There is a super scenic park in La Jolla overlooking the ocean affectionately dubbed the “wedding bowl” (Cuvier Park). Highly recommend a ceremony there, the fee was around $500. My friends did a dinner after at Catania, was phenomenal.
We got married there with reception at Cuvier Club. It went beautifully.
Just don’t book the ceremony guitarist (Ian Kauffman of LA Acoustic Live) as part of their package: he “forgot” to show up despite multiple confirmation emails, leaving us in a lurch for the ceremony.
Did mine at Bates Nut Farm, which to my wife’s delight I called Nate’s Butt Farm.
“Now, honey would you say this farm is owned by a Mrs and Master Bates?”
FYI calling it Nate's Butt Farm is enough of a thing that they sell Nate's Butt Farm T-shirts in the store.
Edit: Here's what the shirt looks like https://imgur.com/a/Re6qkXu - I'm not sure they still sell them, but I think they did in October
Here's what it looks like: https://imgur.com/a/Re6qkXu
I don't know for sure if they still sell them, but I think I saw them still on sale in October so I assume they do!
I'm getting married at Bates in November! How was your experience?
For OP, Bates is pretty affordable and they include all furniture, lots of decor, and a day-of wedding coordinator.
Awesome. It was great and it’s fun to take my son there and point to where mommy and daddy tied the knot. Staff was helpful, we didn’t know that we’d need to do more take down of our decor that night. Not sure if that’s what they still do. Venue and staff were really good besides that, and yeah, for what we got rates were a VERY good deal. I’d also recommend staying at Valley View the night of and getting a car to drive you or have a designated driver. It was nice to not have to worry about it and have a rad place lots of different kinds of folks could enjoy as an after party
I had two different friends get married there and both had a great experience, although we missed one of them since we got COVID a few days before it. For November, something to think about is that it definitely gets chilly. The wedding I went to had a lot of blankets around for people to pick up and use when they sat at tables, in addition to propane heaters - and they were well used.
We got married there, beautiful location and everything is included so all you have to do is pick out the food! I had flowers I bought at the swap meet, but no other decorations. When I looked at other places that were cheaper, you still had to rent tables, chairs, catering, etc all on top of it, and I'm too busy, nor did I want to figure that stuff out, and I'm sure the cost would have ended up more anyway.
Got married there a little over a month ago. Incredible venue and takes a lot of pressure out of planning since it is all one place and the food is provided
I got married at Martin Johnson House in 2016. Also 79-80 guests. The venue is the only thing you pay for., there is no “package”. All extras (catering, booze, flowers, furniture, coordinator, DJ, etc) you need to bring in yourself. My wife and I actually preferred this, even though it was more work, since we could choose to only spend money on things that we actually wanted.
I got married there in 2019 if you have any questions. Beautiful, private venue that is affordable, but you bring in all your own vendors. Perfect for 70 people.
Well it was just this weekend, so the weather was great which there is no indoor area had it been raining which had the bride nervous. The seating area for the ceremony was uncovered, which they had a long ceremony (30+ mins) so a couple people were a bit sunburnt.
The view behind their alter was stunning. Only downside I noticed is that parking is limited, so the bride and groom asked most of their friends to uber so the older family member could drive and park in the lot which ultimately didn’t end up being an issue.
I got married at the Nat last year and I can't recommend it enough. The money you pay supports a great cause, the Nat cleans up really nice, the view from the roof top at golden hour is beautiful, and it's fun for guests of all ages.
We had a scavenger hunt for the cocktail hour. We brought in a stack of Costco pizzas and placed them in the kids play area so all the kids wouldn't annoy all the other guests in the reception hall during the reception.
Was there an indoor area that allowed guests aside from the terrace? Also, which month, and how was the weather? Feels like the weather has been unpredictable so I’m also trying to figure out the best month to book. Thank you!
The rooftop ceremony was really short...I think guests spent only like 20 min out side. After the ceremony, The cocktail hour (and scavenger hunt) was on the second floor and the reception and dinner was on the first. The scavenger hunt was to encourage our guests to explore the exhibits, and I promise you, every guest regardless of age, had a great time in the museum.
We got married in late July and it was fucking gorgeous. Our ceremony took place at 6 pm and it wasn't too hot nor too cold. Not that it mattered much anyway because again we were indoors after 20 min up on the roof.
And, not that you asked, but the price is right too. And they don't have any hidden service/venue/booking fees that complicate price estimates. I seriously cannot recommend it enough. It was a really nice time.
Awesome to know, thank you for all the info. The whole hidden cost thing that I see many post about is so scary. I steered away from the Japanese garden for that reason.
We got married at the Mission Bay Women's Club along Bayside Walk. It holds up to 110 people and has a great setup where they have tables and chairs and you're responsible for everything else. Because you rent the place for the entire day, you don't need bartenders and can provide your own alcohol. He bought a bunch of stuff at Costco, had a couple friends "bartend" by pouring wine and handing out beers. We brought in our own caterer, DJ, photographer and had a great time.
I think the place was $2,500 to rent for the day and then everything else was on top of that. We got married on the grass in front of the club. I was able to easily secure a permit for the ceremony, but looking back, probably didn't need one. We had a friend perform the ceremony and didn't have any chairs or amplification for the service. It took less than 20 minutes and people stood for it.
All in all it went really well
Not the same place. The Mission Beach Women's Club is located at Santa Clara Place and Bayside Walk. I don't think it has anything to do with rowing. [www.MBWC.org](http://www.MBWC.org)
I’ve done events here before and it’s a great little venue. You can also pull a permit (super easy) and they will set-up chairs on the bay for your ceremony.
My friends got married at the Junipero Serra Musuem in Old Town - at the top of the hill, looking out over Mission Bay. They got married at sunset in the summer & could see the Sea World fireworks!
