The venue - Monarch Cove Inn - Capitola California

 

Monarch Cove Inn

I need to take my own pictures. In the mean time, the picture above is from the venue website. You can see more pictures by clicking on the link above. 

We found it - the Wedding Venue

We found it - the perfect venue. But I admit that it's a little bittersweet. Don't get the wrong idea. I LOVE the venue - the venue is perfect.... It's just that... I liked looking! It was fun. It was an adventure. It required forethought and planning and I love planning....


So, where is our perfect place and what makes it so perfect?

The Monarch Cove Inn.
in Capitola (Santa Cruz) California. 

The criteria:  by the water,  private,  intimate,  inexpensive (less than $1,000 for the rental & bring your own caterer/alcohol) and ideally with lodging (at least nearby) for friends and family who don't live close by.

....OK, so we got everything but the less than $1,000 rental part. In fact the rental alone (no food, etc.) is my entire budget (which has since been adjusted from $5,000 to $15,000 after I did the calculations, post venue find). So why did we stop looking? We certainly had plenty of time to find something else. But what made this place so special? In a word; family. And when you read my story, you'll understand that our perfect place is priceless....


As I was marveling at the beauty: the 90 degree view of the Bay, the trees, and the flowers... The functionality: the deck, the bar, the lodging for 14, the privacy (2.5 acre B&B on a quiet residential street), the location (1/2 hour from home), the fact that we can bring our own caterer and alcohol... While I was thinking how perfect the venue was for all of the above reasons, my dear husband to be was looking over the bluff at the beach down below, and looking and thinking and looking and thinking.... I went over to him to find out what he was thinking. And when he told me, I cried, and I shivered, and I smiled.... He told me... that just down below where the beach met the Bay.... is where he spread his mother's ashes, just over a year ago. Once I composed myself, I told my dear husband to be that I was ready to write a check right then and there. So we went to lunch and talked about it and then we went back and we booked it! IT'S PERFECT! in every way!

Soquel Farmhouse

My FH isn't crazy about this one because he doesn't think it's private enough but it is definitely in my top 5. It has a large nicely landscaped yard, rooms for family, and we can bring our own caterer, alcohol, etc.  And the owner was really nice.

The search for the Venue (part 3)

While thoughts of getting married at a gorgeous winery fill my head, I am still hoping for a $5,000 budget and still hoping for a venue that meets (or at least comes close to) our ideal criteria. Thus, vacation rentals, boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts that allow small parties/weddings seems ideal and seems to fit my budget- many with a very reasonable rental rate depending on location and number of bedrooms.

San Juan Oaks Golf Club - San Juan Bautista

This would be a nice place for a big formal wedding but it was too "corporate" feeling for my taste and too formal for what we envision for our wedding.

Pietra Santa Winery - Hollister

I'm a member of this winery. And the property is beautiful. But it's a bit out of the way and the price to rent out this place is too high in my opinion.

Peachwoods - Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz

This place was OK. The price was decent and the catering seemed like a good value. But the entrance left much to be desired. While my future husband (FH) put it in his top five, I wasn't quite sold...

Hollins House - Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz

Wow! Breathtaking! My future husband (FH) predicts that this is where we'll get married. And while I love it, it is way out of my ideal budget. 

Seascape Beach Resort - Aptos

Also not in the budget but we just had to check it out!

The Ritz-Carlton - Half Moon Bay

Obviously, this was not a real consideration ($100,000 is not in the budget). And it was quite the joke when we walked in and my FH was wearing ragged dirty work shorts. But they treated us like any other serious contender....

La Hacienda Inn - Saratoga

I think this place was much nicer at some point, but it's not in the running for our wedding

Los Gatos Lodge

This one is also close to home but just not the right fit..

Hakone Gardens - Saratoga

The first time I saw this place, I knew it would be perfect for a wedding. t is definitely in my top 5.

Saratoga Foothill Club

This venue is close to home and in the City where my FH and I met but the outside area is really small and the parking is less than ideal.

The search for the Venue (part 2)

After the FH shot down the inexpensive (but too rustic for his taste) public parks, my research has moved on to more expensive locations: town halls, club rooms, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, wineries...

We've begun the search and I'll post some pictures and comments next, but I feel that some of these locations are either too corporate or too expensive, so the hunt is still on...

Highlands Park - Santa Cruz County Parks

I also liked this one, but it was next to a ballpark with lots of kids and noise.

Quail Hollow Ranch - Santa Cruz County Parks

I liked this one (the price was right) but it was a bit out of the way and no ocean/bay view.

Valencia Hall - Santa Cruz County Park

Inexpensive but nowhere to have a cermony/reception outside, so this one is out of the running.

Aptos Village - Santa Cruz County Park

Nice, but not private. We'll keep looking. 

The search for the Venue (part 1)

The prices are all over the board and I've began visiting the more affordable locations from my research: city and state parks. You get what you pay for with the parks and I'm fine with these venues; after all, our wedding is just an event and what's really important is the people and the celebration, not the aesthetics. However, my FH felt the park locations that we looked at were too rustic.....


I'll post pictures and brief comments next.