San Francisco Bay Area Region
Chateau de Vie, Calistoga
Gay-owned and operated since opening its doors 10 years ago, the Chateau de Vie in Napa Valley’s Calistoga, part of the, has a long history of welcoming couples, groups and families celebrating commitments, anniversaries and birthdays among its vineyards. This elegant bed and breakfast is also a favorite of culinary travelers with its wine pairing to seven-course dinners.
Site fee and accommodations vary depending on size of party
Ardenwood Affairs, Fremont
Since 1999, 10 percent of all the ceremonies at Ardenwood Affairs, a Victorian wedding site in Fremont with an impressive mansion, gardens and grounds, have been by same-sex couples. Many choose to arrive at the ceremony, held in a Victorian-style gazebo, via a horse-drawn carriage.
Ceremony and reception rental fees vary from $1,200 to $2,200.
Angel Island is the largest island in the San Francisco Bay, and from it exceptional views of the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin County and the San Francisco Bay are seen. These stunning sights also provide a unique and spectacular backdrop for all types of weddings and receptions.
Site rental fees range from $82.50 to $132.50; depending on the location on the island, there may be a special events permit required at an additional cost of $250 to $750.
For couples who desire a private ceremony for two, or perhaps to include family members and close friends, Churchill Manor Bed and Breakfast in Napa offers elopement packages for up to 20 people that range from the Simply Elegant to The Ultimate Intimate as well as A La Carte offerings.
Fees range from $1,400 to $3,850
Personality Hotels, a collection of seven chic boutique hotels, is featuring the “Pride & Personality Package” for gay couples seeking a fun, unique honeymoon getaway. The “Pride & Personality Package” features: One night deluxe accommodations available at six of Personality Hotels’ boutique hotels: Hotel Diva, Hotel Metropolis, Hotel Union Square, Kensington Park Hotel, York Hotel and The Maxwell Hotel, a choice of two his/his or her/her pillow cases, a package of fresh rose petals, a bottle of champagne, and an 8x10 picture frame.
The “Pride & Personality Package” is available at Personality Hotels through December 30, 2008. Rates start at $169, excluding tax and based upon availability (blackout dates apply).
Deserts Region
Viceroy Palm Springs
The luxurious Viceroy Palm Springs, has taken their “I Do for Two” package to the next level, and is now including a wedding, commitment or vow renewal ceremony along with overnight accommodations, champagne and fruit upon arrival, two 60-minute spa treatments each day, romantic evening turndown and breakfast for two in bed, or dining at its restaurant Citron or poolside. Rates start at $449 per night, midweek
Voted by Out & About Magazine as one of the Ten Most Romantic Gay Guesthouses, Casitas Laquita in Palm Springs is a lesbian-friendly, private resort that has offered commitment ceremonies for many years. The property is located on 1.2 acres and its architecture incorporates the “early mission” style that dominated Palm Springs in the 1930s.
Contact directly for rates and availability.
The Joshua Tree Highlands Houses & Cabins are offering a 20% discount for June, July & August at any of their Gay friendly accommodations for the prefect private honeymoon getaway, only 2 hours from Los Angeles. Owner operated and located 3 minutes from the west entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. Outdoor jacuzzis are available for viewing the stars at night.
Los Angeles County Region
Banquet room is $500 for three hours.
Rental prices range from $1,300 to $2,300
Fee ranges between $85 and $90 per person.
$1,000 covers the use of the facility for four hours, plus rehearsal, wedding coordinator, minister and musician.
Sanctuary fee is $1,100 and chapel cost for more than 10 guests is $700.
At the stylish Hyatt Regency Century Plaza same-sex couples staying two nights receive a one-year complimentary Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) membership. Couples can also take advantage of the property’s “Amour” package, which includes full breakfast, a bottle of sparkling wine and 2 p.m. late checkout
Prices vary; package valid through December 2008.
The Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills is offering to help newlyweds celebrate with two romantic packages. Whether a simple celebratory honeymoon night or a friends and family reception, The Crescent Hotel offers a luxurious setting for commemorating a couple’s everlasting commitment.Ensuring romance doesn’t get lost in the mad dash to say “I do,” the Crescent’s “ You’re Darn Right I Do!” packages include both traditional and contemporary touches. For $617.08 newlyweds get a wedding license and arrangement, and a king room arranged for wedding night bliss - with chocolate covered strawberries, Veuve Cliquot champagne, and in room floral arrangements. For those looking to ring the bells louder, the Crescent is also offering a champagne and hors d'eouvres reception for up to 100 guests for $125 per person. Couples booking the reception for 50 or more guests receive the room package free.
Central Coast Region
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, San Luis Obispo
The Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, is an ideal setting for outdoor weddings with its 100 acres of forest, hills and meadows. The property’s Garden Gazebo is surrounded by a seasonal floral landscape, sparkling grotto water pool and greenery, and provides the perfect space for a sunlit ceremony. Wedding ceremony and reception packages start at $2,500.
Simpson Hotel Inn, Santa Barbara
For those who want all the wedding details taken care of, the Fantasy Elopement package at the ultra-luxurious Simpson Hotel Inn in Santa Barbara, North America’s only AAA five-diamond bed and breakfast, is a perfect fit. The package includes an officiator, wedding license appointment, flowers, live music, a photo CD, wedding cake and champagne with keepsake crystal flutes. Rates start at $1,395 per night Sunday through Thursday (two nights required).
Couples to San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, a historic 500-acre luxury hideaway, can indulge in the Midnight in Montecito package which includes a two-night stay in a restored cottage or junior suite, a chilled bottle of champagne upon arrival, luxurious couple’s massage and breakfast in bed.
Sunday through Thursday only, starting at $2,080 for two nights.
For those whose heart is set on the beach for wedding nuptials, it’s worth paying a visit to the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort in Oxnard. The entire complex is built right next to the ocean, with nothing between it and the water but a wide strip of sand. Almost every wedding ceremony at the resort takes place seaside on the Presidential Lawn, a broad semicircle of grass that slopes gently down to the sand. The couple makes their entrance from one of the Presidential Suites, a marvelous hideaway that just happens to have two bedrooms, three baths, a Jacuzzi tub and, of course, a view of the Pacific. If one prefers a more sheltered spot, they can tie the knot in the Courtyard, a mission-style garden enclosed by the resort on all sides. While the ocean isn’t visible from this spot, guests will still have access to plenty of water since the space is dominated by a pair of massive rock waterfalls. Couples exchange vows on a raised lawn, surrounded by palms, flowers and the sound of rushing water. Wherever the location, the Embassy Suites makes for terrific photo opportunities. The weddings are catered by the award-winning Capistrano’s Restaurant, located on the premises.
Wedding ceremony and reception packages start at $3,400.
The Ahwahnee is a National Landmark and one of the most distinct resort hotels in North America. Each year, it plays host to 300 wedding receptions. The AAA four-diamond property, with its balance of history, hospitality and elegance, offers a two-night romance package perfect for those wishing to get away. The package includes two-nights stay in a classic or cottage room, dinner for two in the soaring Ahwahnee Dining Room, sparkling wine and flutes, a special keepsake gift and a surprise at turndown.
$1,269 per couple during summer months.
A gay and lesbian-owned business in Midpines, also offers an idyllic setting with its guest house, cabins, main lodge and health spa nestled in the black oak groves just 25 miles from Yosemite Valley. It’s an ideal venue for those couples wanting wilderness ceremonies.
Fee starts at under $5,000 for a party of 100 (excluding rooms).
In Lake Tahoe, the AAA four-diamond Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, with its towering ponderosa pines and Sierra Nevada backdrop, is also an ideal place to celebrate a very important day.
Ceremony site fees start at $2,000; facility rental fees for receptions start at $1,000.