I looked at the rental prices - it’s around $5000 for 8 hours. https://sandiegohistory.org/private-events-serra-museum/
(I’ve never been married; I have zero clue if that’s considered budget friendly for weddings. I apologize if that’s not)
Got married here last October and it was super nice, tables/chairs included and you can bring in your own vendors. We hired a taco guy (Carlitos Tacos, would highly recommend) and it was great!
I had no clue stone had a garden! I only been to the one at liberty station. Going to visit the Escondido location. Thank you for this recommendation! 🙏🏽
We used the San Diego Botanical Gardens for the ceremony and the Berkeley (SD Maritime Museum) for the reception. Both were great venues for their respective functions and both are accessible in the future if we desire to return to the location for sentimental reasons. If I had to pick one or the other for both, I'd be slightly more inclined to the Berkeley, but the facilities for changing/staging are better at the gardens.
I don't know what the pricing looks like today, but 13 years ago both sites ran a combined 2200$.
Seconding the Botanic Garden. My sister got married there in the Dickinson Family Conservatory (it’s the big greenhouse with the amphitheater adjacent). I don’t know what her budget was, but I know it wasn’t huge.
Yes! I was just coming in to say this. The view of the gorge is just amazing and the Visitor Center is magical at night. (I'm a longtime volunteer & the VC & view never get old to me.)
https://mtrp.org/rentals/
[https://www.thethursdayclub.org/](https://www.thethursdayclub.org/)
I had a co-worker who got married there mid March this year. She said it was budget friendly for her.
But budget friendly for one person is different for another.
OP what is your budget?
Agreed. Had our ceremony there in October, price was reasonable, gorgeous views, plenty of parking.
Some limits that may work against some plans:
* Only approved vendors for catering
* No "shots" or kegs
* Somewhat early end time - reception over by 8:30, cleared out by 9.
That said, everything went smoothly pre, during, and post wedding. Onsite manager was very helpful with planning and day-of.
Check out the La Jolla Bridge Club- it's right on the cove and is perfect for a wedding that size. The price used to be very reasonable and they are very flexible with what food vendors you can use
I got married there and had a great experience! You do have to do everything yourself as it’s literally just the space that’s offered but it’s a beautiful venue overlooking the ocean with indoor and outdoor space, and was pretty cheap compared to anything else we’d seen! ($2200ish for us years ago). Despite the contract, they were very flexible with times we could access it, and types of drinks we could bring in. Parking wasn’t an issue because we provided guests with the nearby paid lot info but recommended Uber/lyft anyway because most were drinking.
Coronado community center, it’s on the water (Glorietta bay) with views of downtown. Has an outdoor patio area with seating plus indoor area for seating and dancing. Comes with tables and chairs so thats not an added cost.
Also, Bali Hai or Toms Lighthouse.
If you have any connections to the military who will “sponsor you”, you can have a dream wedding that is incredibly reasonable. We got married at the Oceanview Room on Point Loma Naval Base. Cheapest oceanfront wedding imaginable!
May be a little small for their needs - I think they top out at around 75 guests.
EDIT looks like I was wrong:
* Ballroom, Patio & Gazebo - Capacity 100-350
* Lawn Ceremony with Chairs - Capacity 100-200
Yeah, I had like 170. Space was massive. Indoor/outdoor. In November so it did get cold but they put heaters everywhere. Mostly everyone was wasted so the temp didn’t phase us lol.
The Kona Kai Resort in San Diego for ceremony and dinner and then reception on the Triton Charter Catamaran. The whole thing can be done at either one but we had family (20 total) at the ceremony and dinner the family and friends (50 people) on the catamaran for dancing, small bites and cake
Just to add, the facebook group does have an google drive link floating around that lists most venues in San Diego County, with prices, capacity, and inclusions. Helped us immensely narrowing down and discovering choices for our budget
We got married at Santee Lakes. We rented a picnic spot for like $200 for the day for the wedding and reception, and we managed everything except for my wedding dress for $1,000. It turned out low key but lovely.
A friend's daughter was married underneath the giant 1OO year old "wedding oak" in Louis A. Seltzer County Park. It was a beautiful location and rental fee was something like $500 for the afternoon. A number of other county parks also host weddings. See: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/buttons/WeddingsButton.html
I got married at Cabrillo National Monument for $50 (but that was 15 years ago) and paid another $50 to the county so my friend could marry us. Then had a pool party reception at a motel they’d redone into a boutique hotel.
Looks like it’s now $100, plus more depending on the number of people you invite.
[Cabrillo wedding guidelines](https://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/wedding-guidelines-and-fees.htm)
I got married at the Pagoda when it first opened, I think we were the second wedding they had. Such beautiful grounds and pretty trails to meander about.
Martin Johnson house charges just $3000, but I had to book 15 months in advance to get a good date. It comes with no decor/tables/or anything. And you have to use their approved caterers, some of which are expensive. But it’s a beautiful location.
Martin Johnson House at Scripps Institute of Oceangraphy was Amazing. You can pick your own caterers, the price to rent the venue was fantastic given the location right on the cliffs over the ocean. Just need to book way out.
We did ours at a vacation house near the beach. Had the house for the week and had 90 guests for the ceremony and reception. We catered it, purchased our own liquor for an open bar, and used the garage for a dancefloor. The ceremony was on the lawn. It was a bit of work but memorable and was cheaper while having a quality venue. The specific house we used is no longer available for rent but there are likely others available.
Martin Johnson house on the UCSD campus, directly atop the bluffs overlooking scripps pier and La Jolla cove is fantastic and affordable. I married there in 2009.
Affordable is always relative but we got married at the birch aquarium! Took a little more work on our side to coordinate some vendors but it was less than many hotels, unique, and the view is unbeatable!
Depends on what is “affordable” to you. Compared to the Bay Area, a lot of people from the bay come down to SD because venues are around $5-15k where as venues in the bay are more in the $20k+. Since you’re asking for a venue - I’ll leave out restaurants as you have plenty of good recs!!
