Category: Wedding Ceremony

With all its gold medals and high style, the Central Coast retains its small-town friendliness, and locals have positively thrown out a red-carpet welcome to bridal couples from near and far. Recently we did our own Central Coast Wine Country investigation.

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.

We recently held our annual off-site 3-day planning meeting at Woods Hole—a private home right on Pebble Beach Golf Course—and it’s a wonder we got anything done. Lounging around on comfy couches and chairs, we had the perfect seats from which to ogle the mesmerizing view through a wall of glass: verdant blufftop fairways giving way to a sapphire-blue sea and cloudless sky. You try focusing on a 10-page to-do list with that gorgeous panorama constantly tugging at your peripheral vision!

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 had the privilege of attending my first legal gay wedding on September 20, 2008 for my friends Dan Joraanstad & Bob Hermann. Since this was a same-sex wedding, I’d been especially curious about how my friends’ marriage ceremony would play out at the rather traditional Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. I was delighted to see that the adorable (female) pastor at the church wholeheartedly blesses these unions.

Have you ever had one of those meals when you’re on vacation that you keep thinking about for weeks after you get home? You know, you’re sitting at work and all of a sudden you’re struck by an intense desire to eat at that restaurant again. Like, right NOW. You entertain thoughts of calling in sick, just to go back and have that food one more time?

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.