Newlyweds from across Northern California can start the rest of their lives together on a honeymoon at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. The Romance Honeymoon Package includes 3 nights of lodging at Northstar® Resort in a one bedroom/one bathroom condominium plus a Champagne gift basket from gourmet grocer Earthly Delights and a 1-hour couples massage for just $530. Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort also offers a Spring & Summer Wedding Package that can still be booked for this year! Summer outdoor wedding venues include the Overlook Pavilion in the Village at Northstar, and the Martis Valley Grille, which has stunning views of the Martis Valley and surrounding mountains. Timbercreek Restaurant offers an elegant yet rustic indoor location to accentuate the mountain-feel of the surrounding Village at Northstar. Wedding packages start as low as $1,900 and include a professional event planner to make sure all the details are looked after. Couples can personalize their special day with their own florist, photographer, minister and music.
Casa Laguna Inn & Spa, Laguna Beach
The Casa Laguna Inn & Spa in Laguna Beach, has been the venue for marriages, as well as same-sex ceremonies, since 2000. The Inn, which was profiled in Sunset magazine’s 2007 feature “Romantic Stay,” is also an exceptional destination for honeymoons with its vantage point on California’s coast. The Inn even offers a 10 percent discount from the published rate for any same-sex couples who arrive with a signed California Marriage License. The property’s Elopement Package includes minister, bouquets or corsages, wedding cake, champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries upon arrival and a rose at turndown.
The cost is $1,000 with a minimum stay required on weekends and holidays.
Wyndham Orange County Hotel, Costa Mesa
Located in the heart of Costa Mesa’s famed Theater and Arts District, the Wyndham Orange County Hotel is offering a special “O.C. Love Connection” package, which includes accommodations in a junior suite, two 50-minute massages at The Spa at South Coast Plaza, fresh fruit upon arrival, complimentary transportation to/from John Wayne Airport and breakfast in bed.
$349 per night; package valid through December 2008.
Stanford Inn by the Sea, Mendocino
The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino has been offering same-sex ceremonies for years, many of which are performed by the owner, who is a Universal Life Minister. The charming resort is located on a hillside atop a meadow overlooking Mendocino Bay. The rambling lobby, guest rooms and suites are paneled in pine and redwood, and provide a unique haven along the rugged coast.
Contact directly for rates and availability
Three miles outside of Mendocino, Sallie & Eileen’s Place is a women-only resort that opened more than 20 years ago. The property is located in the woods and is close to state parks, beaches, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Contact directly for rates and availability
Ricochet Ridge Ranch, Mendocino
Ricochet Ridge Ranch, has hosted many gay couples on weeklong and two to four-day vacations, honeymoons, proposals and commitment ceremonies. The service, lodging and dining are all five-star caliber, and the company was recently recognized by Outside Magazine as one of the 25 Trips of a Lifetime, right up there with an African safari and a suborbital flight into space.
Six-night vacations start at $2,245 per person, double or triple occupancy, and are all-inclusive.
The Glenelly Inn will accommodate intimate ceremonies fireside or in the rose garden that include sparkling wine, choice of bouquets or boutonnières, a Scandinavian Princess Cake and a suite or cottage for the couple. The honeymoon package includes three-nights in a Glenelly Garden Cottage that starts with a rose petal foot soak and 30-minute foot massage for the newlyweds while they enjoy a selection of hand-picked Sonoma County artisan cheese, truffles and sparkling wine. The honeymoon cottage is decorated with seasonal flowers, candles and a basket of sensuous bath products. The couple will also each enjoy a 90 minute simultaneous Personal Synergy Blend Massage with a customized celebration and love aromatherapy oil blend to take home after the massage.
Prices start at $300 and the all-inclusive honeymoon price is $1995.
The professional staff at this intimate wine country estate will take care of everything, including on-site coordination of the wedding, an officiant and license, ceremony in the garden, wedding cake, sparkling California wine and a two-night stay in the lavish Zen suite. The enclosed 600-square-foot Zen garden graces each of the eight Zen suites ensuring the ultimate in privacy. Plus, the granite tubs are perfect for a couple's soak after a duo massage.