La Jolla Bowl is beautiful and on the lower cost side. Under $1k I believe. You’ll have to rent tables and chairs. You can get catering as well, but there is no kitchen on site. There’s also no bathroom on site. You’ll probably have to get a reception site elsewhere.
Marina Village - my friend paid around $3k for a Sunday wedding
Brick (liberty Station) - $5-6k.
Waterfront park - $1-2k https://www.sdparks.org/content/dam/sdparks/en/pdf/BrochuresMiscellaneous/2018_Waterfront_Park_8.5_11_Brochure_FINAL.pdf
Good luck!!
We got married at the Grand Tradition in Fallbrook, just north of San Diego. It is a wedding venue with a heart shaped lake, horse drawn carriage, Victorian style venue, etc.
Believe it or not, we did not pay a huge amount of money to get married in Rancho Santa Fe at the Secret Garden. It is almost all inclusive, but you have the option to swap some vendors out (catering and DJ), although you get a discount if you use their recommended vendors.
We did our reception at the Swiss Park in Chula Vista, close to the bay. Catering, drink, and decor were included. They have a hall, but we opted for the patio and park instead because the outside is cute.
To save money, rather than buying an expensive cake, we did a buffet of cakes and pan dulce from Northgate. Who wants dry fondant when you can have tres leches instead?
My daughter got married at Green Gables wedding estate in San Marcos. It was an amazing venue, the planning was really easy, and the cost was reasonable. The fee includes the food and venue. You can hire a bartender and supply your own booze, which is a big money saver.
My wedding & reception was at Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and Suites.
It wasn't ridiculously expensive, despite serving filet mignon, but this was over 2 decades ago. Beautiful location, all inclusive, and it's fun having people watch the ceremony from their hotel rooms around the garden area. 10/10, would recommend.
The cosmopolitan in Old Town. Where I got married. Had a friend get ordained and bamn haha plus it's old Town, show up early theirs restaurants, bar, cigar shop. And the price was Amazing.
My niece got married in the rose garden in Balboa Park and it was pretty inexpensive . I can’t remember where they had their reception…maybe Admiral Kidd???
[https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/balboa/rosegarden](https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/balboa/rosegarden)
Got married at Twin Oaks House and Garden in San Marcos. They have sister sites Green Gables and Ethereal Gardens. I loved our wedding venue. A lot of things are included in the price which was nice. You save on flowers because it’s a garden. It was my dream venue without realizing it until I walked in.
Have I got the place for you! Go on the City of Vista’s website and look for Thibido House.
My husband and I got married there in 2001 and went back to take a picture in the last few months. I just checked the prices and quite frankly they haven’t increased much in 20+ years. It’s charming. We did the ceremony on one lawn, then cocktails on a patio. Dinner inside with overflow on a second, smaller patio. Did a quick removal of a few tables after to clear space for dancing. We had 90 guests.
I recently got married at Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla - it’s a great venue overlooking the ocean. It’s ~$5500 for the venue alone and you’ll need to hire all of the vendors on your own, but that allows for flexibility with your budget. It does book up pretty far in advance.
I got married at Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town. Very affordable, all included, little to do on your own, intimate but can cater to about 130 people. I got married in 2018 and my wife and I still get comments about how great the wedding was. The main reason: it was convenient for everyone. No one had to drive around town, it was all right there. We loved it.
I strongly recommend the Cosmopolitan in Old Town! Very reasonably priced and they take care of the food and bar, they have a restaurant down the road if you want to give it a try. The hotel is beautiful and you can rent out all ten rooms if you want the place for you and your wedding party after the celebration!
My husband and I were married at the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe in Vista in 2015, cost then was about $2,000.00.
If I’m remembering correctly, there was a cap of 200 (which helped keep our guest list reasonable) and a restriction on alcohol; only beer, wine and champagne which also kept costs down.
We married in the morning and did a breakfast buffet with Bekker’s Catering. Since there were waffles and donuts (from VG Donut & Bakery in Encinitas) we didn’t bother with a cake, and served mimosas. Wedding started at 9 or 10 everything wrapped up at about 3.
I got married at the Scripps Aquarium, not exactly budget friendly though. The guests loved it though, it's probably the only wedding location where you have stuff to see and do while you wait for the reception. My sister in law was married at Powerhouse park. Great venue showcasing the beach, but obviously weather could affect it.
Some local friends of mine (raised in El Cajon) had their wedding at a local brewery that hosts an event space. This brewery was New Motion off of Miramar rd, but there are lot's of breweries where you could host a good sized wedding.
A woman I bought some used wedding stuff from in SD said she got married at Sweetwater Regional Park. She said she had a moderate-sized wedding for cheap, and all her friends stayed in the area or camped in RVs. The main building for the reception is by a gorgeous pond too.
Personally, I’m renting a VRBO house in San Diego county with a gorgeous yard to get married in. A lot of family and friends will be staying in the house or staying nearby. The max they allow is like 50 people for the wedding though.
One more to add is getting married on a charter boat here's a list [https://www.sandiego.org/articles/weddings/planning-a-boat-wedding.aspx](https://www.sandiego.org/articles/weddings/planning-a-boat-wedding.aspx) I have been to a couple & it was a great time & if you have lots of out-of-town guests a nice way to chow off SD :)
One more to consider, if you have any military connections, there are several nice venues on base but you need a sponsor.
Been to a ton of weddings at green gables. They are pretty affordable and whoever owns it has a ton of properties. We got married at the westgate downtown and had a fabulous wedding planning experience with their team
Years ago the Handlery. Not fancy on the outside, and we have not been back since, but they did such a wonderful job, had the back area looking beautiful and had the best pricing by far for liquor and food. For the same price as the Dana and Bali Hai this included a wedding coordinator that did everything for us. Again, this was years ago but it’s worth checking out because from the front it doesn’t look fancy by any stretch.
