With its location a few miles outside of San Francisco, you get to enjoy the warm weather while being close to SF, allowing your out of town guests to enjoy the City as well. But then again, it is a botanical garden! Originally this venue was only serving intimate weddings, but soon they will be accommodating large weddings too! 10/10 recommend. Eloping in the redwoods of California is a magical experience. In addition, Maureen went above and beyond her obligations by communicating our schedule with the chef who was planning our post-wedding dinner in a private residence. Two tastefully built deck areas host the dance floor and ceremony beneath a crazy redwood canopy. Read more aboutShelldance Orchid Gardens with my walkthrough. This wedding venue offers a rustic lodge for your wedding in a smaller country club setting. Take a look at my San Francisco Weddings page for more information. Packages: $195 $245 / personWhen I think of a palace hotel wedding, I can imagine an elegant black-tie affair with one of the most impressive and expensive foyers in the world. This non-denominational wedding venue in San Francisco offers a very intimate setting for your wedding ceremony and as an outdoor lawn for a more casual celebration. Favorite San Francisco Elopement Locations: My Personal Favorite Venues for Weddings in San Francisco: Hastings House Garden Weddings (Half Moon Bay), One of the best places to elope in San Francisco, this small garden in Golden Gate Park allows a great setting for an intimate place to say your vows. With such grand architecture and natural photo appeal, The Palace of Fine Arts is perfect for small elopements and larger weddings equally. If you would like my honest opinion of your venue choices feel free to. Maureen was a pleasure to work with and was extremely responsive and helpful. Our packages include anything you want that's elopement wedding-related. Required fields are marked *. I have inadvertently become an expert on the subject. Check out this Ultimate Guide to Planning a Stanford Memorial Church Wedding. This venue is best for smaller weddings since the reception halls are intimate. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning a Deer Park Villa Wedding. One of the more impressive venues for weddings in San Francisco, this South Bay wedding venue has a large lawn and a unique bridge that both serve as great photo backdrops for your wedding photos. All of these wedding venues in San Francisco have views of the Golden Gate Bridge or other San Francisco landmarks. Other great redwood forest wedding venues: Want to see other great wedding venues? Theres something utterly magical about exchanging vows under centuries-old redwood trees. Click here to see the blog post from Talia and Luis wedding pictured below. This is one of the more exclusive venues for weddings in San Francisco because it is privately owned, but once inside you will understand why it is so popular. This venue will keep your guests staring up at the incredible trees, surrounding you in every corner of this venues property. A Crystal Springs Wedding is one of the more unique venues for weddings in San Franciscobecause the ceremony overlooks a lake! For information about weddings at this venue, contact Paula Le Duc Catering. This post is talking about the Lakeside Clubhouse specifically, since there is also another Olympic Club location (the City Clubhouse) in the heart of San Francisco. With the name of Julia Morgan attached to it, you know that this top floor wedding venue in San Francisco will be impressive. Fun fact: I actually held my own wedding at Waterfall Lodge. Sparrow Valley Retreat is a dream come true for laid back couples who love the outdoors and woodsy environments. My now husband and I (still weird to say) Just eloped in May. Where are you coming from and how far are you willing to travel to get to the ideal redwood elopement site? Roaring Camp is a unique venue that offers a super FUN experience for everyone: an open-air train ride through old growth redwoods to a redwood grove ceremony site! We've uncovered spectacular, but lesser-known outdoor sites and put together a list of our favorite outdoor elopement venues complete with descriptions, photos, videos and permit requirements. Theres a lot to stay about this special family-owned venue! With a setting seemingly straight from a movie, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is truly a one of a kind elopement setting and one of my favorite wedding venues in San Francisco. Book this place out for the weekend and you have an instant private retreat. Maureen was so attentive to how I wanted everything to be and I didnt have to do any planning myself so it was very stress free. This is a popular outdoor wedding venue and is gorgeous at sunset. This enchanting garden only allows for a small number of guests and is seemingly made just for elopements. Blog post featuring more photos and information about Waterfall Lodge. With a recently remodeled mega deck, they allow several options for outdoor and indoor receptions, making this one of my favorite wedding venues in SF. There are other habitats on the property as well, and more being built as I type! You have a choice from two different sites for your ceremony, and nice patio areas for the cocktail hour and dinner.A beautiful lodge built from reclaimed wood serves as the dance space. Maureen was quick to provide us with alternate