(no subject)

[jaina]

I don't think my expectations are that unreasonable. I don't want some crazy $50,000 or even $20,000 bash with 250 people and prime rib dinner and what have you. What I want is simply this:

Me in a pretty white dress and Rogue in a tux, getting married outdoors in a park or garden by one of our friends, with our friends and family there. Then afterward I want to have food-- nothing fancy, I'd love to have a 'make-your-own-sandwich' buffet-- and a cake and a dance floor where we can all dance to my favorite mp3s, no DJ necessary. Basically, I want to have a really fun party with yummy food and good music and all my friends around me.

That's all I want. It's nothing monumental. So why does it seem so impossible to get?

You know what else sucks? I live in San Diego, but I can hardly ever wear sandals because I have to have closed-toe shoes in lab.

Comments

[thedan.livejournal.com]

*cough* *cough* Chick-Fil-A *cough*

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

Oh sweetie, you'd better believe that if the closest Chick-Fil-A weren't 90 miles away, they'd be catering my wedding.

(Yes, I am dead serious.)

[wesleyjenn.livejournal.com]

I decided long ago that there would be Chik-Fil-A at my wedding. Those nugget platters? Oh baby...

[nmissi.livejournal.com]

Jaina, honey- have you checked with the bed and breakfast crowd? Historic homes that do tours? Private clubs and organisations?

It's not only parks that have pretty trees and shrubs. Call the local botanical whatsit- and ask them if they know of any garden locations that rent out for special events. I believe there's a San Diego Horticultural Society you could call. If there are private homes on the historic house register that occasionally allow tours (we have similiar in Old Louisville; private family homes that participate in twice yearly 'house tours') you might call a few and just ask if they would be interested in renting out their garden for a small, private wedding.

One other thing you can do- talk to your teachers and elders in the community. Find out if there is someone on staff who knows you and likes you, and might be able to pull strings to help you find 'someone who knows someone' who has exactly what you're looking for.

Dammit, I feel so useless here. I'm on the wrong side of the country. If I were there with you, I'd be making these calls myself, I'd be calling anyone and everyone with a picturesque setting, going, "How much to rent this spot on such and such date?" ... Oh- another point. Don't be afraid to haggle, you never know- the worst thing that can happen is they can say no. What have you got to lose?

Oh- another thing- have you checked with the zoo? Not kidding- I know a couple who got married there and loved it.

Aren't there any small parks nearby that you could use? Rope some friends and family into arranging canopies and decorating picnic table areas?

If you're committed to the idea of an outdoor wedding, tell your caterer up front- you'll need to serve a cake that is stable at that temperature for some time. (No whipped creams, or cream cheeses, sadly.) And if you need it, I've got the instructions for building a cheapie "cake tent" to keep the tiny wildlife off your wedding cake during the proceedings. :) It's mostly netting, and actually quite pretty.

One last thought... pretty cemeteries. No, I'm not kidding. I got married in a medieval style chapel inside a cemetery- and the pictures we took outside were gorgeous, there were several meditating spots with very attractive, park like settings, for pictures. Here's a link to that spot- but it has some pretty lousy pictures on the site. Very dark. Mine are better. :)

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyoldham/cem/duncanchapel.html

[julietvalcouer.livejournal.com]

Uh--what Missi said. Yeah.

I don't know the museum scene in San Diego, but sometimes art museums in particular have pretty garden courts or courtyards and as museums are almost always desperate for money, they can be very obliging about renting. (I'd love to have a wedding in the court of the Freer Gallery in Washington, or at the National Gallery with their conservatory room.) That often comes with really nice architecture for framing photos.

My only qualm with the zoo would be when I think 'zoo' and 'San Diego' I think 'San Diego Zoological Park" and I would be they are NOT cheap.

If you like, I can ask my friend Becca, who lived in SD for three years doing her psych Masters at SDSU if she can think of any off-the-beaten-path places with nice outdoor settings.

And can I assume you like blues? Because if I can one of your presents is going to be finished a lot faster!

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

You conclude rightly! Blue is my favorite color, and the wedding colors are likely to be white and multiple shades of blue.

It'd be great if you could ask your friend for opinions. One thing I'm desperately short on here is contacts in the community. Almost everyone I know is a recent transplant to the area.

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

The problem is that since I'm so new to the area, and everyone I know here is new as well, I'm not sure how to find stuff, aside from lots of googling and going over lists of reception sites. I wish there were more STUFF on the Internet. Especially stuff with photos of the places.

