Northern California Venue-Need suggestions

[DiamondsOnly]

Hello!

My FI and I have been looking locally at venues, but then he mentioned a destination wedding in northern Cali. We have never been so I was hoping someone here could help. If anyone is from Cali or has been to Cali often and can help me out as far as wedding venue/mini reception I'd appreciate it. I think we would like a beach setting or overlooking the ocean or anything...I'm open to all options.


Thank you in advance for you help!

DiamondsOnly

 

[sillyberry]

Do you have a price range in mind?

I can't help you with the ocean, but I've been to stunning weddings at Auberge du Soleil and Meadowood, both in St. Helena in Napa Valley, but definitely not inexpensive!

 

[DiamondsOnly]

I don't know about a price range. I haven't thought about it. It'll be a destination wedding so maybe around$10k.

 

[swingirl]

Beaches in Northern California? I am not sure you'd want want the cool breezy foggy weather for a wedding. Most days I go to the coast (San Francisco Bay Area) I bring a sweatshirt at the very least. Surfers always wear wetsuits. It might be cooler than you are imagining.

There's the Ritz-Carlton but it's expensive.
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HalfMoonBay/Default.htm

 

[nkarma]

Beaches in Northern California? I am not sure you'd want want the cool breezy foggy weather for a wedding. Most days I go to the coast (San Francisco Bay Area) I bring a sweatshirt at the very least. Surfers always wear wetsuits. It might be cooler than you are imagining.

There's the Ritz-Carlton but it's expensive.
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/HalfMoonBay/Default.htm

I live in the SF bay area and second this. I personally would be very worried about fog anywhere along the coast in bay area as really it is very hit or miss and it doesn't matter what time of year. October maybe the most reliable month but the fog layer really changes by the hour. If you are willing to gamble and/or like fog, then go for it. I think most destination Norcal weddings are either in urban SF or the wine country.

If you want a beautiful California beach wedding I highly recommend San Diego (where I grew up) or Santa Barbara. Both have beautiful beaches that aren't as crowded and are much nicer than LA in my opinion.

If you are doing a destination wedding, I recommend you check out bestdestinationwedding.com and tripadvisor.

 

[slg47]

yes, I agree with nkarma and swingirl. Northern California beaches are COLD!!! One time when touring the Presidio I saw a (very brave) couple taking wedding photos...but they looked to be cold (never mind that the hair wasn't staying in place with the wind!)

There are some beautiful wineries in Northern California that do weddings, but if you are going for a beachy feel then I would recommend Southern California or Florida or somewhere that is actually warm

 

[sonnyjane]

yes, I agree with nkarma and swingirl. Northern California beaches are COLD!!! One time when touring the Presidio I saw a (very brave) couple taking wedding photos...but they looked to be cold (never mind that the hair wasn't staying in place with the wind!)

There are some beautiful wineries in Northern California that do weddings, but if you are going for a beachy feel then I would recommend Southern California or Florida or somewhere that is actually warm

I agree. I live in SoCal, and because of the cold temperature of the Pacific, there are always cool, nay, COLD breezes at the beach. It has to be a good 70 or 80 degrees before I feel good at the beach. Northern Cali is MUCH cooler. If you want beach, I agree that you should look at warmer locations than NorCal. We chose to have a destination elopement in Maui, but that's an expensive trip if you're having lots of guests. I'm not sure where you're from, but if you're choosing Northern California for a specific reason, maybe look into Monterey Bay. In fact the Monterey Bay Aquarium even does weddings!

 

[amc80]

Born and raised in Northern CA.

-Lake Tahoe (Bonus- you can fly into Reno or Sacramento, both which are Southwest airports, so that will save guests some money). Fairly stable weather in the summer. BEAUTIFUL!
-Napa/St. Helena
-Bodega Bay (cute little fishing village north of SF, it's where The Birds was filmed)
-El Dorado County - Tons of wineries but less expensive than Napa

That's all I can think of off the top of my head...

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.examiner.com/getaways-in-san-francisco/northern-california-s-top-10-beach-towns

 

[getting excited]

I second the Lake tahoe suggestion. If you choose late summer, it will be gorgeous!!! I know there are a ton of places right on the beach to get married.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Here is a website my minister put together about small weddings in Napa. He has some nice package deals.

Another option would be to have the wedding at city hall (beautiful building) and have the reception at a restaurant depending on your guest count. There are some oceanside restaurants that host receptions, I just don't remember the name of any of them.

http://www.napavalleyweddings.com/

Also, check out this link
http://www.wedcheaper.com/San-Francisco-inexpensive-wedding-venues.html

 

[amc80]

Just thought of another place- Yosemite. Not beachy, but SO beautiful. They even have the cutest little chapel ever right in the middle of the valley.

