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: Solage Design
Photography By: Hong Photography
Ceremony
Solage Resort in Calistoga is a facility that redefines casual elegance. As an up-and-coming venue that is three years young, Solage offers its guests a sense of rustic charm. When all the elements unite, the environment is very Zen, along with a twinge of hip, chic and modern.
The Solstice Lawn is the primary location for hosting a ceremony. Bring in an arbor or pergola to use as a background, which will also form a frame around the happy couple. Think willow, grape vines, or any rustic-looking wood which will blend into the surroundings. A trellis above the adjacent patio filters the sunlight, providing the perfect spot to hang decorative paper lanterns which sway with the music as a sultry breeze drifts by.
Exuberant colors give a sense of whimsy to the space, so burnt orange, fuchsia, and all shades of green create marvelous accents to the natural wood and lush green surroundings. Consider dark brown chiavari chairs topped with ivory seat cushions and pair them with a heavy aisle border of richly colored petals down either side. For a perfectly finished look, attach flowing ribbons to the backs of the chairs, and use soft greenery accented with brightly colored flowers to decorate the frame of your wedding arbor.
Reception
Entice your guests to the shaded patio with the sounds of popping champagne bottles, and pair the golden bubbles with frozen mango or peach puree for refreshing Bellini’s.
Incorporate an element of casual luxury by bringing large ottomans or a teak outdoor day bed into the patio’s design. Create seamless fusion by adding several end tables and an oversized rectangular coffee table, and you now have the perfect place to enjoy savory nibbles and a festive libation!
Rent a fire pit to place in the center of the nearby courtyard. This fun touch is great for creating a conversation lounge, and you can offer warm after-dinner aperitifs while roasting marshmallows. What a great way to finish off the evening!
You can easily incorporate colors and prints into the outdoor space as long as they tend to lean towards natural fabrics. Heavy silks, satins, or anything too flashy may seem to spoil the very zen garden feel achieved here.
As you move your guests inside, roll back the banquet room’s immense sliding doors, creating cohesion between the outdoor and indoor spaces by eliminating their dividing point. The polished concrete floors, vaulted beamed ceiling, and velvety sable draperies are reminiscent of an upscale barn. If your budget allows, this is an amazing venue to play with lighting. Washes of natural elements resembling leaves or flowing water projected onto the walls will create a harmonious feeling to drive your design.
Ivory, celery green, or mink are the best choices for a color base, as they will allow you to successfully incorporate almost any other palette of colors into the room. The tall ceilings and abundant floor space allow you to break away from tradition and create a design centered around two or three elongated tables – a plan that will better disperse your guests and decorative colors of choice. Off-set the large tables with dramatic chairs set with colored seat cushions.
With this style of table, you certainly need not adhere to a traditional centerpiece, so create an amazing tablescape by using natural elements. Elongate the table by working its middle, and add texture by layering a graphic runner over a solid colored tablecloth. Create a combination of tall and short focal points along your table by using river rocks, moss, sandblasted wood, and Manzanita branches. Blended with the glow of candlelight, these natural decorative touches will put your guests at ease in their stylish yet tranquil surroundings.
Ask the Experts
The spa at Solage is legendary. The entire facility sits on top of Calistoga’s famed natural hot springs and offers several warm natural mineral pools. If you are entertaining out-of-town guests, encourage them to stay at the resort. Once they experience the top notch hospitality, service, and cuisine provided by Solage for your celebration, they will certainly want to extend their stay!
Design Inspiration: Shabby Chic
Photography By: Kate Harrison
Summary
Where did we get the term Shabby Chic from? Some feel the turn of phrase is simply a clever alliteration invented by designers to capitalize on the idea of creating design from used flea market materials. Let’s clear that up: according to Webster’s Dictionary, Shabby Chic is real and here to stay. The Shabby Chic wedding has a decisively feminine feel – it is a design style inspired by thrift store and antique finds, usually themed in a light, neutral color pallet. When choosing furniture to fit your design, you will concentrate on items that have a distressed or antiqued look. Overall you are trying to evoke a feeling of a casual and relaxed lifestyle, incorporating elements that are soft to the touch, welcoming, and inviting. This inspiration board created from the wonderful photography of Kate Harrison is a great example of a Shabby Chic wedding, and Beltane Ranch in Sonoma wears it well. The venue itself offers vintage automobiles and an old barn all nestled in a grove of ancient oaks. When you incorporate a traditional pale rose bouquet, table arrangements in vintage terracotta pots, and escort cards suspended from a clothes line, you have an affair that is uniquely yours.
Color Palette and Venue Recommendations
There are so many great locales in the Bay Area that do Shabby Chic well: The Headlands Center For The Arts, The Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club, and this color pallet and design would be great at The Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club. The color pallet of dusty rose, petal pink, and corn silk are great for any Shabby Chic or Vintage Styling.
Wedding Venue: Casa Real Entertainment
Photography By: Chung Li Photography
Summary
Casa Real is a great place to showcase multiple styles of entertainment. The Grand Salon gives you ample space to play with – allowing you to use professional staging which looks amazing and helps to give the room shape.
