Planning a Wedding in Catalina Island (updated 2022)

The Ultimate Guide for Planning a Wedding in Catalina Island
(complete with pricing, photos, and venues)

A Caribbean wedding, especially a wedding in Catalina Island, is matched by few if any. The gorgeous location is perfect for every wedding, from the small, intimate elopement to the extravagant and lavish celebration. There are dozens of places to explore, from towering hikes to alluring beaches, all eager to make yours the next big event of the Island. Planning a wedding in Catalina Island is as exciting as it is adventurous. Lets look at how you can make your Catalina Island wedding an epic one!

Getting to Catalina Island

You can sail into Catalina Island through San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach, or Dana Point ports, which are about an hour from the island. If you feel like flying, you can take a private chopper ride from Long Beach, San Pedro, Burbank, or John Wayne airports, which will take close to 15 minutes. 

Wedding in Catalina Island – Legal Stuff

You’ll need a California marriage license for any wedding on Catalina Island. If you choose to have your wedding on any outdoor location, you will need an officiant, at least two witnesses, and a location permit to be on the safe side. Make reservations or bookings early enough.  Plus, it advisable to get familiar with the guidelines and permits for the location you choose.

Wedding Venues in Catalina Island

You can pick from two main sides to host your wedding in Catalina Island. There’s Avalon to the east, where all the big fun typically happens, and Twin Harbors to the west for the more intimate villa experience. There are dozens of places to choose from, including Lover’s Cove for smaller events and elopements and Little Harbor and Shark Harbor Trail for the couple that loves a little adventure. There’s also Catalina Adventure Tours for an over-the-top luxury wedding on a boat in the ocean! Overlook Hall for something a bit rustic and artistic, Descanso Beach Club for a chill event on the beach, Hotel Metropole for a sleek and lavish event and so much more!

If you want a smaller, more intimate setting, you can explore Airbnb options which offer more customization. Explore lodging places since hotels get booked up pretty quickly when it’s high season. Also, shop ahead of time.

Wedding Packages in Catalina Island

I offer special rates for your wedding in Catalina Island, since its such a gorgeous location to photograph! Wedding packages in Catalina Island start at $3200. Please CONTACT ME to discuss your Catalina Island wedding today!

Best Time for a Wedding in Catalina Island

Of course, the best time to have your wedding depends on what you prefer and your schedule. However, if you wish to have your wedding during more temperate whether, then spring is the best time to schedule it. Summer days can sometimes be overcast until noon or later. The island tends to be extra busy during this period, so amenities and activities can be a bit more expensive. 

Catalina Island Wedding Vendors

A Catalina Island wedding is a unique event in one of the most gorgeous places in the world. You have an elopement as personalized as you want! Few vendors live within the Island so you will need to get them “off island”, and they’ll probably charge a fee as part of their total fee. 

Conclusion

A wedding in Catalina Island is incomplete if you don’t get to explore the rest of the Island. Treat your guests to a Zip Line Tour, an aerial adventure & helicopter tour, a tour of Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Garden, cocktails at Luau Larry’s, Kayaking, or a Mini Golf tournament. Since it’s a small island, things get booked up fairly easily, especially during the summer months. 

If you would like to discuss your Catalina Island wedding, please CONTACT ME to chat!

Venues
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Carmel Valley Wedding Venues