 

[DiamondsOnly]

Thanks! I'll check all of it out. I appreciate the help...all I have is time so well see what happens.

 

[VRBeauty]

I know the Cliff House (restaurant) hosts wedding receptions - I imagine they'll host weddings also. You'd be indoors overlooking the beach. The Beach Chalet is on the western edge of Golden Gate Park overlooking a road that runs alongside the ocean . You might even be able to book your wedding on one of the Blue and Gold fleet ferry boats. But I agree with everyone else: San Francisco weather is somewhat unpredictable... if your ideas for a beach wedding include warm or balmy weather, you might be disappointed.

 

[antelope1]

I just scouted a bunch of locations for my destination wedding (for about 100 people, budget including tax + tip of ~$20k for reception only) in San Francisco next fall. I grew up there, went to college there, have photographed extensively there, and this is what I think:

I'd strongly recommend NOT going with the Cliff House. While it's inexpensive, the alcohol is on a per consumption basis ONLY, so you'll never know how much the tab is going to be ahead of time. Ceremonies take place on the Terrace (adjacent to the Terrace Room), but there's no provision for rain (e.g., they can't move you indoors if it's raining). While it doesn't often rain in SF, when it does, it pours. In any case, the Terrace is always windy because it faces the Pacific. Under no circumstances will they let you start before 6pm for an evening reception, so if you're going for a fall wedding, you (and your photographer) will be screwed on the lighting during your ceremony. My 2 cents. Also, no hotels nearby, just a ratty inn, so you're going to have to hire a bus to get your guests around. If you're ok with a day wedding, the Terrace Room is a better deal (and has better light).

For a destination wedding, keep in mind that most of your guests are going to have to fly in and stay in hotels, so...your best bet is to have the wedding in a hotel. The Sir Francis Drake is an economical choice -- their Franciscan Ballroom is gorgeous, and the room minimum is reasonable ($8k). The Mark Hopkins (Room of the Dons) has a much higher minimum, but the prices for food and beverage are about the same as the Drake, and you get a suite of 3 rooms. The Omni in the Financial District also has a really nice ballroom with a gigantic chandelier. The Westin St Francis can do the historic St Francis Suite (you get 4 gorgeous rooms) for groups no larger than 70 people. The problem with a hotel reception is finding a ceremony location -- all of the ceremony options in the hotel are either windowless or conference rooms with low (< 10') ceilings. In particular, the wedding coordinators at the Drake, Mark Hopkins, and Westin were really professional and on the ball -- I'd not hesitate to go with any of those three. They all have the glamorous, lux feel of the roaring 20s, which is what I was going for with our wedding.

If you really want a touristy take on San Francisco, the Argonaut Hotel in Fisherman's Wharf is also a good choice (with a professional wedding planning team), but the ballroom had a low ceiling, so we were not enthralled, personally.

Less expensive alternatives: the Asilomar conference facility in Monterey (fantastic for smaller groups ~50) and you'd have a beachside wedding (my dad has organized conferences there, they are pros); the San Francisco Zoo (but it's also windy and fog-prone) where you have the option of a giraffe feeding and carosel rides (also extremely professional catering group, even though they don't normally do weddings); the Presidio Officer's Club with the ceremony in the Chapel of Our Lady next door (just peeked in, no direct experience). There are also some nice options in the East Bay, particularly the Berkeley City Club. On the peninsula, check out Kohl Mansion in Burlingame and Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. In the North Bay, every winery does weddings -- but they cost 1 arm + 2 legs.

HTH!

ETA: If I were open to SoCal, this would have been my first choice: http://www.wayfarerschapel.org/.. GORGEOUS!

 

[parrot tulips]

I got married at the Headlands Center for the Arts, and had an amazing experience. It's nestled in hills of the Marin Headlands, with the most amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge on the drive to the venue. When we first visited, there were deer and wild turkeys roaming around. While you can't see it, Rodeo Beach is only half a mile away, so you can always have some photos snapped there before the ceremony (although it can get quite windy, so messy hair becomes a concern). They have an in-house caterer who is OUTSTANDING (uses local/organic products).

Here's a link to a photographer blog with pictures (not our wedding):

http://blog.joelflory.com/says/wedding/marin-headlands/

http://www.headlands.org/article.asp?key=33

 

[Gypsy]

Highlands Inn in Carmel.