A Story To Cherish

Very shortly after we became engaged, Mr. Mog and I agreed that we wanted to have our wedding in San Diego, California. Mr. Mog spent ten years there, and many of our friends still live there. Also, a good portion of Mr. Mog’s family lives there, including his elderly grandparents who are in assisted living and have a hard time traveling anymore. It was extremely important to us that they were able to attend the wedding and be comfortable. We started looking at venues online, so we could narrow it down to a few that we would actually visit. Then, I stumbled upon Twin Oaks House and Gardens. Twin Oaks is a historical landmark, and the bridal parlor is a restored schoolhouse from the 1890’s. Combine old-school charm with complete natural beauty, and I knew this was a place we would be giving a hell of a look.

This photo took my breath away as the website loaded on my screen. As I clicked through the pages, I knew we had to visit the venue in person. I love the fact that they are a full service venue. They are a totally private venue and they only do one wedding per day. They include the ceremony, reception, rehearsal, catering, cake, tables, chairs, linens, flatware, set up, teardown.… well, basically 90% of what goes into a wedding. Its a flat rate per person, depending on which package you pick (they do custom packages too!). Two perks of being a Twin Oaks bride? First– working with a wedding planner is included in every package. You meet with them a few times before the wedding, and they’re there the day of to make sure things run smoothly. Second, they have a design center that you have access to for $1 per guest. You can use any pieces they have for décor, so you don’t have to buy 20 candelabras that you might never use again. I’m excited to see what they have available and how I might use it!

I was obsessed, but we had a crazy busy summer and had to wait to schedule a visit. Mr. Mog and I were planning a weekend trip to San Diego for MOH LoFletch’s birthday in August, so I called the venue a few days before we left on the off chance we could stop by and check it out. We were in luck! They had a cancellation for a tour so we could see the venue Saturday afternoon!

The morning of the tour, we had breakfast with a friend and then headed for the venue. We were excited that the venue was easy to find, and from the second we pulled into the driveway, I had eyes like dinner plates. I wanted to take it all in, so I snapped photo after photo on my iPhone while Mr. Mog took video.

The girl who greeted us was polite, and led us around every area of the property. The grounds were so incredibly magical… None of us could find a single thing we didn’t like. It was THAT good. I was a little disappointed because we were unable to tour to bridal parlor (schoolhouse) because the bride had already arrived for the day. However, they showed me pictures of the inside and I was sure I would love it. We sat down the manager and talked pricing, and he was willing to work with us and our budget! By moving the wedding to a Friday, we saved almost $20 per person (and that’s including taxes, tips, and fees) and he threw in a few upgrades. It was so easy to imagine marrying Mr. Mog there, and we were both sure that we wouldn’t be able to find anywhere to top it.

Alright, enough talk. Here are some of the pictures that I took during our tour!

Here is the beautiful schoolhouse and bridal parlor. Can you say photo op?!

Here is where the Mogwais will be exchanging vows. Don’t you just love the gorgeous fountain behind the arbor?

This chalkboard is placed in one of the entrance arbors to the ceremony area. We can ask them to write anything we like, and they add special touches based on your theme! Such a lovely touch.

This is typically where the cocktail hour would be held. The day we visited, guests were relaxing here before the ceremony as well. I love the cute wicker furniture and that lamppost!

The bar at Twin Oaks was shipped over from England and is circa the early 1900’s (can’t remember exactly). I think it is so charming!

These adorable little chandeliers are hanging over the bar area. They’re just to die for!

The reception tent at Twin Oaks is simply gorgeous. I love those chandeliers, and at night, the venue does custom uplighting on the tent lining that makes it really magical. We want a warm amber and blue feel, and (somehow) we’d like to project stars onto the lining. More on that later!

So there you have it. In the months since our visit to Twin Oaks, I have researched other venues in hopes that we may be able to save some money by doing things the more “traditional” way, I suppose, and hiring our own vendors to take care of catering and rentals. None of the other venues in the running had the same magical charm that had captured my heart at Twin Oaks. They were too formal, too modern, or just not quite right for what we wanted. We still have to pay for the bar, a florist, the photographer, and entertainment, but I’m glad we won’t have to worry about coordinating 20 different vendors on our wedding day.

Did you decide to book the first venue you visited? How did you know it was “the one”?