For dinner, fill the air with gentle music from a five piece ensemble, then transition to an 8 to 12 piece band to get your party started.
Maximize your entertainment by using a booking agent. Since the space is multifunctional and can accommodate a diverse set of entertainers, rely on the insight of an expert. A booking agent like the Rudolfi Music Agency can help you find multiple talented performers that blend well to create a terrific party.
I Do Design ~ Retro
Summary
Today’s Retro Bride is generally looking for one of two design concepts: a design that is simple, functional, and comfortable with a sense of nostalgia, or a design that makes a colorful, funky statement, allowing her to express her own personal style. Retro encompasses elements from several decades starting with the fifties and is heavily influenced by the Art Deco period of the 20′s. If you choose to sidestep convention and go Retro with your wedding design, you need to be committed to fun!
The exuberant colors in the wedding showcased above is a great example of Retro gone wild. You have to love the astro turf table runner – this unique use of recycled materials set the stage for an event full of unexpected details. The flowers are a combination of dahlia’s, mums, orchids, and roses displayed in loose casual arrangements bursting with vibrant hues of pink, yellow, orange, and red. The 1950′s Royal typewriter is a great accent piece and a wonderful idea for a creative guest book. Have your guests type a personal note, then post them in an album next to a fun Polaroid or photo booth collage. The sumptuous dessert bar is overflowing with decadent surprises – petite cupcakes, parfait cups, madeleines, and brownie bites are beautifully displayed on antique cake plates, apothecary, and cookie jars. You can see more great images from this wedding at our blog – they are wonderful!
Color Pallet and Venue Recommendations
This fun Retro look would come to life in a variety of art galleries and lofts: Dog Patch Studios in San Francisco, Freight and Salvage in the East Bay, and I would love to see this theme incorporated into SF Moma or the Cartoon Art Museum!
Wedding Venue: Casa de la Vista Sneak Preview
Photography By: Geoff White
Sneak Preview
For many Bay area residents, Treasure Island is a daily reminder that they are halfway home at the end of a long day. If you have never stopped to explore the impressive man-made island, your wedding celebrations presents a great opportunity. Your pictures will look like they jumped right out of the pages of a town-and-country magazine with the impressive structures of the Transamerica Buildings, Coit Tower, and Embacadero Center featured behind you. More to come!!!
Wedding Venue: Beltane Ranch Sneak Preview
Photography By: Lisa Lefkowitz
Sneak Preview
Beltane Ranch in Sonoma has a history that dates back to 1878. The working ranch has been lovingly restored to its original offerings, including its renowned old world hospitality. The amazing gardens that surround the main house are a blend of organic herbs, beautiful wild flowers, and seasoned citrus – so there is always something in bloom. The flock of free range hens will not only be a part of your breakfast, they are happy to escort you down the garden path to explore the acres of sustainably farmed fruits and veggies. If you are looking to host a quaint country wedding, with lots of inspired DIY-charm, then this is a great spot. Check back later for more!!!
Wedding Venue: Casa Real Design
Photography By: Julie Mikos
Ceremony
If you are looking for an amazing venue to exchange traditional wedding vows, look no further. Casa Real, located in the Livermore Valley, has everything a traditional bride could want. The richly appointed details, modest price tag, and great service, make designing and hosting your wedding truly delightful.
If you have always envisioned a magical garden wedding ceremony, consider using the outdoor Sun Plaza. The plaza is a wonderful location to incorporate a garden, Mediterranean, or wine country theme into your wedding celebration. Give your ceremony backdrop a splash of color by adorning the trickling fountain and pillars with additional vines. Water plants floating in the lower levels add to the intrigue of the fountain.
Whether you choose to have your ceremony under the garden’s Redwood arbor, or centered around its amazing wall fountain, treat the area with heavy florals and greenery in inspiring colors. The facility provides chiavari chairs at a nominal cost, and using them will provide an economical design element. Add elegance by adorning the chiavari chairs with flowing silk ties or parchment envelopes filled with rose petals for tossing.
The sandstone tile walkway is a great location for an aisle runner as the bright white contrast fills the space well while adding a soft, romantic touch.
Reception
Many couples enjoy appetizers and cocktails al fresco after the ceremony; however, I Do Venues recommends hosting them indoors in the Amber Room. The space radiates luxury. If you have a more modern design in mind, I Do Venues loves changing this room into a posh, swanky lounge!
The hand-carved fireplace is the center of attraction, so decorate this marvelous focal point with lots of candles and soft vines. Using an assortment of vases in a single color gives a trendy yet cohesive feel and creates a fun look. Give the room shape and style by surrounding chiavari-style bar stools around an oversized plexiglass bar that is softly lit from inside. Couches in front of the fireplace and tall cocktail tables dotted throughout the room will create a great ambiance which will rival any posh club.
If you can coax your guests from the lounge, true opulence awaits them in the Grand Salon. The vast floor space of this regal room calls for dramatic tables topped by floral centerpieces. Spotlight the height by projecting focused lighting down from the ceiling.
Consider thinking outside the box and use large square tables. Top them with tall cylindrical glass vases containing simple water elements, or even a bit of bling inside to capture guests’ attention without blocking their views. If you add a floral treatment to finish just the top half of the vases, the effect will be an amazing pop of color.
