There are so many amazing venues to be having your wedding at in the Bay Area! I thought I’d put together a little list of especially amazing ones and have them listed in different categories to hopefully help you narrowing down the perfect venue depending on the mood you had in mind and who you are. You can look at the table of content to see the categories and jump directly to there.

      I also included a map so you can see where they are at a glance and a few photos to give you a feel for each location.

      I’ve worked at most of them and can truly attest how incredible they are – the few other ones I haven’t shot at, I’m dying to!

      You can check the venues through blog posts of the real weddings I photographed there or their website directly.

      We’re so lucky in the Bay Area to have so many different but equally amazing types of venues to work at/get married at – I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of them!

      If you’re interested in going slightly further, I wrote another blog post about Northern California Wedding Venues. I hope this helps!

      Bay Area Wedding Venues 2023

      (including the Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay & North Bay)

       

      Gorgeous Ceremony spot at Sequoia Retreat Center

      Table of Contents

       

       

       

       

       

      Please keep in mind that this list isn’t exhaustive. Oh and if you think of one I didn’t add to my list, or notice any mistake, feel free to contact me to let me know :)

       

       

      MAP OF BAY AREA WEDDING VENUES

       

       

       

       

       

      This is one of my favorite venues. I love the woodsy mood and how relaxed the whole day was. I’ve shot there a few other times and you can really do as much or as little as you want there, since it’s so beautiful already. But I have to say I have a thing for a sunset peeking through the redwood trees and twinkle lights…

       


       

      Wedding // Website

       

      Wildwood Acres Lafayette Wedding

      Woodsy venue hidden only an hour away from San Francisco. It’s quiet, beautiful and full of lovely details you just have to see in person (like the cherub fountain).

       


       

      Wedding 1 // Wedding 2 // Website

       

      We stay in Woodsy land with the University of California Botanical Garden – more specifically the Redwood Grove in Berkeley. Every time I shot there, the light was insane. Not just gorgeous, it was out of this word magical. You also have multiple options in the area for your reception as well,  like Julia Morgan Hall (Wedding 2) or the Brazilian Room (Wedding 1).

       


       

      Barn wedding venue vineyard

      Ru’s Farm in Healdsburg (Healdsburg Country Gardens) is another one of my favorite venues. I’ve shot there a lot and I love the barn, the oak tree you get married under, the olive trees in the back and if you choose the right season, you get to have lavender as well ;)

       


       

      I’ve shot an elopement and a proposal in Calistoga Ranch but not yet a full blown wedding. I loved the hills in the back, all the cabins/lodges where you can have all your guests for the week end.

       


      Garden Valley Ranch

      Garden Valley Ranch is such a lovely venue in Petaluma – my favorite thing? The flowers! So many, such a gorgeous garden full of roses, the backdrop didn’t need a thing and yet, the lights and the origamis worked perfectly.
       

       

       


       

       


       

      This wedding at the Historic Stinson Estate, now called Willow Camp Estate, in Stinson Beach, didn’t look like much from the road. It’s one of those venues you have to see with your own eyes and the more you see, the more you’re blown away. There are so many details there, the yard with the stone pathway, the pond, the pool, the garden, the inside of the house and all of its history! I love smaller venues for week-end type weddings where some of guests stay together, and this is a perfect venue to make this happen.

       



      The Secret Gardens, Bodega Bay

      Website

       

       


       

      Rustic Wedding Venues in the Bay Area

      Working at OVE (short for Olympia Valley Estate) was so much fun! The bride got ready in the 1865 Historic Victorian homestead and their ceremony was held at the Willow pond but you have other options like the Hilltop space or the Meadow and the Walnut Tree area. But that’s not all, there’s a greenhouse, an adorable cottage and my favorite, the barn. You have so many possibilities at this venue that, really, unless you want a city wedding or industrial details, you can pretty much bring any vision of yours to OVE and have a wonderful wedding.

       

       

       

      The Ranch at Little Hills in San Ramon was one of the first weddings I shot that I felt such a connection with. It was because of the light through the trees, but also the couple with a groom coming from Australia and the bride, with her boho vibe. They were chill and happy and brought a few personal touches to the place to make it their own. It was so simple, yet so beautiful and romantic!

       

      If you’re searching for a venue that feels like a week end in the countryside, look no further. The White Barn Project (that used to be called Beaumont Farms) in Petaluma, has rolling hills, a barn (barns, actually) and a pond. When you’re done feeling the sun on your face, you can go pet lamas, donkeys and horses. And who doesn’t want to hug a lama?

       

      Triple S Napa Calistoga Venue

      I really struggled to pick the photos for Triple S Ranch in Calistoga, Napa – this is the venue I shoot the most at, and definitely in my top 5. There are SO many details and an authentic rustic vibe that I would need a hundred photos to show it all. You just have to see it in person. This is the type of venues you spend the whole week end at with your loved ones, you use the pool, the gym, you get ready in the victorian house, married under the breathtaking oak tree and party in the ranch area after a reception on the lovely patio bathed in sunset light.

