Rancho Bernardo Inn 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive • San Diego • CA 92128

At Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, a lot comes standard. Your ceremony site includes white garden chairs, a sound system with two microphones run by an AV technician, a fruit-infused water station, chairs and umbrellas for musicians and gift and guest book tables. Cocktail hour comes with cocktail tables, linens, votive candles, a place card table, umbrellas or space heaters and bars. Your reception includes dining tables, a sweetheart or head table, floor-length ivory linens, china, silverware, stemware, a cake table, a wood dance floor, a stage and a DJ table. You'll also get a complimentary Premium Room on your wedding night. Plan separately for food and drink, a 26% service charge plus tax, bartender fees of $200 per bar and a professional wedding planner from the resort's preferred list.

Yes, everything happens on the grounds at Rancho Bernardo Inn. For the biggest celebrations, the Aragon Lawn and Aragon Ballroom each hold up to 500 guests, so you can say your vows among white roses and grapevine trellises, then walk inside to dance. Mid-size weddings fit the Bernardo Patio and Ballroom (up to 220), with floor-to-ceiling windows and golf course sunsets. You can also marry on the North Lawn or at The First Tee (each up to 220), or the Promenade (up to 200), then celebrate in the Santiago Ballroom and Courtyard (up to 150 each).

Food and drink at Rancho Bernardo Inn come from the resort's own culinary team, and outside food and beverage isn't allowed, with one important exception: outside caterers are welcome for cultural weddings, and the resort works with preferred cultural caterers. You'll need a professional wedding planner from the resort's preferred vendor list, since day-of coordination isn't permitted. Every vendor you bring has to show proof of insurance, and so do the two of you.

At Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, the rental fee runs $4,000–$6,000 per event, depending on the day of the week, the time of day, the space you reserve and your guest count. Meals priced separately run $230–$270 per person. A 26% service charge plus state tax applies to food, beverage, AV, room rental and location fees. Bartenders are $200 per bar for the first three hours and $30 for each extra hour, with one bartender per 75 guests. Kids 10 and under eat for $50 each, and vendor meals are $85 per person. Payments come in stages: 25% to book, 25% six months out, 25% at 90 days, and the rest three business days before.

Your guests can stay right at Rancho Bernardo Inn, which has 286 guest rooms, and yes, the resort sets up wedding room blocks with preferred rates for guests, based on availability. A group block starts at 10 rooms. The two of you get a complimentary Premium Room on your wedding night. Check-in is 4pm and checkout is 11am. Guests should plan for a $40 daily resort fee and overnight parking ($40 self-park, $48 valet). San Diego International Airport is about 35 minutes away, which makes travel easy.

Rancho Bernardo Inn is a full resort, so your ceremony, reception, guest rooms and the whole weekend stay in one place. With 286 guest rooms, a championship golf course and an award-winning spa, guests can settle in from the welcome party to the farewell brunch. It's also a natural fit for big cultural weddings: the Aragon Ballroom hosts up to 500 guests, Baraat processions are welcome on the tree-lined path to the Aragon Lawn, and outside cultural caterers are allowed. The team is experienced with Sangeet and Mehndi celebrations too, so every event has a home.