A Venue with a Past

Even though you’ll find me all over Napa, Sonoma, and San Francisco, I don’t talk much about our own stomping grounds, Sacramento. If you’re looking for an affordable wedding spot in Northern California, Sacramento fits the bill for many of my clients. One of my favorite spots is the Crocker Art Museum, the first public museum in the Western United States founded in 1885. It has two wings: the beautiful historical victorian that houses classic art, the Crocker family jewelry and portraits, and amazing architecture; and the slick new modern wing, that boasts art from around the world and exciting rotating exhibitions. Amy and Ken’s modern yellow and white wedding was one of my favorites, as was Leticia and Michael’s purple and white romantic wedding.

What I like about this venue is the variety of places there are to shoot! There are opportunities to use art as backgrounds, to take advantage of the antique facades, and utilize the modern structures that make up the new wing of the Crocker. If you had a vintage or antique-era wedding, the older building would have beautiful touches to add authenticity to your theme. A modern event would fit perfectly in the newer, larger wing with limitless possibilities.

Ceremony and Reception Options

There are two very different spots in the Crocker to have your ceremony, and both are equally amazing. The older building has a ballroom downstairs with carved wood architecture where they hold events and dinners, where Ken and Amy tied the knot. It has an old-world elegance, and is perfect for any style of wedding.

From the Crocker Website:

• The architectural crown jewel of the Crocker’s historic gallery building, the Ballroom is an opulent setting ideal for a VIP dinner or reception
• Warm, intimate ambience
• Views into both courtyards, a ceiling view into the gallery space above, and rotating exhibitions provide a visual feast

The second is the courtyard outside the new, modern part of the museum, with two large fountains, and ample space for guests and decor. If you were planning a modern, outdoor wedding this would also be an excellent spot for a reception.

From the Crocker website:

• Framed by the historic gallery building and the Teel Family Pavilion, the Courtyard’s clean, versatile design is the perfect backdrop to any occasion
• Clear space for wall and light projection
• Large water feature enhances ambience
• Designed for optimum evening shade

Both weddings utilized the indoor Friedman Court in the new museum wing as their reception space.

From the Crocker website:

• Multi-faceted and sleekly spacious, Friedman Court is a dynamic open canvas ideal for large standing or seated receptions and corporate functions
• Abundant art and architectural details provide visual interest and help cultivate an interactive atmosphere
• Flooded with light shimmering through floor-to-ceiling windows that face the historic gallery building

Milou + Olin Crocker Weddings

The new wing of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento is a modern, white structure that lets in plenty of light and creates a great backdrop for photos.

Amy and Ken chose to take some bride and groom portraits in the older section of the museum before their ceremony in the ballroom.
The beautiful wood inlays, antique bannisters, and sculptures are truly unique at the Crocker. Amy and Ken are lit from its second story windows.

Amy makes a stunning bride! The warm woods in the older section of the museum are perfect for lighting fair skin.

The modern art in the museum is perfect for one-of-a-kind photographs. Rotating art exhibits allow for images that no one else will have.

Amy and Ken goof around in front of a large landscape piece!

The white exterior walls of the Crocker are a great canvas for modern wedding shots.

The Crocker’s downstairs ballroom is an elegant space for a ceremony – it’s attention to detail is unmatched in Sacramento.

Even though Ken and Amy’s wedding had a modern theme, their ceremony fit perfectly in the Crocker’s antique ballroom!

Amy and Ken’s Sacramento Crocker Art Museum wedding palate was white, yellow, and pops of green – all very modern! The Crocker’s stark white architecture worked perfectly with their choices.

Decor and cake at Amy and Ken’s Crocker Museum wedding.

The Friedman court is so spacious – you could fit a giant wedding in here! The tiled floor is ready-made for dancing! 

Leticia and Michael took a different approach to their wedding decor, and went with purple and white in an outdoor ceremony at the Crocker’s outdoor courtyard.

What a gorgeous backdrop! Their ceremony was filled with purple petals.

The Crocker’s clean architecture makes it the perfect backdrop for any style of photo!

Leticia and Michael made a beautiful couple on their wedding day.

The Friedman Court was decked out in purple, white and yellow flowers for their colorful reception.

Be sure to incorporate lighting into your Crocker wedding, because you can do spectacular things at night! Those giant windows and sleek spaces look amazing when the right lighting is applied. 

