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: 1 Fort Mason Entertainment
Photography by Jessamyn Harris and Andrew Weeks
Summary
Since the 1890′s, 1 Fort Mason has been a grand location for fabulous wedding parties. Host to some of the world’s most memorable dignitaries, this unique historic venue has seen its share of renowned entertainers.
If you are hosting your ceremony outside on the lawn with a glorious view of the bay, you’ll want to consider having a small 1 to 3 piece amplified band or maybe a solo keyboardist. The large outdoor space makes a great visual impression but causes a band’s sound to be lost, so we recommend all music be amplified.
Appetizers and cocktails are customarily served in the Lounge and Bar area. Since the Bar has amazing curved windows allowing you an exquisite view of the bay, I Do Venues recommends placing musicians in the Foyer. This way the phenomenal view of the waterfront is fully accessible but the music still flows well from room to room.
Brides commonly choose the Ballroom or Dining Room to host dinner and their after-dinner party. If you are planning to utilize both rooms separately, consider having a small band with up to four pieces. Begin with a soloist in the dining room for soft background music and then add in the whole band after dinner for more high-energy dancing and entertainment. If you are setting both rooms for dinner, make sure the entertainers have extra speakers so that everyone can hear the music and announcements.
1 Fort Mason is a great location to incorporate a specific or themed style of music. I Do Venues suggests a lively band who can play a bit of traditional Dixieland jazz or swing music to get everyone on their feet. If you prefer a heavier sound, delight your guests with traditional Chicago blues. Regardless of music choice, the crowd will be transported to a different by-gone era by both the lovely sights and sounds that surround them.
Wedding Venue: Hotel Vitale Sneak Preview
Photography by: Geoff White
Sneak Preview
A rooftop ceremony held at sunset with the historic Ferry Building Clock Tower in the background to mark the exact minute you say I do… This is an amazing way to begin your new life together, and one that only Hotel Vitale can offer! Your friends and family will enjoy the exquisite service that only a true boutique hotel can offer. The impressive views, tranquil atmosphere, and twinkling stars and city lights of a San Francisco night will have them smiling long after the party is over.
Wedding Venue: Casa de la Vista Sweets for the Sweet
Photography By: Geoff White
Summary
The Candy Bar is here to stay! Many of today’s brides are exploring creative and fun options to traditional wedding cake. We love the candy bar option. Not only does the candy bar offer your guests tons of options on how to make their sweet tooth happy, it also adds so many visual elements to your party. The candy bar can double as favors; it is a creative display that enhances the overall look of the event and best of all, it can be completely customized.
This candy bar is captured on film by the wonderfully talented Geoff White. Michelle from MB Wedding Design & Events has done such a wonderful job of expressing color texture and personality in this element. I love how MB Designs has used a variety of containers. They vary in height and color which gives the table lots of dimensions and puts that much more emphasis on the display.
As a guest at this event you feel as if your are being indulged in a childhood fantasy. Cookies, cupcakes, caramel corn, peanut butter cups, brownies – the list seems endless. What a great way to spoil your guests!
The candy bar is a great design element – not just a sweet treat at the end of the evening. As a design element, you can express your particular style easily. You can offer a large variety (as they do above) or you may choose to have a candy bar that expresses a particular color or theme.
If you choose to design by color, the sky’s the limit. Name the color, you can find it. Consider setting up your candy bar around a particular type of candy – gummy delights, a chocoholics fantasy, or everything sour.
Themes can also play a great role in candy bar design – vintage candy, movie candy, international candy, homemade candy. If you are more non-traditional or want to think outside the box, you can have fun with other types of treats: popcorns, chips, cookies, pies… What is your favorite treat? Make a bar from it!
This candy bar is just one of the beautiful elements that MB Wedding Design & Events used to make this wedding at Casa de la Vista a show-stopper. You can see more photographs from this wedding at Geoff White’s blog.
I Do Venues wants to recognize the talented team of wedding professionals who helped to make this bride’s dream a reality: Photographer – Geoff White, Designer/Coordinator – Michelle from MB Wedding Design & Events; Cake – Cake Coquette.
