Aliso Viejo Country Club 33 Santa Barbara • Aliso Viejo • CA 92656

Its gracious hacienda-like architecture hints at California's past, but in personality and performance this distinctive venue is stylishly contemporary. Located in the rolling hills overlooking the Saddleback Valley, the Aliso Viejo Country Club is a warm and welcoming special event setting that serves up memorable celebrations of all kinds with panache.

One of Orange County's newest private country clubs (and boasting one of the only two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses in the region), its little lakes and woods are home to a plethora of small woodland creatures. Kingfishers, green herons, snowy egrets, and western meadowlarks are just a few of the many wonderful birds that can be seen around the waterways and well-tended fairways and greens. Fragrant herbs and colorful blooms fill the gardens, and terraces and courtyards give guests an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the beautiful surroundings.

Most couples exchange vows on the Celebration Lawn beneath a handsome arbor framed by beds of white roses, with the well-manicured fairways providing an applause-worthy backdrop. You can also upgrade to a ceremony on the 10th Tee, which offers a lake view.

The festivities continues inside the clubhouse, where a handsome wrought-iron staircase (or elevator) takes you up to the second floor. The Valley View Dining Room, designed with a vaulted, beamed ceiling and built-in rustic bar, is perfect for a wide variety of receptions: weddings, brunches, baby showers, corporate shindigs, and anniversary dinners. Two walls of windows let in plenty of natural light and frame a vista of the Saddleback Valley, while a pair of balconies invite guests outside to savor a view of the verdant golf course and distant mountains.

The Bell Tower Room, which serves as an elegant lounge, has French doors that open onto a small Juliet balcony in the clubhouse tower. Its arched, brick window openings look out over the grounds, creating an ultra-romantic frame for photos of the bride and groom.

And, of course, there's the golf course itself—a stunning location for those joyful wedding pictures. You're sure to be wearing big smiles because your wedding here is the best. one. ever.