The height of the tables’ centerpieces is crucial however, as the Grand Salon’s dark ceilings are amazingly vast, making the room feel oversized when its height isn’t addressed.
This is an excellent room for accommodating a huge crowd for an incredible swinging party. However, the proprietors have put plenty of forethought into designing the space to be perfect for an event of any size, style, design, or color.
Ask the Experts
Appropriate lighting will take your party from well done to absolutely inspired, even on a minimal budget. The immense, dark ceilings create a vast empty canvas that needs to be minimized, and a great way to bring balance back to the space is with good lighting. Projections of organic outdoor elements on the walls will both soften the space and create a warmer, more intimate feel.
I Do Design ~ Eastern Flair
Photography By: Rosmarie Lion
Summary
Many couples struggle with the idea of how to bring in traditions, rituals or sentimental keepsakes from the families heritage and make them a part of their celebration. When it comes to design aspect, we love to subtlety merry these elements into a great design. The wonderful wedding pictured above and photographed by the amazing Rosemarie Lion has done a amazing job of blending their families eastern heritage into a traditional western wedding.
The tradition of the Japanese Kimono is centuries old- the gowns were heavily influenced by luxurious silk fabrics but are reserved as are most Japanese traditions. The soft muted color pallet the bride has chosen is a perfect match for the rustic styling of Auberge du Soleil. Nothing needs to be over the top- yet there is so much beauty in it’s subtlety. A classic design like this there is no need for that “pop” that everyone talks about- you find that in all the small elements - the floating flowers that are present inthe stone fountain, the fans used by guests to keep he summer ehat away, the tradationally cald wome in kimonos and japanes slippers – each of these elements is very understated but together they work into a borgeous and sophisticated design.
Wedding Venue: Cornerstone Sonoma Sneak Preview
Photography By: David Ham Photography
Sneak Preview
Cornerstone Sonoma is a far cry from your traditional community garden. Fashioned after The International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France, Cornerstone is a showcase of unique garden installations by the worlds most talented landscape architects and designers. Is it a garden, art gallery, museum, or salvage yard? Only you can decide – it is something different for each couple. If you are considering a Wine Country wedding, this is a must see.
Photography By: David Ham Photography
Wedding Venue: UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Design
Photography By: Jessamyn Harris
Ceremony
The Redwood Grove at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is one of the most awe-inspiring ceremony locations in the East Bay. The quarter-mile trail that leads from the parking lot to the Redwood amphitheater is perfect for creating cozy vignettes. Place garden-style benches with colorful cushions for your guests to enjoy along the way. The amphitheater is constructed of dark wood and blends naturally into the surroundings. Place cushions in bright colors to add a burst of color in your choice palette and for comfortable assurance for your well-dressed guests. The wood railings look amazing when covered with soft vines interspersed with white
or brightly colored flowers. The simple setting of the forest calls for little decoration. Loose arrangements using naturally tall elements like curly willow look great when used to frame the bride and groom. In this natural setting, avoid overly manicured flowers as they will look out of place. Robust colors look incredible. A color palette of warm summer tones – bright yellows, oranges, pomegranate, and pale greens – will blend seamlessly into the surroundings. A darker color palette of fuchsia and violet paired with chocolate browns and creams will also hold its own in this magnificent setting.
Reception
When the ceremony is over, a cold crisp glass of lemonade served from antique pitchers is a welcome refreshment as your guests journey to the reception area. Your guests will undoubtedly be tempted to wander off and enjoy the gardens. Whimsical signage directing the way to the reception and various points of interest create conversation among guests. The brick patio adjacent to the intimate reception hall is the perfect spot for your cocktail reception. Set the scene with a fun bar offering colorful libations. Shelter the bar using a large cream market umbrella to create spatial identity. The patio has built-in benches and end-tables. Adorn the end-tables with loose floral arrangements in small vases of varying sizes and colors, or create a river-rockscape with orchids and succulents floating in flat oval vases. This is a great venue for the eco-chic or Gatsby garden style affair. Greens, browns, burnt oranges – almost any color from nature can look striking. True to its name, the conference center is primarily used as an education center and is small and intimate. I Do Venues recommends investing in one wall of pipe and drape to give the room elegant and clean lines. Renting stylish chairs and dynamic linen may be all the decoration you need and is the best investment we can recommend. If you are moving towards an eco-chic theme, consider using a bamboo rattan folding chair, paired with natural linen or twill fabric in celery, cream, or butter yellow. These natural fabrics contrast well with the terracotta floors and neutral toned walls. Consider using a dark wood box as a vase filled with colorful blossoms, or incorporate pomegranates, pears, lemon branches, and artichokes to your tablescapes.
Ask the Expert
Revel in the great outdoors. The outdoor patio is an amazing location to watch the setting sun and the changing colors in the Berkeley sky. If the design budget allows for it, string cafe lights overhead and set the patio with additional gathering spaces. The beauty of the garden is the reason you rented the facility in the first place, so make sure your guests can take full advantage of its beauty, even in the evening hours.
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