I’m glad to let you in on our Sacramento gem of a venue! Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo- Caroline

We traversed to Kari + Elan’s stomping grounds: Santa Monica, CA. If you’ve never been to this idyllic beach town, it’s full of hippies, surfers, and is home to the Santa Monica Pier – a popular tourist spot. So where do Kari and Elan fit into this mix? They march to their own drum as well as being a little bohemian themselves. Our shoot was joined by their adorable Vizsla, two roosters, and included some surprises!

Kari and Elan cosy up with their puppy for some “homey” shots in the backyard of their Santa Monica home. The pop of blue over Kari’s baby bump is just enough reminder that these are maternity photos!
The bump showcased by itself! Kari certainly has that “glow”.  Sometimes a girl needs a little help supporting that belly! Elan seems up to the task.  The whole clan is ready for their close-ups! Their roosters don’t seem to mind standing in as props. What a lucky chick! Kari’s got some roosters to help her pose. 

Would we call these “poultry difficulties”?
Kari and Elan’s puppy Ladybird thinks it’s time he stole the spotlight.  Kari and Elan steal a sweet moment on their back patio. The roosters stay close by; it’s the first time we’ve dealt with feathered guard dogs!
We transition to the beautiful beach near their home.

Beach photos are the best! The light is so dreamy… The baby bump emerges! We love Kari’s bohemian all-white look. Aren’t these two adorable? 

We applaud Keri for baring her bump and wearing a bandeau! Such a smokin hot mama! Kari and Elan get a little creative with paint – “love child!” Hippie love reigns supreme!

Silliness is the perfect way to wrap up a shoot. Dance on, lovebirds!

If you missed it, we first saw the excitement of Stephanie getting ready, and John’s genuine reaction to seeing Stephanie as his bride for the first time in their “first look” photos, as well as beautiful portraits of this adorable couple all over the Biltmore Hotel.

You’re in for a treat today, because we’re revealing all of their gorgeous white and grey reception decor and you’re going to love it!

Stephanie and John steal a kiss after their gorgeous ceremony at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, and head to their reception for a grand entrance!
We couldn’t resist snapping a few photos in front of this giant vintage photograph in the Biltmore.  Such wonderful detail! Scrollwork and S&J were common themes throughout their printed materials. We love their little guest gifts! Grey ribbon brings in their color scheme nicely.  Their table “numbers” are so adorable! Each one is a scene from a favorite movie of Stephanie and John’s. Such a cute way to tie in something personal! The gold candelabras that hold the centerpiece flowers give an air of grandeur to the table.  Nothing is classier than a harpist! She entertained the guests during cocktail hour, and while they anxiously awaited the bridal party and the newly married couple.  The bridal party played it cool and swaggered into the reception with style. Nothing is as fun as making a grand entrance into your own party!  There they are! Stephanie and John shimmy their way into the room to excited applause.  Toasts and speeches were numerous and hilarious! The bridesmaids took it upon themselves to make the speeches unique and meaningful.  Surrounded by friends and family!  The first dance is always our favorite moment to capture – it’s the culmination of everything a wedding day is about, and it’s a moment for the couple to be close after all the day’s excitement.  We’re gaga over Stephanie’s Vera Wang dress. She couldn’t have picked anything more perfect for her elegant wedding!  Their beautiful cake was made by the Biltmore – it’s a beautiful, delicious addition to their elegant wedding. Stephanie changed into an adorable shift dress to dance the night away!

We wish you all the best! xoxo – Milou and Olin

The Central Coast Venue Hunt

Although we’d gone all over the East Bay looking at venues, we felt there was more to explore. The fiance originally wanted the wedding down in Southern California: where the venues are bigger and the weather is more temperate (not to mention more ocean views!) but that was a little too far for my parents, so we went to the next best thing: the central coast!

San Luis Obispo, dubbed by Oprah the happiest place in the country, is where Chris and I met and fell in love, but our relationship is spread out all over the central coast. We took many moonlit walks on Avila and Pismo’s beaches, drove up into the back roads of Atascadero and Paso Robles, and spent weekends visiting Hearst Castle and the elephant seals in Cayucos. So it’s natural to want to look for venues in this idyllic setting, where we have so many favorite haunts and good memories.