Wedding Venue: Marin Art and Garden Center Photography
Photography by: Geoff White
Overview
There are no limits to your photography options at The Marin Art and Garden Center. Dramatic or understated, the countless backdrops you have to work with always make for an incredible set of photographic memories. With a little imagination and a flair for the theatrical, you will have a breathtaking album of gorgeous wedding photography.
What We Love About This Facility
The Marin Art and Garden Center is one of the most acclaimed community-supported gardens in the Bay Area, featuring the four basic elements working together in complete harmony. Water surrounds you with intimate ponds, an abundance of water lilies, and musical fountains. Fire can be found in one outdoor and two indoor fireplaces, offering warmth in the winter and ambiance in the summer. Wind can be captured in the dancing tree branches caressed by gentle breezes year-round. Softly windswept hair and blowing ribbons add movement to your photography. The fruits of the Earth can be found in the abundance of trees, flowers, and unique rock formations. The four elements combine in an amazing collaboration of color and texture, creating wedding photography that is full of their dynamic synergy.
Wedding Venue: Meadowood Design
Photography By: Lisa Lefkowitz
Ceremony
Magical moments can be made to order at Meadowood. This facility is ideal for the couple looking for an intimate and serene setting with timeless beauty. A classically elegant affair with clean modern lines or a celebration that leans towards romantic details will be at home.
The grounds at Meadowood are pristine; you can envision the groomsmen playing a game of croquet or bocci while smoking cigars and enjoying a glass of scotch. The lush rolling hills and the soaring Redwood forest sets a scene that is reminiscent of the New England countryside and creates an ideal location for assembling your wedding guests. White wood chiavari chairs are an obvious choice to create the frame. If your taste lean towards classical elegance, consider scrolled iron garden chairs for a more whimsical romantic vintage feel. Tall floral arrangements seated upon rustic wood pedestals are a fun design element to help blend your decor with the surrounding forest. Create a frame around the bride and groom so their silhouette is not competing with the vast woodland treeline. We recommend using calla lilies, branches, and dog wood, to create height and contrast. Interesting architectural elements can also create a fun canvass for your ceremony portrait. Wooden arches or a trellis with free-flowing vines and bright floral swags make great photos.
Reception
While you and your groom retreat and take advantage of the superb photo opportunities, allow your guests to “nosh” in a fun outdoor setting. White Adirondack furniture, comfortable couches, chairs, coffee tables, and side tables are a welcome treat and stunning visual element located under the paper lanterns (provided by the facility). Your guests won’t want to leave the inviting area when you pair it with a well-stocked bar serving specialty cocktails and champagne – add a touch of light background music and you have the perfect mood. As the sun sets, the lounge will become a quiet retreat away from the music – include arrangements of warm glowing candles in various heights and you have quite the romantic mood for those guests looking for some R and R.
Your dining preferences are partially determined by your guest count. If you fancy indoor dining, then your guest count should not top 120. For indoor dining we recommend The Vintner’s Room. The room is an example of simple elegance. The clean lines, hardwood floor, and immaculate window line are a stunning backdrop for any color pallet or theme. The fireplace is a great element; accentuate it with plenty of candlelight and you will achieve that warm glow that makes every bride look great.
I do Venues prefers to have your guests dine under the beautiful blue canopy of the Napa Valley sky. Begin with ecru colored linen in a topaz style fabric. This will create movement on the table without adding too much glitz. Dark wood chiavari chairs with a corresponding ecru cushion will add the right amount of color to the neutral canvass. Now you can have some fun. A soft color pallet of flowers including pearl, soft ivory, white washed pale pink with hints of coco brown will give the area a soft and romantic feel. If you prefer a more modern and chic feel, use single flower arrangements or a monochromatic floral arrangement. A variety of vases in different heights on each table with candles intertwined will tie the room together nicely.
If you love color and want to make a statement, I do Venues encourages moderation. Too much color can be overwhelming in the beautiful and serene atmosphere. A splash of color in the form of a table runner, a soft colored linen of pale pink or pewter can be accented by bright flowers and accents, this is definitely a venue where less is more. Whether your taste leans towards the tradition of soft, romantic and elegant, or you have visions of a more modern affair – shades of white, ecru, and pearl make a bold statement against the deep evergreen surroundings.