Another issue is that we're going to have ~100 people at the wedding, and a lot of the nice city gardens or historical places only hold around 50. I did some websearching for Balboa Park and most of the spaces are too small for us. :( I'd really love to find one place where we can have *both* the ceremony and the reception.

I'm seriously looking into county parks; they have a decent website and there are a couple parks with nice gazebos for a wedding and picnic areas with pavilions, tables, and electricity for a reception. They're all inland or really far north, but easily driveable. There are two I'd definitely like to visit, to see how nice/not nice they are. Unfortunately, San Diego *city* parks (all much closer to home, since San Diego is friggin' HUGE, geographically speaking) have almost no web presence, and I can't even find a list giving the locations of all the parks. Yeah, I'll try to find a phone number, but I have an unhealthy fear of calling people. Really freaks me out. In person or email is fine, but the phone scares me.

What's great about outdoor weddings around here is that the temperature is quite stable year-round (though as you go further inland, you start to get actual seasons), it hardly ever rains, and there are almost no bugs. It's a beautiful thing.

And unfortunately, the zoo is not available for weddings right now. You can get married at the Wild Animal Park, though.

[nmissi.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've been googling. Looks like it's a 250.00 flat fee for a permit to use a park that allows weddings.

Here's a list of parks that allow weddings:

1. Shelter Island
A mile-long park and promenade that spans the bayside length of Shelter
Island. It features a public fishing pier, boat launching ramp and sweeping views of the bay and San Diego skyline.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 200
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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2. Harbor Island
Located near the west end of the island, the park area affords visitors an
expansive view of bay activities. Harbor Island features a shoreline path for walkers and joggers and a route for bikers.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 200
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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3. Spanish Landing Park
An historical landmark, the site commemorates the 1769 meeting of the
Gaspar DePortola and Father Junipero Serra expeditions. The park features a pedestrian path, bike route, picnic tables, benches and the Callaway Carillon bell tower.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 1,000
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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4. Tuna Harbor
Named for the commercial fishing industry in San Diego, this park provides
visitors with shaded areas to relax, a scenic promenade for walking or
jogging, bike routes and a perfect vantage point for viewing the diverse
boating activity of San Diego Bay.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 200
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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8.Pepper Park
Named after National City businessman and civic leader Leonard Pepper, this 5 ½ acre park has picnic areas, a busy boat launching ramp and a fishing pier equipped with lighting for night fishing.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 1,000
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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9. Bayside Park
Surrounded by marinas, restaurants and shopping, Bayside Park features a fishing pier, picnic and game tables, biking and walking paths and open spaces for play. The park is enhanced by a picturesque view of South Bay.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 2,000
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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10. Marina View Park
The Port joined the city of Chula vista to develop this park with play
equipment, picnic tables and benches, an open play area and pleasing views of the bay.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 200
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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11. Chula Vista Bayfront
This popular park has a public boat launching ramp and is beautifully landscaped. The famous sculpture "Konoids" by Kenneth Capps adorns the shoreline of the park.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 500
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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14. Grand Caribe Shoreline Park
Adjacent to the Coronado Cays this park features unique natural plants and California native plants which have been planted throughout the park to enhance the existing plant communities and to provide an educational botanical setting. In addition to the native plant species, the park was designed with a naturalized meandering path, benches, a bike rack and beautiful bronze sculpture entitled "Sheltering Wings".
Maximum Occupancy for Events: N/A
Weddings/Receptions: N/A
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15.Coronado Tidelands Park
The largest Port park, Tidelands Park offers a small beach, recreational fields, picnic areas and plenty of open space for a variety of outdoor activities. A scenic bike path extends from the Silver Strand to the Old Ferry Landing.
Maximum Occupancy for Events: 3,000
Weddings/Receptions: Yes
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One last idea: Sometimes neighborhoods, apartment groups, and condominiums have "event spaces" i. e., party rooms/gardens that can be rented by the tenants for special occasions. If you know someone in such a situation, and they like you well enough, they can rent the space in their name, for your wedding. Ask around. Be creative; look at the photographic and memory potential in ordinary spaces. The day will be what you make it- even the VFW hall can be beautiful, with enough love and attention to detail put into organising the day.

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

Thanks for finding these! I hadn't found this website yet. Some of these look promising, although none of them has electricity, which would be a bit of a hassle.

Thanks for all you help! (Also, the place you got married is beautiful!)