Plan A Perfect Coastside Tour Around Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay Coastside Tours offers a 2-day all-inclusive tour of the San Mateo Coastside or will design a custom tour for groups of 6 or more.
This week I’m showcasing this new Coastside business run by vacation and travel experts, Ginger Minoletti and Mary Corcoran.
Let me walk you thorough their tour offerings or read the narrative below.
Watch on YouTube or a larger version here at Weddings By the Sea.
If you’re visiting the Coastside near SF and think it might be helpful to have personalized assistance exploring the HMB Coastside, we’re pleased to recommend a new business, Half Moon Bay Coastside Tours.
This service is owned and operated by Mary Corcoran and Ginger Minoletti, two Coastside businesswomen who are long term local residents and know every nook and cranny of the area. You can learn more about them here on their About Page.
HMBCoastsideTours.com offers 2 services:
- First, a 2-day getaway Coastside tour package with accommodations and activities. Fill out a short Contact form and they’ll respond within 48 hours.
- Then, they can design a customized Coastside tour, a travel package based on your unique interests and needs. Check areas of interest on their Inquiry form and suggest other in the comment area.
Why Half Moon Bay? This page lists some Activities and Events you can consider, and shows why this area is such a popular destination location in the Bay Area.
Their Gallery shows off some of the Coastside.
We recommend this site to all brides and grooms using our Destination Wedding Ceremony Package as a fun thing they can offer their out of town wedding guests and for themselves in the days before or after their wedding.
Visit HMB Coastside Tours today and discover why they’re the best choice for discovering the Coastside, tours guided by Mary and Ginger, two travel professionals and local Coastside residents.
Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below, if on master page go to Reception Location.
8 Tips For Your California Garden Wedding
A California garden wedding provides natural beauty for your ceremony.
Here are 8 tips for planning a garden wedding ceremony.
- Garden settings can be a low cost option for your wedding, especially if the location is a public park. Many County and State Parks will allow weddings to be held. Be sure you obtain permits if it’s a public place. There are also low cost garden options like Hastings House Garden in Half Moon Bay.
- Mother nature provides a beautiful backdrop and a well tended garden can enhance the setting. Consider what flowers are in bloom when considering the colors for bridemaids dresses, bridal/attendant bouquets and other flowers you might add to complement the garden. You might consider a bridal bouquet with the same flowers found in the garden.
- Be sure to walk around the location several times within the season for your wedding date and the time of day, this way you will know what’s in bloom, how private the area is and whether there is a bug problem you need to address.
- Know the weather. Plan for the right month and also the time of day. . If choosing a mid-day ceremony you’ll want a shaded area so your officiant and you are not squinting and the photographer has good light for the ceremony and pictures after the ceremony.
- You’ll also want a backup plan if rain is a possibility; renting a tent of canopy is always an option. .
- Although an archway is not at necessary, it can add a look of elegance. Putting bows on your chairs to spruce them up a bit or having decorative umbrellas can add some additional color and playfulness.
- Usually a garden wedding is more causal, so many brides choose a shorter, tea length gown. For the groom, some decide on dress pants and a short-sleeve button down shirt or a linen or cotton suit. Appropriate shoes is a must, stilittos make it a little hard to navigate on grass! It’s also a good idea to specify in your invitations that you’re having a garden wedding, alerting them guests about whether it’s a formal or more causal event.
- Finally, think about allergies. Be prepared with your allergy medication if you use one and alert friends and family who suffer from allergies, so that they should come prepared as well.
Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below, if on master page go to California Garden Wedding.
4 Best Beach Locations For An Affordable Low Budget Wedding
State Beaches Around Half Moon Bay CA – Affordable Low Budget Wedding Locations
The San Mateo Coastside has many beach location for recreation, but there are four beaches that are best suited for a small wedding ceremony. For a couple or a wedding planner, these locations are certainly ones to consider for a low budget, more affordable wedding location.
Let’s travel down the Coastside, starting just south of Pacifica at Montara Beach.
Traveling south on Highway 1, just north of Half Moon Bay you find Roosevelt Beach.
Just south of Half Moon Bay, on the way to the Ritz-Carlton on Miramontes Pt. Road, there is a parking lot that begins the access to a short walk to Pelican Point Beach.
7 miles further on Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay is San Gregorio Beach; there are several bluff top locations and you can also walk down to the beach for a feet-in-the-sand ceremony location.
At Weddings By The Sea we have used all of these beach locations for our Destination Wedding Package, and I’ve officiated where the couple or a wedding planner has obtained the Permit themselves and planned out the rest of the wedding for groups of up to 50 people.
For those who want to move up the scale of cost for a wedding location, there are many fine venues on the San Mateo County Coastside. Here are a number of them.
Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below; if on master Blog page go to 4 Best Beach Locations.
Affordable Reception Restaurant Location – Low Budget
Questions To Ask When Planning An Affordable Reception Restaurant Location
Last post I wrote about low budget, Affordable Wedding Locations. Choosing to have your wedding in a more affordable location usually means having your reception and wedding in different locations. Restaurants have become a popular and affordable reception location or venue for a low budget wedding, especially for smaller weddings.
Why does a restaurant save you money over renting a facility?
- No chairs, tableware, glassware, and linens to rent.
- No need have to hire a caterer.
- Decorations and decor are already in place because a restaurant comes with an inviting, welcoming ambiance.
What other reasons are there for choosing a restaurant?
- A broad choice of unique locations.
- Most restaurants come with a distinctive ambiance and décor, which allows for individual taste being reflected in your environment.
- Restaurants have a particular and unique cuisine.
- Restaurants want return business, unlike a wedding location, so often you get more personal attention.
How do you find a suitable restaurant to fit your low budget wedding?
- Search Google using these possible search phrases: (city, county, or state) restaurant reception location (site), (city, county, or state) restaurant wedding reception location (site)
- Search local Chamber of commerce: at Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber you can do a search for restaurants.
- Consider a restaurant that doesn’t normally have receptions, perhaps one where you are a regular customer and they may be open for your reception.
- Here is a list of San Mateo Coastside restaurant locations at Weddings By The Sea.
Sam's Chowder House Restaurant
What things should you consider, what questions should you ask?
- Can the restaurant handle your number of guests?
- Do they have a location apart from regular diners or do you need to rent the whole location? The best option when you have a limited budget is to choose a location with more than one dining area or that has private dining facilities.
- Is there an option for brunch or buffet? What is the cost difference between a sit-down dinner and a buffet?
- Are their options for dishes to select from? Can there be individual ordering for each guest?
- Are there enough bathrooms and parking?
- What amenities are included with the event?
- Does the quoted price include the waitperson’s tips and parking for the guests?
One final tip: Be sure to test the food several times yourself and experiment with different dishes.
Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below, if on master page go to Reception Location.