June 2020

How to Plan A Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding (complete with pricing and photos) With a setting seemingly taken from a movie, having a Shelldance Orchid Gardens wedding is perfect for those having an elopement or small intimate wedding! Exciting for both botanists and lovers alike, one can’t help but look around in awe at this nursery and how unique this setting is for a wedding day. For those who want a unique setting for their celebration, choosing a Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding is perfect! TLDR – A wedding at Shelldance Orchid Gardens is fit for intimate weddings and small elopements.– The Shelldance Orchid northwing is the ceremonial and reception space with room to seat 50 people.– The Shelldance Orchid foyer greets your guests and poses as an appetizing initial room.– The Big Orchid Room at Shelldance Orchid Gardens bears the highlight of the venue; showcases plants of all variations.– May be rented at an affordable rate, flexible owner Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding Cost Rental Fee : $950 for up to 4 hours (1 – 8 hour rentals are possible also). Weekdays onlyCapacity: up to 50 guests. Best for elopements under 10 guests How to Book Email: nancyvictoriadavis@outlook.comPhone: (650) 355-4845 (Saturday and Sundays only 11AM – 4PM)Website: https://www.shelldance.com/events.html Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding Locations The North Wing Arguably the most important, the North Wing is the ceremonial (and reception) space for your wedding. The North Wing is a beautiful, bright, and protected space that glows with natural sunlight. With a path leading from the Foyer to the stage, it seems like this room was designed with weddings in mind! With enough seating for 50 of your closest friends and family, this room provides the perfect backdrop for an intimate wedding ceremony. If the reception is also being done indoors, it can be easily turned around while your guests enjoy cocktail hour outside since the decor is mostly taken cared of! The Foyer The Foyer includes an array of plant species that greet your guests immediately for an unforgettable first impression. On a day as important as your wedding, the initial moments at the venue are often times the most impactful and set the tone for the rest of the day. As you enter, you can’t help but look around in awe and appreciate the venue. With the hanging moss and refreshing scent of nature welcoming you, the Foyer acts as an appetizing initial room to show what this venue is all about.  The Big Orchid Room The Big Orchid Room is where guests can walk amongsth the hundreds of orchids on sale, as well as serve as a momentary escape for some unique portraits amongst the plants. This area is one of my favorite rooms at the venue because only after seeing rows of orchids of all shapes and colors did I really appreciate the beauty and variety of orchids. I can appreciate why they are my mom’s favorite type of plant and one of the highlights of having a Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding. Best Times for a Shelldance Orchid Gardens Wedding The temperature in Pacifica stays fairly consistent throughout the year, with a bit more fog compared to San Francisco and a few degrees colder as well. The hot period (high 70s low 80s) doesn’t last too long, but September and October are the warmest months and are very comfortable. See the graph below for a more accurate outline of the yearly temperatures.  Conclusion Whether you have an elopement at Shelldance Orchid Gardens or not, the natural beauty of this unique wedding venue will leave an impression regardless. And while you are there, you might as well take a plant home and let it serve as a reminder of your wedding day to act as a natural wedding favor! Despite the beauty and uniqueness of this wedding venue, it can be rented for a vary affordable rate since the owner is all about giving back to the community and is passionate about sharing this lovely nursery with others. Shelldance Orchid Gardens is one of my favorite places to elope in San Francisco, but check out this more extensive list for other San Francisco Elopement Locations if you would like more options. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com Related Posts on the Blog

How to Plan a University Club of Palo Alto Wedding Ultimate Guide to Planning a University Club of Palo Alto Wedding (with pricing and photos) The Perfect Wedding Venue to Elope – University Club of Palo Alto With picture perfect views, food, and service, the University Club of Palo Alto is a great wedding venue for couples who want to elope or have a small, private wedding. The 6 acres of land are surrounded by trees that provide excellent privacy for the outdoor ceremonial patio, which is only a few steps away from the indoor reception room. Just 20 minutes East of San Jose and 40 minutes South of San Francisco, this venue is an easy trip for your close family and loved ones! Overall, the University Club of Palo Alto is an excellent venue to say I do for small and personal weddings or elopements. Outdoor Ceremonial Patio Surrounded by beautiful, native oak trees and hidden by the Matadero Creek, the outdoor ceremonial area at the University Club of Palo Alto is described as Palo Alto’s “best kept secret.” Above the patio rests a beautiful wooden canopy, under which the wedding ceremony takes place. The open rafters on the canopy allow for the perfect amount of natural lighting – great for amazing wedding photos 😀  Additionally, a beautiful stone terrace provides a second option for couples who are interested in having an oak tree as the background for their ceremony. With white sheer drapes decorating the tree and beautiful golden sunlight beaming down onto the terrace, this outdoor area is the perfect option for great natural lighting.  Indoor Reception Room The indoor reception room has a truly welcoming feel, designed to make you and your guests feel at home. The 5,200 square foot clubhouse is home to the main dining room, which is where your reception will take place.  Well maintained with large bay windows, the reception room looks out onto the outdoor ceremonial patio and terrace. The expansive wooden rafters and warm lighting of the room provide a unique, gazebo-like feel to the reception area, perfect for your special day.  The cozy indoor clubhouse is small enough to make custom design, style-choices, and color coordination easy when it comes to decorating. With the perfect amount of ceiling, wall, and table space, the finishing touches to your decorating efforts are sure to come out beautifully.  Closing Thoughts For couples who would like to elope or enjoy a small venue for their wedding, the University Club of Palo Alto is the perfect choice. With a reputation for excellence, beautifully maintained outdoor area, and picture-perfect reception room, the club offers an intimate experience that caters to your privacy.  Both areas – from the terrace/ patio to the reception room – are directly next to each other, encouraging more interaction and special moments with the people you love most. I understand that your wedding venue selection takes time, vision, and careful planning to achieve the perfect outcome, and hope that you have gained valuable information about the University Club of Palo Alto to help with your search. Overall, this venue is not only special, but is the ideal choice for a private wedding and elopement.Thank you for reading, and be sure to reach out for any photography requests or additional information! Also, be sure to visit my blog for an insider look at a wide range of California wedding venue options 🙂 Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

The Mountain Terrace Wedding The Ultimate Planning Guide to The Mountain Terrace Wedding (with pricing, photos, and video)​ If you are planning The Mountain Terrace wedding, read below for an extensive guide to help in your wedding planning! It is one of my favorite wedding venues in San Francisco and is perfect for any wedding small or large. Check out the photos and videos below to help in your decision to get a little feel for how pretty this wedding venue is! Why The Mountain Terrace Weddings​ The Mountain Terrace, located in Woodside, CA, is one of best outdoor wedding venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for its scenic bay views and stunning redwood grove. With decades old trees acting as a wedding ceremony backdrop, it is the ideal setting for anyone wanting natural beauty and fresh air. A fire pit, swing, and the giant open lawn all help add to the casual feel at this scenic venue.  The Mountain Terrace is one of the few wedding venues in the San Francisco Bay Area that allows for just a morning wedding ceremony. Popular if you are doing a restaurant reception, for example, the morning ceremony allows you to have the best of both worlds. Many Couples choose a more intimate outdoor ceremony with close friends and family before going to a much larger function at a restaurant, for example.  The Mountain Terrace Wedding Cost​​ Pricing: Full Wedding Rental: $2,500–$8,500+ (varies by season and day of week) Morning Ceremony Only: Starting at $2,500 (varies by date) Deposit Fee: Facility rental fee + $500 refundable security deposit required to reserve dateCapacity: 120 guests – 300 guests depending on the venueEvent Duration: Full Wedding: 8-hour rental block To get a more detailed outline, please check out their pricing page How to Book A Mountain Terrace Wedding​ Phone: 650-851-1606Website: https://www.themountainterrace.com/weddings/Contact Form: https://www.themountainterrace.com/contact The Mountain Terrace Wedding Locations​ The Great Lawn The Mountain Terrace is known for its grand lawn outfront, that can accomodate up to 300 seated guests. In addition, the backdrop of the redwood grove serves as the perfect ceremony location to say your vows. The Great Lawn is where the ceremonies are all held. Reception Hall For those wishing to keep things indoors, their rustic lodge provides a cozy atmosphere for the reception. Warm candle lighting and a string lit patio help compliment this wedding venue along the Peninsula, as well as heaters outdoors for those wanting to have a safe balance between an indoor and outdoor reception. The Evening Sky One of the best things about the Mountain Terrace, in my opinion, is the ability to see the stars at night. Couple this with the fire pit, giant sequoias and redwoods to block the wind, and you have the perfect setting for an evening stroll when you want to catch your breath from all the dancing inside! Situated around the Santa Cruz Mountains, there is little light pollution around this area and allows you to fully appreciate the nature of this location. We often forget to look up sometimes (I know I do!) and this wedding venue out in nature allows us to appreciate the world and the people we surround ourselves with. https://youtu.be/ibmrGG9xbac Conclusion Hopefully this post gave you an idea of how a wedding at Mountain Terrace can look like. With its location in Woodside, it offers a nature surrounding for you and your guests to explore and celebrate. If you are interested in other redwood wedding venues, check out my post for the best Bay Area redwood forest wedding venues. The Mountain Terrace Wedding Photos​ Weddings at The Mountain Terrace on the Blog​ Scarlett and Stephen Wedding Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com