Email  Print  Feed

An Affair To Remember

Weekend weddings allow for memorable experiences and quality time with guests

(page 1 of 2)

AFTER SPENDING MONTHS PLANNING every last detail, it might seem as though your wedding day is here and gone in the blink of an eye. One day is simply not enough for spending quality time with guests and making wedding dreams come true, so more and more couples are planning weddings that span an entire weekend or longer. The options for wedding-related activities extend beyond the standard rehearsal dinner and morning-after brunch at the hotel. Today’s weddings are often unique three- and four-day affairs that the newlyweds—and their guests—will remember for a lifetime.

“I think it’s a matter of appreciating guests,” says Rachel Burger,wedding coordinator and owner of Bliss, a San Diego-area wedding planning business. “Also, if it’s a destination wedding—which many San Diego weddings are—it’s a wonderful way to treat out-of-town traveling guests to activities and meals. Some guests travel very far and have a lot of travel expenses, and it’s nice for them to be treated.”

Fortunately, with near-perfect weather all year long in San Diego, endless options abound for showing guests a good time. “There are so many quintessential San Diego activities that people can incorporate into a wedding weekend,” says Burger, who has helped many clients plan weekend-long weddings that include chartered bus tours (such as Old Town Trolley Tours), limousine rides to Temecula for winetasting, surfing lessons at La Jolla Shores Beach, bike rides around Coronado and organized visits to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. One of her current clients is planning a post-wedding day of golf in Rancho Santa Fe, while others look to beachfront locations to make the traditional post-wedding brunch even more memorable.

For a rehearsal dinner, pre-wedding cocktail reception or postwedding brunch, the historic yacht America promises a refreshing change from the typical restaurant setting. “Imagine delectable hors d’oeuvres, Champagne and an atmosphere created by summer breezes and a beautiful sunset,” says Warren Allen, the yacht’s vice president. “With its grand sails blowing in the breeze, you will be the center of attention wherever you go.” Time on the yacht also happens to make a nice gift. Take, for instance, the father of a bride who chartered America for a post-wedding brunch for 50 of his daughter’s guests. An array of salads, seafood, meats and other gourmet delights were served buffet-style so guests could mingle, and a full bar added to the festivities.

For those who prefer dry land, renting exotic vehicles for your guests is a stylish way to introduce them to scenic San Diego. After all, who hasn’t fantasized about driving down the coast with the top down in a convertible Bentley, Lamborghini or Porsche? San Diego Prestige in La Jolla makes those dreams come true. Its selection of exotic sports cars and luxury vehicles allows you to choose the car that best meets your guests’ personality—a match made in heaven that’s sure to turn heads as they cruise Pacific Coast Highway. And if you’d rather sit back and let someone else drive, the agency can customize your itinerary to involve a stretch limousine with a personal driver. The company’s small but luxurious yacht also affords the option of combining activities on land and at sea, so a drive along the coast in an exotic car can be followed by a yacht trip to Catalina Island for lunch. The couple may even spend the night after the wedding in the yacht’s intimate cabin.

For a taste of San Diego’s sportier side, Monica Quintanar and Marion Santos will be taking 20 of their closest friends and family to a baseball game, where they hope to rent a luxury box at Petco Park. “We can all just hang out and enjoy the day together,” Quintanar says. “We thought this would be a lot more fun than just having the same old boring brunch.”

Do you like what you read? Purchase Exquisite Weddings Magazine »