You want to plan a California Wedding, but you’re not sure how to where to start.

To help, I’ve created this step-by-step guide going through everything you need to know about how to plan a wedding in California, including tips on how to choose the perfect location, book your vendors, and so much more.

Step 1 - Get Clear on What You Both Want

While wedding planning, it's easy to get lost in the minutiae of the process. If you aren't very clear on what you both want from the start, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the opinions of friends & family. With this in mind, here are some questions to answer at the start of wedding planning:

  1. What feels most natural to you? Eloping? An intimate wedding? A Large Wedding?
  2. Where in California would you like to get married?
  3. What is your budget range for your wedding?
  4. What season is your favorite?
  5. How do you want your wedding to feel?
  6. What 2 - 3 aspects of your wedding are the most important to you in terms of priorities?

Pro tip: I always recommend creating an elopement inspiration board on Pinterest. If you want a neat little hack, download the “Pinterest Save Button Extension” on Google. That way, if you come across an image from Google or Facebook, you can pin it to your inspiration board.

Step 2 - Select Your Venue - All CA Venues Included

Here are some helpful questions to determine the atmosphere you two are most drawn to:

  1. What are you both most drawn to? Forests, the seaside, deserts, mountains, beautiful architecture, gardens, etc?
  2. Is there a place that is sentimental to you both?
  3. What do you want the weather to be like?

Click below to see wedding venues within your preferred region

Step 3 - Select Your Date + Book Your Vendors

Luckily the weather is pretty great year round in California. One thing to note is that it does get pretty hot (high 90s) during June - August. Personally, I think the best months to get married in Southern California are September - May. In Northern California, it tends to get overcast and colder a lot more often, so I recommend September - October and March - June for warmer temperatures.

After you select your wedding venue and date, it's time to book your vendors. Keep in mind most vendors book about a year in advance, so definitely don't delay if there is a vendor you 100% want to work with!

More Wedding Resources

Engagement Session Guide

Wedding Day Timeline Guides

Wedding Planning Guides

Random Wedding Questions Answered

Backyard Wedding Guides: