Catalina Weddings, The Island of Romance is Just an Hour Away!

When l first made the decision that the LA wedding I had been planning just wasn't fitting the quaint “dream wedding” picture that my fiancé and I had been picturing in our minds, I decided to start the process all over. We wanted something close, but just far enough away so that our family and closest friends could feel that they were getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Something reasonably priced, yet sweet, classy, romantic and special.

We had gone for a weekend to Catalina Island the year before and had a an amazing and romantic time. So, I started researching Catalina Island weddings to see what the island had to offer. The more I found out, the more it sounded perfect and I began pouring my heart into the idea of a Catalina wedding. The more I discovered, the more Catalina Island felt like it might be the right decision for us, and for our families. Even though the island is just a short trip on a Catalina ferry, It feels like a world away from busy Los Angeles.

Here are the highlights of my findings – I will try to leave out the less exciting details- so you don't have to make all the phone calls, emails, and spend the countless hours researching that I did. When you add it all up, a Catalina Wedding has a lot going for it, and is relatively easy to plan, with all of the infrastructure and services already in place.

First of all, there are quite a few different variations for Catalina Island Weddings. You can purchase basic wedding packages starting at 225.00! Not bad I must say. Considering the small size of Avalon (Catalina's commercialized part) I was surprised to learn of venues, like the Catalina Casino, that cater to up to 1000 people! Our wedding will be a much smaller venue, so far it looks like a 63 headcount.

Even the transportation to Catalina can be romantic. You can cross the channel via one of the Catalina Island Ferry companies like the Catalina Flyer – out of Marina Del Rey, or Catalina Express, leaving from Long beach and San Pedro. My fiancé have decided to go in style with Island Express Helicopters, which he has always wanted to so, and luckily the helicopter trip to Catalina Island is very reasonably priced. Expect to pay anywhere for $60 on one of the Catalina ferries, or in the $200 range/per passenger if you do the trip via helicopter.

There are private beaches that are frequently used for weddings in Avalon. The idea that I absolutely loved was this; there is no sunset in Avalon, only a sunrise... and a magnificent one at that. So, I'm thinking a morning wedding. Yes, your guests will have to get up a little early - we will have everybody travel to Catalina on a Friday and have a fun night of dinner and drinks at one of the more casual, lively waterfront restaurants - and then after the ceremony we will have a large selection of activities arranged for our guests throughout the day. Some that looked especially perfect were, Catalina Adventure Tours (if you don't have time to go check this out yourself, look them up! your guest will have a ball!) Catalina Snorkel and Scuba Adventures, Ocean Sports, Para sailing (for the really brave ones!), Catalina Kayak adventures (my future in-laws loved this idea!) and the Catalina Island Golf Course (the first golf course in California). Now these examples are the more pricey options. Again, whether you choose to cover costs of these activities or not is entirely up to you and your budget. The other wonderful thing about Catalina is that there are many inexpensive activities as well like nature hikes, botanical garden tours, Wrigley Estate tours, Casino Theatre first run movie nights, bike riding, and more.

The town of Avalon on Catalina Island offers several options for your wedding reception. The Landing is at the top of our list right now, but we also considered the Catalina Country club and Armstrong Seafood. Casino Descano Beach Country Club is another popular wedding venue that many people have written excellent reviews for. Avalon Magical Melodies & Weddings offer wedding planning help and access to all of the services that are required to execute a successful Catalina Wedding. Photographers and videographers are also available on the Island, however, we are lucky enough to have enlisted our friend who is an accomplished LA photographer, who has kindly offered his services for the day.

So, after checking out all of our options, we are finally settling into the idea of a Catalina Island Wedding as our final decision. The prices, the venues – including our secluded beach wedding destination, and the wide range of activities for guests, have made us feel confident that this will be a wedding everyone will love and remember, especially us. Planning the event has been a breeze, and with just four months to go until the big day, we already can’t wait to get on the helicopter and fly away!