When planning a wedding, secure a venue first

Planning a wedding can be a bewildering experience. But once you’ve secured the fiance and figured out a date, I firmly believe the first thing you should tackle in planning a wedding is finding a venue.

(Stock image by katman1972)

Stock image by katman1972

Why the venue first? Because it’ll probably be your biggest expense. And when it comes to big expenses, its generally better to secure the best price you can get early on, rather than get hit with exorbitant fees the closer you get to your wedding date. It’s pretty much impossible to book a wedding venue three months in advance, and you have to be wicked lucky six months out. A good rule of thumb is to secure a wedding venue a year in advance.

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Southern California’s gorgeous community centers

When planning that perfect wedding day, most brides probably don’t think, “and I’m going to have my wedding at my local community center!” But its a shame — community centers are an overlooked resource that we are likely helping to pay to upkeep with our local taxes. As a venue, they will be much cheaper than a ballroom in your typical hotel or resort. Of course, you pay more at hotels and resorts for the convenience; whereas, with a community center, you might have to bring in your own tables and chairs, sound system, etc. — it all depends.

In Southern California, we have some exceptionally beautiful community centers that you should definitely consider when it comes to planning your wedding day.

Flickr photo by virgojennie

Flickr photo by virgojennie

In my opinion, the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica is the crown jewel of community centers in Southern California. It sits right on the beach and includes both modern facilities and the historic Marion Davies Guest House. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting, but I follow it on Facebook and am always floored by the beautiful pictures they post. While it is probably the most beautiful and ideally-located community center in Southern California, it’s also probably the most expensive to rent, so take that into consideration.

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Wedding Venue: Almansor Court in Alhambra

Almansor Court gazebo in blueIf there is one venue I have been to repeatedly as a wedding decorator, it would be Almansor Court in Alhambra. For my mom and her clientele, its location was ideal — right in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, not far from the 10 Freeway, but also not overlooking the freeway.

Almansor Court is essentially the banquet facility of the Almansor Golf Club. It’s popularity is partly due to what you see here — its perch overlooking its gazebo, which sits on the edge of Alhambra Lake. What you don’t see is that the lake and the banquet facility are also the immediate neighbors of Almansor Park.

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Wedding venues with pre-installed ceiling decorations

The readers here love, no, seriously, love ceiling decorations, which is why I’ve written a variety of articles about the subject. But its not an easy thing to accomplish and finding the right wedding decorator who can do ceiling decorations plus a venue that will let you do so might be more trouble than its worth. So why not find a venue with built-in ceiling decorations?

Facebook photo from The Castaway Restaurant

Facebook photo from The Castaway Restaurant

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Budget-friendly Southern California wedding venues

Getting married is so expensive these days, but there are at least a few ways to cut down on the expenses. The biggest expense by far is your guest list, so if you can have a small wedding, that will make a big difference on your wedding budget.

Your next biggest expense is your wedding venue. To keep costs down, look for a venue where you can hold both your ceremony and your reception. Another thing to keep in mind to save money — think all inclusive. Just like an all-inclusive resort, where you can get your room, food and a few activities in one package, there are some venues that provide everything — the venue, the linens, the food, the cake, the decorations, etc.

Since last year, I’ve been compiling a list of Southern California wedding venues that brides say have given them a great deal, or have contacted me for consideration as a venue that offers a great deal — and I’ve seen evidence online to support it. I haven’t had personal experience with any of these venues, so take these suggestions as just that — suggestions for wedding venues you should check out.

Highland Springs Resort

Highland Springs Resort

Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley (Riverside County) is home to olive fields, an 1,100-year-old oak tree and a lavender farm, which makes me think it must smell wonderful out there. A recent Yelp review notes that “resort” is a bit of a stretch, but that could work in the favor of a budget-conscious bride. Going back to 2011, a poster on WeddingBee says she was quoted $8,000 for a party of 200, including the venue, tables, chairs, linens, flatware, cake and food — quite a deal.
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Wedding Venue: Annenberg Community Beach House

I first came across the Annenberg Community Beach House earlier this summer when I was looking for a splash pad where I could hold my youngest son’s first birthday party. The Annenberg Community Beach House would have been so awesome, but it would have been a logistical nightmare, trying to hold a party in Santa Monica, more than 30 miles away from where we live.

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Four Seasons Westlake Village’s weekday wedding deal

When I was writing about my friend Diane’s decision to elope and have that super intimate, beautiful weekday wedding, I was thinking to myself, “Wow. Weekday wedding deals. More places should have something like that!” And it turns out, one resort that I pass by every day on my way to and from work actually does — the Four Seasons in Westlake Village.

Suffice it to say, the place is spectacular. Its got all sorts of accolades — its a 5-star, AAA 5-diamond property with a Zagat score of 25 out of 30. Westlake Village, additionally, is a hidden gem — tucked right outside Los Angeles County, close to Malibu and Calabasas, with excellent freeway access, without any of those ugly freeway views.

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