Venues

Robert Hall Winery - Paso Robles

Robert Hall was definitely our favorite – and the first one we saw. Online it fit the bill – gorgeous Paso Robles wine country, right off 46 (so it would be easy to get to) and a giant amphitheatre to decorate however we liked.  The rolling hills that surround it are covered in vines, and the weather was perfect, even in March! It’s easy to see why most of the Saturdays for the next year and a half are already claimed for weddings.

There are so many places to have your ceremony at Robert Hall Winery it’s hard to choose! They have multiple patios that surround the properties, some overlooking the vineyards, others more enclosed. The giant fountain on the front of the property is a popular spot for photos. 

The reception hall was unfortunately too small for our wedding group, which is why we thought the amphitheatre (on the right) was the perfect fit for our big wedding. Lit up at night it’s the perfect romantic spot for a first dance!

Our only negatives were that, like most places in the central coast, a strict 10:00pm curfew is put on all outdoor music, and that it didn’t “quite” fit the modern, glamorous theme I had in mind. So many other weddings would work here, and it is still a beautiful venue.

Villa San Juliette 

This slice of Italian heaven is a bride’s dream. Even though the drive back into Paso wine country is seemingly endless, you end up feeling entirely transported. If you have a small, intimate wedding (aka less than 80 people) in wine country you can’t do better than San Juliette. A sunny yellow villa emerges after about 20 minutes off the main freeway, the entrance lined with Cypress trees, and you can spy chandeliers on the balconies and marble statues scattered throughout the patio areas. They also have excellent wine!

Creator and Executive Producer of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol Nigel Lythgoe actually owns San Juliette, and he and his business partner have divided the house in half to each have second homes in Paso Robles’ beautiful wine country.

What a gorgeous entrance! The villa is still incredibly new, and this picture was taken before they added a lot of flowers and statues! Also they have a bridal suite in the works, and plan to fill it with all Ralph Lauren furniture: talk about some fab “getting ready” shots!

The rotunda of columns is the perfect spot for a grand “I do”. There is also an upstairs pavillion for ceremonies with a giant outdoor fireplace and chandelier. The patio on the right photo is usually where they hold receptions; in the future they hope to have permits for bigger weddings and their two huge barrel rooms will house larger parties.

Ventana Grill

We wanted to check out at least one purely beachy venue, since we both are drawn to the ocean. The ceremony site is simply beyond gorgeous: Ventana Grill has a bluff overlooking the ocean with a little white gazebo at the tip, with palm trees that gently sway on either side. The bride and groom stand in front of the gazebo with the ocean view behind them, making the photographer’s job look easy. We met with their coordinator, who was very thorough and even drafted up a sample quote for us with catering included. Considering hors ‘d oeuvres are extra, and the food is fairly standard, the prices are a little on the high side. I suppose when you have claim over a view like that though, you aren’t getting many complaints.

Can you believe how beautiful this ceremony spot is? We stood out here for at least a half hour, admiring the view. 

The reception room was a little small for our wedding, but it could easily house a group under 150. If you’re lucky enough not to get fog, the view is fantastic!

Monarch Club

Considering it’s all the way in Nipomo, I almost wrote off this gem of a venue – I’m glad we took the time to check it out! It’s a country club nestled in the middle of a new housing development that has modern, earthy details and plenty of options for how you want your wedding to flow. They have a large ballroom, a sheltered courtyard with outdoor fireplace, and a beautiful patio area outdoors that is usually used for ceremonies in addition to an “art garden” that has numerous glass sculptures that can be used for ceremonies, cocktail hour, or even an outdoor reception! The staff is very flexible and accommodating (while we were touring, they were setting up for a wedding they fully planned in four weeks!) and offer complete packages that leave nothing to the imagination -even lighting, music, and flowers!

The terrain and venue are so different – and the curved walkway to the ceremony area adds a bit of drama. The getting ready rooms here are completely gorgeous – the bride’s room even has a little patio with cute furniture and string lights – perfect for champagne before the big day! 

An outdoor ceremony is completely doable here – though you’re not very sheltered from the elements. In the end we decided that it had too much of an earthy vibe for our glamorous wedding dreams. Stay tuned and next week I’ll reveal where we (very recently!) chose our venue! I’ll give you all the fabulous details. Until then!!

xoxo- Morgan

The more the merrier! Since you aren’t crammed into a tight box, all your friends can pile into the photo.

About the Giggle and Riot team:

Why a Photo booth?