Contact directly for rates and availability.
The Gay Elopement Package at the Hope Merrill House includes two nights accommodation in the inn’s Peacock Room with two person Jacuzzi and fireplace, the services of a non-denominational minister, a bridal bouquet and boutonniere, a 6" wedding cake, a bottle of champagne with light appetizers, celebration photos, a $75 dinner voucher and four full gourmet breakfasts at the inn for $2,750 weekends and $2,250 weekdays. Their Honeymoon Package includes two nights in the Sterling Suite, a Couples Aromatherapy Massage at Health Spa Healdsburg, a bottle of J Champagne, chocolate truffles, a private wine & cheese pairing at Michel-Schlumberger, two $75 dinner vouchers one for Taverna Santi and one for Applewood Inn Restaurant, and breakfast each morning for $916.
Weddings up to 100 people are welcome at the Rio Villa Beach Resort. Their Small Wedding Ceremony Packages, for groups of 25 or fewer, include the choice of several settings overlooking the Russian River, seating and the wedding official for $500 weekends and $250 midweek. The Honeymoon Package includes two nights in a Russian River view room decorated with fresh cut flowers, a welcome wine and cheese basket, two 60-minute massages, golfing in the redwoods and a Continental breakfast every morning. The package price varies depending on room size and amenities but starts at $645.
The Sonoma Orchid Inn combination Gay Floral Wedding and Honeymoon Package includes a small vanilla orchid bean commitment cake decorated with candied flowers, fresh flowers in the honeymoon room, dual aromatherapy massages at a local spa and exclusive green house tours of local nurseries so that the couple can choose a plant to commemorate the occasion and their commitment to a future together.
Contact directly for rates and availability.
At the Highlands Resort, a primarily gay resort in Guerneville, the Honeymoon Package offers two nights in an individual cabin with a private porch under the redwoods. The cabin’s king size bed, oversized 2-person soaking tub and gas fireplace provides the backdrop for a truly memorable honeymoon. The package includes a breakfast of coffee, orange juice, homemade granola, yogurt, milk, fresh fruit and their famous homemade muffins delivered to the door each morning so the couple can enjoy breakfast in bed, two 60-minute massages outdoors in a fairy ring of mature redwoods, a self-guided wine tasting tour created by the inn’s wine concierge specifically for the couple, and a gourmet picnic for two.
The package is $625.00 plus tax.
Romance means shared adventures at the charming Creekside Inn & Resort’s cottages and rooms among the redwoods. The Inn plans adventure options for gay honeymooners including kayaking or canoeing on the glorious Russian River, horseback riding among the majestic redwoods at Armstrong Redwood State Preserve or a peewee golf outing. The Inn has dog friendly rooms and provides a list of Sonoma County dog-friendly venues if couples decide to bring the family pet on their adventure honeymoon.
Price ranges from $98 to $270 per night depending on room size and amenities.
Village Inn & Restaurant on the Russian River provides a honeymoon romance package with two nights in a river view studio room with private balcony and Sonoma County champagne on arrival. A romantic three-course dinner for two in the award-winning restaurant rounds out this romantic getaway.
The package is $460 to $530 depending on room size and amenities.
The historic Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa is offering a Romance Spa Package that includes a one night stay in an Executive King Room, a bottle of wine, a couples massage at the on-site Montecito Heights Spa, a spa gift, complimentary health club passes and tennis at the five-star Montecito Heights Health Club and Continental breakfast at the Resort’s Terrace Grille.
All inclusive (taxes and tips included) $379 weekdays and $429 weekends.
The Melitta Station Inn’s Gay Honeymoon Midweek Spa Special includes two nights luxury accommodations paired with gourmet breakfasts and a Lovers’ massage consisting of two 45-minute sessions in the Inn’s on-site massage room, together with use of the 40 jet spa hot-tub. The experience is rounded out with a complimentary wine tasting passport for two to more than 20 wineries in Sonoma Valley.
