San Diego wedding advice!

shaniatwain

Hello! I live in the dc area and my fiancée and I were planning a destination wedding in San Diego next July. I've heard nothing but spectacular things about SD, so I was looking into finding a nice rental home overlooking the water. We plan to have around 30-50 people and wanted a very informal, yet intimate ceremony at a nice house with the perfect view. Can anyone recommend a particular house ideal for this type of setting? I've been browsing around aimlessly... Particularly at vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner) Any feedback is much appreciated!!

captainleela

I don't live in SD but I've been there and it's a really lovely city. I don't have any recommendations for you though because I'm not super familiar with it. If you haven't already, you might want to try posting this question on the SD local board. They might have some good suggestions for you. GL!

jebuell

Hi!  Someone on Facebook just pointed out this post was here so I thought I'd come over.  I'm an old married knottie from 2008 (in Jamaica) but I live in San Diego and might be able to help a bit.Just looking at the website there are a lot to pick from, so I think it would be easier to select an area/beach and go from there.  So then it depends on what kind of atmosphere you want.The north county beaches tend to be quieter and more family oriented.  There aren't a lot of bars on the beach so it doesn't become a party scene.  Beaches in Cardiff, Del Mar, Solana, and Carlsbad fall into this catagory.  My favorite town in that area is Del Mar.  I work near there and I love the vibe.  There are a lot of places to eat and things to do in the Del Mar area (the fair grounds are there).  It's a wealthier neighborhood, though, so things are a bit more expensive.La Jolla is a very popular area, very touristy, but more closely resembled north county beaches in that it's a more laid back atmosphere.  This would be a great choice if you can afford it.  But anything you get in La Jolla will be more expensive, smaller, and probably further from the beach.Central San Diego has the party beaches.  Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach.  PB is the big party beach.   MB has Belmont Park with the wooden roller coaster which is pretty cool and it doesn't get as crowded as PB and you can probably find a rental right on the beach there.  OB is more known for it's laid back hippie vibe and, in my opinion, always smells like pee because it's also a favorite hang out for the homeless.  But a lot of my friends LOVE OB and only go there.Then in the southern part of the county is my favorite beach.  Imperial Beach used to be a toxic wasteland from dumps coming up from Mexico, but over the past 20 years they've fixed that.  But no one knows it.  I think it's the quietest beach in the county and there are HUGE rental homes right on the sand that are probably the best price you'll find for price versus size.  But it's furthest away from a nightlife of any sorts and since it's the closest beach to Mexico you get to deal with the occasional border patrol helicopter flying overhead.  But if a lot of your guests are going to be driving and having to find parking IB is the place to go.  You can always find a good (legal) parking spot within a block of the beach, even on weekends.  In other parts of the county you'd be lucky to get within 4-5 blocks of the beach and usually get stuck in two hour parking.Hopefully that helps some.  I wasn't too specific about any because I don't know what you want.  I don't really check this board that much anymore, so if you have questions or anything go ahead and shoot me an e-mail at jebuell(at)gmail(dot)com.  Good luck and happy planning!

shaniatwain

Thank you for the awesome advice! I really appreciate you giving me a better idea of the different areas of San Diego. I've heard so much about La Jolla, Del Mar, Pacific Beach...but never really knew the differences. I've only heard that their beautiful places, but not much more than that. So, thank you once again for giving me your true insight.