We believe the world needs a little more woohoo and a little less snoresville. Amazing fun for drunk people (and their designated drivers), Birthday parties, corporate events, weddings, engagements and just about anything else you can think of, we arrive early to roll out the red carpet as you shimmy, shake and mug for the camera in our innovative, open air photo booth.

What is included in the price?

• Unlimited prints
• 4 fun filled hours
• An onsite attendant
• Fun and ridiculous props
• Backdrop of your choice
• Video option
• Black and white or color photos
• Online gallery of your photos
• All your photos mailed to you on a disc
• Event logo and date on prints
• Delivery, set up and tear down

 Fabulous add-ons include:

• Social media option
• WIFI hosting
• Custom backdrop and props
• Custom print layouts
• Snuggle time with our dogs
• Coffee table book
• Privacy curtains
• Additional hour
• Our undying love and affection

What kind of backdrops are available?

Whoa check out them backdrops!! Oh yeah, we have more backdrops than a crazy cat lady has cats! No kidding! From corporate parties, to weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs and more, you’ll find just the perfect look to match that fine taste of yours.

Want to be extra special? Tell us your wildest dreams and let us make a backdrop for you or style a booth with super awesome props! Say no to boring plain colored backdrops. Our talented team of crafting geniuses will get right on board and whip something up just to delight you!

Funbooth as uniquely spectacular as you are!

We partied it up with the folks at GOOD: Sacramento Street Food and Design market. We had some delicious tacos, drooled over vintage finds, succulents, and boutique clothes, and munched on some gourmet popcorn! Get your butt down to the next one – First Sunday of every month for the summertime!

Bring the little ones! They make for awesome props in a photobooth…

Make some memories! Since our images are so high-quality, you’ll have pictures that are far slicker than the ones snapped with your friend’s harsh iPhone flash.

Some of our other awesome events:

Get crazy! The goofier you are with our awesome props, the better your photos will be.  See, what did we tell you?  Hats, beards, glasses, noses, we have it all! Think of it as grown-up dress-up for your inner child.  We’ve got words to show how you really feel…. or say in a response to a funny cat video.  Sparkly backgrounds! Don’t forget you can request something unique and fabulous for your event. If you can dream it up, we can probably do it! Unless it’s gross. 

So did you get the hint yet? Photobooths are the bomb! If you spot Giggle and Riot at the next bash you attend, don’t forget to say hi and strike a pose! 

]]> http://www.milouandolin.com/sacramento-photobooth-rental/feed/ 0 http://www.milouandolin.com/sacramento-photobooth-rental/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinywaterblog/IWFb/~3/_9hPXL66YZg/ http://www.milouandolin.com/viansa-winery-wedding-venue/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:34 +0000 Morgan http://www.milouandolin.com/?p=10829  Viansa Winery: The Perfect Sonoma Venue

If you have known Milou + Olin for a while, you’ll know that one of our favorite wine country venues is Viansa Winery in Sonoma. We always look forward to photographing there, and some of the weddings closest to our hearts were held there. Ann and Tanner‘s big day at Viansa had pretty pink, green, and white details, not to mention the bride’s attire lent itself to our favorite fashion-forward pics! Lyndsey and Sameer’s Indian American Sonoma wedding brought some exciting, bright color to the usually rustic countryside and made their day completely unique. Emily and Greg sprinkled white flowers everywhere and soaked in the California sun in Viansa’s courtyard, and Catherine and Mike put a fun spin on winery weddings with lots of personal touches.

Endless Photo Options

There are so many different locations to shoot at Viansa, we never run out of options. Outdoors are tall, leafy archways and romantic treescapes, as well as their Mediterranean-inspired interiors full of unique architecture. For a photographer, this is the best-case scenario for your wedding day. For those couples that want the editorial feel we strive for, you know we utilize each background and all the scenery to it’s maximum potential. As long as you leave enough time for us to get all the shots we need, the possibilities are endless!

You’re in Good Hands

Viansa just won Wedding Wire’s 2012 Bride’s Choice award, which makes it the fourth year in a row they’ve been chosen! We know their secret: amazing staff! They guide you through the entire wedding planning process, and act as more than just coordinators. For our clients, we can rest easy knowing they won’t have any venue-related headaches! As photographers, we know that Viansa is extremely easy to work with and always organized, so we can relax and enjoy shooting our clients’ weddings without headaches of our own!

