Welcome to I Do Venues—your insider’s view into San Francisco and California wedding ceremony and reception venues. The industry’s best wedding photographers provide daily design inspiration with professional photographs from of real weddings in the hottest Bay area venues. You can visualize the best themes, color palettes, and design concepts for your wedding venue.
Our practical information on each wedding venue is based on first-hand experience from industry professionals who have successfully executed real weddings at your selected wedding venue. Since choosing your wedding venue is the pivotal choice for designing your dream wedding, make the best decision with I Do Venues’ insight and insider knowledge and be inspired along the way.
Wedding Venue: Brazilian Room Catering and Facilities
Photography By: Andrew Weeks
Overview
Indulge in a fairytale forest setting amid the serenity of the native flora and dramatic views of Tilden Park. Hosting wedding celebrations since the 1940’s, the Brazilian Room in Berkeley is ideal for a wedding of 100 to 120 guests. It is a picture-perfect setting for the couple who is looking for a traditional outdoor ceremony followed by a grand reception in a classical, historic building. An expansive lawn and unique slate patio give you several options for a picturesque outdoor ceremony. Each setting offers a unique backdrop ranging from the lush Redwood forest to the historic building with its leaded glass windows and stone facade.
After you say I do, we suggest having guests adjourn to the charming patio or manicured lawn for a round of appetizers and champagne. The patio and lawn can easily accommodate a bar as well as cocktail tables, allowing your guests to enjoy the beautiful flowers and their sweet aromas floating in from the nearby botanical gardens. When it’s time for everyone to turn their attention inside, your guests are greeted by the warmth of a stone fireplace and a unique vaulted ceiling. To make good use of the space, create a mid-sized dance floor at the front of the room with 10 to 12 tables scattered about the room a little farther back.
Insider Notes
The Brazilian Room provides a long list of preferred catering companies encompassing various budgets and styles of cooking; however, the facility does not allow outside caterers. The on-site kitchen is well equipped and can handle a buffet or seated meal without difficulty. The venue has a restricted alcohol policy allowing only wine, beer, and champagne.
The venue will typically play host to two events in the same day, and the standard rental period is for seven hours. If you set aside time for set-up and break-down, your reception time will average four hours. This may make you feel rushed though, especially if you are hosting both your ceremony and reception at the venue. Elaborate design, lighting, floral, or food service may require additional time or labor to be properly facilitated – we recommend renting out the venue for the full day, thus allowing yourself the luxury of being a guest at your own party!
The Bottom Line
The cost of renting the Brazilian Room averages about $3,000 for a 7 hour rental period, and $4,800 for a 12 hour rental period.
Wedding Venue: Presidio Golden Gate Club Photography
Photography By: Andrew Weeks
What We Love About This Facility
When it comes to photography options, the Presidio Golden Gate Club is why people leave their hearts in San Francisco! The Spanish style building is a great backdrop for many inspired moments, and the close proximity to so many San Francisco landmarks can make for an incredible album. If you are okay with a not-so-traditional approach, spend some time with your photographer prior to the ceremony to get those incredible shots. Take a quick drive over to Baker Beach and Fort Point to get up close and personal with Golden Gate Bridge, and The Palace of Fine Arts is only a short five minute drive away. If you prefer to stay closer to your reception, you’ll find a multitude of vista points with amazing bay views bordered by cypress trees just a short walk away.
You will love your reception photography as the large glass wall in the Ventana Room overlooks the bay and creates just the right amount of light and inspiration. If the fog rolls in, no worries! That is true San Francisco style, after all! We also love the angles created in the building’s architecture: the Golden Gate Club has a number of lofts inside and verandas outside, allowing you to document your event from more than a standard singular dimension. The ability to work from so many angles makes things look larger than life, and an experienced photographer can take amazing down shots from the lofts above the dining and dancing area.
Wedding Venue: Dunsmuir Hellman Estate Catering and Faciliti ...
Photography by: Rosemarie Lion
Overview
The Dunsmuir Hellman Estate is by far one of our favorite locations for hosting a wedding. Located on over fifty acres of lush, green land in the beautiful Oakland hills, this remarkable mansion built in 1899 reminds us of Scarlett O’Hara’s beloved Tara. The ideal wedding at the Dunsmuir house will host between 180 and 225 guests. The facility has a modern pavilion that was built for the specific use of hosting events, yet it still possesses the same romance of the estate’s old-growth gardens and original structures.
Ceremony
Determining a site for your ceremony may be quite a difficult decision, since there are so many different outdoor locations to choose from and each has its own beauty and grace. The Pond can easily accommodate anywhere between 150 to 300 guests and features a gazebo, an abundance of water plants, and several ducks that add a bit of character. The Pond is the most commonly used ceremony location primarily because of its close proximity to the Pavilion, which is the favored location for indoor receptions. For a more unique setting, you may choose to have your ceremony on the great lawn with the majestic old mansion as your background. For smaller ceremonies, the lawn directly in front of the mansion is the perfect spot, or else you can position your exchange of vows to be accompanied by the quaint charm of the Carriage House.
Reception
Once you have officially tied the knot, your guests can adjourn to one of many lawn locations for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. If your crowd consists of less than 120 guests, host your cocktail hour on the terrace adjacent to the Pavilion. The Pavilion is a superb setting for receptions, as the room can effortlessly accommodate 180 to 225 people while still containing a dance floor, single bar location, and variety of other food or activity stations. The high beamed ceilings and cathedral windows give the space a wonderful warmth and glow with abundant natural light.
Insider Notes & The Bottom Line
The mansion itself is preserved as a historical museum of sorts, and as such is not intended to be a part of your party. Though it makes for an incredible backdrop for photography, scheduled tours are the only way you or your guests will be allowed inside, and there are absolutely no food or beverages allowed inside the mansion.
Dunsmuir has a strong list of preferred caterers who range in style, formality, and skill level. Make sure you choose a catering company that will provide you with the experience you’re looking for. Caterers not on the preferred list can be accommodated at an additional charge where circumstances mandate certain cooking for cultural or religious reasons. The kitchen at Dunsmuir has the space and equipment necessary to host most events, but elaborate service or menus may require the use of additional rented kitchen equipment. The Dunsmuir Hellman Estate does have a liberal alcohol policy and allows full bar service. They only request that bar service be accompanied by appropriate insurance and license. Consider the property’s many locations for hosting events when planning, as there is always the possibility that your wedding date may be shared by another celebration on the property.
Eight hours at the Dunsmuir Hellman Estate will cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. Pricing is based on the size of your event, so make sure you have a good idea of what your head count will be in order to avoid unexpected additional charges.
Wedding Venue: Kohl Mansion Catering and Facilities
Photography by: Andrew Weeks
Overview
Masterpiece wedding celebrations have been hosted at the Kohl Mansion for almost a century. This amazing San Francisco Bay Area landmark estate can accommodate over 300 guests with a Great Gatsby-like panache. If you prefer the idea of grand elegance indoors, consider the main house as the place to host an amazingly elegant affair for approximately 250.
Ceremony
Options for ceremony locations at the Kohl Mansion are numerous. The 40 acre estate includes a manor house, carriage house, formal rose garden, and charming pond. Several terraces and patios surround the Manor House, which contains over eight rooms utilizable for various elements of your wedding celebration.
The favorite indoor location of I Do Venues is the Morning Room, a large, open space framed by picture windows and facing out onto an exquisite garden reminiscent of the French countryside. Classic black and white checkered marble floors and detailed architectural moldings create incredibly stunning surroundings for your picture-perfect ceremony.
If you are considering a wedding with a classic 1920s Jazz Age style, plan to host the ceremony outside in one of the estate’s gardens. The perfectly manicured grounds have a variety of formal gardens, any of which would be the perfect blank canvas for your custom-designed wedding ceremony.
Reception
If you like the grand opulence of the Manor House, consider hosting your cocktail reception in the library, dining room, or both. Each room’s French doors open onto the house’s brick courtyard, providing excellent accommodation and flow of movement for your guests.
If you have a large crowd in attendance, I Do Venues recommends using the lovely patio for your cocktail hour, leaving the dining room and library available for indoor dinner seating. The angled layout of the rooms assures that there isn’t a single bad seat in the house!