locations, and she helped us select a beautiful redwood location. The town of Berkeley is a 5 minute roll down the hill from the UC Botanic Garden. We include this as part of every package. Being a museum and space center, this is one of those San Francisco wedding venues will leave your guests with some awesome memories. Having a Cornerstone Sonoma wedding is a wedding venue in Napa that was seemingly made for artists. Guests can spread out onto a lawn area with a fire pit, explore the large grounds, and even sneak over to the Redwood Loop at Henry Cowell State Park next door! Simply looking around, there is little doubt why this is one of the most gorgeous places for an elopement in San Francisco. These are the best wedding venues in SF and beyond with gorgeous views. The rest of the venue is truly an intimate retreat that highlights the natural environment. We and our crew of talented local wedding professionals have been putting together small weddings filled with laughter and happy tears in California since 2002. Sitting across a hill overlooking the Bridge and the Bay, choosing this San Francisco wedding venue will treat your guests to one of the most breathtaking views of San Francisco. This well maintained 11 acre garden has enough space to cater to 300 guests, but also serves intimate weddings and has multiple locations to marry. One of the cool advantages of this venue is that you can bask in sunshine and enjoy the ocean views by the pool, or walk 5 minutes into the shade of a stunning redwood forest. With 55 acres showcasing plants from all over the world, they offer the perfect natural backdrop for your wedding ceremony. AnOlympic Clubwedding is my preferred choice for a country club wedding venue in San Francisco, catering to those Couples who love the naturally lit interior with floor to ceiling windows that grace the ceremony area. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding in Saratoga Springs. Located in a more residential area of SF, you can avoid the stress of traffic and take advantage of more space for sunset photos. And if you really want to get out in nature and get away from it all, you cant beat the northwestern part of California (often referred to as the Redwood Empire). With a patio overlooking the Napa Hills, this wedding venue also offers Michelin award-winning cuisine so you know you will have a memorable meal. All the support & resources you need to confidently choose a venue. Youll need to consider the following: We can suggest a number of secluded redwood wedding sites for your elopement or micro-wedding. With a setting seemingly straight from a movie, Shelldance Orchid Gardens is truly a one of a kind elopement setting and one of my favorite wedding venues in San Francisco. The Island Farm is an exclusive, private estate and doesnt have a website of its own. Country clubs are popular venues for weddings because they have perfectly manicured lawns and impeccable customer service to make your wedding day as flawless as possible. Uniquely situated just outside the city bustle of Berkeley, this stunning venue is surprisingly nature-filled. This private wedding venue located in the South Bay, is one of the more enchanting wedding venues in San Francisco. We appreciated the consistent communication and organization throughout the whole process. No entertainment is needed since the entertainment is literally all around you, for 4 floors! All Images & Content 2022 Ian Chin Photography - Wedding Photographer in San Francisco + San Francisco Elopement Photographer, California Elopement Photographer but available worldwide, The 50+ Most Popular Venues for Weddings in San Francisco, throughout the Bay Area, it is inevitable I missed some so please feel free to let me know. Who else can say they have wedding photos under a tank full of sea creatures or around a T-Rex? Maureen Thomson was invaluable in planning our small wedding during the Covid-19 pandemic. Big Sur Wedding Venues, Elopement Packages I would highly recommend Blue Sky Elopements to others who want a memorable, stress free elopement in California. Youll be assigned your own wedding coordinator who will serve as your go to person from start to finish. Redwood trees tower around the ceremony deck in a fairy ring, hand built by the owners themselves. From the very beginning Maureen and her team did a great job at letting us know what to expect and made sure all of our questions were answered. Our most popular redwood elopement packages include the items below, but we also assist with finding lodging, restaurants, transportation, childcare, pet-sitting, recreational activities as well as helping you set up unique ceremony environments (hot air balloons, hiking weddings, adventure elopements, etc.) Located 21 miles away from San Francisco, this is a gorgeous outdoor wedding venue in San Francisco Bay Area, offering a beautiful ceremony backdrop under trees. Check out my Harvest Inn Wedding Walkthrough for more information. Both were very inviting and were open to any ideas that we had. We are so lucky to have such a wide variety of settings in the Bay Area ranging from giant redwood groves, rustic barns, elegant historic buildings, and more, and within a short drive from San Francisco. We'll help you find the perfect-for-you place to elope. Situated along the Embarcadero, Hotel Vitale offers a panoramic view of both the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco Bay. Like what you see? I will periodically update this page with more photos, individual blog posts, or videos to give you the best most comprehensive information to help plan your dream wedding. Being a hotel, they offer all inclusive services for you and your guests. Your personal elopement wedding coordinator will coordinate all the details of your elopement package and serve as your go-to person right up to the day of your wedding. Favorite San Francisco Elopement Locations: The Mountain Terrace, Shelldance Orchid Gardens, Hastings House Garden Weddings. Redwood forests are a really popular type of wedding venue right now, and Im completely on board with that! They have three different ceremony sites specifically for intimate weddings (two in the redwoods, and one on a sunny patio overlooking the ocean). This quaint and hidden Chapel is located around the Golden Gate Bridge and is easily driven by and ignored. Loved the flowers! Having a California Academy of Sciences wedding is definitely one of those weddings that will offer your guests a truly unique experience, and be one that they will never forget. What time of year are you looking at for your redwood elopement? Your email is never published or shared. All of the vendors they picked for us were very professional and great to work with including the photographer, officiant, and hair/makeup artist. Even when we had to change the date and ceremony location due to the pandemic, they made it stress free. Especially since I live in the middle of redwood paradise. With its location a few miles outside of San Francisco, you get to enjoy the warm weather while being close to SF, allowing your out of town guests to enjoy the City as well. Check out my Olympic Club Wedding Walkthrough. Some of our private redwood venues also provide onsite lodging and catering for an all-in-one-exclusive California redwood wedding experience. Simple Ceremonies. Wonderful experience. Here, there is an amazing tropical greenhouse and an arid house filled with cacti. Having photographed here several times, I have come to realize why it is where Barack Obama has golfed while visiting San Francisco, as the venue itself is so well maintained, the staff is on point, and the location of it by the ocean affords it some stunning views especially during sunset. We decided to elope where we had never been before, which is a huge risk, but everything was a success thanks to Blue Sky Elopements. California elopements arent just about beaches; many of our couples tell us they want to be married amid the lush redwood forests that are unique to California. Professional wedding officiants performing ceremonies that reflect your personal love story. Receptions: $1,200 $2,200Elopement: $1,400Small ceremony: $2,000The UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens is located in the Berkeley Hills offering a comfortable temperature and lovely views of the East Bay Hills. Muir Woods, for example, is often touted as the Holy Grail of redwood elopements. From the Redwood Empire in the northernmost part of the state (which is where the biggest and oldest redwood trees live) to the Santa Cruz mountains and down to Big Sur, weve uncovered gorgeous redwood groves that are perfect for intimate weddings. Take a look at my Presidio Log Cabin Wedding walkthrough for more information. Located in Golden Gate Park, The Conservatory of Flowers is one of the most stunning Golden Gate Park wedding venues for those who want to be surrounded by rare and unique plants. What better way to get married than on campus where you first me? Check out this Hotel Villagio Wedding for inspiration. Click here to see a full blog post about the Ventana Big Sur elopement pictured below! Its probably the best known elopement wedding site in California. Check out this blog postabout Santa Cruz area wedding venues! Long Meadow Ranch is one of the most popular restaurants in the Napa Valley Region, and is quickly bec0ming one of the most popular Napa wedding venues. You will have a magical day filled with wild, inspiring nature if youre lucky enough to snag one of the limited dates at Island Farm. Weve got that covered for you. Monterey Wedding Venues And honestly, I think the train ride through the towering trees is a beautiful, meditative way to get your mind and heart right before walking down the aisle. CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS SAN FRANCISCO WEDDING VENUES, CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS VENUES FOR WEDDINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO, Packages: $3,500-$20,000 (depends on spaces reserved). With 5 different ceremony locations to choose from, they offer a variety of settings for your elopement or large wedding. One of the more elegant wedding venues in San Francisco, this location can hold several hundred guests and will easily provide a chic backdrop for your wedding photos. The architecture is like no other in California and is why its one of my favorite wedding venues in SF. For couples who choose not see each other before the ceremony, no problem! There are even a bunch of cool little 1970s cabins for you and your guests to stay in, summer camp style! They offer outdoor and indoor capabilities and the location in Palo Alto allows you to easily predict the temperature at this outdoor wedding venue in San Francisco. Check out my California Academy of Sciences Wedding