Wedding Venue: Paradise Ridge Winery Entertainment
Photography by Norah Burrows
Summary
Warm summer nights are the most enchanting time at Paradise Ridge Winery. The facility holds the perfect blend of amazing landscape and a warm, friendly, comfortable environment. Add great music to the blend and you’ll have a winning vintage! The Poetry Patio at Paradise Ridge is a great location for a small musical ensemble to compliment your ceremony or reception. The patio’s dual stages conveniently allow you to have a beautiful ceremony on one stage while your musicians play on the other! Once the ceremony is over, the band can easily change over from a classical wedding march to a more lively playlist while remaining in the same location.
If you will be moving your guests to the veranda or possibly inside for a glass of pre-dinner bubbly, you may want to consider a more moderately sized group of musicians or even a great DJ. The acoustics inside the main room offer a DJ or musicians great acoustics, although the outdoor option of a DJ is uninhibited by any noise or sound restrictions: you”re free to party until 11:30pm!
Wedding Venue: 1 Fort Mason Catering and Facilities
Photography By: Andrew Weeks
Overview
1 Fort Mason is one of the few wedding venues in San Francisco that can truly offer the guarantee that there’s not a single bad seat in the house! Many venues offer views from one room or another, but every other place pales in comparison to 1 Fort Mason’s spectacular views. This renovated historic mansion offers vistas of the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the famed San Francisco Waterfront from every room. There are also gorgeous unobstructed views of the infamous Alcatraz, Aquatic Park, and the historic Sailing Ship Balclutha, which is now part of a museum and the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Each landmark is a veritable “who’s who” of San Francisco — all seen from just one room!
Each room of the historic house is unique. Regardless of whether you are sharing a drink in the dining room, waltzing in the ballroom, or mingling in the lounge, you are face to face with history. Your guests will be rendered speechless by this home’s timeless elegance and beauty.
Ceremony
1 Fort Mason has the versatility of offering either the preferred garden wedding ceremony or holding both the ceremony and reception indoors. Holding the entire celebration indoors is favored during the winter months, as weather on the bay may be cold and wet. If your guest count is under 150, you don’t need to worry at all about both your ceremony and reception running smoothly and comfortably inside.
A classic outdoor garden ceremony offers you incredible views and multiple great backdrops for photography, and the spacious lawn can easily accommodate up to 250 guests. The terrain of the outdoor garden is a bit rustic, but with the awe-inspiring surrounding views, your guests won’t be studying the area too closely. Plan to recite your vows between the tall old cypress trees which line the embankment, creating a beautiful natural frame and bringing guests’ attention forward to you and your groom as the focal point.
I Do Venues recommends renting white wood folding chairs, as they are able to provide more stability on the lawn than alternate styles of chairs. All equipment for the ceremony will need to be rented, as the facility does not allow its furniture to be used outside. We recommend placing the wedding ceremony as close to the top of the bluff as you can, taking full advantage of every square inch of the remarkable view.
If your wedding’s guest count falls under 150 people and you want to be indoors, we recommend using the ballroom. From here, the lighting is more plentiful and the views are fantastic, plus there is immediate access to the facility’s outside staging areas. The ballroom has a direct path to the bar and lounge so guests can easily transition from the ceremony to cocktail hour. Many people choose to hold their wedding ceremonies in the ballroom and then guide their guests to the bar area to enjoy appetizers and cocktails. The ballroom can then be seamlessly transformed into a nightclub, offering dancing and revelry all night long.
In the ballroom, I Do Venues recommends using either chiavari or wood folding chairs. Darker wood colors will create a contrast against the lighter neutral walls and carpeting, bringing out the space’s Victorian architectural details and charm.
Reception
The bar and lounge area are amazing draws, as the large built-in wood bar is not only functional, but gives the party the vibe of a 1920′s speakeasy. The bar also features a great pass-through window for convenient service to the dining room, eliminating the need for two separate bars.
The bar and lounge area’s primary feature is its enormous curved bay window. Consider setting up some small cocktail tables and lounge chairs in this beautiful alcove, but be careful — with the breathtaking views and comfortable seating, the first guests to sit in your beautiful lounge may never get up! In the remaining space, I Do Venues recommends bringing in tall cocktail tables and bar stools. The lounge flows freely into a large reception parlor featuring its own sweet vintage fireplace. With its authentic late 19th century couches and other furniture made to match the period pieces, the parlor creates a great overflow space for guests to sip their drinks and dance.