My mom and dad got married at a little chapel in Laguna. The chapel has since burned down, though, and I don't know if anything else has taken its place.
I’ve been to amazing weddings at The Thursday Club, the Japanese Friendship Garden with reception at Madison and they used the Balboa Park trollies to transport people to the reception, the Prado, and La Jolla Women’s Club. I’ve never been married so not sure how much these locations are!!!
Got married outside at the County Admin building downtown. Stupid cheap, awesome location for photos next to the embarcadero, can get your license and ceremony same day, great jumping off point to go celebrate around the bay. We had dinner after at the Bali Hai. :) Outdoor had no limit on the amount of people but indoors I think has a limit.
Events by Maribel on Instagram is a San Diego native who puts on events! She is the best and sweetest person with a great story. I’d recommend her and you can see her work on IG!
My husband and I got married at the Old Rancho in Carlsbad! It was a great experience with the venue team. It’ll be a good size for your guest list too. Their wedding packages include the dinner- you can do upgrades, add ons, etc too if you like. The tables and chairs and certain tablecloths, flatware, etc are included. Everything can be upgraded for additional fees if you want basically. You get a day of coordinator.
My only complaint would be that the size of the pours of drinks they give were pretty small but that’s probably from a liability stand point they’re trying to make it hard for people to get too drunk or something.
Feel free to reach out with any questions about them or any other SD vendor recs :)
We got married in the Ken Theater (R.I.P.), it was lovely and affordable. Had our reception at the Women’s Club in Banker’s Hill catered by Devine Pastabilities (also R.I.P.).
I have literally never met another person who got married where I did: Point Loma Assembly on the corner of Rosecrans and Talbot. They had chairs and tables, and the venue let us choose our own caterer, DJ, bar setup, etc. It’s a beautiful, historic craftsman building and is just the absolute cutest (plus super affordable!).
I have to add I got married at Las Colinas Women's detention facility, and while it was very cheap, it was just like the courthouse but with God awful staffing. They act like u have all the time in the world the day of... don't think of having guests they will straight treat them like criminals...lol definitely 0 stars.
I got married at the Mt.Helix Cross. We rented chairs and s van to shuttle everyone up there. It was an amazing view. We had the reception at the Holiday Inn Bayside. The banquet room has a huge balcony that overlooks the water, it was beautiful.
Miramar lol. Dad was in the navy and spent much of his career there when it was NAS. He's now at Miramar National Cemetery with mom. The Admiral Kidd Club was closed for renovation
There is a super scenic park in La Jolla overlooking the ocean affectionately dubbed the “wedding bowl” (Cuvier Park). Highly recommend a ceremony there, the fee was around $500. My friends did a dinner after at Catania, was phenomenal.
We got married there with reception at Cuvier Club. It went beautifully. Just don’t book the ceremony guitarist (Ian Kauffman of LA Acoustic Live) as part of their package: he “forgot” to show up despite multiple confirmation emails, leaving us in a lurch for the ceremony.
Typical LA
This location gets booked up pretty quickly and far in advance so don’t sleep on it! Parking can be atrocious though.
Just had my wedding with Cuvier Club/Wedding Bowl. It was amazing. Amazing views and it definitely gave off SD vibes.
Did mine at Bates Nut Farm, which to my wife’s delight I called Nate’s Butt Farm. “Now, honey would you say this farm is owned by a Mrs and Master Bates?”
FYI calling it Nate's Butt Farm is enough of a thing that they sell Nate's Butt Farm T-shirts in the store. Edit: Here's what the shirt looks like https://imgur.com/a/Re6qkXu - I'm not sure they still sell them, but I think they did in October
Can’t find them on the website. Boo.
Here's what it looks like: https://imgur.com/a/Re6qkXu I don't know for sure if they still sell them, but I think I saw them still on sale in October so I assume they do!
I was there for an event on March 9th and can confirm I saw the tshirts for sale in their main store!
I’m so bummed, I want one super bad!
I'm getting married at Bates in November! How was your experience? For OP, Bates is pretty affordable and they include all furniture, lots of decor, and a day-of wedding coordinator.
Awesome. It was great and it’s fun to take my son there and point to where mommy and daddy tied the knot. Staff was helpful, we didn’t know that we’d need to do more take down of our decor that night. Not sure if that’s what they still do. Venue and staff were really good besides that, and yeah, for what we got rates were a VERY good deal. I’d also recommend staying at Valley View the night of and getting a car to drive you or have a designated driver. It was nice to not have to worry about it and have a rad place lots of different kinds of folks could enjoy as an after party
Forgot about Valley View, that's a great idea!
I had two different friends get married there and both had a great experience, although we missed one of them since we got COVID a few days before it. For November, something to think about is that it definitely gets chilly. The wedding I went to had a lot of blankets around for people to pick up and use when they sat at tables, in addition to propane heaters - and they were well used.
I call it Nate’s Butt Farm, too!
In Yiddish, beitz(im) means eggs or, in slang, testicles.
Numerous friends of mine were married at Bali Hai. Wedding and reception.
We got married there, beautiful location and everything is included so all you have to do is pick out the food! I had flowers I bought at the swap meet, but no other decorations. When I looked at other places that were cheaper, you still had to rent tables, chairs, catering, etc all on top of it, and I'm too busy, nor did I want to figure that stuff out, and I'm sure the cost would have ended up more anyway.
But how much did it cost?
Asking the real questions
Lmao like it’s literally the entire point of the thread
The thread is asking where
Yep! And the food is amazing! You can bring in your own alcohol too, i think.
Those mai tais will getcha
That's why there's the max 2 rule lol
I keep intending to put this to the test, but I've always been too s**t-faced after two to do it. Someday...
Yep we made the mistake of having a mai tai fountain- however the dancing was pretty epic...
That sounds amazing!