Walkthrough. Check out this Ultimate Guide to Planning a Presidio Golf and Concordia Club Wedding. Located in the heart of San Franciscos financial district, Julia Morgan Ballroom weddings appeal to those Couples that strive for elegance and class for their wedding venue. No need to spend hours (days!) Fortunately, weve navigated all the federal, state, county and local governments that manage these sites and we can handle the permit process for you. So if theres one thing I can do besides photography, it is recommending the best redwood forest venues in California! Saint Marys Cathedral is one of the more elegant options for those who want a Church wedding venue in San Francisco. The amount of couples searching for the best redwood forest venues in California has skyrocketed.But there is a problem! So, Muir Woods is notin my humble opinionthe best redwood site for a private wedding. How to Plan an Elopement in the California Redwoods: Copyright 2022 Blue Sky Elopements. There is also a regular ol tent camping area! You can have your ceremony outdoors or even in their theater for an epic wedding ceremony. The most popular venues for weddings in San Francisco, San Francisco City Hall is used most every day for weddings and elopements. That depends on several factors. Well make a custom offering just for you. One partner rides in the front of the train with their wedding party members, and the other rides in the shaded caboose. We want to thank everyone involved in making our elopement such a special day. If you fit this criteria, you know how beautiful this Church is. Here is a list of the best venues for weddings in San Francisco (updated for 2022!). Read more aboutThe Mountain Terrace with my walkthrough. At Glen Oaks, couples can book a full wedding (up to 100 guests), a micro wedding in a fairy ring, or book a stay to elope on the property. Love to be surrounded by trees and being outdoors in nature? Want a location that shows off that you are in San Francisco? Rental Fee: $1,500 $10,000 (depends on year / spaces reserved). Glen Oaks is a lodge and event venue that is spread out into many little cabins and rooms on both sides of Highway 1 in Big Sur. Where to Elope in San Francisco By providing you with topnotch wedding professionals who handle all the details of your small wedding, we allow you to relax and enjoy your day. Check out myUltimate Guide to Planning a Wedding in Muir Woodsfor more details! Check out this Ultimate Guide to Planning an Auberge du Soleil Wedding, Catering and Wine minimums: $110 $135 / person. This well manicured Garden in the middle of Golden Gate Park is one of the more forgotten wedding venues in SF since Golden Gate Park is so large. With decades-old trees acting as a wedding ceremony backdrop, The Mountain Terrace is the ideal setting for anyone who appreciates natural beauty and basking in the sun and fresh air. Check out this Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club Wedding for inspiration! Looking for luxury San Francisco wedding venues that will wow your guests and make your wedding even more memorable? Or it simply feels like youre just in someones backyard instead of a forest. I consider it a smaller scale and less popular venue comparable to The Mountain Terrace, because it is very similar with a giant deck as well as being surrounded by a grove of redwood trees. Skip the Wedding Drama. Marriage License: $110Ceremony: $90Different Locations (optional): $1,000 $5,000. I wrote a whole blog about this venue here! It is, however, a gorgeous park and I highly encourage you to visit it if you come to California and you love the redwoods. It was absolutely amazing from start to finish. It is more commonly used for smaller elopements as the garden offers three other wedding locations to say your vows, making this one of the most flexible venues for weddings in San Francisco. The barn at Roaring Camp is extremely spacious and rustic. The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most surprisingly affordable and grand venues for weddings in San Francisco. The most popular wedding venue in San Francisco, San Francisco City Hall is used most every day for weddings and elopements. The owners milled the wood from their property and hand built these stunning, giant tables that perfectly compliment the woodsy environment. And why listen to me on this subject? (We had one ourselves!) This is one of the more decorated San Francisco wedding venues and is more epic than St. Marys Cathedral. Our officiant and photographer made our day absolutely perfect. One of the most popular sites to visit in Golden Gate Park, this large greenhouse in the middle of Golden Gate Park will easily set your wedding apart from everyone elses and is one of the more impressive wedding venues in SF. It is centrally located between San Francisco and Napa, allowing your out of town guests options in how they explore northern California. This is my favorite unique venues for weddings in San Francisco. This venue is accommodates big weddings AND small elopements. We'll give you access to our network of hand-picked wedding professionals who are passionate about elopement weddings and deliver the highest quality services. Below are some unique San Francisco wedding venues that include castles, halls of flowers, and domes, among others. Having your wedding at your local church is always a more significant idea, but for those who dont have any