Welcome to Our Private, 40-Acre Gated California Wedding Venues

Are ballrooms/hotel venues in California a great place to get married?

Ballrooms and hotels are a popular choice for couples looking at California wedding venues. The reason? It’s super convenient for you and your guests. Some of the pros include working with an experienced staff, having your rentals included, and of course, quick and convenient access to accommodations for your guests. A hotel or ballroom is a great option for guests who are looking for convenience, don’t want a lot of customization at their wedding, or wedding couples who are looking to do a destination wedding.

But, it has its downsides. Hotels and ballrooms often lack flexibility, such as forcing you to use their vendors, often have lots of hidden costs, and may have other restrictions that surprise you down the road. Another consideration is, that your wedding pictures may look like all the other weddings they host.

Are banquet halls or restaurant venues in California a good place to get married?

Foodies who are looking for convenience and simplicity may consider banquet halls or restaurants in their search for California wedding venues. On the upside, you’re almost guaranteed to get a great meal at your wedding equipped with staff who are trained in handling large parties. And the best part? They usually already have many of the rentals you’d need to purchase elsewhere –– tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, and more.

The downside? Space is usually pretty limited and restaurants and banquet halls aren’t exactly designed with things in mind like a venue specifically made to host weddings. Think about your grand entrance, dancing, bouquet toss, and other parts of your wedding celebration when looking at California wedding venues.

What are the benefits of getting married in a barn, farm, or ranch venue in California?

If nature is important to you and you want to have your wedding in a unique location or off the beaten path, a barn, farm or ranch may be a great choice for you.

This is the category that Mountain House Estate technically falls under. We’ll do our best not to be biased, but we’d like to think we’re pretty great (and so do lots of wedding couples and vendors) 😉.

However, we’d like to preface that we are not your typical “barn” or “farm” or “ranch”. First of all, we don’t have any cows, horses, or other barn or farm animals on site. And hey, it’s for good reason.

This might seem picture-perfect, but in the dead heat of summer when these animals are pooping, that smell (and flies) is definitely going to intrude on your wedding. And we don’t find that to be very romantic.

Couples often use the word “rustic” when doing online searches for California wedding venues. And what they’re typically looking for is all of the vibes of the countryside, rural and outdoor wedding, but don’t think about some of the cons.

Which are: weather, lack of air conditioning/heating, lack of toilets, and so much more. Of course, since Mountain House Estate was conceived and designed to be a rustic wedding venue that tackles all of these issues instead of leaving them in hindsight, you won’t encounter them when you celebrate here.

Should I look at beach venues in California to get married?

Ah yes, the beach. One of the most sought-after concepts in California wedding venues. Beaches are simply beautiful, inviting, and the epitome of romance. In concept, they’re the ultimate place to get married.

But the reality? Sand blowing in you and your guest’s faces, uninvited guests walking along the beach during your ceremony, and inclement weather issues. Some things are just more romantic in concept than in actuality. The beach is definitely one of those things.

And consider, California has coastal access laws, making the beaches open to the public. Unfortunately, that means, you might have wedding crashers, and they have a legal right to be there. Is there someone you would prefer to not have come to your wedding?

Should I look at overnight venues in California that offer lodging? Like a bed and breakfast?

We were going to write about the pros and cons of doing an overnight wedding venue, but we already did so in this other article. Click here to check it out.

I want a custom wedding but my partner wants to look at country club venues in California. How can we compromise?

Country club wedding venues are likely not going to give you your picture-perfect wedding day. The reason? There’s almost no room to customize your wedding and make it your own. Often, you’re forced into their catering, vendors, and fees. Choosing a wedding venue should be a mutual decision, but lay out the pros and cons with your fiance to reach a great decision together.

Northern California Golf Course Wedding Venues

The same logic applies to golf course wedding venues. Unless Tiger Woods is your idol and you religiously watch and play golf, you probably don’t want to get married at a golf course.