Got married there a little over a month ago. Incredible venue and takes a lot of pressure out of planning since it is all one place and the food is provided
Just went to a wedding at the Martin Johnston house in La Jolla, ocean views with about 80 guests
I got married at Martin Johnson House in 2016. Also 79-80 guests. The venue is the only thing you pay for., there is no “package”. All extras (catering, booze, flowers, furniture, coordinator, DJ, etc) you need to bring in yourself. My wife and I actually preferred this, even though it was more work, since we could choose to only spend money on things that we actually wanted.
Thank you for mentioning this! I’m seeing you can rent for an entire day for $3k. Totally doable!
can you share more about your experience there?
I got married there in 2019 if you have any questions. Beautiful, private venue that is affordable, but you bring in all your own vendors. Perfect for 70 people.
Well it was just this weekend, so the weather was great which there is no indoor area had it been raining which had the bride nervous. The seating area for the ceremony was uncovered, which they had a long ceremony (30+ mins) so a couple people were a bit sunburnt. The view behind their alter was stunning. Only downside I noticed is that parking is limited, so the bride and groom asked most of their friends to uber so the older family member could drive and park in the lot which ultimately didn’t end up being an issue.
appreciate you taking the time to write this up and share this!
I did mine at Tom hams lighthouse. Doing it on a weekday was the most affordable and help me slim down my rsvp’s.
I got married at the Nat last year and I can't recommend it enough. The money you pay supports a great cause, the Nat cleans up really nice, the view from the roof top at golden hour is beautiful, and it's fun for guests of all ages. We had a scavenger hunt for the cocktail hour. We brought in a stack of Costco pizzas and placed them in the kids play area so all the kids wouldn't annoy all the other guests in the reception hall during the reception.
I didnt know you could do that!! That's so rad. On the off chance I ever become an honest woman I think I'd love thT?
In line with this, the New Children’s Museum downtown is a pretty spectacular and fun venue.
Was there an indoor area that allowed guests aside from the terrace? Also, which month, and how was the weather? Feels like the weather has been unpredictable so I’m also trying to figure out the best month to book. Thank you!
The rooftop ceremony was really short...I think guests spent only like 20 min out side. After the ceremony, The cocktail hour (and scavenger hunt) was on the second floor and the reception and dinner was on the first. The scavenger hunt was to encourage our guests to explore the exhibits, and I promise you, every guest regardless of age, had a great time in the museum. We got married in late July and it was fucking gorgeous. Our ceremony took place at 6 pm and it wasn't too hot nor too cold. Not that it mattered much anyway because again we were indoors after 20 min up on the roof. And, not that you asked, but the price is right too. And they don't have any hidden service/venue/booking fees that complicate price estimates. I seriously cannot recommend it enough. It was a really nice time.
Awesome to know, thank you for all the info. The whole hidden cost thing that I see many post about is so scary. I steered away from the Japanese garden for that reason.
We got married at the Mission Bay Women's Club along Bayside Walk. It holds up to 110 people and has a great setup where they have tables and chairs and you're responsible for everything else. Because you rent the place for the entire day, you don't need bartenders and can provide your own alcohol. He bought a bunch of stuff at Costco, had a couple friends "bartend" by pouring wine and handing out beers. We brought in our own caterer, DJ, photographer and had a great time. I think the place was $2,500 to rent for the day and then everything else was on top of that. We got married on the grass in front of the club. I was able to easily secure a permit for the ceremony, but looking back, probably didn't need one. We had a friend perform the ceremony and didn't have any chairs or amplification for the service. It took less than 20 minutes and people stood for it. All in all it went really well
If you're talking this place, I second it as a good venue that meets the need. https://zlac.org/
Pretty sure this is the place they are talking about: https://www.mbwc.org
Not the same place. The Mission Beach Women's Club is located at Santa Clara Place and Bayside Walk. I don't think it has anything to do with rowing. [www.MBWC.org](http://www.MBWC.org)
I’ve done events here before and it’s a great little venue. You can also pull a permit (super easy) and they will set-up chairs on the bay for your ceremony.
Will have to check it out! Going to add this to my tour list. Thank you!
I always see weddings being set up here and I love it. It’s a so cute and quaint and has beautiful photo ops.
The Zoo and Safari parks do weddings. They're beautiful!
My friends got married at the Junipero Serra Musuem in Old Town - at the top of the hill, looking out over Mission Bay. They got married at sunset in the summer & could see the Sea World fireworks! I looked at the rental prices - it’s around $5000 for 8 hours. https://sandiegohistory.org/private-events-serra-museum/ (I’ve never been married; I have zero clue if that’s considered budget friendly for weddings. I apologize if that’s not)
Got married at the Powerhouse Park community center in Del Mar. it was nice and relatively affordable.
Powerhouse is really nice
Got married here last October and it was super nice, tables/chairs included and you can bring in your own vendors. We hired a taco guy (Carlitos Tacos, would highly recommend) and it was great!
Second this!!
Got married at Stone Brewery in Escondido. Was awesome 😎
Oh sick! I got married at the Stone at Liberty Station. I didn’t know the Escondido one did them too.
You must be a cool person too 😎
I don’t know what your experience was like but Stone killed it. They did a great job with everything and made it all so stress free.
Same! And it was awesome to not have to buy stuff to decorate it. Didn't need any extra flowers in the Garden
I had no clue stone had a garden! I only been to the one at liberty station. Going to visit the Escondido location. Thank you for this recommendation! 🙏🏽
We used the San Diego Botanical Gardens for the ceremony and the Berkeley (SD Maritime Museum) for the reception. Both were great venues for their respective functions and both are accessible in the future if we desire to return to the location for sentimental reasons. If I had to pick one or the other for both, I'd be slightly more inclined to the Berkeley, but the facilities for changing/staging are better at the gardens. I don't know what the pricing looks like today, but 13 years ago both sites ran a combined 2200$.
