Category: Wedding Locations

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.

The wedding team was wonderfully put together by the extraordinarily talented wedding coordinator, Jubilee Lau of Jubilee Lau Events. The lighting effects were customized to the client’s style by John Woods at Enhanced Lighting, who continues to amaze me with his ability to go the extra mile. Music was provided by the fabulous Carl Mindling of Reach Carl. Linens and Tabletop decor were provided by Classic Party Rentals, including the wonderful patterned dinner plates and the Black Chameleon chair with a rhinestone bucket. The Custom Thai silk runner was by yours truly. Cake and catering were provided by the Four Seasons Hotel. Furniture and props were courtesy of Blueprint. Last—and certainly the hit of the party—was the fantastic Candy Bar designed by Laura Isom for Nancy Liu Chin Designs!

I coordinated a wedding at Viansa Winery in May 2008 for my friends Lucy & Ross McClennan that turned out to be a really gorgeous event. I think the photos (by the super-talented Catherine Hall of Catherine Hall Studios) say it all. Click here to view their slideshow and be inspired.

Napa and Sonoma may have made California wine famous way back when, but there are world-class wineries up and down this state’s varied valleys.

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:

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.

Whenever I want to plan a weekend vacation with my husband Phil, all I have to do is choose a region and then start browsing the wedding locations we feature on the Here Comes The Guide website that also double as fabulous weekend or honeymoon getaways (hint: there are a lot). On a recent trip to California’s Central Coast, I was practically stumbling over one great location after another. Some of the highlights: