Category: Wedding Ceremony

Neither my fiancé nor I are at all religious despite our upbringings, though we do share a broad-based spirituality. Our families are much more traditional, and might be offended if our wedding ceremony is entirely secular. Is there a way to honor the belief systems of our parents without being hypocritical?—Pamela G., Vacaville
Read our experts’ answer.

Since California legalized gay marriage, many same-sex couples—including Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi—have already happily tied the knot. So after all is said and done, what is the difference between a same-sex wedding and a straight one? “Gay weddings don’t seem to be much different than straight events, except for what’s on top of the cake: two girls, two guys or a mix,” quips Mark Belhumeur from the Russian River’s Village Inn.

As a Californian, I’ve learned there are three things that can easily make an evening go from average to fantastic, and they are: Breathtaking sunsets, stunning ocean views, and, of course, good food. Lucky for all you California brides out there, the grand opening of Colette’s Catering has included all of these elements for their grand opening of Colette’s Oceana in Newport Beach September 23rd. Formerly known as the Pacific Coast Yacht Club, Colette’s Oceana has been completely modernized to let the natural beauty of this locale shine through.

Spas are a great way for couples to de-stress during the pre-wedding planning stage, but it might be hard to convince your oh-so manly man to get into a fuzzy white robe and slippers. If you’re looking for a fun activity to take your mind off the wedding prep just for one night (and who wouldn’t need a night off?), how about spending an evening learning to mix the perfect margarita or tequila sunrise? If that sounds good to you, grab your intended and head to The Sky Room in Long Beach August 30 for a Mixology class.

We all love “new,” right? New cars, new clothes, new guy (Ok, you’re probably past that one.) To prove our love of all things “new,” we’ve added a fresh crop of ceremony, wedding and rehearsal dinner locations to the Here Comes The Guide website. Be sure to check them out soon on our “New Stuff” page before they’re all booked up! Visit this page on a regular basis to find updated lists of all our newest California wedding locations and vendors. For access to all of our event sites, click here.

I recently went to an event billed as a “scintillating evening of fun and information, focused on the Bay Area Indian wedding market.” Well, it was all that and more. Afterwards, I wanted throw my own Indian bash. I wanted to be Indian.

On the way to Lake County for my latest family vacation, I took a leisurely detour to Cornerstone Gardens where I visited their wine tasting room. What a welcome way to cool down on an otherwise painfully hot day! I could instantly see why this place is such a draw for weddings: The outside sculpture garden, which is encircled by lush flowers and art, is simply stunning.

While I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 30 years, I took my very first trip to Lake County only recently when I rented a house on Clearlake for a much-needed family vacation. Now that I’ve finally visited, though, I’m already starting to wonder when I can return to this peaceful region north of the wine country. Of course I managed to scout out some ideal wedding ceremony, reception and rehearsal dinner sites while there. A couple of my new favorite places:

When we last left me, I was reveling in the tranquil charms of Capitola’s Monarch Cove Inn… But another sublime experience awaited me in Carmel-by-the-Sea. I was welcomed to L’Auberge Carmel by a smiling host proffering a fresh watermelon cooler, and I easily settled into the laid-back luxury of this European-style hostelry. The lavishly appointed guestrooms embrace a charming garden courtyard where intimate events are held, but now all was quiet, save for the trickling of a fountain.