The mansion’s Great Hall is customarily used as the primary dining space, with the ability to add overflow seating on the patio when weather permits. And of course there is an abundance of space for outdoor dining if planned for properly. Creating an allotted dining or dancing space with professional tenting tends to create the most dramatic effect and makes your guests feel more comfortable than the al fresco alternative. The partnering of the mansion’s well-equipped kitchen with your choice of one of the many excellent caterers listed on their list of preferred companies, the Kohl Mansion can create an unforgettable dining experience for both you and your guests. We recommend formal table service during your dining.
Alcohol at the Kohl Mansion is on a bring-your-own basis and must be accompanied by the proper insurance and licensing. Your catering company or a separate beverage company can set up bar service in a variety of locations.
Insider Notes
The Kohl Mansion is a one-of-a-kind venue with lavish décor and old-world atmosphere. I Do Venues prefers utilizing the estate’s outdoor options during the warmer months. However, with limited outdoor lighting provided by the facility, the investment necessary to rent tenting, lighting, and heating can break a budget. Add in the possibility of wind or rain and creating a comfortable outdoor space could include difficult logistics and cost a small fortune.
The time around the holidays at the mansion is amazing. If you are planning a December wedding, consider allotting a bit more of your budget to your venue by choosing the Kohl Mansion. The facility has professional designers who decorate each room with rich holiday décor and the results are incredible! On a high note, the holiday decorations are included as part of the facility’s rental price during this time of year, so you may be able to downsize your design budget.
The Bottom Line
The average wedding celebration at the Kohl Mansion will cost between $10,000 and $13,000 when all is said and done. The rental period is offered in time blocks, conveniently creating fewer limits in accommodating adequate set-up and breakdown time for your vendors.
Wedding Venue: Presidio Golden Gate Club Design
Photography By: Andrew Weeks
Ceremony
The strength of the Presidio Golden Gate Club is its ability to work in any theme or color palette. From traditional to playful, vintage to modern, this venue is versatile at every turn and allows for limitless design options. If your wedding ceremony will be held in the Cypress Room, classic gold or white chiavari chairs with a complementary-colored cushion is a luxe statement and creates a strong visual contrast against the room’s dark colored floors. Brightly-colored florals are great against this neutral canvas. If your budget is flexible enough to allow for some extra creativity, consider introducing some interesting architectural elements, wood mantles, trellises, large vases, or pedestals. The goal is to weave color throughout the space, rather than isolating color into small sections. Traditional or Modern themes work seamlessly in this room. So much of the personality of this room is derived from its windows which look outward to natural elements. Bring a bit of nature indoors by using potted plants, greenery, or vivid spots of colorful florals. To create a soft romantic feel, we recommend using white wood chairs with an element of fabric to soften the space and induce a more romantic feel. To keep your crowd focused on the main attraction, a fabric aisle runner is a great way to lead guests’ eyes up to the front of the ceremony. Large windows on either side of the room provide abundant natural light, or the shades can be closed if you prefer the softer feel of filtered light.
Reception
The Ventana Room is the heart of the Golden Gate Club. The high ceilings and expansive windows enable you to generously spread color throughout the room without making it look too busy or overdone. If you lean toward more neutral tones, be sure to add some strokes of vibrant color to warm up the room. Do you dream of bold hot pink, soft celadon green, or romantic periwinkle for your reception decor? When considering whether the color will work in this space, the answer is always YES!
I Do Venues recommends moving toward shades of champagne or soft taupe if you desire a neutral base color. Ideally, we like to see luxuriant jewel tones. The choice of fabric should have personality and movement, but should not necessarily feature a heavy pattern. If you prefer using darker tones such as raisin, cinnamon, or teal, plan on renting light-colored chairs and accenting the room with light accent colors. This way your color palette won’t disappear into the deep colored flooring, and each piece of your decor will add to the depth and richness of color in your design. The floor to ceiling windows looking out to the San Francisco Bay are the crowning feature of the ballroom, and therefore it requires stellar window dressings to draw the eye up and outward. Soft panels or billowing, gauzy cascades of fabric can be used to frame or disguise the edges of the windows, creating a soft, elegant feel.
Ask The Experts
When deciding on flowers, remember to consider designs that will complement the space’s ceilings. A successful design will incorporate elements on many levels instead of just at eye level. To achieve this look, use both tall and short floral arrangements to move the eye up and down to different levels. The combination of differing floral heights creates a more interesting design and flow for the room, and in addition eliminates the challenge of a symmetrical layout.
