Weddingbee Blog

Years ago, before I was ever serious about getting married, I thought about where I would get married. Somewhere magical. Somewhere awesome. The Cinderella castle seemed pretty cool. There would be plenty of room for my chariot, 300 guests, and my groom to ride in on his white horse.

Image via MikusGyula.com

Unfortunately Disney World does NOT accept Monopoly money.

In the present day, my idea for the perfect venue has changed drastically (thank God). Mr. Warbler and I are dead set on keeping everything small and intimate. Initially we thought, “Hey, how about a small, intimate wedding overlooking the ocean?” We found a few places that we fell in love with. Most of them kind of blended into each other, so here are a few that stood out to me:

Venue choice #1:

The Redondo Beach Historic Library (Image via Here Comes the Guide)

Image via Here Comes the Guide

We really, really, REALLY loved this venue. It fit our taste and was all (mostly) inclusive. But for the amount of time they offered and the price, it wasn’t the best option for us.

As I mentioned in my last post, the problem with planning a wedding in LA is that everything is overpiced, even during the off season. So I looked toward other locations, namely Santa Barbara. Even though it’s two hours away, which would be inconvenient for guests, I looked at a couple of venues. I fell in love (I know I fall in love a lot) with Elings Park, venue #2:

Elings Park, Singleton Pavilion (Image via Elings Park website)

Elings Park, Godric Grove (Photo by Mi Belle Photography / Image via Elings Park website)

This place has amazing ocean and mountain views, in addition to being dirt cheap. The only problem is that we would need to bring in everything: catering, tables, chairs, tents, linens, etc. So while we would be saving money on the venue, the extra costs would have added up considerably.

Lastly, we looked at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, venue #3:

That’s a waterfall in the background! (Personal photo)

A freakin’ waterfall. (Personal photo)

The venue is all inclusive (including alcohol), and they offer a reasonable amount of party time. They have six different sites for you to choose from, and they’re so spread out you won’t bump into any other weddings being held. We’re having the ceremony and cocktail hour in the Secret Garden above. The reception will take place in the Ranch House:

Personal photo

We can hold it inside or out on the patio above. I think we’ve pretty much agreed on the patio, but it’s nice to have a contingency plan in case of rain. Now that we have our venue and I’m no longer plagued with worry, I can sleep again! More importantly I can eat again. And now, in the spirit of eating, I leave you with the newest wedding trend. You love lasagna. You love cupcakes.

Meet their child: lasagna cupcakes.

Image via Heirloom LA Catering