In my latest story for CNTraveler.com, I profiled five SoCal resorts have made an art of destination weddings. With full-time consultants; porches, patios, and ballrooms to suit any gathering; and kitchens doing wild things with California cuisine, they’ve got all the logistics for a flawless wedding. But equally important is the sense that you and your guests have entered a world where the planets revolve around you. Here, the fab five:
The Spa at Ojai
1. Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai
I’m always amazed that so few people in L.A. know about this restorative, rural area just 90 minutes north. The air is fresh, the hills are lush and green, and the resort itself is a classic Spanish Colonial compound. There’s tons to do in the area, whether your peeps are hikers or pool people.
The Grand Del Mar’s Capella, or wedding chapel
2. The Grand Del Mar, San Diego
When they say “Grand,” they really mean it: Ornate, elegant, and opulent, this is the type of resort where ballgowns, four-inch heels, and hair jewels are part of almost every bridal ensemble. And if you or your guy are golfers, you’ve really hit the jackpot.
Montage Laguna Beach
3. Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach
The location alone is enough to sell you on this place–on a cliff overlooking the surfers at Laguna Beach–but then add its handsome Arts + Crafts architecture and a serious commitment to the environment, and why would you look anywhere else?
Shutters’ lobby at dusk
4. Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica
Looking like the chicest beach house ever, this is one of only a handful of L.A. party places that is right on the sand; exchange vows on the pool deck and plan on coming back on every anniversary.
The Park Palm Springs’ north pool
It doesn’t get more eclectic than at this ranch-turned-home-turned-hotel, where designer Jonathan Adler injected a merry mix of mid-century mod. But the landscaped grounds, with their green lawns, aqua pools, winding paths, and elegant palms, are timeless.
