Sunset Cliffs San Diego Wedding

When getting married people are always looking to see where to have it, what fits their budget, their style, and so fourth. Some opt for a destination wedding and others in their hometown. For Jamie and Tim it was a a beautiful hometown wedding in San Diego, California that truly defined them and what they wanted for their day!

So I was able to ask Jamie and Tim some questions about their wedding. Hopefully it will inspire some ideas or you may even want to have a Sunset Cliffs wedding of your own. 

Where was your ceremony and reception held?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

Our ceremony was held at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, and the reception was a few miles down the road at a place called Marina Village. 

What made you pick the city?

We kept debating whether we should keep the wedding local or have a destination wedding. We decided to keep it local here in our hometown of San Diego because it’s the best of both worlds really. We are blessed to have been born and raised in America’s Finest City. 

What made the ceremony space special?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

There is a reason it’s called Sunset Cliffs! The scenery is absolutely majestic, especially during one of its epic multi-colored sunsets. My favorite movie is “Pirates of the Caribbean” so we had some music from the movie playing while guests were gathering. Being outside with the ocean, the cliffs, and the music gave it a “Pirates” feel, but in a romantic way! 

What made the reception space special?

The reception space allowed for us to bring our own food and drink, had different venues you could choose from to fit your theme, number of guests, and budget, was very reasonably priced, and beautiful. We were so happy with the service from Marina Village from start to finish. Most of the places we looked at cost too much and we were not happy with the food they were offering. We wanted a mix of different foods and large quantities of it so finding a place that let us bring our own food and drink was essential. 

Let us know how the ceremony and reception went.

The officiant who led the ceremony was David Cutler of Your Perfect Ceremony. We had a few brief meetings with him, but he is an expert at what he does. He led the ceremony so perfectly that our guests thought we had known him for years. I also had a wedding coordinator just for the ceremony from At Your Side Planning which alleviated a lot of ceremony stress from us! The ceremony was just majestic.

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

It had rained a few days before and there was a bit of fog earlier on so it gave the ceremony an ethereal feel.  We were lucky to have a lot of friends with talent so many of our vendors like the DJ, MC, food, bartender, etc. were acquaintances or friends of friends so our reception had a very casual, fun, and friendly vibe. We had so much fun! What I loved most was that our dance floor was NEVER empty thanks to DJ Joe Mama! 

What kind of cake did you have?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

My good friend Candis Anderson of May Mays Cakes made us a deliciously gorgeous two tiered marble cake. She is a very special friend and I was honored that she made our wedding cake. Only downside? The only taste I got of it was when my hubby smashed a piece of it on my face during the ceremonial cake cutting. It was so good that it was eaten up by guests in seconds and there was none left for Tim and I after! 

Did you have a color scheme or theme? 

The theme was a very beachy San Diego vibe. We had lots of guests coming in from out of town and we really wanted our hometown to shine. The color scheme was light blue, silver, and beige. Trying to invoke the sand, sea, and “silver” for city lights. 

What type of decor did you have?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

Mostly starfish, and shells, but the scenery was so beautiful that we didn’t need much. In addition to Pirates if the Caribbean, I’m also obsessed with the show “Outlander” so our amazing Florists – Tess Fresh Flowers – incorporated some Scottish thistles in the flowers of the wedding arch! 

Did you do any DIY?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

I tried to stay away from doing DIY because I just don’t have the time and I’m not super crafty. However, my aunt Judy made my bouquet, the groomsmen  boutonnière, and flowers for our mothers. She did such an amazing job and saved us a ton of money on flowers.    

Bride’s most memorable moment?

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

Being announced as husband and wife and walking out with my husband to “Sweet Child of Mine.” It was such a great feeling. 

Groom’s most memorable moment?

Watching me walk down the hill with my dad to him and our families during the ceremony. He said, “All I heard was the music and the waves crashing, and all I saw was you.” 

Is there something you wish you had done differently?

I wish I didn’t stress so much and just enjoyed the moment more. It goes by so fast! All the planning and preparation then it’s over in a day! 

What was your budget and guest count?

We set it at $10,000 but it cost just over $11,000 for 120 guests. 

Did you have a honeymoon? If so where?

Yes, we went to French Polynesia. We have both been Polynesian Dancers for many years and have always wanted to go! It was an amazing trip! 

Pictures courtesy of Jamie and Tim! Photographs taken by Jon Nimerfroh of Runaway Bride Nantucket.

Sunset-Cliffs San Diego Wedding © HollyDayz

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