Error message

  • Lingotek profile ID 4 not found.
  • Lingotek profile ID 3 not found.
A wedding couple wanders along the beach in front of San Diego's Hotel del Coronado

Glam it Up

Glam it Up
These romantic hideaways are dream locations for a perfect ceremony

California excels at exclusive (and discreet) retreats fit for film stars, and anyone else who wants 5-star luxury in ultra-romantic settings. These destinations are known for sigh-inducing settings and spoil-me-now accommodations. On the North Coast, Mendocino, with wisps of fog above coastal cliffs dotted with charming cottages, is a wedding hotspot. Luxury B&Bs and resorts abound, many with complete wedding packages.

Further south along the Central Coast, wedding options abound. Consider Clint Eastwood’s historic and meticulously restored Mission Ranch in the beautiful Carmel Valley, or the dream destination of Post Ranch Inn, perched on cliffs along the spectacular Big Sur coast. Santa Barbara, with its ocean views and red-tiled rooftops, has a host of spectacular hideaways, such as El Encanto in the hills above the town, and the Four Seasons’ The Biltmore on the edge of the sparkling Pacific.

Warm evening air, a desert breeze, cabañas by the pool—what’s not to love about a luxurious wedding in the California desert, especially with choices like the Parker Palm Springs and Two Bunch Palms, both in the Palm Springs area, or the Oasis at Death Valley (formerly Furnace Creek Resort) in Death Valley National Park.

If it’s glitz and glamour you seek for your nuptials, it’s difficult to rival Southern California. Known for film-star liaisons, Beverly Hills has plenty of exclusive—and posh—places to get married. To step into Elizabeth Taylor’s shoes, consider the extensively refurbished Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows; Liz had six of her eight honeymoons there. In San Diego, vamp like Marilyn at the iconic Hotel del Coronado, where the blond bombshell steamed up Tony Curtis’s glasses in 1959’s Some Like It Hot.

Glam it Up vc_homepage_sd_balboapark_1280x640_5
San Diego County, Balboa Park

CALIFORNIA

All Dreams Welcome

Start Dreaming and Exploring Now
Glam it Up vc_spotlightwesthollywood_module_dining_supplied_lucques_patio2print_1280x640
Spotlight: West Hollywood

West Hollywood is a favourite spot among partying celebrities, but this hip little city also packs in a lifetime’s worth of dining experiences. From sushi in shopping...

SPECIAL FEATURE
Pull over along California’s classic road trip route for these essential spots

California’s coast-hugging Highway 1 is what dream drives are made of. The iconic roadway—which extends for more than 650 miles from Dana Point north to ...

Glam it Up vc_highway1scenicstops_st_rm_655913189_686x885
Doug Steakley/Getty Images
Glam it Up CabrilloNationalMonument_1280x642
Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument

San Diego County on a map of California
Learn about San Diego’s Spanish roots, go tide pooling, and watch for whales at this historic park

Charged by his native Spain to explore new worlds, Spaniard explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped ashore at this tip of land in 1542, making...