The Gardens at Peacock Farms (rural Arroyo grande)

Gardens at Peacock Farms

Contact: Jessica 805.431.0226























Today we visited The Gardens at Peacock Farms out in Arroyo Grande. This venue boasts having a wedding and reception under the canopy of trees in a lush garden setting. The trees and flowers are seasonal so they have a wedding season from late May until October (as you can tell in the pictures the garden isn't in bloom yet). Jessica was nice and was really "with it" in terms of what people want at their weddings. The venue is well organized and thought out. She also does all the flowers for the weddings unless the bride and groom decide to create their own centerpieces, etc. The whole venue is pretty full-service and includes everything except catering, music and fancy extras in their price lineup. So far, this venue seems to require the least amount of extra "work" or purchases by the bride, groom and their families. You are also allowed to bring in all your own alcohol (beer, wine champagne only) and they do not charge a corkage fee for anything. The only requirement is that a liscensed person serve the alcohol which Jessica said can be acquired through the catering service for around $125. Catering services must also have a permit and cannot just be Uncle Joe cooking burgers in the back. The only (maybe) bad thing about the venue is due to county ordinances, all guests must be off the premises by 10pm from June - September and 9 pm in the other months of the season. It is also pretty far from any hotels which requires the need for a good amount of designated drivers.

Holland Ranch (San Luis Obispo)

Holland Ranch - They don't have a need for advertising, so this is the closest option for their website

Contact:
Jamie 805.459.9222






















Holland Ranch is located out in rural San Luis Obispo in Edna Valley. It is surrounded by rolling green hills and great views. Downtown SLO is about 15 minutes away and Pismo Beach is even closer. Last weekend, we met with Jamie who books and coordinates all the weddings and events held on the property.

When you book Holland Ranch, you get to rent out the venue for the full weekend. There is a flat fee for a certain amount of guests which includes tables and chairs for the reception and everything else is up to you and very do-it-yourself (if you want). The wedding ceremony is held out on a lawn with a wooden stage and arch that has the hillside in the background. The reception is held in the barn / property overlooking the lawn. The barn is very rustic and the inside is decorated like a barbecue smoke house / Bull's Tavern. They have everything from old liscense plates to animal heads on the walls. Inside is an open floorplan that includes a stage with a piano and sound system, a kitchen, pool table, and room for dancing / eating. Upstairs above the barn is an apartment that is used as a bridal suite with plenty of room for getting ready. Perks about this venue are that you can stay and dance until 1 am and you can pretty much do anything you want the way you want it. The event would definitely have to serve Santa Maria Style barbecue to go along with the theme of the venue. Jamie said that the weather in May is really nice, but we may want to tent the outside reception area due to the wind that time of year.

La Perla del Mar (Shell Beach)

La Perla Del Mar
Owner Contact: Shelley 805.878.8528 or Garin 805.748.5547 or 805.489.8929

Today we met with Shelley around 10 am. She is a wonderful laid back person who really embraces the persona of beachy central coast. She really has what is best for the couple in mind and has a lot of good ideas as to how to make the most of this beautiful venue.






















This venue is GORGEOUS. It is an old Methodist neighborhood church that has been thoughtfully renovated into a church and community center / event venue. It is off of Windward Way and Pearl Street in Shell Beach, about 1.5 blocks from the ocean.


















Next door is a renovated school house that can be rented out for the day that includes 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen, bathrooms, etc. which can be used as a place to get ready or for guests to stay.


















Behind the Chapel is another house owned by a photographer who rents it out for a reasonable rate. Beyond that is a small lot for public parking. About a block away is the Shell Beach Inn, which has 9 rooms and a pool and goes for $60 some dollars a night.

We are contemplating having the ceremony here and the reception at Old Vienna Restaurant of Shell Beach. Previously, Natalie held "Art Prom," a large art department event and they were able to hold a fun yet elegant event that included German beers, live music, DJ, photo sessions good food and lots of dancing.