       

       

      Nestldown in Los Gatos, is a wedding venue for romantics and fairytales lovers. There is so much magic, you’d almost feel like you’ve landed in some Narnia or Fantastica land (Neverending reference – best book of my childhood). The ceremony area is surrounded by redwood trees and you can have your cocktail hour near the pond and waterwall, arriving on the little train, before heading to the barn to dance until you can’t stand anymore. Or until your carriage turns back into a pumpkin. (too much?)

       

       

      There is a lot you can do at Cow Track Ranch in Nicasio to celebrate your wedding. It’s one of those places that offers you a bunch of possibilities in terms of what you can use to create the mood you want to create / who you are.

       

       

      Toby’s Feed Barn is a wedding venue for barn lovers in Point Reyes, a beautiful part of the Bay Area. I loved the vibe the couple I shot there created with their entire “adventure awaits” theme. They had twinkle lights, flowers everywhere, a gorgeous ribbon backdrop and golden elements here and there – which worked perfectly in this environment.

       

       

      The Outdoors Art Club, Mill Valley

      Website

       

       


       

       


       

       

       

      Shooting a wedding at 620 Jones in San Francisco wasn’t planned. I had never seen the place – it was during the wildfires of 2017 and the venue changed at the last minute. Because if it, things were a little crazy and I was so surprised by how much I loved 620 Jones! It doesn’t look like much from the outside but I loved the vibe once you were in. The view of the surrounding buildings for the ceremony – you’d think (well, I would) a city wedding could feel a little suffocating with all the tall buildings but this venus felt nothing like that.

       

      San Francisco City Hall Wedding

      If you want a city hall wedding, San Francisco is the best one I’ve ever seen. You can have a public or private ceremony in different spots (Rotunda, Mayor’s Balcony or fourth floor gallery) and it’s up to you to have the smallest wedding or a bigger one – they really have a lot of options. For those reasons, this is a fantastic venue if you love architecture or if you want a city wedding.

       

       

       

       

       

       


       

       

      Kunde Winery is such a gorgeous venue! The wedding I shot there was Tuscany inspired and I really felt like we spent the day in Italy! The couple got ready at Hill House and the rest of the day happened on Boot Hill with an amazing view of the wine country.

       

       

      Wedding venue photos

      Capturing a wedding at Vine Hill House is always a pleasure. The venue isn’t overwhelmingly big and has such beautiful views of the surrounding hills and vineyards, making it a perfect venue for your wedding in the Wine Country.

       

       

      Cornerstone, in Sonoma, is a wonderful venue that’s very unique because of what they have to offer: art inspired gardens, a collection of awesome boutiques, tasting rooms, live music, a barn… You can make your wedding an amazing event there!

       

       

      Winery in St Helena

      This was the first wedding I shot at V. Sattui Winery in St Helena. To be honest, I didn’t expect the venue to be that gorgeous! The stones, the rustic and romantic vibe, the different areas to explore, and the cellar they had the reception in, it all came together for one of the most perfect weddings I ever was a part of.

       

       

       

      What a perfect wedding venue if you love Wine Country! Gloria Ferrier has a great setup for your wedding and a such a beautiful view from the Vista Pavilion!

       

       


      This wedding venue was a plan B – during wildfires. Because of them, the bride and groom had to move their wedding within days and you wouldn’t believe so when you see their photos (or if you were there!). Valley of the Moon Winery was an incredible venue, the ceremony spot with the vineyard views and the rustic barn made for a wonderful day!

       


       

       

      Wedding Venues by the Sea (or water) in the Bay Area

       

      Another one of my all time favorite venues, not only simple, small enough to feel intimate and gorgeous, The Inn on the Russian River – previously called Rio Villa Beach resort, in Monte Rio, shows nothing from the road. You have to walk in before being swept away by its charms: the willow under which you’ll get married, the river a few feet down, the stone path to your reception area… It’s one of those venues I feel like I personally would have loved to get married at!

       

       

       


      Inexpensive Wedding Venues in the Bay Area

       

      Piedmont Community Hall in Oakland was such a surprise, I didn’t expect there would be so much to work with! Because it doesn’t look like much from the parking lot, it makes it all even better. I particularly loved the ceremony location, surrounded by redwood trees and the park right there, where I took my couple at sunset.

       

       

      Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley (Elopements)

      Wedding // Website

       

      Mount Tam ceremony photos

      Mount Tam is so gorgeous – you have to go there – whether for a hike, a sunset viewing over the city, engagement photos or your elopement – just go. It’s incredible and only a little over an hour from San Francisco. I love working there, being there.

       

       

       

       

      couple in a forest