Once your guests have imbibed a few cocktails, everyone will be ready to move into the dining room. The dining room can comfortably fit 120 to 150 guests seated at round or rectangular tables of 8 to 10 people each. If your guest count is significantly higher, worry not! The ballroom can seat an additional 120 guests in the case of overflow. Place a mid-sized dance floor in the Ballroom and your guests will be impelled to dance the night away!
The Funston Room is a little slice of heaven and makes a great place for an exclusive men’s lounge, bridal dressing room, or kids’ corner. Originally designed to host enlisted men who might be accompanying an officer as a driver or assistant, the Funston Room is a great place for brides to get ready on-site, or to entertain young children so that adult guests can freely enjoy the festivities.
The 1 Fort Mason facility provides an ample amount of round and banquet style tables, and they offer a good selection of cocktail tables as well. The chairs provided are best suited for a conference or business meeting, so we recommend renting your own for a more stylish, attractive look. The rental period covers 10 hours, which is more generous than what most venues offer and gives your vendors enough time for setting up and breaking down.
Food & Beverage
1 Fort Mason offers a list of preferred catering companies for you to choose from. The facility is managed by a “green” company who takes initiatives to ensure that all of their preferred vendors adhere to a similar philosophy, so if you have your heart set on an eco-friendly reception, this is definitely the place for you!
Since 1 Fort Mason is a historic landmark, there is absolutely no cooking allowed inside. When choosing a catering company, select one who is not only close by, but who has previous experience at 1 Fort Mason. The non-cooking space inside in the kitchen is huge and gives your vendors plenty of room to prepare and move around, giving you the opportunity to choose either a seated or buffet style meal.
Insider Notes
The 1 Fort Mason venue is all about the view. Owned by the National Park Service, the building is offered at a great price for its stunning views and landscape, but only offers modest levels of service from the park staff. This places tasks like set-up and break-down on the shoulders of the renter, so the additional time allotted in your rental agreement becomes necessary.
The Bottom Line
Facility costs will run about $5,000 to $8,000 for a typical wedding celebration, depending on the season in which you choose to host your soiree as well as the number of guests in attendance.
Wedding Venue: Bimbo’s 365 Club Sneak Preview
Photography by: Andrew Weeks
Sneak Preview
1940’s retro glam is what Bimbo’s 365 Club does best. This landmark San Francisco nightclub provides a posh atmosphere that embraces playful yet polished design. The black and white checkered floor is a remarkable canvas for Rat Pack inspired design elements, and sumptuous textured fabrics in flapper red, lavish gold, and black patent leather are all well placed. More to come!
Wedding Venue: Trentadue Winery
Photography by: Andrew Weeks
Catering & Facilities
Trentadue Winery resembles an Italian villa more than it resembles the California-style wineries that now dot the vine-covered hillsides of the area. Its stone pillars and crouching lion sculptures that greet you upon entering the property give tell of the warm hospitality that awaits you.
Design
Trentadue’s garden lawn area is a marvelous location for an intimate, romantic ceremony. The Tuscan-style arbor is a great foundation from which to build upon and the perfect spot to say I do! With its lush greenery interspersed with tiny white flowers, decorate the arbor with vibrant floras that have hanging elements to flutter in the evening breeze.
Photography
Offering many small vignettes, Trentadue provides numerous great locations for portrait photography. Take a walk with your photographer and capture images against the winery’s traditional lion-head fountain, Redwood forest tree line, and of course the vineyard!
Entertainment
Begin your ceremony with a small acoustic ensemble, maybe tying in the winery’s Italian theme by using classic opera as a prelude to the ceremony. Trentadue’s interior space is a great location for a DJ to help you get guests on their feet and onto the dance floor!
Wedding Venue: Meadowood Photography
Photography by: Lisa Lefkowitz
What We Love About This Facility
Meadowood is a fun place to shoot a wedding celebration. You are surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty, so you feel like you are tucked away and hidden from the outside world. ~ Andrew Weeks, Weeks Photography
The buildings on Meadowood property hold incredible charm. White fences, picturesque stair steps, and paned windows all make great backdrops for creative photography with interesting light patterns. The small curvy path leading to the great Redwood forest is the perfect place for your photographer to capture intimate shots of you together as a couple.
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