The Casino Ballroom
Catalina Island, off the coast of Orange County
Why not splurge and ferry your wedding guests “26 miles across the sea” to glorious Catalina Island, where cars are verboten and spectacular ocean views are impossible to miss? Back in 1929, when this island paradise was the exclusive playground for society’s elite, the main draw was an enormous jazz-era dance hall called the Casino Ballroom. Today the Art Deco landmark is still one of Southern California’s most glamorous reception venues—its vaulting, 50-foot ceiling boasts five Tiffany chandeliers! An elevated stage, raised seating areas around the dance floor, and a vintage full-service bar are very event-friendly. There’s even an outdoor balcony overlooking the coves, and at night an endless starscape sparkles across the water. If it’s “memorable” you want, surely the Casino Ballroom delivers magnificently.
PeachTree Islands
Lake Hughes, between the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys
A secluded peach ranch in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest is probably not the first place you would expect to find a paradisiacal wedding location, but prepare to be pleasantly surprised—and enchanted—by PeachTree Islands! Besides its fruit orchards, the vast ranch boasts a private island in the midst of a small lake fringed with weeping willows. Dress up the wooden footbridges, dock and wedding gazebo with your choice of dcor, and the waterfront site becomes irresistible. You can also have an island wedding in the Rose Garden, an emerald expanse of lawn with a gazebo framing the lake and rose bushes. Reasonably priced wedding packages include convenient options like catering, flowers, entertainment, officiant, and more—all you need to bring are the groom and the guests!