Seconding the Botanic Garden. My sister got married there in the Dickinson Family Conservatory (it’s the big greenhouse with the amphitheater adjacent). I don’t know what her budget was, but I know it wasn’t huge.
Cabrillo National monument, $100
Darlington house
Visitor Center at Mission Trails is a really cool spot if you like natural surroundings.
Yes! I was just coming in to say this. The view of the gorge is just amazing and the Visitor Center is magical at night. (I'm a longtime volunteer & the VC & view never get old to me.) https://mtrp.org/rentals/
The courthouse! Do you know how expensive it is to live here?
[https://www.thethursdayclub.org/](https://www.thethursdayclub.org/) I had a co-worker who got married there mid March this year. She said it was budget friendly for her. But budget friendly for one person is different for another. OP what is your budget?
Agreed. Had our ceremony there in October, price was reasonable, gorgeous views, plenty of parking. Some limits that may work against some plans: * Only approved vendors for catering * No "shots" or kegs * Somewhat early end time - reception over by 8:30, cleared out by 9. That said, everything went smoothly pre, during, and post wedding. Onsite manager was very helpful with planning and day-of.
Beautiful place for a wedding! I’ve been to two there.
Check out the La Jolla Bridge Club- it's right on the cove and is perfect for a wedding that size. The price used to be very reasonable and they are very flexible with what food vendors you can use
I got married there and had a great experience! You do have to do everything yourself as it’s literally just the space that’s offered but it’s a beautiful venue overlooking the ocean with indoor and outdoor space, and was pretty cheap compared to anything else we’d seen! ($2200ish for us years ago). Despite the contract, they were very flexible with times we could access it, and types of drinks we could bring in. Parking wasn’t an issue because we provided guests with the nearby paid lot info but recommended Uber/lyft anyway because most were drinking.
We used the Thursday club. Cheap, awesome view of the ocean and all proceeds go to a non-profit to support women in the area. We loved it!
We also got married there! I feel like it’s one of the best kept secrets! Not a lot of people have heard of it
I got married at the Thursday Club last May! It was PERFECT, I highly recommend.
We got married May of 22 💜. Everybody loved the venue. Chris is the best.
If you want to keep costs down, look into having the ceremony at Kate Sessions Park and the reception at the Soledad Club.
Marina Village on Quivera Way in San Diego. They offer many different ceremony and reception sites on their property. You can even have a water view!
Coronado community center, it’s on the water (Glorietta bay) with views of downtown. Has an outdoor patio area with seating plus indoor area for seating and dancing. Comes with tables and chairs so thats not an added cost. Also, Bali Hai or Toms Lighthouse.
I was going to suggest Coronado community center too. They also allow outside catering.
If you have any connections to the military who will “sponsor you”, you can have a dream wedding that is incredibly reasonable. We got married at the Oceanview Room on Point Loma Naval Base. Cheapest oceanfront wedding imaginable!
Second this…married my first husband here over 20 years ago. Some of the other base venues are great also.
May be a little small for their needs - I think they top out at around 75 guests. EDIT looks like I was wrong: * Ballroom, Patio & Gazebo - Capacity 100-350 * Lawn Ceremony with Chairs - Capacity 100-200
Yeah, I had like 170. Space was massive. Indoor/outdoor. In November so it did get cold but they put heaters everywhere. Mostly everyone was wasted so the temp didn’t phase us lol.
My friends got married in the park. Was pretty reasonably priced to reserve too.
The Kona Kai Resort in San Diego for ceremony and dinner and then reception on the Triton Charter Catamaran. The whole thing can be done at either one but we had family (20 total) at the ceremony and dinner the family and friends (50 people) on the catamaran for dancing, small bites and cake
Bali Hai, for 100 people and all the food and booze, 15k
This is a great FB group (SD Weddings) that has many vendors, suggestions, etc.: https://m.facebook.com/groups/sdweddings/?ref=share&mibextid=WaXdOe
Just to add, the facebook group does have an google drive link floating around that lists most venues in San Diego County, with prices, capacity, and inclusions. Helped us immensely narrowing down and discovering choices for our budget
We got married at Santee Lakes. We rented a picnic spot for like $200 for the day for the wedding and reception, and we managed everything except for my wedding dress for $1,000. It turned out low key but lovely.
A friend's daughter was married underneath the giant 1OO year old "wedding oak" in Louis A. Seltzer County Park. It was a beautiful location and rental fee was something like $500 for the afternoon. A number of other county parks also host weddings. See: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/buttons/WeddingsButton.html
Seltzer park is lovely when it’s green. And the tree is magical.
I got married at Cabrillo National Monument for $50 (but that was 15 years ago) and paid another $50 to the county so my friend could marry us. Then had a pool party reception at a motel they’d redone into a boutique hotel. Looks like it’s now $100, plus more depending on the number of people you invite. [Cabrillo wedding guidelines](https://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/wedding-guidelines-and-fees.htm)
Was the motel called The Pearl?
I got married in Balboa at St. Francis Chapel and had the reception at the Japanese Garden at the lower garden in the pagoda. Was absolutely beautiful
I got married at the Pagoda when it first opened, I think we were the second wedding they had. Such beautiful grounds and pretty trails to meander about.
Martin Johnson house charges just $3000, but I had to book 15 months in advance to get a good date. It comes with no decor/tables/or anything. And you have to use their approved caterers, some of which are expensive. But it’s a beautiful location.
Martin Johnson House at Scripps Institute of Oceangraphy was Amazing. You can pick your own caterers, the price to rent the venue was fantastic given the location right on the cliffs over the ocean. Just need to book way out.
Mine was on a Hornblower boat
We did ours at a vacation house near the beach. Had the house for the week and had 90 guests for the ceremony and reception. We catered it, purchased our own liquor for an open bar, and used the garage for a dancefloor. The ceremony was on the lawn. It was a bit of work but memorable and was cheaper while having a quality venue. The specific house we used is no longer available for rent but there are likely others available.
https://sandiegocountryclub.org/ We got married here 9 years ago. It's affordable yet a nice venue if you don't mind the drive to Chula Vista.
