Category: Wedding Receptions

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:

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.

My favorite part of working at Here Comes The Guide is visiting wedding locations. During a recent jaunt along the California coast, I spent two very different evenings in two very special places.

Continuing our mission to explore Half Moon Bay, Jan and I uncovered more delights: We visited Cypress Meadows, a new wedding location hidden behind a flower farm. We lingered in the sweet terraced garden as long as we could, and Jan had to practically drag me out of the wooden swing.

My colleague Jan Brenner and I recently combined business with pleasure in Half Moon Bay. With its fun and artsy downtown, exhilarating coastal hikes, and water sports, Half Moon Bay is a day tripper’s delight and a wonderfully easy and rewarding wedding destination—just ask our very own Meredith, who wed her sweetheart on a Half Moon Bay beach!

The Lark Creek Inn has charmed me every time I’ve been to the restaurant, but now there’s another excuse to go: half-price bottles of wine for the whole month of July. If you haven’t thought about your rehearsal dinner location yet, try out a meal this month at this sweet old Victorian in a redwood grove.

Thanks to a recent California court ruling, same-sex couples are now flocking to local venues to formalize their commitments.

There are so many options in the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country, both for wedding locations and for lovely places to stay. We decided, just this time, to forgo the spa/resort route (though, I love me some spa!) and instead chose the super-cozy and yet boutiquey Cottages of Napa Valley.