Viansa Winery fits our wedding style

Everything about this venue really fits the way we like to shoot. From it’s relaxed atmosphere that showcases California wine country at it’s finest, to the different colors and textures on the grounds that bring nature into your wedding in a non-obtrusive way.

Here is a little description of the venue from their website:

“Viansa is no doubt, one of the most beautiful properties in wine country. With some of the best views of the Sonoma Valley, the wetlands, and our beautiful Italian inspired architecture, it is a must-see for anyone visiting the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. View pictures of past events, weddings, and our stunning property in our photo gallery.”

Emily’s fabulous shoes needed to be photographed before her big walk down the aisle! Emily and Greg were so excited before their Viansa Winery ceremony! They were more than ready to hop right into marriage!  Doesn’t Emily make a gorgeous bride? Viansa has so many beautiful spots for intimate portraits that you’ll remember far past your wedding day.  California wine country is so beautiful, and Viansa is the perfect place to see it up close! Emily and Greg lean in for a sweet moment before their ceremony.  They chose white flowers to line the aisles and to adorn a beautiful archway for their courtyard ceremony at Viansa.  Doesn’t this interior courtyard provide the perfect spot to say “I Do?” Viansa has a few choices for where your ceremony can take place, and this one is the most popular.  Emily and Greg’s reception was clad in shades of purple and white with some beautiful gold chivari chairs! Tent receptions are great for keeping the view unobstructed, holding a lot of people, and are easy to customize with your colors and decor!

Anne and her bridesmaids have a giggle in front of one of Viansa’s giant leafy walls – aren’t they all stunning?  Ann smooches her dad and her fiance before her ceremony – you couldn’t pick a prettier spot for it!  We love Ann’s choice of ruffles and jewelry! Her satin flats will make it easy to dance the night away at their reception later! Ann and Tanner tie the knot in Viansa’s beautiful barrel room. The soft curved architecture and giant barrels makes it a romantic wine country spot to say your vows.  Ann’s feminine green, pink and white cake pairs beautifully with their gold chivari chairs, don’t you think?  Ann chose a tented reception at Viansa and filled it with some beautiful linens and leafy centerpieces. Time to dance the night away!  Catherine and Mike strike a pose on the stairs at Viansa.  Cat and Mike’s accessories are so fun! This couple certainly knows how to dress for a party! Cat and Mike chose Viansa’s barrel room for their ceremony and lined it with petals – such a sweet touch!  Cute personal decor touches add a little fun to the program table – we love the trunk!  Cat and Mike lit up a tent at Viansa with paper lanterns that shone down on lilac flowers and brown chivari chairs.  Lyndsey and Sameer’s traditional Indian attire looks stunning underneath a secluded archway at Viansa.  Indian wedding henna adds detail and warmth to Lyndsey’s traditional ceremony attire. Lyndsey and Sameer chose the Viansa courtyard to have their traditional Indian ceremony. The beautiful pinks and reds look at home between the terra cotta buildings. 

Lyndsey and Sameer decorate their Viansa reception with golds, purples, reds, and pinks under a beautiful tent.

If you’re looking for a Sonoma venue and haven’t visited yet, go check out Viansa! We’ve had some wonderful wedding memories there we won’t soon forget!

So if you need some inspiration from a happenin’ photo chick, you know where to go!

Jen and Adam’s wedding is just the dose of happy we needed with a drizzly Monday behind us! Instead of romantic pastels or creamy neutrals, their wedding wasn’t afraid to showcase bold patterns and even bolder colors. Orange, light and navy blue, bright pink, crisp green, and even a little pop of yellow made up this fun palate.

Adrianna Thorne from Dream a Little Dream Events put together this fabulous fete, complete with punchy flowers and Johnathan Adler inspired accents.

The boutineers are the perfect punch of color to the guys’ grey suits! And the bright pink pairs well with the light and dark blues in their ties.  Adorable takeaways! The chevron theme runs through most of their decor, and we can’t get enough of it! Bridal beauty at it’s best! This girl knows how to keep her makeup updated and clean. Photo tip: Don’t do sparkles! They can catch the light at odd angles and you won’t achieve the right effect. The more matte all your makeup is, the better!
Can you dig those fabulous Jimmy Choos? What a stylish “something blue”!  A vintage-style brooch, some fabulous earrings, and a dreamy ‘do complete Jen’s transformation into a romantic, stylish bride. The details are flawless! We’re digging the extra fluff on her dress strap.  What an enchanting couple Jen and Adam make! I love that for this summer wedding, Adam chose to abandon the usual black and go for a grey suit, paired with a white button down and a bow tie – formal done in informal colors!  Can’t get enough of these two. They look like they stepped out of a magazine!  A closer look at more of the wonderful details that pull together Jen and Adam’s look. Natalie of Natalie Bowen Designs did the floral arrangements for this event, and that bridal bouquet is drool-worthy!  Even though grooms’ socks have become a trendy staple at weddings, we couldn’t resist snapping a photo of these color-palate-savvy blue and orange socks! Groom tradition that never goes out of style: liquid courage before the main event!
The ultimate support team: the wedding party! What a fabulously dressed and styled bunch!  Jen and Adam had their ceremony on the Kohl Mansion grounds and made it completely their own. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the trees, and pops of pink flowers lined the aisle. Guests kept cool with color-coordinated parasols provided by the bride and groom! We love what a gorgeous backdrop Kohl mansion makes for these two – such a timeless place!  So many gorgeous flowers enclose this patio space where Jen and Adam had their reception. Fortunately their color palate didn’t clash!  A bartender mixed up some enticing cocktails for the wedding guests. Fabulous flowers pop up everywhere you look!  All the reception decor has that summer fun infused in it – such happy colors!  First dances are always our favorite.  Jen’s Dad had quite the moves!  We had a blast at their colorful Kohl mansion wedding! Best of luck you two!

xoxoxo – Milou + Olin

Now that you know all about my fabulous coordinator and some stunning bridal earrings I won, I can let you in on my first venue hunt weekend! It came about after a flurry of e-mails, calls, and excited exchanges with my parents. They were excited to go looking, even though the fiance and I were still enjoying our newly-engaged state of bliss. It was a point of contention where exactly we should have the wedding, and everyone had different ideas. I personally could care less where the wedding was, as long as it was someplace that fit that aesthetic I had in my head (I’ll share some of my inspiration boards next week!) and it had a sense of “place.”

To get what I mean by a “sense of place”, you’ll have to know that my ideal wedding location would be Hearst Castle. I grew up idolizing Julia Morgan as an architect, and she designed the palatial Central Coast home for William R. Hearst back in the early 1900s. I ended up working there as a photographer after college, and grew to love everything it embodied: the entrepreneurial spirit of Hearst, the respect and appreciation of world travel and antiques (the house is full of entire ceilings and fireplace mantels imported from all over Europe dating back hundreds of years), and the beauty of the California Coast.

While I know I’m not going to find anything like Hearst, I wanted to have my wedding somewhere special, with a history attached.

With that in mind, I set out for the East Bay, where my fiance and I met up with my parents, and we dove headfirst into our first few venues.

Venue Weekend 1 – The East Bay and Monterey/Carmel Venues

Ruby Hills Golf Club – Pleasanton

Our first stop was close to home – out in the relatively new wine country of Ruby Hills. Large, Mediterranean-style houses, rolling hills punctuated with wineries… it really is a peaceful, beautiful, tucked-away bit of the East Bay. This Golf Club is no secret, however, they book over a year in advance and their weekends fill up fast. We thought we were way ahead of the game, but they only had one Saturday left in March and April of 2014! Obviously this is a very popular spot with locals and out-of-towners alike. For those of you who want Napa without the tourists, it might be paradise.

When you walk in the front doors and past the lobby, these large windows and beautiful staircase provide a grand entrance to the reception area. Cocktails are usually done outside or in a lovely space to the right of this room, that has a dark-wood “smoking lounge” feel. Outside the double doors, there is a beautiful set of columns in a semi-circle that blooms at different times of the year (though supposedly when it does, it drips gorgeous purple clusters of flowers) and this area can hold a lot of guests. Our guest count has gone down since our initial list was made, but even at our highest, we could fit all of our friends and family.

The fiance adored this place – I was on the fence. It was our first venue, so it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. My Dad and I even danced a little in the middle of the reception room – it’s all so exciting to be thinking about! I wasn’t sure whether “wine country wedding” was really my thing. I had modern colors dancing in my head, and Fiance was worried about the trek for his Southern California family. But it did get us thinking about the flow of the wedding and envisioning our ceremony space, which is what really matters.

