With 40-acres overlooking the rolling hills of Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is designed in the tradition of early California haciendas, with clusters of stucco and tile casitas, terraces, fountains, and gorgeous foliage.

About this Luxury San Diego Wedding Venue

Ceremonies take place on the patio, a long rectangle of Mexican pavers with a fountain at one end and a large trellis flanked by flowers at the other. Larger weddings at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa are held on the Croquet Lawn, an expanse of green with panoramic views of the surrounding hills. You can tent your ceremony, reception or both, and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to watch vibrantly colored hot-air balloons sail by overhead. The adjacent Fountain Courtyard, with its bubbling terracotta fountain and flowering planters, provides a gathering place for pre-reception cocktails. With its vibrant colors and sprawling gardens, there are endless shooting locations. Some of my favorite aspects of the resort are the yoga pavilion, the olive grove with a tree-lined path, and the various foliage around the property: bougainvillea, palm trees, citrus trees, flowering bushes, crawling vines, all of which add to the feeling of seclusion (no wonder celebrities like Bill Gates and President Clinton have chosen to vacation here).

Location: Rancho Santa Fe, California

Type: Resort/Hotel/Spa

Highlights:

• Stunning grounds: yoga pavilion, an olive grove with a tree-lined path, bougainvillea, palm trees, citrus trees, flowering bushes, crawling vines
• Large spaces to host guests
• Secluded and luxurious
• Hot-air balloons often hover over the venue