1. San Diego Museum of Man
St. Francis Chapel, the wedding venue for the San Diego Museum of Man, is directly across the street from the museum in picturesque Balboa Park (Video). The Spanish mission-style chapel is simple with tiled floors, beamed ceilings, and bench seating yet elegant with an ornate gold leaf altar and Virgin and Child statuary. The venue is nondenominational and welcomes same sex couples. Services include a bridal dressing area, organ (sans organist), and altar candles. The chapel seats 100 guests – eighty-eight on the main floor and twelve in the balcony. The museum rotunda seats 250 reception guests. There are five reserved parking spaces for the wedding party.
1350 El Prado, San Diego, CA, Phone: 619-239-2001
2. Ortega’s Restaurant
Located in the trendy Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, Ortega’s Restaurant is a Mexican bistro in the style of Puerto Nuevo lobster restaurants. It’s an upscale venue for casual chic couples looking for intimate locale. They have three spaces couples can reserve for the big day. The upstairs veranda accommodates up to sixty guests; it is contemporary and stylish with exposed brick and modern furnishings. The galleria/cantina also accommodates up to sixty guests; it features modern booths, high top tables, a bar, and a fireplace. The bistro seats up to seventy-five guests and opens onto a patio for an indoor/outdoor experience.
141 University Avenue, San Diego, CA, Phone: 619-692-4200
For a Luxury Wedding
3. Tom Ham’s Lighthouse
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse, a San Diego icon, sits at the tip of Harbor Isalnd and offers unparalleled views of the bay, the San Diego skyline, and Coronado Island. Two reception venues on the property are the California room that accommodates up to 230 guests and has a dance floor, built in bar, and wrap around patio. The Harbor View Room accommodates up to ninety guests and also has a dance floor and patio. Tom Ham’s provides arguably one of the most stunning wedding ceremony backdrops in San Diego. A giant contemporary sculpted archway frames the San Diego skyline – imagine the ceremony photos. The ceremony space can accommodate up to 240 guests.
2150 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, CA, Phone: 619-291-9110
4. Paradise Point Resort & Spa
Paradise Point Resort & Spa is synonymous with dreamy San Diego destination wedding. The 44-acre private island venue located in Mission Bay will exceed the most lavish couple’s fantasies. This resort offers five ceremony locations on the property. From a grassy peninsula accommodating up to 100 guests to a tropical garden in the island’s interior seating 175 to a bayside location with epic views accommodating 400 friends and family, there is splendor for every couple. This resort & spa is for the couple looking for opulent ceremony and reception venues, extravagant bridal party services, and a romantic honeymoon.
1404 Vacation Road, San Diego, CA, Phone: 858-274-4630
5. Catamaran Resort and Spa
For the couple seeking a tropical beach wedding, Catamaran Resort and Spa is the destination. Located on the shores of Mission Bay, this hotel is one of San Diego’s most popular wedding venues. The resort offers four ceremony locations on the property – the beach north lawn accommodating up to 350 guests, the beach south lawn with the San Diego skyline in the background accommodates up to 120 guests, an on-the-beach site that accommodates up to 200 guests, and an intimate tropical gazebo accommodating up to seventy guests. Wedding packages include a hosted cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception.
3999 Mission Boulevard, San Diego, CA, Phone: 858-488-1081
For a Unique Venue
6. The Lafayette Hotel
The Lafayette Hotel, San Diego’s premier retro hotel, exudes Old Hollywood charm. Located at the north end of the trendy North Park neighborhood, this glam hotel is a great choice for the bride and groom looking for a touch of class in a hip setting. The hotel’s light-filled conservatory with its wall of French doors that open onto a veranda overlooking the pool is one of the best ceremony sites on the property. Big and lavish or small and intimate, the Lafyette has the right reception space too. The Mississippi Ballroom accommodates 300 seated guests, the Louisiana Ballroom 110, and the Veranda 50. This venue is a Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice Award recipient.
2223 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA, Phone: 619-296-2101
7. Flagship Yacht
What wedding venue says San Diego better than a yacht? A Flagship Yacht wedding is completely flexible depending on the couple’s needs, but it can include a Captain ceremony where the yacht’s captain officiates, flexible catering to meet every budget, DJ or other entertainment, photography, flowers, and themed décor. Wedding packages include private yacht and crew, table set up, coffee/tea service, champagne toast, hosted bar, day-of-event coordinator, an optional one-hour rehearsal, and an optional wedding cake. The onboard chef serves SoCal coastal cuisine featuring fresh catch fish and seafood, and farm fresh ingredients. Flagship Yacht also offers rehearsal dinner cruises in San Diego Bay.
990 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA, Phone: 800-442-7847
8. The Westgate Hotel
The Westgate Hotel is the San Diego venue of choice for the couple seeking an opulent fairytale wedding. Three wedding packages in the ballroom or on the rooftop terrace include Le Classique with three butler passed hors d’oeuvres and a two-course menu, Le Royal with three butler passed hor d’oeuvres with a one-hour deluxe hosted bar and two-course menu, and Le Majestique with three butler passed hors d’oeuvres, one-hour premium hosted bar, and three-course menu. All packages include champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, a midnight meal for the couple, and complimentary reception room rental and set-up among other perks. Special room rates are available for the wedding party and guests.
1055 Second Avenue, San Diego, CA, Phone: 619-557-3636
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