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.

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.

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.

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.

In this economy, there are many reasons for considering a more affordable,  low budget wedding, everything from one of you being out of work to trying to save up to purchase a home.

In the next few blog posts, I’ll suggest some ways to adjust costs in order to have a less expensive wedding.

Roosevelt State Beach

Let’s start with finding a low budget location. One way to make a wedding more affordable is to save on location so you can spend more on your photography and other elements you value.

Start with a Google and Bing search for the following keyword phrases (add you specific city, county, or state…search for “location” and then same phrase with “venue”):

•  (city, county, or state) affordable wedding location (venue)
•  (city, county, or state) inexpensive wedding location (venue)
•  (city, county, or state) cheap wedding location (venue)
•  (city, county, or state) low cost wedding location (venue)
•  (city, county, or state) low budget wedding location (venue)

Next consider locations that are not formal wedding venues, but might be good options for your wedding ceremony location.

• Public spaces like beaches.
• National and local parks.
• State beaches
• Restaurants.
• Performing arts centers or theaters.
• Lighthouses.
• Your college or University.
• Bed and breakfast.
• Home or private garden.
• Community center buildings.

In addition to these, even more expensive locations can be affordable. It’s worth researching the following and then comparing your options:

• Special discounts for booking reservations early.
• An off-season date such as fall, winter, or early spring.
• Weekdays.
• Morning wedding.

Three other suggestions may help you find that special location you can also manage financially.

• Consider having your reception at a different location, i.e., a restaurant.
• Instead of a reception immediately following the wedding, have a party later that is in a less expensive location.
• Consider an all-inclusive package. Our Weddings By The Sea Destination Package is an example of an inexpensive approach to a simple wedding ceremony.

I’ll look at these last three ideas in a later post in this series on affordable low budget weddings.

Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below,  if on master Blog page go to Affordable Location.

I wrote about this unique location in a blog post in  2009 , explaining the building and its history.

This time I’m including  to some visuals and a link to our website for a video of this unique, lovely Chapel in downtown Half Moon Bay.

Weddings by The Sea includes this wedding location as an option for our Destination Wedding Packages and I’ve performed many ceremonies there over the years, enjoying everyone.

They have a piano available and a very efficient wedding coordinator, Danise Conrad. We’ve used Michael Wong and Kirk Moore as photographers for our ceremonies over the  years; they do stunning work like the ones below Michael shot.

 At our website you can also view our YouTube video showing the outside and inside of the chapel.

Authored by Terry Plank – Comment below, if on master page go to Reception Location.

Getting a Marriage License in California for a ceremony in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay or any  location in California is as simple as filling out the paperwork in any County Clerk’s Office in California. A license is valid for use in any other county in California.

If you are coming out of the State of California you can be married in California, it’s not necessary to establish residence.  All you need to do is bring a valid photo ID for each of you to receive the marriage license. You will bring that license to your ceremony for the officiant to fill in and a witness to validate.

The two of you need to arrive a minimum of a day before your ceremony to get your license; in some counties you can make an appointment, otherwise just show up. It’s a good idea to check with their office though to be sure they are open for the day you plan to get your license.

Your license is valid for 90 days after you obtain it.  The officiant will mail it in after the ceremony and you can obtain a certified copy once the County Clerk’s Office has received it and

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, here is a list of some of the County Clerk’s offices in the area.

Authored by Terry Plank

Harley Farms Goat Dairy is just a few miles south of Half Moon Bay in Pescadero CA. Originally a Mexican land grant, Pescadero was settled in the 1850′s and is a fun destination that includes this working goat dairy.

Harley Farms,  is open year-round for farm and dairy tours, cheese making classes, and events in their restored hayloft. After visiting the goats you can watch the milk move from goat to dairy, from curd to cheese.  Then you can shop in their unique country store for fresh goat milk cheese, bath and body products, and apparel like a Shetland wool cap.

They have many different events on the farm and are also available for weddings, private events, corporate events, and their unique Farm Dinners where they serve you a special meal in their converted original hayloft. That dinner is served on a Redwood table milled from a huge log that was salvaged from floating down Pescadero Creek in a during a heavy rail season.

Visit their website at Harley Farms Goat Dairy or contact them at contactus@HarleyFarms.com – (650) 879-0480.  Or drop on by at 205 North Street in Pescadero California. From Half Moon Bay, drive 17 miles south on Highway 1 Pescadero Creek Road .

Authored by Terry Plank

To get to Coastal Canyon Events, you first drive a little south of Half Moon Bay then  up a canyon to the top of a hill overlooking the San Mateo County Coastside.  It’s probably the best long views towards the Pacific Ocean and Half Moon Bay I know of for a wedding ceremony setting.

This site can seat up to 250 people with a parking area for up to 150 cars.

The area for the wedding ceremony is surrounded on three sides by hay fields that gives a sense of space and remote beauty.  Candace, co-owner, is a “concrete artist” by trade and so she has incorporated many unique concrete sculptures and massive rocks to give added beauty and a feeling of expansiveness.

It comes complete with

• Glassed in stage
• Enclosed  kitchen for your caterer
• Dressing area for the Bride
• Several restrooms
• Electrical generator
• Security lighting.

This location would be good for an elegant affair and is an especially unique location for a country western wedding theme.

Get more information at www.coastalcanyonevents.com or contact Candace at (650) 224-7933.

Authored by Terry Plank ]]> http://www.weddingsbythesea.com/blog/coastal-canyon-wedding-location/feed/ 0 http://www.weddingsbythesea.com/blog/sams-chowder-house-wedding-location-reception/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sams-chowder-house-wedding-location-reception http://www.weddingsbythesea.com/blog/sams-chowder-house-wedding-location-reception/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:53:36 +0000 admin http://www.weddingsbythesea.com/blog/?p=552 One Of The Best Coastside Ceremony Location Ocean Views

Sam’s Chowder House offers one of the best ocean view locations  for a wedding ceremony and reception in the Half Moon Bay area.  The have both outdoor and indoor locations for a ceremony. Outside, I’ve performed several ceremonies on the beach at the harbor below the restaurant; they also have a nice grass area on site that offers a beach wedding location without getting sand in your shoes!

As for the food, well they have award-winning seafood and everything I’ve had there at receptions and for general dining has been of the highest quality and flavor.  The service staff for weddings are experienced and helpful so you are in good hands for the ceremony and the reception following.

Sam’s web site is one of the best of the San Mateo County Coastside wedding vendors and services.  They have a very helpful Web Cam mounted on the roof, you can see both north and south so you’re never surprised by what the weather might hold if you’re traveling over for the day.

Look over their site at www.samschowderhouse.com; contact them at 650 712-0245 or at events@samschowderhouse.com. Terry is available as an officiant here and any Bay Area locations.

Authored by Terry Plank ]]> http://www.weddingsbythesea.com/blog/sams-chowder-house-wedding-location-reception/feed/ 0