MORE VENUES
San Francisco
The Flood Building*
Asian Art Museum
Contemporary Jewish Museum
Wine Country
Auberge du Soleil*
Carneros Inn*
Boonville Hotel*
Carmel
Holman Ranch*
Bernardus Lodge*
Yosemite
Ahwanhee Hotel
Wawona Hotel
Big Sur
Post Ranch Inn
Deetjen's
Santa Barbara
Figueroa Farmhouse
Los Angeles
Chateau Marmont
Paramount Studios
The Standard Downtown
*Aison Events recommends
PHOTO PIERRE SIMON
deYoung Museum / San Francisco
Reopened in 2005, the modernist deYoung Museum, designed by the renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, features stunning 360º views of San Francisco from the observation tower.
deYOUNG MUSEUM Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Tel +1 415 750 3683
Hotel Vitale / San Francisco
The chicest boutique hotel in San Francisco has spectacular views of the Bay Bridge and is steps away from the bustling Ferry Building. Hotel Vitale offers beautifully appointed rooms and both indoor and outdoor wedding spaces. Featuring the hip and popular bar and restaurant, The Americano, and a deluxe spa with yoga facilities.
HOTEL VITALE 8 Mission St, San Francisco. Tel +1 888 890 8688
PHOTO GINA RISSO
San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco’s Beaux-Arts City Hall was fully restored after the 1906 earthquake and retrofitted after the 1989 Lomo Prieta earthquake. It was the scene of the historic Month of Love when Mayor Gavin Newsom legalized same-sex marriages in February 2004. “City Hall was teeming with couples,” recalls San Francisco Assemblyman (now State Senator) Mark Leno. “There were so many people waiting, I would walk through the lobby of City Hall to get to my office and marry as many couples as I could along the way.”
Four years later, San Francisco's City Hall again gets top billing in Gus Vant Sant's "Milk" along with Sean Penn's Oscar-winning performance. Harvey Milk worked, rallied and died in this building. His spirit lives on in the California fight for equality.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married here in 1960. Rosie O'Donnell got hitched here in 2004.
CITY HALL 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco. Tel 415 554 6068
Ventana Inn / Big Sur
Big Sur is one of the most dramatic places along the coast of California. Situated between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Ventana Inn is a perfect venue to take advantage of the sweeping views and natural beauty of the area. The Inn’s 60 cedar wood guest rooms and suites feature wood-burning fireplaces, private view decks, some with outdoor spas, separate living area, spacious baths with open enclosure slate tub/shower and dressing area. With fine dining from the Bistro and the Ventana Restaurant (formerly Cielo, due to reopen July '09), Ventana Inn is a lovely setting for a destination wedding in California. Recommended by Alison Events.
VENTANA INN Hwy 1, Big Sur. Tel +1 831 667 2331
Calistoga Ranch / Napa
A luxury Auberge Resort on 157 acres of private canyon in the heart of Wine Country, Calistoga Ranch features a decadent spa and extraordinary accommodations frequented by Hollywood celebrities and the eternally chic. Recommended by Alison Events.
CALISTOGA RANCH 580 Lommel Road, Calistoga. Tel +1 800 942 4220
Château Julien / Carmel
Château Julien in the Carmel Valley boasts a collection of fine wines from their vineyards in an elegant, European-style setting. Recommended by Alison Events.
CHATEAU JULIEN WINE ESTATE 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. Tel +1 831 624 2600
Vibiana / Los Angeles
A former Archdiocese cathedral built in 1876, Vibiana features Baroque architecture, lush gardens, and 35,000 square feet of opulent space. Wedding receptions can accomodate up to a thousand guests for cocktails in its grand central nave and gardens or a more intimate affair in the choral mezzanine balconies. Recommended by A Soolip Wedding.
VIBIANA 210 S Main St, Los Angeles.
Tel +1 213 622 4949
Yosemite Bug / Midpines
Rustic, fun and uber-mellow, the Yosemite Bug is an ideal spot for a casual wedding retreat. Private cabin duplexes are each individually furnished in funky style and ecological comfort. The Bug is a relaxing place for easy access to the grandeur of Yosemite National Park, but avoids the thronging masses especially in the summer months. The Bug also has the best home-cooked food in an area not renown for its gastronomic delights. Featuring a newly opened spa, an amphitheatre and its own watering hole, the Bug is a delightful venue for a laid-back California wedding.
YOSEMITE BUG RESORT 6979 Highway 140, Midpines. Tel +1 866 826 7108