. Hilary Nature Preserve and Open Space has got to be the best moderate hiking in the Bay Area. I love it so much! Unbelievable views of the whole Bay, Angel Island, the Bridge, etc… but just the perfect place for a picnic, photo opp, training and just epic fun.
Anyhoo. yeah. Adorable.

A gorgeous church atop a hill overlooking the town. Don’t be mistaken as I was by a single sign on the main road and being led to the newer church with the same same. Very limited parking so either park at the very top beside the church if there’s a spot, or down lower. It’s a nice walk up the hill, not too steep nor far… gorgeous houses to see enroute the church.
PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Be aware of the weather, clouds, direction of the church when you come. Otherwise, a very lovely gothic church outside with some stone steps in front leading down to a «resting area». Take a wide-​angle and a telephoto to capture the details. I wasn’t able to go inside as the church was closed… another trip perhaps?

I have an amazing husband. The type other girls are jealous of because he’s just so fabulous and thoughtful. Last year, we had our first date in Tiburon … the type of date that lasted 6 hours. When he proposed, we knew we wanted to get married in Tiburon.
After some internet research, we found Old St Hilary’s. Let me be frank … if you are looking for a church that will truly WOW you guests, this is the place. In fact, we weren’t able to start the ceremony on time because our guests were so busy taking pictures outside, we couldn’t wrangle them into the church!
The view is nothing short of spectacular. You can see all of downtown Tiburon and the SF skyline. As you drive up the hill, to the church, your breathe will be taken away.
A few words of caution:
– the church only holds 120, that includes your wedding party, you minister, your musician. So if you are planning on having a huge wedding, this is not the place.
– there is only 6 parking spots at the church. You will need to rent a parking lot in town and «shuttle» your guests up the hill in a limo. Keep this in mind if you are on a super tight budget.
– this is NOT a catholic church (it was deconsecrated years ago). And the catholic church will NOT recognize a marriage here. You will need to hire a non-​denominational minister to perform the ceremony.
On the pro side, since this is a national landmark, 50% of your rental fee is considered tax deductible!
This is a magical place to celebrate your big day … and Old St Hilary will be a place your guests will be talking about for years to come!

The boy and I attended a wedding here this past Saturday and it’s just gorgeous! (Thanks Jeremy + Trisha for inviting us!) The weather cooperated and the view was stunning.
I didn’t know that it was a Catholic church until I saw the stained glasses inside. The inside is very intimate and charming. A nice breeze and nice shadows from the sun if you have a sunset wedding.
The wedding itself wasn’t Catholic so for all you lovebirds… this is definitely one of the spots!
PS: Just don’t have your reception at Servino!

Two words: stunning simplicity.
I love the architecture of this place. It’s an old wooden building with amazing views of Marin.
Despite being in Tiburon I don’t get a stuffy feeling about it. It’s simple and beautiful. The pews are wooden and there’s no extraneous artifacts.
If I were thinking about getting married, this would be the place. The place was de-​consecrated so you don’t have tow worry about being Catholic to get married here.
The volunteer who was there the last time I went was very pleasant and talked to us for a good 30 minutes. Very pleasant.

GREAT PLACE TO HAVE A WEDDING!
SIMPLE, ELEGANT AND WITH A INCREDIBLE VIEW!
This small deconsecrated Catholic mission from 1888 is on the side of a hill overlooking downtown Tiburon, Belvedere, Corinthian Island and the Bay. You can see Angel Island, San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. A VIEW YOU WON’T SOON FORGET! BREATAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
The chapel holds approximately 125 guests and is set in the middle of a RARE WILDFLOWER PRESERVE. Originally built to serve railroad families, it is now owned and operated by the Belvedere-​Tiburon Landmarks Society that rents it out to appropriate functions. .. . such as weddings!
An original stained glass window above the door depicts St. Hilary, patron saint of scholars. The interior walls are of natural redwood.. . so appropriate for northern California.
Pair this beautiful little white WEDDING CHAPEL with the historic China Cabin for your RECEPTION and your event is all set! Old St. Hilary’s and the China Cabin are just blocks apart. Both operated by the Landmarks Society.
For information on rental and availability contact the Landmark’s rental office at