The Ultimate San Diego Wedding Venue Guide

When you start planning your celebration, one of the very first decisions you’ll make is choosing your San Diego wedding venue. From coastal estates to mountain retreats, the venue sets the tone for your entire wedding experience. As a San Diego-based planner who specializes in destination-inspired, design-focused events, I’ve curated some of the city’s most iconic spaces to help you envision where your story could unfold. As a San Diego wedding planner, I don’t just help you book a space. I guide you toward the one that amplifies your vision and then elevate it into something you never imagined possible.

San Diego isn’t just a city with ocean views and sunny skies — it’s one of the most versatile wedding destinations in California. You can get married on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, in a Spanish-style estate, a modern downtown loft, or a vineyard that feels pulled straight from Italy. But here’s the truth: the right venue is more than a backdrop. It’s the foundation for your entire design story, your guest experience, and ultimately, your wedding memories.

Here are a few of my favorite venues in San Diego — not just because they’re beautiful (they are), but because I know how to design them into extraordinary experiences.

Best San Diego Wedding Venue for: Coastal Views

La Valencia Hotel — Glamour That Speaks for Itself

The “Pink Lady of La Jolla” doesn’t need an introduction. With sweeping ocean views and Mediterranean charm, La Valencia is iconic. But iconic doesn’t mean predictable.
✨ My Take: We lean into drama here — lush florals that complement the blush facade, candlelit terraces for cocktail hour, and bold design choices that feel timeless and unexpected.

Scripps Seaside Forum — Modern, Clean, Coastal

This venue is the definition of effortless cool. Glass walls that open straight to the Pacific. Sunsets that feel like they were curated just for you.
✨ My Take: Minimalist architecture doesn’t mean minimal design. I love sculptural florals, sleek lounge vignettes, and lighting that makes the entire horizon feel like part of the party.

Alila Marea Beach Resort

 

This resort is ideal for couples dreaming of an elevated beachfront wedding, complete with modern suites, a world-class spa, and ceremony backdrops that frame the ocean at golden hour.

✨ My Take: Alila Marea feels like a hidden escape — chic, contemporary, and infused with California cool. What I love most here is the way it balances luxury with intimacy: guests can stay on-site, unwind by the water, and then step into a celebration that feels both relaxed and refined.

Top San Diego Winery Wedding Venues

Milagro Winery — Tuscany, Without the Plane Ticket

Rolling hills, golden light, and vineyards that feel like Italy. Milagro is pure romance.
✨ My Take: This is where organic textures, long family-style tables, and slow meals under the stars thrive. It’s not about staging a wedding — it’s about crafting an experience that lingers.

West Wynd Ranch — History, Texture and Story

If you want an immersive and exclusive wedding weekend, this hidden gem tucked into North County absolutely delivers. West Wynd gives it all. 
✨ My Take: This 100+ acre property is completely transformative. With the right design you and your guests could have an amazing experience leaning into aesthetics that are comparative to Santa Ynez or even Jackson Hole.

Monserate Winery — Elegance Meets Limitless Design

Monserate Winery is an “it girl” location tucked in away in Fallbrook. It’s surrounded by rolling hills and lush vineyards. Sunlit courtyards and rustic elegance make it ideal for romantic, intimate weddings while still feeling effortlessly elevated. It gives European vibes and sophistication in each event space plus — they’re expanding.

✨ My Take: What I love about Monserate is the untapped potential to move beyond traditional vineyard weddings and do something truly unique. The hills and vines provide a stunning backdrop, but the space itself invites creativity — bold color palettes, unexpected lounge areas, sculptural florals, and editorial touches all feel at home here.

San Diego Wedding Venue for: Modern Style

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

Perched on the cliffs of La Jolla, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego offers a one-of-a-kind wedding experience. With its sleek architecture, world-class art collections, and oceanfront terraces, this venue is made for couples who want their day to feel modern, bold, and unforgettable. The clean lines and open spaces create a striking canvas for any design vision.

✨ My Take: The interplay of contemporary architecture with sweeping ocean views makes every celebration feel editorial-worthy. It’s the perfect spot for daring floral installations, sculptural tablescapes, and a fashion-forward aesthetic.

Luce on Kettner — Chic Minimalism

Bright, polished, and fashion-forward. Luce is like a white-walled gallery waiting to be styled.
✨ My Take: Here, restraint is the luxury. Clean tablescapes, intentional florals, and bold accents make the space feel editorial without being cold.

San Diego Wedding Venue in: Nature

Sacred Mountain — Private, Expansive

Julian’s Sacred Mountain feels like a retreat. Mountains, meadows, and silence that makes everything else fade away.
✨ My Take: This venue calls for natural textures and sweeping gestures — tented receptions glowing under the stars, floral design that blends with the landscape, and cozy details that make a big space feel intimate.

The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Surrounded by eucalyptus groves, this The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe is a  luxury estate that combines elegance with laid-back countryside vibes.

✨ My Take: I love this venue for couples who want an elevated yet understated celebration: it’s luxurious without being flashy, grounded in nature but still polished.

Historic San Diego Wedding Venue Ideas

Darlington House — Old-World, Never Outdated

Spanish tile, lush gardens, and architecture with soul. La Jolla’s Darlington House is romance, period.
✨ My Take: Patterned china, cascading florals, candlelit courtyards. Every inch of this space whispers intimacy and elegance.

The Lafayette Hotel — Retro, Bold, and Playful

Newly reimagined, The Lafayette doesn’t try to blend in — and neither should you.
✨ My Take: I love leaning into its personality. Bold palettes, cheeky details, curated lounges, and of course, a poolside after-party that feels like old Hollywood meets Palm Springs.

Horton Grand Hotel — Victorian Elegance in the Gaslamp

Nestled in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, the Horton Grand Hotel offers vintage charm with its red brick exterior, romantic courtyard, and classic Victorian architecture. It’s ideal for couples who want a downtown wedding with a touch of history.
✨ My Take: This venue shines with a mix of classic romance and modern edge — think candlelit courtyards, layered textures, and bold details that play off its architectural character.

My Signature Venue Tours

Here’s where we make the search easy. Instead of endless Googling and second-guessing, my clients experience curated venue tours:

• A tailored itinerary of spaces that actually match your vision

• A built-in lunch break to breathe and reflect

• A post-tour debrief to narrow it down and imagine the design possibilities

It’s not just about visiting venues. It’s about clarity, confidence, and setting the stage for everything else. This service is built into both my Full Service Planning and Planning Partnership packages.

The Bottom Line

San Diego isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s coastal, it’s urban, it’s historic, it’s modern — and the right venue unlocks the wedding you actually want.

As a San Diego wedding planner, my role is to cut through the overwhelm, guide you toward the perfect space, and then transform it into something extraordinary.