Finding a Venue

From the list of priorities I shared a couple days ago, you know that the venue is at the top of the list. B wants something that "none of our friends have done". Since most of the weddings we have attended in the last few years have been in Texas and ours will be in San Diego, I think we can find something a little different.

I was lucky enough to grow up in an area of San Diego, called Point Loma. It is a peninsula that forms part of the San Diego bay, so it has a bay side and an ocean side (technically the ocean side is called Ocean Beach). The geography alone offers plenty of unique options that you can not find in Texas.

Google Maps

After doing a little research (and from previous wedding experiences) I found a few spots that would offer something distinctly San Diegan. San Dieg-ite? San Dieg-un? San Dieg-on? (Anchorman, anyone?)

In true sorority fashion, here is a Pro-Co-Pro of the venues.

1. The Admiral Kidd Club on the Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warefare Base

Embracelifephoto.com

Oh yeah, did I mention that San Diego, and Pt. Loma in particular, has a heavy naval history? Well, it does.

PRO: The location! It sits right on the bay and has a beautiful view of downtown San Diego.
CON: Being a naval base, they have very strict rules. No one is allowed on the base (and therefore into the wedding) unless they are on a list and have government issued I.D. (pro: no wedding crashers!!)
PRO: For the location, they are very affordable. Their most inclusive wedding packages offers more for a cheaper price than some of the other venues on this list. Oh, and no tax because they are on a military base!

2. The Oceanview Room on the Naval Sub Base

davidchampagnephotography.com

See the pro-con-pro above, as they also apply to this venue. Also...

PRO: The cost to have a ceremony here is a fraction of the price as many of the churches, and even cheaper than the AKC (#1)
CON: Once the sun sets, there is nothing to look at. Because it's further down on the peninsula (the point), it doesn't overlook downtown, but instead the North Island (of Coronado) military base, which is pretty bland.
PRO: When the sub is up, however, it looks like you are almost on a deserted island.

3. The Bali Hai Restaurant

exquisiteweddingmagazine.com

PRO: Because it's a restaurant, it has great food. They have lots of options to choose from and can offer special menus for those who have specific dietay needs.
CON: The drink prices are a little outrageous. As with most venues, drinks are marked up a lot. However, this place only allows you to pay by the glass, not by the keg or bottle of wine. And the per glass prices are equivalent to a ball park. Yeah...ouch!
PRO: The location is awesome. Great view, and they offer an indoor/outdoor patio option. Their outdoor patio is partially covered so if the weather gets a little dicey you can move "inside".

4. Tom Ham's Lighthouse

promotionentertainment.com

See the pro-con-pro above, as they also apply to this venue.

PRO: It's super convenient. I could literally have out of town guests fly in to the airport, stay in a hotel, and go to the wedding without traveling more than 2 miles (maybe even one mile).
CON: I've head that the service isn't that great and people have complained about the value for their money. Not what I want to hear.
PRO: Could offer a cool "send off" option. There are many sail boats that are docked near by. Maybe we can convince one of the owners to let us borrow it for an evening....ok, probably not.

5. The Inn at Sunset Cliffs

eventective.com

This is the only one that actually sits on the ocean side of the point, and not on the bay side.

PRO: Sunset Cliffs is one of my favorite places on earth. Its so scerine yet impressive. The ceremony could take place right where the waves are crashing. How much more San Diego can you get?
CON: This venue doesn't offer anything else, except the awesome location. I would have to find a caterer, table/chair rentals, bartender, etc.
PRO: They will let you rent out the entire property for your event, that means that all the guests can stay just feet away from the reception and there aren't any randoms wandering around.

I am pursuing one of the options pretty heavily, and hopefully we will have a decision made next week! Until then, I am not getting my hopes up.