What do you think of when you think "California?"

What do you think of when you think "California?"


Well, if you're from California it is probably "North" or "South." If you are not from California it is probably "crazy," "Brad Pitt," or "beaches and palm trees."

Let us stick with that last option...

I want to get married on the beach since I grew up on the central coast of California. We have wineries, mountains, world class hotels, and beaches. For clarification, I don't surf, rarely swim, and definitely do not tan but I love the beach! The smell of the ocean, the majesty of it's creation, the incredible offerings of the life within it... Yes, I want to get married on sandy beaches next to the miraculous ocean.

This presents a few problems because I do not believe in spending your life savings on a wedding. If you do, this is not the blog for you. So, thank you for caring but go ahead and close this page, you're probably wasting your time and it won't hurt my feelings since I won't know.

There are several unreasonable options for venues and there are a few great, affordable options. If you are planning a wedding on the central coast of Cali here are a few of the more affordable:
*The Jack House
*Margo Dodd park (sooo beautiful... small venue, breathtaking views!)
*Dinosaur Caves park (right next to Margo Dodd)
*Tiber Canyon (it's an Olive Ranch, not sure exact prices)
*Avila Lighthouse Suites
*Shore Cliff Lodge (it is in Pismo Beach but it's a Best Western)
*The Monday Club


Anyway, if you're looking to get married on a reasonable budget that list should be helpful but call fast because they are booking fast! The venue Chris and I chose for the sacred act of forever uniting our lives...

The AVILA LIGHTHOUSE SUITES!! Not sure why it is as reasonably priced as it is but it makes me happy! Just so you know, the pictures on their website don't do this venue justice.

On a different note, if you are more traditional and want to wed inside a church the First Presbyterian Church of SLO has a beautiful sanctuary available which was built in the 1800's from rocks quarried nearby. The mission is also beautiful and both of these are in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo.

One benefit of getting married outside - no decorator does as magnificent a job as nature. Further, I feel God as much or more outside while in the beauty of his creation than I do inside a building built by man to worship him. Ironic? Potentially.


On a note:
We started thinking we would get married at Margo Dodd park which is by far the most reasonably priced but too small and on a bluff over the water so it is not very kid friendly and bathrooms are probably 150 feet away. Next, we chose and placed a hold on The Jack House which was great and convenient. It was at a bridal expo we decided to attend at the last minute that we discovered The Avila Lighthouse Suites. They were willing to fight for our dollar and it offered the venue I wanted most, a venue Chris loved. This being said, their prices make them affordable compared to many of their counterparts but they are still not as affordable as many of the other locations. If you want to spend $1,000 or less look into city parks such as Margo Dodd, The Jack House, The Monday Club, etc or look into the Shore Cliff in Pismo. We never toured Shore Cliff but their posted prices start below $700 so it could be worth looking into. Also, we chose a venue which allowed us to bring our own caterer for food and alcohol -- huge cost savings and food quality booster!


Now onto photographers, music, dress(es), flowers, events, and caterers...