Don’t neglect this facility’s wonderful balconies! Not only do they give you additional opportunities to add color to yet another height level, but they can also provide wonderful little vignettes for your guests to enjoy. Often you will find guests sneaking away to these heightened havens to enjoy a moment of respite and the beautiful bird’s eye views. A small budget designated for lighting will impact this venue dramatically. The judicious use of lighting in the Ventana Room will brighten your color palette, which is very important in this space, especially during evening hours. Candlelight bounces beautifully off the room’s windows, creating lovely reflections in daylight and at dusk. Of course once night falls, the windows reflect the candles’ glow even more clearly, giving the room an incredibly beautiful ambiance! Enjoy amazing views from the many large glass windows day or night.
Wedding Venue: Dunsmuir Hellman Estate Design
Photography by Geoff White
Ceremony
The Dunsmuir Hellman Estate is a stunning piece of living history nestled in the Oakland hills. The estate offers countless design opportunities, allowing you to dive deep into your imagination but not necessarily your wallet. Dunsmuir is ideal for a classic outdoor garden wedding. Whether you choose the Pond, the Meadow, or the Carriage House, you are assured a fabulous backdrop.
For the ceremony, I Do Venues recommends exchanging the venue’s garden-style chairs for rented white wood or chiavari style chairs. A traditional white chiavari chair with a richly colored cushion accented by a cascade of flowers or ribbons is a great way to create a feeling of classic elegance. Imagine the statement made by Victorian lilac, plum, or chartreuse. If the Southern Gothic mansion acts as the backdrop for your ceremony, consider using white as your main color choice. This tactic will help to complement and accentuate the elegance of the estate without overwhelming the eye. If your wedding ceremony will be held at the Pond, you can incorporate the gazebo and water plants into your designs. The natural staircase leading from the Pavilion is an obvious place to start your processional. Remind your florist to give this area extra attention, as it will come alive with whimsical floral garlands or fabrics.
Reception
Playing into the mansion’s historic garden setting is the ideal choice for your reception – think of Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” or a romantic theme straight out of Gone with the Wind. Regardless, creating a naturally elegant atmosphere is easily accomplished with the estate’s gorgeous surroundings. The Pavilion and adjoining terrace present numerous opportunities for adding a dash of color to your party. I Do Venues suggests enhancing your formal bar with dark contrasting colors, using tall cocktail tables with richly textured linens and lots of candles to create a warm, inviting haven for both the cocktail hour and after-dinner drinks. The terrace is dotted with several architectural lighting fixtures, creating a perfect location for floral hints, twinkle lights, or even whimsical ribbon. These simple touches add just the right amount of elegance to the outdoor space.
The Pavilion features hardwood floors, traditional wainscoting and blond wood paneling. Create warmth on this blank canvas with washes of patterned light as well as pin spots. Your linen choice and table design make a significant impact on the room, so choose colors and textures that will add depth and interest. Consider a Cabernet pin-tuck, a plum brocade, or a coffee-colored floral damask for the tables. We recommend renting chairs for a finished look, and mahogany, walnut or gold chiavari chairs create quite an impact. The high cathedral ceilings and unique beam architecture will require embellishment, so opt for floral arrangements with height to lead the eyes up to this beautiful focal point.
Ask The Experts
Bringing in lighting is a must, since the Pavilion’s high ceiling and strong wall lines demand to be filled with glowing color. We have seen some amazing light patterns transform this room, even on very modest budgets. I Do Venues recommends bringing in a few large potted trees and stringing them with twinkle lights or placing them under spotlights to create dramatic natural accents.
Wedding Venue: Kohl Mansion Design
Photography by Andrew Weeks
Ceremony
Reminiscent of a private estate built during America’s Jazz era, the Kohl Mansion provides highly stylish indoor and outdoor amenities. The mansion’s spontaneity with endless options and an old world sophistication lend itself to elegant, traditional colors, yet still leave room for imagination. Regardless of the site selected for the wedding ceremony — the garden, Manor House, Carriage House, or pond — your choice of color palettes is endless. A light and airy garden ceremony can be accented with light, bright plants and flowers. Commission your florist to create arbors with vines and flowers to define a ceremony space in the vastness of the gardens. Renting just the right style of chairs can help set the tone you desire and establish a color base for the rest of your design and decor. The greenery of the gardens works best with a bright white, dark walnut, or a classic gold chair. I Do Venues loves introducing bright colors to pop among all the greenery. We suggest using raspberries, magenta, wines, and midnight blue, as these jewel tones build beautifully off of the colors already present in the surrounding gardens.