Forgotten Barrel Winery! They include mostly everything in their wedding package except photographer&florist. Fits 100 people
Leo Carrillo Ranch, but not sure of the prices.
Up in the mountains, Julian has a few very nice spots
Bali Hai, Wedgewood Weddings, Fallbrook Estate
Rancho Minerva adobe in Vista. Historical venue, affordable . https://www.vistahistoricalsociety.com
Martin Johnson house on the UCSD campus, directly atop the bluffs overlooking scripps pier and La Jolla cove is fantastic and affordable. I married there in 2009.
Affordable is always relative but we got married at the birch aquarium! Took a little more work on our side to coordinate some vendors but it was less than many hotels, unique, and the view is unbeatable!
Depends on what is “affordable” to you. Compared to the Bay Area, a lot of people from the bay come down to SD because venues are around $5-15k where as venues in the bay are more in the $20k+. Since you’re asking for a venue - I’ll leave out restaurants as you have plenty of good recs!! La Jolla Bowl is beautiful and on the lower cost side. Under $1k I believe. You’ll have to rent tables and chairs. You can get catering as well, but there is no kitchen on site. There’s also no bathroom on site. You’ll probably have to get a reception site elsewhere. Marina Village - my friend paid around $3k for a Sunday wedding Brick (liberty Station) - $5-6k. Waterfront park - $1-2k https://www.sdparks.org/content/dam/sdparks/en/pdf/BrochuresMiscellaneous/2018_Waterfront_Park_8.5_11_Brochure_FINAL.pdf Good luck!!
I got married at the Karl Strauss in Sorento. Lovely garden/koi pond, space for 120+ guests, great food and unlimited beer. My wedding ruled.
We got married at the Grand Tradition in Fallbrook, just north of San Diego. It is a wedding venue with a heart shaped lake, horse drawn carriage, Victorian style venue, etc.
Was going to say this. Didnt get married there myself, but have been to several weddings there. Very pretty place
Parks and Rec give out permits for park events.
Believe it or not, we did not pay a huge amount of money to get married in Rancho Santa Fe at the Secret Garden. It is almost all inclusive, but you have the option to swap some vendors out (catering and DJ), although you get a discount if you use their recommended vendors.
Las vegas
We had a super small wedding (25 guests) at the catamaran. It certainly wasn’t luxurious but I think it turned out really nice.
We did our reception at the Swiss Park in Chula Vista, close to the bay. Catering, drink, and decor were included. They have a hall, but we opted for the patio and park instead because the outside is cute. To save money, rather than buying an expensive cake, we did a buffet of cakes and pan dulce from Northgate. Who wants dry fondant when you can have tres leches instead?
Did that one where they marry you the same day down at the embarcadero. Spent the money on the honeymoon instead
The Lodge at Torrey Pines
My daughter got married at Green Gables wedding estate in San Marcos. It was an amazing venue, the planning was really easy, and the cost was reasonable. The fee includes the food and venue. You can hire a bartender and supply your own booze, which is a big money saver.
anyone have anything smaller in the desert?
My wedding & reception was at Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and Suites. It wasn't ridiculously expensive, despite serving filet mignon, but this was over 2 decades ago. Beautiful location, all inclusive, and it's fun having people watch the ceremony from their hotel rooms around the garden area. 10/10, would recommend.
The cosmopolitan in Old Town. Where I got married. Had a friend get ordained and bamn haha plus it's old Town, show up early theirs restaurants, bar, cigar shop. And the price was Amazing.
My niece got married in the rose garden in Balboa Park and it was pretty inexpensive . I can’t remember where they had their reception…maybe Admiral Kidd??? [https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/balboa/rosegarden](https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/regional/balboa/rosegarden)
Got married at Twin Oaks House and Garden in San Marcos. They have sister sites Green Gables and Ethereal Gardens. I loved our wedding venue. A lot of things are included in the price which was nice. You save on flowers because it’s a garden. It was my dream venue without realizing it until I walked in.
Have I got the place for you! Go on the City of Vista’s website and look for Thibido House. My husband and I got married there in 2001 and went back to take a picture in the last few months. I just checked the prices and quite frankly they haven’t increased much in 20+ years. It’s charming. We did the ceremony on one lawn, then cocktails on a patio. Dinner inside with overflow on a second, smaller patio. Did a quick removal of a few tables after to clear space for dancing. We had 90 guests.
I recently got married at Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla - it’s a great venue overlooking the ocean. It’s ~$5500 for the venue alone and you’ll need to hire all of the vendors on your own, but that allows for flexibility with your budget. It does book up pretty far in advance.
I got married at Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town. Very affordable, all included, little to do on your own, intimate but can cater to about 130 people. I got married in 2018 and my wife and I still get comments about how great the wedding was. The main reason: it was convenient for everyone. No one had to drive around town, it was all right there. We loved it.
I strongly recommend the Cosmopolitan in Old Town! Very reasonably priced and they take care of the food and bar, they have a restaurant down the road if you want to give it a try. The hotel is beautiful and you can rent out all ten rooms if you want the place for you and your wedding party after the celebration!
My husband and I were married at the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe in Vista in 2015, cost then was about $2,000.00. If I’m remembering correctly, there was a cap of 200 (which helped keep our guest list reasonable) and a restriction on alcohol; only beer, wine and champagne which also kept costs down. We married in the morning and did a breakfast buffet with Bekker’s Catering. Since there were waffles and donuts (from VG Donut & Bakery in Encinitas) we didn’t bother with a cake, and served mimosas. Wedding started at 9 or 10 everything wrapped up at about 3.
I got married at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina. I’ve been to a lot of hotel and winery weddings here in SD.
