Bride Lauren: Selecting the Venue

Maybe it was because that’s where my mom and I would escape a household of boys for brunch on Sundays, or maybe it was simply for the fact that it was pink.

Honestly, I can’t even recall why, but as a little girl, I knew I wanted my wedding to be at La Valencia in La Jolla. Coincidentally, Jim and I began our first date with a drink at the top of “La V” in the Sky Room. Maybe it was the handsome, captivating man who made me laugh while sitting next to me at the intimate bar, or the insane view on a March evening, or the delicious, bubbly Veuve that kept being refilled.

Whatever the reason, just days after we were engaged, I emailed the Catering office over at La Valencia for availability. As the catering manager at Rancho Valencia — then La Valencia’s sister property — I became familiar with the resort’s amazing employees and wedding venues, which also hosted our holiday parties and sexual harassment training.

Within hours of contacting “La V,” I received an email from catering manager Leo Lopez congratulating me, and welcoming me to explore hosting our special day at their property.

Finding the perfect wedding date was complicated. Jim and I had to figure out a date that would work with Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church down the street and give us enough time to attend pre-Cana classes near my new home on Long Island, N.Y. We have two very busy extended families, and needed to pick a good time to leave our restaurant, which we operate, for a couple of weeks.
So many details to consider, and this was the just choosing the date and venues! But within a week, it became evident thru a series of coincidences and available dates that February 4th was “the day.” Our day.