ideas here are a few suggestions. All Rights Reserved. The most popular areas include the rustic bar and the large lawn that seats up to 300 guests. But, you can host a fairly big group for your ceremony here and then party elsewhere, like the stunning, historic Berkeley City Club! While youre there, why not take a hike down to Valencia Creek, sunbathe on the lawn, or relax in the sauna or bathtub jacuzzi? They hold over 30 weddings every weekday, but you can rent it out on the weekends for just you and your party. Having a Legion of Honor wedding is the perfect compromise for Couples that want an elegant museum wedding venue and a location that is convenient for everyone. You need little to no decor at this wedding venue in Half Moon Bay since the beauty is all around you! Couples who book this venue get overnight lodging in a beautiful house that the owners built themselves. Which venues for weddings in San Francisco fit your style? Blue Sky Elopements - Breathtaking Vistas. Where to Elope in California They hold over 30 weddings every weekday, but you can rent it out on the weekends for just you and your party. Well, I have had the honor at photographing at most of the great redwood forest wedding venues in the state. The services made our wedding stress-free! There are even some in-town redwood sites close to San Francisco. Simply looking around, there is little doubt why this is one of the most gorgeous and best wedding venues in SF in my opinion. San Francisco, CA Needless to say, the uniqueness of this wedding venue in Oakland will allow your guests to walk around and entertain themselves. This venue is part of a working ranch that encompasses breathtaking hilltop views, ponds, a creek, and lush giant redwoods. Ceremony: $90Location (optional): $1,000 $5,000. After the ceremony, guests can enjoy cocktail hour on a spacious deck and migrate over to the banquet tables for dinner. Trust methis will save you excessive bouts of hair-tearing!We also have exclusive arrangements with some private redwood sites. For those who prefer a location surrounded by plants and flowers, the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is a perfect choice for a wedding venue in San Francisco. This part of the worldwhile it takes a bit more work to accessis the home of Avenue of the Giants and Redwood National Forestboth spectacular places to elope. It also has a smaller elopement location in the back if you want a smaller scale celebration. Take a little hike through the Glen Oaks property and youll feel like youre really in the woods. You know this hotel will check all the marks for a stress-free wedding. Several locations within the Garden are available for your elopement, with even a 1 hour rental package available. If you are looking for a secluded secret garden look no further than the Hastings House Garden Weddings for your elopement! Check out thisShakespeare Garden Weddingfor inspiration! Just wanted to send a quick thank you for putting together such a great elopement package. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning a University of Redlands Wedding, Small ceremony: $900 Large Ceremony: Contact for Pricing. And yes, there IS a waterfall too! One of the more affordable and secluded wedding venues in SF, this is also the most popularGolden Gate Park wedding venuefor those wanting a more natural background. It is one of my favorite venues for weddings in San Francisco because of the nicely manicured grounds. One of the best places to elope in San Francisco, this small garden in Golden Gate Park allows a great setting for an intimate place to say your vows. ianchinphotography@gmail.com, Get your daily dose of San Francisco wedding photography vitamins, How to Get Married in San Francisco City Hall Tons of couples want to plan their destination weddings in redwood forests, but its hard to really know how great the venue is without being there in person. Many of these are little-known, out of the way or private sites far from the usual tourist crowds. You and your guests can wander through the paths around the redwoods and through the garden. This is one of the more popular wedding venues in SF because of their signature white columns for photos. It is one of the smaller venues for weddings in San Francisco, perfect for an elopement with a few guests and can be had for an affordable rate. Whats your tolerance for onlookers? Small receptions can be held a short walk away in one of two halls in a different part of the garden. This Palo Alto wedding venue offers a setting and service as expected from a country club in the heart of Silicon Valley. Are you okay with a few passers-by, or do you want total privacy when you elope in the redwoods. Where to Elope in Lake Tahoe Rental Fee : $2,500 $4,500 (ceremony only). Located across the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito, no other wedding venues in SF shows off the Golden Gate Bridge as nicely as Cavallo Point. With a capacity of 400 guests, you can enjoy the outdoors in The Pavilion or stay indoors in The Barrel Room in its 2,700 square foot space. I am definitely a planner and have anxiety so this was the best route for us so intimate and beautiful we will have a small reception later this year but our actual ceremony and time during this elopement was unforgettable, special and truly magical. A Blue Sky Elopements exclusive! 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