May 31, 2006

Curious George: Wedding Filter Help save me from the hell of wedding planing! I'm overseas right now and trying to plan a wedding in California.

Calling places isn't really an option so I have to rely on the web and my google fu has let me down. I have to narrow down the possible places because I'm going over to LA in a few weeks but will only be there for a few day to visit potential sites and I must put down deposits while I'm there. I need to find clear websites for all inclusive wedding packages for the Southern California area that have included full price listings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. (As it stands I'm about to lose my mind....) Can any of you monkeys give me a hand?

posted by gorgeousjunkie 18 years ago
  • Congrats, gorgeous! And as usual, I have nothing to contribute, sorry. But congratulations! *smells MoFiLA meetup in the air* *needs pics and shoutouts* *quietly grumbles about yet another wedding, goes back to wander around on lavalife* *gives up, looks for quidquorpse*
  • Oh -- OH -- although this totally wouldn't be my bag, and I couldn't imagine marrying anyone whose bag this would be, but Disneyland seems to have packages available. Which can presumably be arranged long-range. I would guess that looking at resorts or casinos would be the simplest way to go. There must be other options around there like Disney's deal...
  • dreadnought and I planned a wedding long-distance, but it was basically a family affair, and we had people on site to do stuff. What do you mean by all inclusive? The place where our chapel (dreadnought's old uni) also hosted the reception and dinner, but that was it. We got an officiate and a band on our own, bought flowers that week (easy with only two bouquets). What else is there?
  • That said, if what you are looking for is a place to have the ceremony and reception/dinner (and can find your own officiate - which isn't hard from overseas, we did that bit), universities are good places. They often have chapels or worship spaces, have catering, and are less tacky than those Disney weddings.
  • What else is there? The bottle of ouzo and a donkey?
  • Oh (lots of comments sorry) - we didn't call many people on the phone - actually, we even used internet phone with our parents. We emailed the officiate (through a website that links non-religious officates with couples) and the band from outside the country. The university college chapel we booked when we were in the country briefly six months before, but might have been able to do by email as well. Flowers can also be ordered online, and most caterers probably can set up orders by email as well. I've seen wedding cakes online too. Is there a reason you want all inclusive? Were you worried that you couldn't do anything else from overseas or is it that you just don't have time? Because it would be possible to get all the bits from overseas, but it does take more time than all inclusive. Which ever is easiest for you is the most important, but going all inclusive may restrict your choices and increase your budget substantially. If that isn't an issue, no problem, but we saved a lot of money by not going all inclusive (local florist did the flowers, moms baked and decorated the beautiful and delicious cake), and got choices we wouldn't have had otherwise (like a ceilidh band and caller instead of a dj). If you are looking for alternatives, I would be happy to tell you about some of what we found was not very much work. I was only in the country a week before the wedding, and my husband only a few days before he drove 12 hours to pick me up, so we know what it's like to have to do everything long-distance and have very little time to finish up. In that week, my mother sewed a wedding dress (from cutting to finished) and the groom made the headdress, his mother decorated the wedding cake, the seating plan was made, essential bits of the grooms outfit bought, the best man's suit rented - the bouquets were ordered the day before the wedding - it was all very last minute, but very possible, and worked.
  • how about the queen mary in long beach? i hear they have all inclusive packages.
  • congrats!
  • I generally do ALL my welding from overseas. That way I don't have to wear a funny mask to protect my eyes.
  • Oh, and congratulations!
  • Yes, an useless, no-info post. Feel free to skip. Gosh. Just been thru the oddysey of a close relative's wedding, and even being on-site and with months-long planning it was quite an... experience. Good luck and congratulations, gorgeous! Hey, done yet with the quorpse, Capt.?
  • Sure -- you might want to rinse it out, though. Maybe with some CLR.
  • If you really want to escape wedding hell, meet me tonight. Bring lots of booze; you'll need it.
  • Thanks for the Queen Mary tip Peach! I looked up the site and am verrrrryyy impressed! We have a lead...
  • okay gorgeous, then there's lake arrowhead. here's a link. it's beautiful up there, but maybe too far? http://www.lake-arrowhead-weddings.com/
  • or there's catalina island. they have all-inclusive packages, too.
  • one more, www.electracruises.com you can cruise in newport beach and get married on a ship.
  • We had our wedding here, at sunset: http://www.laventa.com/ Beautiful venue, spectacular view. Congratulations.
  • Chimaera and I were married at Vasquez Rocks in April of 2004, with the full moon rising the same time the sun was setting in a cradle in the hills. It was indeed an event.