Bridges Golf Club – San Ramon

Our second stop was Bridges, a beautiful golf club up in San Ramon, another one close to my parents’ house. As you can tell, I grew up in suburbia; the land of golf clubs! Bridges has an impressive entrance, ample parking, and probably the best “flow” out of all the venues we saw. Be wary though; they only have a bride’s dressing room (no groom), and it’s the size of a closet. 

They have two difference options for ceremony spaces, one indoor and one outdoor (great for a backup plan if it rains!) And I can imagine a million different ways to dress up that fireplace mantel! From the outdoor ceremony guests retreat to shady verandas for cocktails, where lights twinkle in the trees. A few steps more and you’re at the Pavillion, a giant beamed ballroom space with beautiful wrought iron chandeliers.

The pictures don’t do it justice, but there is so much light that comes in through those big windows! There are also a few spaces outside for lounging out of the heat and noise of the ballroom – two outdoor fireplaces with seating and a long balcony as a matter of fact.

I think this one was my parents’ favorite, and it definitely was a beautiful space. I still can’t imagine myself getting married on a golf course; it seems so sterile! I know people do it all the time, and Bridges definitely took the cake for beautiful spaces, but we continued looking to see what the world of venues was like beyond golf clubs.

Rosewood Sand Hill – Palo Alto

When I went on the Blu Bungalow tour back in March, Rosewood was one of our stops. I fell in love with the modern interiors and landscaping, the spa-like vibe that washes over you as soon as you arrive, and of course the Michelin-star rated Madera restaurant that does all the catering.

A view of the main hotel from an inside courtyard. If you turned around, a fabulous view of the pool and spa are set against the Palo Alto hills. The balcony above is a fabulous place to sit and enjoy a cocktail! One of the hallways leading off from the reception desks – the use of interesting materials is what drew me here in the first place; new and different are things I can’t get enough of after looking at weddings all day! 

The only concern we all had was where the wedding would actually take place! If we had an intimate ceremony of less than 60 people, we could use their beautiful modern zen garden for a ceremony, but anything larger and a sunny astroturf square in front of the ballroom was our only option. The ballroom is definitely large, but doesn’t have any of the unique features the hotel boasts. It’s better suited for corporate events.

Although I wish this place would have worked, we did have incredible cocktails (including one with habanero-infused vodka!) so we’ll be visiting!

C’est la vie…. off to the next venue!

Quail Lodge – Carmel

We wanted to explore our options on the coast closest to my parents – the Monterey/Carmel Penninsula. We hit up Quail Lodge (another golf course) But they were in the middle of a lot of renovations and couldn’t really explain what the venue was going to look like after they were done buying new furniture, lighting, and linens for the space. What we saw would be a good fit for a modern style rustic wedding, but I needed a little more “chic” thrown in for it to tempt me!

I can’t wait to see what they’re doing to the venue in the future – but here are a few current pics!

photo credit: John Kaemmerling

The Monterey Plaza Hotel – Monterey

The Plaza is simply breathtaking. The views are spectacular, you are right on the water, and smack dab in the middle of all the fun of Monterey. They have multiple ballrooms, each with varying views and pricing, and a full coordinator who will help with everything from vendors to timelines. The hotel is old-school upscale, and you feel special just walking inside!

The ceremony spot is on either of these two points looking out at the water. Since it’s a popular place for tourists to roam around, they block it off for your wedding. The second-biggest ballroom is on the left, and boasts the most gorgeous view.

The ballrooms are pretty, and they offer a lot of options when it comes to linens and table settings. The steep valet parking pricing and crowded tourism district turned my parents off of this place, but I’ll be back to vacation here; it’s one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever been in.

InterContinental Clement Hotel  - Monterey

This hotel was a last, hurried stop before heading home from our venue journey. We couldn’t see much because they don’t have wedding staff available on weekends (at least in the off season) but we looked around a bit. The hotel itself is fantastic. Really modern, fabulous art, and fun lighting. But the ballrooms are a little more corporate than grand, and the view is a little stunted (since it’s between two buildings!) but still a beautiful location choice.

So, weary from our travels, we headed home and discussed the weekend over Louisiana-style lobster and crab, and tried to process all the new information!

The next venue hunt was all the way down in Central California, where we drank a lot of wine and had fun at the beach! Next Monday lovelies!

xo- Morgan