Our Favorite San Diego Wedding Venues

After more than a decade photographing weddings up and down the California coast, I've grown a quiet shortlist of venues I'd happily shoot at every weekend. They aren't necessarily the trendiest or the largest — they're the ones with the best light, the kindest staff, and the kind of architecture that gets out of the way of the people in front of it.

The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe wins for old-California charm and impossibly soft afternoon light through the eucalyptus. Cuvier Club brings the ocean right up to the ceremony aisle. And for a true garden wedding, nothing beats the courtyard at the San Diego Botanic Garden in late spring.

If you're early in your planning, please don't be shy about asking for venue recommendations. I love this part of the conversation — and a venue chosen with your photographs in mind makes everything that follows easier.