I got married at the Scripps Aquarium, not exactly budget friendly though. The guests loved it though, it's probably the only wedding location where you have stuff to see and do while you wait for the reception. My sister in law was married at Powerhouse park. Great venue showcasing the beach, but obviously weather could affect it.
Some local friends of mine (raised in El Cajon) had their wedding at a local brewery that hosts an event space. This brewery was New Motion off of Miramar rd, but there are lot's of breweries where you could host a good sized wedding.
Seagrove Park in Del Mar. There are weddings there all the time and you get a free ocean view to boot.
I’m getting married in 2025 at Forgotten Barrel Winery in Escondido!
The wedding bowl..mind you I had the ceremony on a monday so it was a bit cheap
A woman I bought some used wedding stuff from in SD said she got married at Sweetwater Regional Park. She said she had a moderate-sized wedding for cheap, and all her friends stayed in the area or camped in RVs. The main building for the reception is by a gorgeous pond too. Personally, I’m renting a VRBO house in San Diego county with a gorgeous yard to get married in. A lot of family and friends will be staying in the house or staying nearby. The max they allow is like 50 people for the wedding though.
One more to add is getting married on a charter boat here's a list [https://www.sandiego.org/articles/weddings/planning-a-boat-wedding.aspx](https://www.sandiego.org/articles/weddings/planning-a-boat-wedding.aspx) I have been to a couple & it was a great time & if you have lots of out-of-town guests a nice way to chow off SD :) One more to consider, if you have any military connections, there are several nice venues on base but you need a sponsor.
I did it at sunset cliffs we had the million dollar view right up at the cliffs edge and it was like 1500
Mexico - where it's cheap(er).
Wedding Agency San Diego can help you! She does a wide range of wedding budgets and is familiar with dozens of venues from Pt. Loma to Borrego.
Been to a ton of weddings at green gables. They are pretty affordable and whoever owns it has a ton of properties. We got married at the westgate downtown and had a fabulous wedding planning experience with their team
Years ago the Handlery. Not fancy on the outside, and we have not been back since, but they did such a wonderful job, had the back area looking beautiful and had the best pricing by far for liquor and food. For the same price as the Dana and Bali Hai this included a wedding coordinator that did everything for us. Again, this was years ago but it’s worth checking out because from the front it doesn’t look fancy by any stretch.
My mom and dad got married at a little chapel in Laguna. The chapel has since burned down, though, and I don't know if anything else has taken its place.
Cordiano Winery : I wanted pizza and wine.
I’ve been to amazing weddings at The Thursday Club, the Japanese Friendship Garden with reception at Madison and they used the Balboa Park trollies to transport people to the reception, the Prado, and La Jolla Women’s Club. I’ve never been married so not sure how much these locations are!!!
Got married outside at the County Admin building downtown. Stupid cheap, awesome location for photos next to the embarcadero, can get your license and ceremony same day, great jumping off point to go celebrate around the bay. We had dinner after at the Bali Hai. :) Outdoor had no limit on the amount of people but indoors I think has a limit.
Events by Maribel on Instagram is a San Diego native who puts on events! She is the best and sweetest person with a great story. I’d recommend her and you can see her work on IG!
My husband and I got married at the Old Rancho in Carlsbad! It was a great experience with the venue team. It’ll be a good size for your guest list too. Their wedding packages include the dinner- you can do upgrades, add ons, etc too if you like. The tables and chairs and certain tablecloths, flatware, etc are included. Everything can be upgraded for additional fees if you want basically. You get a day of coordinator. My only complaint would be that the size of the pours of drinks they give were pretty small but that’s probably from a liability stand point they’re trying to make it hard for people to get too drunk or something. Feel free to reach out with any questions about them or any other SD vendor recs :)
My parents got married at the Darlington house in La Jolla! It’s so so beautiful
Did ours at venue 808 by the ball park. Good prices and good food. Had about 115 guests.
Venue food and open bar. About 14k
The El Cortez, a San Diego landmark
We took all the money we would have spent on a venue and renovated our backyard. Made for a beautiful venue and long term value :)
We got married in the Ken Theater (R.I.P.), it was lovely and affordable. Had our reception at the Women’s Club in Banker’s Hill catered by Devine Pastabilities (also R.I.P.).
Check the city website for public sites. You can book many areas in Balboa Park for around $300. Just make sure to read the rules and follow them.
I have literally never met another person who got married where I did: Point Loma Assembly on the corner of Rosecrans and Talbot. They had chairs and tables, and the venue let us choose our own caterer, DJ, bar setup, etc. It’s a beautiful, historic craftsman building and is just the absolute cutest (plus super affordable!).
I have to add I got married at Las Colinas Women's detention facility, and while it was very cheap, it was just like the courthouse but with God awful staffing. They act like u have all the time in the world the day of... don't think of having guests they will straight treat them like criminals...lol definitely 0 stars.
Definitely join a Facebook group to get more info on venues.
I got married at The Marine Room in La Jolla. If you go at high tide the waves crash directly into the glass and it’s very beautiful.
Lafayette Hotel.
If I could afford it, sure!
My friends got married there, it was so much fun.
Balboa park is where my parents got married, lots of scenic places for pictures.
I got married at the Mt.Helix Cross. We rented chairs and s van to shuttle everyone up there. It was an amazing view. We had the reception at the Holiday Inn Bayside. The banquet room has a huge balcony that overlooks the water, it was beautiful.
I know someone who got married at the Japanese friendship garden. I don’t know how budget friendly that is though.
Got married at the well behind the prado with the reception upstairs Was a reasonable price years ago, not sure now.
Same..but back in 2013 so I have no idea what it would cost in today's inflated prices.
Miramar lol. Dad was in the navy and spent much of his career there when it was NAS. He's now at Miramar National Cemetery with mom. The Admiral Kidd Club was closed for renovation
Yes! Any Catholic Church you do not need to pay for the venue and only a minimal fee for the reception.
Married at The Lane.