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 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 blonde bombshell steamed up Tony Curtis’s glasses in 1959’s Some Like It Hot.