A dramatic yet intimate ceremony setting can be created indoors. The mansion’s Great Hall offers rich mahogany, classic marble, and detailed architectural features. Gold ballroom chairs covered in simple fabric or accented with gentle floral touches can help soften the dark wood room. A bright white aisle runner would help create a finished look, highlighting it with sprinkled rose petals to give splashes of color. The Morning Room features a large, beautifully sunlit window, creating a backdrop which overlooks the lush scenery of the adjacent gardens and pasture. Wood paneling and heavy moldings painted in crisp, clean white create a stunning base for a formal white wedding. Bright and fresh, it creates a soft, romantic mood. Consider using silver chairs or formal white chairs, and add visual interest and punches of color by using bright florals or fabric swags to adorn the chairs or be stationed near the center aisle.
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Reception
I Do Venues has implemented everything from vintage garden scenes to casual, rustic elegance at The Kohl Mansion. We have even turned the Mansion into a winter wonderland, using many of the facility’s own holiday decor. The Mansion invites spontaneity, leaving you free to conduct your wedding ceremony as a romantic outdoor garden affair or a formal indoor fete in the mansion’s grand halls. During cocktail hour, provide your guests with the casual elegance of the estate’s gardens; for dinner, dazzle them with chic sophistication and formality in the Main Hall; when the lights are dimmed, transform the dining room into a 1920′s speakeasy.
Options for reception colors are also endless. In fair weather, I Do Venues suggests tenting the courtyard with beautifully colored drapery or a clear canopy that will allow in a dazzling display of light. Plan to use softer colors as a base with the well-thought-out additions of a select few dramatic accents. Lighting will make a discernible difference in setting the mood, tone, and function of your reception, so it is important to plan your budget so that you are able to include well-designed and perfectly-placed lighting sources. The interior spaces of the Kohl Mansion are truly grand both in architecture and space and are rich in history. The dark wood seen throughout the house welcomes guests to a formal, stately reception. Heavy fabrics feel right at home here, including beautiful brocades and damask styles in bold, vibrant colors. Those choosing to use the house for their event might consider a color palette to include antique gold, moss green, neutral beige, or warm pecan hues. Making sure the fabric chosen for linens has some movement to it and setting the tables with flickering candles will maximize the effects and soothing feeling of the space’s soft, ambient lighting.
Ask the Experts
I Do Venues loves how each room in the Kohl Mansion holds unlimited design options and can be used creatively and independently from one another. Guests can enjoy a different look and feel in each new space they encounter, moving from room to room while absorbing the uniqueness of each setting. They will be enthralled by the diverse variety of displays and settings, so think outside the box and expand your design horizons within this beautiful estate that welcomes your creativity.
Wedding Venue: Hakone Gardens Sneak Preview
Photography By: Gene Higa
Summary
Hakone Gardens in Saratoga is the oldest surviving Japanese style garden in the western hemisphere. Commissioned in 1915, ” Hakone’s tranquility and elegance beautifully express the aesthetics of the Japanese ideal of the garden as a space in which art and nature merge seamlessly.” The inspiring retreat covers eighteen acres in the gorgeous Saratoga foothills and provides a unique wedding venue where tranquility, harmony, and a general sense of well-being flourish. More to come!!!
Wedding Venue: Martinelli Event Center Sneak Preview
Photography By: Blueberry Photography
Summary
The Livermore Valley is one of the East Bay’s best kept secrets. There are a multitude of award-winning wineries, stunning vistas, and great weather from spring to fall. It’s the perfect setting for the contemporary couple looking to bask in the glow of a wine country wedding.
The Martinelli Event Center sits high atop a vine-covered hill, acting as the welcoming center for visitors to this burgeoning wine region. The cobblestone courtyard and outdoor fireplace offer your guests a warm greeting as they pass under the area. It is the perfect welcoming point for your guests as they pass under the traditional bell tower. More to come!!
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