Carmel Valley Wedding Venues The Ultimate Carmel Valley Wedding Venues Guide (with Pricing + Photos) Carmel Valley wedding venues offer an authentically Californian experience with wineries, rustic landscapes, and golf courses, making it a favorite choice for destination weddings. Just a short drive from the Pacific Ocean, Carmel Valley offers a rustic respite from the busy coastal life. Whether you live nearby or are traveling from around the world, there are plenty of perfect options for your Carmel Valley Wedding. Here are some of the top Carmel Valley wedding venues to consider! Gardner Ranch Rental Fee: $8,000 Gardner Ranch is a great location for wedding large and small alike. The sprawling estate provides many locations including three banquet rooms, a clubhouse, an outdoor patio, and many different lawn locations. The backdrop of the Santa Lucia Mountains makes for a great setting for an outdoor wedding in virtually any season. This is also surprisingly one of the more affordable Carmel Valley wedding venues given its elegance and charm. All weddings include exclusive use of Gardner Ranch, plenty of on-site parking, wine barrel cocktail tables, landscape lighting, wooden chairs, and plenty of other perks. This is one of the more popular Carmel Valley wedding venues around for good reason. Bernardus Lodge & Spa Rental Fee: $5,500 – $13,500  This is one of the larger Carmel Valley wedding venues that offers six different wedding locations that range from vineyard views to rose gardens. For intimate ceremonies or elopements of 10 people or less, the Vintner’s Suite is a favorite or can be used as a bridal suite. Of all the locations, the Wedding Garden is possibly the most beautiful with immaculate landscaping, over 100 varieties of roses, and the chef’s own vegetable garden. Wedding packages include luxury accommodations for the couple and an open bar with Bernardus’s own wines.  Los Laureles Lodge Rental Fee: $2,500 – $3,300 One of the more unique Carmel Valley wedding venues, Los Laureles Lodge is a ten-acre ranch with three different options for settings. The largest is the Terrace Garden, a stunning area beneath cascading oak trees where guests watch from wooden pews. This holds up to 200 people. Intimate weddings of up to 30 guests can celebrate at Hill House, a beautifully adorned home with a hillside deck. The Hill House has a full kitchen and, true to its namesake, supports sweeping views of Carmel Valley. Finally, the Terrace Garden Banquet Room can hold a small reception or rehearsal dinner. Quail Lodge & Golf Club (Carmel by the Sea) Contact for pricing Quail Lodge Golf Club provides six different options for your ceremony. Quail Meadows is likely the favorite for outdoor weddings, which features a lush meadow on the banks of a stream, creating a perfect location for wedding photos. The Peninsula Ballroom in the Clubhouse is a great choice for a reception whether opting for buffet style or a sit-down dinner. This venue specializes in weddings from small groups to up to 200 guests. This is one of the more affordable Carmel Valley wedding venues for the budget-conscious bride and groom, providing beauty at a lower price than many local venues. Stonepine Estate Resort Rental Fee: starts at $9,000 As you approach through a road lined with oak trees, you will soon catch a glimpse of Chateau Noel, an architectural experience that will have you thinking you have somehow landed in Tuscany. Guests can opt for a California Country package which includes use of the Paddock Lawns or a Chateau Exclusive which involves use of Chateau Noel. Can’t decide? Book the entire estate to have one of the most regal wedding venues in Carmel Valley all to yourself! For a more Old West style feel, try the Blacksmith Bar where guests can practice archery and horseshoes while drinking beer. Needless to say, this is one of the most varied Carmel Valley wedding venues on this list. Holman Ranch Packages: $18,000 – $35,500 Holman Ranch is one of the few Carmel Valley wedding venues that can accommodate a larger number of guests with a capacity of 500. With 400 acres of land, Holman Ranch provides several wedding location options, but most couples choose the recently restored 1928 stone hacienda, an iconic building with an intimate courtyard. Others opt for a stone terrace adorned with flowers with the Santa Lucia Mountains serving as a great backdrop. Combine your ceremony with an elegant reception at the Carriage House, allowing guests to dine beneath twinkling lights. This huge estate offers something for everyone! The Holly Farm Rental Fee: starts at $28,000 One of the most beautiful Carmel Valley wedding venues, The Holly Farm is filled with winding gravel paths, towering bamboo and banana trees, and rustic cottages. The unique design of the grounds presents a variety of options for photos, ensuring you will have plenty of mementos of your wedding. In addition to no corkage or cake cutting fees, you’ll also find a number of other perks including hundreds of island orchids for décor. CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS CARMEL VALLEY WEDDING VENUES Best Wedding Venues in Carmel Valley for Elopements Joullian Vineyards Rental Fee: starts at $6,500 Located high above Carmel Valley, Joullian Vineyards’ Venue in the Vines is a premier wedding location. This is a place for weddings of many sizes, able to accompany as few as 50 guests or as many as 250. Smaller parties may instead be interested in The Overlook, which allows couples to exchange nuptials in front of a wood and floral arch with the entire Carmel Valley as the backdrop. With 20 to 50 guests, this is one of the more popular Carmel Valley wedding venues that caters to smaller weddings. Best Outdoor Carmel Valley Wedding Venues Chateu Carmel Ranch Contact for pricing Holman Ranch is one of the few Carmel Valley wedding venues that can accommodate a larger number of guests with a capacity of 500. With 400 acres of land, Holman Ranch provides several wedding location options, but most couples choose the recently

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weddings at big sur coastline ocean and cliffs
Informational
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How to Plan a Wedding in Big Sur

How to Plan a Wedding in Big Sur The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding in Big Sur (complete with tips and venue information) There are few places on the west coast as stunning as having a wedding in Big Sur. Known for state parks and coastal scenery, countless couples have planned their wedding in Big Sur and it is becoming one of the more popular locations to exchange vows and take wedding photos. Below is the ultimate guide for all your planning needs for a wedding in Big Sur.  1 Simple Method to Having a Wedding in Big Sur All you really need to plan your elopement or wedding in Big Sur is an officiant, a marriage license, and one witness.  And of course, CONTACTING a photographer like me! Getting the Marriage License Your wedding in Big Sur can’t be official without a marriage license. In California, a marriage license can be obtained in any county for a ceremony held in the state, even if the marriage is held in a different county. Big Sur is in Monterey County, so you can get the license from San Francisco County, for example. However, you must return the license to the county that issued it, along with the signature of the officiant and at least one witness.  For out of town couples, it’s popular to stay in San Francisco while having your wedding in Big Sur. If this is the case with you, read up on how to get your marriage license in my San Francisco City Hall Weddings Planning Guide And if you are flexible with locations, take a look at the Best Places to Have an Elopement in San Francisco Big Sur Wedding Permit Best Times of the Year for a Wedding in Big Sur There are more ideal times to have your wedding at Big Sur. Perhaps the safest is Fall for its warmer weather, color, and clear skies. However, anytime between March and October is suitable while the winter months may be a bit too cold and overcast. Rain does tend to occur in early Spring so plan accordingly. If you plan it right, you can time your wedding in Big Sur with the warmest time of the year around September and October and if you’re lucky, can make a stop to see the visiting monarch butterflies nearby in Pacific Grove Photo Locations for a Wedding in Big Sur Regardless of where you host your wedding at Big Sur, you will have many breathtaking locations for photos nearby. The Bixby Bridge on Highway 1 provides a unique backdrop and is probably the most popular. Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a majestic location, particularly near sunset. Rocky Point Restaurant provides a scenic overlook set aside rugged coastal cliffs. Final