Available Sunday through Thursday, the package price is $369 to $429 ($50 supplement for weekends) depending on room size and amenities.
Little River Inn has a long tradition as a unique site for an elopement. It is frequently chosen for its stately and romantic architecture, beautiful and enchanting wedding gardens, award-winning chef and a wide range of lodging options. They offer picture perfect, elegant accommodations for eloping couples - all rooms have stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, and you can choose to stay in a private, cliff-side cottage with a fireplace and hot tub. The Romantic Elopement Package is meant to simplify arrangements for those who want an intimate and graceful wedding or vow renewal in a breathtaking setting. Exchange your vows on your private deck overlooking the Pacific, on the beach or in our magnificent garden.
The package starts at $1,400 per couple including all services and gratuities. The package rate does not include room charge or tax and is subject to change based on season booked.
Downtown and close to the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy, the W San Diego, provides a sweet retreat package, “ Feel the Wuv,” for couples. The package includes a bottle of bubbly, along with a 2 p.m. late checkout.
Prices start at $279 per night.
Romance is in the air at the luxurious and hip Hotel Solamar, where guests enjoy chilled champagne and truffles upon arrival and breakfast-in-bed the next morning in the property’s urban-decorated guestrooms and suites as part of their Romantic Rendez-Vous Contact directly for rates and availability.
With a June reopening after an extensive $25 million renovation, the seaside L’Auberge Del Mar will raise the bar on wedding expertise by offering new wedding menus that appeal to all couples, including its Ocean Song Menu and Sunset Soiree Menu.
Price ranges from $140 per person to 175 per person.
The lovely 1898 Berkeley Ferryboat, gracing San Diego Bay with her turn-of-the-century charm and ambiance, is available for weddings and receptions. She has two open-air decks, offering your choice of downtown skyline or sunset views of the harbor. Her Ladies' deck and dance floor are also crowned with Victorian styled stained glass windows, softly backlit after dark. The ferryboat is an excellent site for both weddings and receptions, offering a full array of services from your ceremony to your bon voyage.
Our own majestic Star of India, San Diego's waterfront icon, is without question the most unique wedding location in Southern California. She is the oldest active sailing ship in the world. Built in 1863, she has circled the globe 21 times with her soaring masts and spars that support her white billowing sails. Ceremonies are held at the helm, on the Captain's deck, where you'll find the experience truly timeless.
Contact directly for rates and availability.
Penon Blanco Lookout is unusual among romantic bed and breakfast inns. It’s so secluded that each room has total privacy, with no adjacent walls, ceilings or floors. This out-of-the-way retreat, just minutes from Yosemite National Park, sits on 200 acres at a famous forest lookout station and offers gourmet breakfasts and fridges stocked with beverages to individual taste. It’s the perfect getaway for couples seeking a private and woodsy venue with amazing views.
Romantic getaway packages start at $139 per night (based on a two-night stay).
Central Valley Region
Davis, located 10 miles west of Sacramento, was voted number six in the Best Lesbian Places to Live by Girlfriends Magazine. With its safe, inclusive community, Davis offers a variety of venues for marriage and commitment ceremonies, including its local parks and the University of California, Davis Arboretum, a public garden with more than 22,000 trees and plants.
Contact directly for rates and availability
Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens encompasses approximately 10 acres of a hilly, wooded area with a meadow and picnic sites bordering the Upper Sacramento River. Spring is an ideal time for ceremonies as the native white dogwood makes a strong showing this time of year.
Contact directly for rates and availability
From the moment guests drive through the gates of Chapelle de L’Artiste Chateau & Retreat in the Town of Paradise, they are treated to an upscale, comfortable country experience. The property’s lush landscape makes for an ideal venue for intimate weddings, and guests can choose to exchange vows inside the quaint chapel, on an island in the pond, and opening in July, in their 1,200-square-foot wine cave.
Room rates range from $255 to $325 per night.
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Same-Sex Marriage Locations and Honeymoon Packages
