If you’re thinking of travelling to San Diego for your wedding, you may want to look at unconventional wedding venues instead of the same boring spots that everyone else gets hitched. If you visited San Diego ahead of time to pick out your wedding venue, then you probably already have an idea of what you’re looking for. For everyone else, here are some great places to consider that you probably wouldn’t discover on your own.
Temecula Valley Wineries
An oenophile can’t go wrong with a visit to the wineries in Temecula Valley. There are several different vineyards you can choose from, with accommodations for any size wedding party. You can say your vows in a vine-shaded arbor, and then accompany your reception meal with flights of wine from the local stock.
Balboa Park
There are over a dozen wedding and reception venues to choose from in Balboa Park. You can go upscale with the San Diego Museum of Art, whimsical at the San Diego Zoo, or quite eccentric with a ceremony at the Model Railroad Museum. There are plenty of outside ceremony and photography locations in the park as well, with lush greenery and plenty of beautiful flowers.
Maritime Museum
If you’d like to get married on a boat, but aren’t into the whole “open ocean” thing, the Maritime Museum has two great options moored right to the docks on the bay. There’s the dual-decked old-time ferryboat the Berkley, with Victorian charm to spare. Then for a truly unique experience, there’s the Star of India, a 200-year-old tall ship with full masts and rigging that has circled the globe 21 times. You can have your ceremony and reception right on the deck in the shadow of the sails.
Birch Aquarium
The aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography is perched on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You can say your vows on the Tide Pool Plaza while you watch the sun sink into the water. Or you can go for a more whimsical setting and have the ceremony at the Boundless Energy exhibit, where your guests can learn about renewable energy and power a kinetic sculpture with bicycle pedals and hand cranks.
San Diego Comic Con
If you and your partner share some nerdy obsessions–and you’re not obsessed with privacy or opposed to crowds–there’s really only one choice for a wedding in San Diego, and that’s the San Diego Comic-Con. It’ll have to be a small and unconventional ceremony, but it’s worth it to have cos-players and nerd legends alike as your witnesses.
Mount Helix Mountaintop
For the best views in San Diego, you can’t beat the mountaintop at Mount Helix Park. It’s on the top of a mountain (well, large hill) overlooking the city on one side and the ocean on the other, with truly breathtaking views in every direction. For a larger wedding party, there’s an amphitheater available for rental as well. Just imagine lighting some high quality wedding sparklers with your guests and gazing out at stunning views before you say your vows. It’s a wonderful way to have a beach wedding without the beach.
San Diego is a city with a mix of old-timey charm and sleek new construction. There’s no shortage of diversity in its population, entertainment options, and wedding venues. Whether you’re looking to get married on a boat or in a vine-covered arbor, San Diego has you covered.
