For brides looking to book a venue for a wedding in the months of July or August, have I got the place for you! I just attended a party at a terrific hidden gem—The Green Room at the S.F. War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, located on the second floor of the Veterans Building. It was originally designed as a lounge for World War I veterans, but it looks more like the perfect place for high-tea or a ball. With a 28-foot high ivory and gold-leafed ceiling, five 24-lamp chandeliers, and ceiling-high mirrors, it’s a stunning and elegant venue. The best part is the enormous balcony outside of The Green Room, accessed by five sets of glass doors. The balcony stretches across the front of the building, practically doubling the space of The Green Room, and provides a stunning view of City Hall.

A few basic Green Room facts and amenities for the curious:

If you are interested in the Green Room for a wedding ceremony or reception, they welcome these types of events only if they take place during the months of July and August each year. The Green Room is otherwise booked for performing arts, non-profit, public interest, corporate & community events.

GREEN ROOM CAPACITY:

- 200 for seated weddings plus dance area; 250 seated without dance area or other

- 200-300 theatre-style seating, capacity may be reduced if there is a stage or table/altar up front

- 500 standing room only

* The average rental costs for weddings at The Green Room are roughly $3,500 to $4,500.

* Any licensed caterer is welcome (see Rules and Regulations for details).

* There is a built-in wet bar.

Click here for more information and specifics on renting The Green Room, including a floorplan, details on rental fees, equipment rental, pictures of weddings and more.

S. F. War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 110 San Francisco, CA 94102

PHONE: 415.554.6313  FAX: 415.621.5091

If you are looking for a wedding reception site that is conveniently located but feels completely isolated, then Cinnabar Hills Golf Club is the location you have been searching for.  Cinnabar Hills Golf Club is in San Jose approximately 10 minutes off Highway 101.  Once you arrive at Cinnabar Hills, it is nearly impossible to see any of the nearby households or hear any typical city sounds, making you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.

In addition to its wonderful location and scenery, Cinnabar Hills provides you with everything necessary to plan a fabulous ceremony and reception.  I met with their wedding coordinator, Brittany Dawes, to get the scoop on the facilities.  If you choose to have your ceremony at Cinnabar Hills there is a gorgeous flower-filled arch on an outdoor patio where couples can tie the knot.  The large club house is great for receptions and can hold up to 250 guests.  If you have not yet begun your planning, Brittany even has a list of vendors to help you get started.  The catering is all done in-house, and everything on the extensive menu tastes fantastic, leaving you with the tough job of narrowing down your appetizer and entrée choices.  Unlike a lot of places, Cinnabar Hills gives you access to the room for the entire day, allowing for ample time to set-up.  In addition, Brittany is there to help coordinate with all of your vendors to make sure that the day runs without a hitch, giving you extra time to relax and focus on more important things.

Cinnabar Hills offers a number of different package options, with Sunday packages starting at $6000.  The greatest part is that everything is done á-la-carte, making every package flexible which means that you are not going to be stuck paying for options you do not want.  After my tour of the golf course, I was not surprised to hear that you need to book about a year in advance to get your ideal wedding date.  After helping coordinate weddings for over twelve years, the staff at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club knows just what it takes to make your day special.

For more information about Cinnabar Hills Golf Club check out the website: www.cinnabarhills.com/weddings.html

Or, you can e-mail Brittany Dawes – events@cinnabarhills.com

In my search to find a sustainable Livermore Valley wedding location, I came across Captain Vineyards. It may not be in Livermore Valley and it isn’t the huge vineyard weddings you typically think of. But, I immediately fell in love with this place and the family who runs it.

Let me preface this post before you read any further. It takes a certain person to love this type of venue, and I just happen to be one of them. Captain Vineyards has an understated beauty about it with a gorgeous view that overlooks the LaMorinda hills. If you are looking for an intimate wedding venue, with spectacular ambience, sustainable practices, and a family run business, you have found your wedding venue!

I found the vineyard online when researching sustainable vineyards. I did a quick review of their site – www.captainvineyards.com, and assumed it was just a typical vineyard. When driving to the location, I found myself a bit confused because I was in the middle of a residential neighborhood. As I approached the property, I was not sure what to expect.

After a tour of the vineyard, the Captain’s welcomed me into their home, literally. When talking with Susan about the family vineyards and sustainable practices, you could see the passion in her eyes, and feel the love that she felt for working the land. The family does all the work on their own except for volunteers who help to harvest the vineyards. It looks like back breaking work, and yet the couple does not seem to mind.

This wedding venue is not just a property, it is the Captain’s home. And yet, they will open it up. The Captains share what they have including: their kitchen, their living room that opens up to the patio and the whole backyard that includes the deck overlooking the vineyard and hills, and the two tasting rooms. This is why I say that this wedding venue is not for everyone. It is for a special couple – a couple that wants that picturesque backyard wedding, and appreciates the property that the Captain’s call home.

For more information, visit http://www.captainvineyards.com
Call: 925.631.0714

We often immediately think of the Sonoma and Napa area when grapes and more importantly wine comes to mind. In reality, we have so many local wineries in our backyard spanning from the Peninsula, to the North Bay, and even in the East Bay. These wineries range from small family vineyards to large generations old estates. So often overlooked, these local wineries make a great option for your “staycation” wedding spot, and an easy way to cut down on travel emissions.

I would like to introduce you to a cluster of wineries located in the Livermore Valley. In this post, I will give you a brief glimpse of the area and some starting points allowing you to explore and delve into the details at your own leisure. The Livermore Wine Country hosts over 40 wineries throughout Castro Valley, Sunol, Pleasanton, and Livermore region with many that have on-site wedding spaces or event spaces affiliated with the winery. For example, the Palm Event Center in Pleasanton (see photo above) sits next to Mitchell Katz Winery while Garre Vinyard and Winery hosts multiple weddings options on their grounds.

Sourced from LVWA

To start you off on this journey, a great resource to check out is the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association which details wineries that provide wedding services along with all the contact information to reach out to them. This is just a quick overview to help you get going in your search for the perfect winery location. Look out for follow-up posts with dedicated blog entries highlighting a few wineries that are not only wedding friendly, but also promote sustainable practices!