Great San Diego Wedding Venues and Packages
San Diego has a nearly perfect year-round climate, so you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing where you want to hold the wedding ceremony and reception. San Diego has a host of wonderful wedding venues ranging from outdoor wedding locations, nautical weddings, bayside wedding venues, and more traditional wedding settings.
One of the most romantic settings for an outdoor San Diego wedding is the Prado Restaurant located at the historic House of Hospitality in San Diego’s famous Balboa Park located near the downtown area. The wedding ceremony site sits outside on a terrace surrounded by finely manicured gardens with a backdrop of elegant Spanish architecture.
The Prado can accommodate 30 to 400 wedding guests for the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception. The reception can be held in the elegant 5,000 square foot Grand Ballroom, which is located across the fountain courtyard. The wedding reception room features a 27 foot hand-stenciled ceiling, skylights, custom chandeliers, and a beautiful hardwood dance floor, as well as a fully equipped theatrical stage. The cuisine at the Prado is exquisite. The service is excellent. The Prado wedding coordinator can be reached by phone at 619-557-9441, extension 201.
If you would like your wedding guests to enjoy a breathtaking view of the San Diego skyline as you say your vows, a Hornblower Yacht cruise is the perfect answer. Hornblower provides a magical setting for your San Diego wedding. Your guests can sip Champagne as your wedding yacht cruises the stunning San Diego Bay and passes under the soaring Coronado Bridge. The wedding ceremony can be performed by the uniformed ship captain.
Hornblower has seven yachts of varying sizes which will accommodate 30 to 250 wedding guests. The decks are enclosed. Dining choices in the wedding packages include seated or buffet style brunch, lunch, or dinner. The cuisine is scrumptious and the service is superb. Some Hornblower wedding packages provide for a DJ and red carpet boarding. Call 619-686-8700 to speak to a Hornblower professional wedding planner who will help you arrange every detail including the cake, flowers, photographs, and limo service. Hornblower cruises depart from the Cruise Ship Terminal located at 1066 Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego.
The perfect bayside setting for the San Diego wedding of your dreams is the Bahia Resort Hotel. The Bahia’s elegant ballrooms offer an enchanting view of San Diego’s Mission Bay to create a beautiful and romantic backdrop for your wedding ceremony and reception.
The Bahia has professionally trained wedding specialists who provide personalized service to help you choose a customized menu, as well as your cake and flowers. The Bahia can accommodate 20 to 380 wedding guests. The bride and groom will receive a complimentary suite at the hotel for the night of the wedding. The Bahia is located at 998 West Mission Bay Drive in San Diego. Call 858-539-7720 for more information.
Items that the bride and groom will need to provide at all of the above venues include the guestbook and pen, personalized bridal toasting glasses, place cards, disposable cameras, and personalized napkins or matchbooks.
If you would prefer to have a short civil ceremony, you can get married at any of the five offices of the San Diego County Clerk. All of the locations have a lovely private decorated room for the ceremony. At the downtown location, at 1600 Pacific Highway, marriage ceremonies may also be performed outside the County Administration Building on scenic grounds overlooking San Diego Bay. The fee for the ceremony is $50.00. A video of your wedding ceremony can be purchased for $10.00. The ceremony can be performed the same day you obtain your marriage license. The marriage license fee is $50.00. No appointment is necessary. Call 619-237-0502 for office hours and additional information.
If you want to have an intimate dinner with family members and a few close friends after the ceremony at the County Clerk’s office, you can choose from a number of fine restaurants nearby. The award winning, elegant Star of the Sea, located at 1360 N Harbor Drive, is one of the best restaurants in the downtown area. Valet or street parking is available. Call 619-232-7408 for reservations.
### Cassie Brill
