Hosting a destination wedding doesn't necessarily mean leaving the good ole U.S.A. Southern California, offers postcard-perfect settings for every taste.
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From top: Spanish colonial style holds sway at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa; Montage Laguna Beach overlooks the Pacific; a suite at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Photography: Courtesy of Ojai Valley Inn & Spa; Montage Laguna Beach; Thompson Hotel Group. |
Mountain Retreat
Surrounded by rolling hills and the commanding Topa Topa Mountains, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa has been a favorite wedding location for Hollywood heavyweights since 1923. The 220 acres of the Spanish colonial-style resort offer several ceremony and reception options. For an intimate weekend, host a small group at the Casa Elar, a private residence originally built for the owners of the resort. The estate home features four bedrooms, a dining room, a hair salon and massage studio, plus a private pool and Jacuzzi. The property’s herb garden, a three-acre stretch perfumed by the scents of lavender, geranium, rosemary and 63 other herbs, can accommodate a ceremony for 60 guests. Larger parties of up to 350 may be held on the resort’s great lawn. For more information visit ojairesort.com. This retreat makes for an amazing private destination wedding.
City Glamour
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the original venue for the Academy Awards and the site of dozens of movie premieres, could be the place where you make your debut as Mr. and Mrs. The 81-year-old grand dame, located in the heart of Hollywood, has a terrazzo-tiled lobby and ornate Spanish-style décor, which exude a bygone era of glamour. (Past guests include Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift.) A recent renovation has updated the guest rooms with chocolate and cream décor, luxe Sferra linens, Fresh bath products and in-room pantries stocked with delicacies from Dean & DeLuca. Kick off your festivities by hosting a rehearsal dinner on the Marilyn Monroe Bridge, an outdoor space that overlooks the David Hockney signature swimming pool (so named for the mural the artist painted on the bottom). Then have your intimate outdoor ceremony in the picturesque north garden; larger parties can be held in the elegant Historic Lobby, which boasts Moorish-style arches and a soaring ceiling. Receptions take place in one of three ballrooms, including the Blossom Ballroom, site of the first Oscar ceremony in 1929. For more information visit hollywoodroosevelt.com.
By the Sea
If you’re a bride whose dream wedding is a beach ceremony at sunset, look no further than the Montage Laguna Beach. The Craftsman-style bungalows and spectacular location on a bluff overlooking the Pacific make it one of the most popular wedding venues around. The Montage offers two oceanfront ceremony locations: the Ocean Lawn, which can accommodate up to 300 guests, and the Pacific Lawn with enough space for up to 450 people. After an outdoor cocktail hour, adjourn to one of the elegant ballrooms, where the tables will be adorned in beautiful Frette linens, gorgeous Baucher china and gleaming Christofle flatware. For more information visit montagelagunabeach.com.
In Wine Country
If you’ve always longed for a sunny ceremony among the rolling hills and vineyards of Tuscany, but found your wedding planning budget wouldn’t let you live the dream, don’t despair. The 76-room South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula Valley offers rough-hewn beamed ceilings, red-tiled roofs, wrought-iron accents and sun-drenched gardens. Have your ceremony on the sweeping staircase beneath the dramatic bell tower (they’ll ring the bell to announce your marriage) or on the grass near the Rose Arbor or Winery Garden. Then celebrate under the stars on the brick courtyard or in one of four ballrooms featuring sweeping views and ornate vaulted ceilings. For more information visit wineresort.com. —Sharon Boone
Lawfully Wedded
All you need to get married is a marriage license, obtained no more than 90 days before the ceremony. Both parties must appear in person at the County Clerk’s Office of the county where you will be married, present a valid picture ID and, if applicable, a divorce decree or a death certificate. Some counties require a birth certificate. For more information, go to The California Department of Public Health services at dhs.ca.gov.