California Golf Club South and Other Golf Club Venue Options

At a country club, you can likely have your ceremony and reception both indoors and outdoors, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds or saving you from inclement weather. You’re almost guaranteed that the grounds will be well-maintained, and the food is usually pretty tasty.

So what’s the catch? Well for one, these can be on the pricier side of California wedding venues. And it’s also very unlikely that you’ll have the entire venue to yourself –– they’re likely hosting other events, and if it’s a country club, there will be people golfing, eating, and enjoying their country club benefits. So it’s not exactly private or exclusive.

And be careful about those extra charges. Just like ballrooms and hotels, the initial price they give you sounds pretty enticing. But every service has an additional charge. Water on tables, coffee station, cake cutting – yup, they charge you per slice.

San Francisco CA Wedding Venue

Can I have my ceremony at a church or temple in California and host my reception at a separate venue?

Whether Jewish or Christian or whatever your faith may be, a church is a great option if religion plays an integral part in your relationship. Churches are definitely a more traditional type of California wedding venue. So when searching for California wedding venues, it may be a great option if you’re looking for something more classic for your ceremony.

Churches definitely set the stage for a grandeur style and there is a much more structured approach to how your wedding timeline will be. Another benefit is that it’s not as expensive as some other California wedding venues.

However, a church usually can’t lend itself to the reception, so you’ll have to then find and rent another place for your after-party. What’s more, is that the photography options are a bit limited in this setting. For instance, at Mountain House Estate, we have about 40 acres that lend a myriad of photo opportunities.

Here at Mountain House, we see many couples that get married in the church, with a small intimate ceremony inviting just their closest family, in the morning. Then, in the afternoon, they have a wedding ceremony with all their family, friends, and other wedding guests. Then the wedding reception and celebration follow late into the evening.

Are there any downsides to museum and gallery venues in California?

History, museums, and art galleries fall under this category. These are definitely more on the unconventional side of California wedding venues. And while they can create a unique vibe for your wedding day, they’re typically better for smaller and more intimate weddings (fewer guests) because of the limited space settings. The other caveat is that because these were not designed for hosting weddings, you may need to put in more time and effort, or hire a wedding planner, to host these appropriately.

And if you have a very specific theme in mind for your wedding or color scheme, you may have to nix that in one of these spaces because you’ll need to work with their existing decor and choose decorations that fit with the aesthetic.

Are there any downsides to having my wedding at an animal sanctuary, zoo, or equestrian facility in California?

What could be cuter than having animals at your wedding? Some animal properties are now also hosting weddings to meet demand. They’re an exciting and distinct experience for your guests, but there are some limitations you should think about before you look at these types of California wedding venues. The first thing to consider is that these are not designed for weddings; their main focus is their animals, not your special once-in-a-lifetime day.

But there’s more. Your wedding day is subject to the sights, sounds and smells that these California wedding venues provide. Flies, dust and manure are hard realities. Also, not very romantic. Have you seen the video of the animals getting ‘frisky’ during the ceremony? LOL.

Maybe that’s not how you want your wedding day to be remembered. And finally, your sound levels during your reception may be disrupting or stressful for the animals.

Mountain House Estate is not the most expensive wedding venue, but we are also not the cheapest.

Wedding Venues in California

There are thousands of wedding venues in California. Our best recommendation to you is to narrow it down to 1-2 styles of wedding venue (rustic, ranch, outdoor, oceanside, chapel, etc.) and go from there to help make it less overwhelming.

Forest Wedding Venues in California or Sonoma Area

If you are looking for a wedding venue in California that is close to nature, a great way to narrow down your search is by including the word “forest” or “Redwoods” in your search.

There are several different types of forests in this state, and all of them are beautiful. Some forest areas in California include redwood forests, oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub forests, pine forests, and even desert riparian habitats. Redwoods is a popular search term and it’s no wonder why – they’re magnificent and have stood the test of time, much like your love will :)

Mountain House Estate boasts gorgeous Oak groves and Redwood trees on the property.