Step1
The Kohl Mansion in Burlingame makes a lovely wedding venue for either a ceremony or a reception, or both. In only a couple of years, Frederick and Bessie Kohl transformed 40 woodland acres in Burlingame into the stunning, elegant Kohl Mansion. However, this gorgeous brick estate and its exquisite gardens and ponds has hosted countless social events from 1914 to the present. Their Great Hall with its hardwood floor and wood-paneled wall makes for a very lovely, formal look. There are several other areas, both indoors and out for your ceremony and/or reception and these sites can handle from 200 to 600 guests. Their staff will also provide you with a list of preferred vendors for other services you’ll need for your wedding. (Visit kohl-mansion for more details)
Step2
Next is the Los Altos History Museum with its beautifully landscaped Museum grounds. Outdoor events in their garden must start after 4:30pm, Tuesdays through Sundays, and indoors your event may begin anytime after 4pm on the same days. Their outdoor venues can handle up to 200-seated guests and indoor about 100 people. They have a spacious room for the bride to get ready in, services from an event coordinator and docents who can give historical tours to your guests (great idea for the cocktail party!) The blooming garden will make great backgrounds for your wedding photos. (Contact them at losaltoshistory.org for more informations.
Step3
The next wedding site is a café located at one of the peninsula’s oldest hotel, the Best Western El Rancho Inn in Millbrae. Nestled amid the natural beauty of lush flowering gardens and sparkling fountains, their Terrace Café is a superb venue to a wedding reception. I’ve been to private functions and eaten in their dining room several times and both were excellent. For an outdoor setting, you might have cocktails on their lovely tiled patio or, perhaps, a Sunday brunch. They can handle about 150 guests at their indoor location. Their staff is wonderful and will be very helpful in planning your nuptials. It’s also very well located to the San Francisco Airport – if you stay at least one night, their van will transport you to/from the airport at no charge. However, the rooms are pretty small and very full of furniture. I definitely would not suggest staying here for anyone in a wheelchair or with limited walking abilities – the blacktop and walkway to each guest room is rather uneven. Having said that, it’s very clean, has nice amenities and is an excellent choice for many of your guests flying into town for your wedding to stay at for one or two nights. They include a nice breakfast in their bar every morning. The entire property also has that wonderful Early California look and charm.
Step4
Next are the wedding venues at the Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside, a charming community in the hills above the SF peninsula. Twenty five acres of Burgundian-style varietals are planted on their 325 acre estate. The mountain top setting has sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay Area. They can handle about 220 guests in a variety of settings both inside and out. Should you prefer a “wine-only” option, they’ll provide your wine at a 10% discount and buy back any unused bottles. There are changing rooms provided for both the bride and groom. There are some limitations on the type of music, number of instruments and microphone use allowed on some of the lawn areas. (Contact them at forgarywinery.com for more information.)
Step5
For larger weddings look to the Pacific Athletic Club at Redwood Shores. They can handle up to 1000 guests in a variety of interesting wedding venues. Arriving, you’ll see the distinctive, green copper pyramid-shaped roofs of a seven-acre complex of event spaces, restaurant, pools and athletic courts. Once you enter the foyer you’ll step onto a tan mosaic flagstone floor where empty space soars to thirty-five feet, with huge Douglas-fir poles supporting an enormous skylight. They have several rooms of varying sizes for indoor events and lawn areas, a patio and courtyard area for outdoor events. They only allow beer and wine to be served. Their athletic facilities include a spa, tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums, locker rooms, etc. (Visit them at pacclubevents.com for details.)
Step6
Last is the Wedgewood Banquet Center at Crystal Springs, one of the most picturesque event centers in the area. Here you’ll find a golf course set in a backdrop of hills, a meandering steam, deer feeding in the meadow, and a great location just off of Fwy. 280, in the hills above the peninsula. The club's main building, a warm white with gray-green trim, sits at the edge of gentle terraces dropping off towards the Crystal Springs Reservoir. To reach it, you walk along a red-carpeted terrace with a sweeping vista of the golf course. And, often you’ll spot deer placidly grazing the course, as golf balls whiz by them. They have several wedding packages you can select from, ranging from a simple ceremony to appetizers-only reception, brunch and several course meals. They will provide your alcohol, dancing and most other services needed for your wedding. (Visit their website at wedgewoodbanquet.com for more information.)
There are many dozen more wedding venues in the peninsula but this will you some ideas.
Happy wedding planning!
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