Honeymoon Destinations - SF City Hall Weddings

I thought it would be helpful to put together a list of some of the top nearby Honeymoon destinations for our San Francisco city hall newlyweds. We know that many of our City Hall couples are on strict budgets and so they need great honeymoon spots to celebrate their nuptials that are not to far away. Financial restrictions and vacation limitations often point to trying to keep the honeymoon somewhat local. However, it still should be a special place to decompress after the stress of putting together a San Francisco city hall wedding. For that reason, we have made a major effort to recommend honeymoon locations that still offer beauty, romance and fun, but at affordable prices. Of course they are mostly nearby as well to keep your expenses down.

1. Carmel By The Sea - This may be one of my favorites, especially for nearby locations. Just a short 2 hour drive from San Francisco, Carmel offers SF City Hall newlyweds just about everything they could want. Located on the Pacific Ocean and close to Monterey, Carmel has some great restaurants and places to tour. If you like to golf, Carmel is a paradise with many top notch courses all in the local area. The most famous of these is Pebble Beach where many professional golf tournaments happen. Also nearby is the very well known Monterey Aquarium which can be a great place to spend the day. There are many other attractions in the Carmel area for you to check out. We highly recommend this for your San Francisco city hall wedding honeymoon! Don't forget to do the 17 mile drive.


2. Lake Tahoe - This beautiful region is a perfect destination for your honeymoon. Located only 3 hours east of San Francisco in the High Sierra region, the lake is spectacular no matter what the season. It is world famous for it's crystal clear water and recreational opportunities. If you love to water ski or snow ski, just choose the season and Lake Tahoe offers it all. On the Nevada side are casinos and amazing places to eat. If you pick the right places, there are some amazing bargains for gourmet food in the Tahoe Area. Especially some of the casinos because they want you to come in an gamble Lots of great buffets as well!


3. Napa/Sonoma/Livermore Wine Country - It doesn't get much better than this, especially if you are a wine lover like I am. Honestly, you can still have a great time in the Wine Country even if you just have a passing interest in wine. Only 1 hour from San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma regions boast some of the best gourmet restaurants in the country. Just take a drive up Highway 29 and you will find dozens of great places to eat in between world famous wineries. Some of them are Michelin Star rated. City Hall honeymooners can sign up for various wine tours and tastings and even rent a limo. Imagine kicking back and relaxing as your driver drops you off at some of the finest wineries anywhere. Livermore also is growing and offers all kinds of great experiences. Check out Wente Vineyards while in the Livermore wine country. We have captured many wedding photos on the Wente grounds. It is a beautiful place.


4. Yosemite Valley - This may be the most spectacular honeymoon destination on the list. It is not the closest and not the cheapest, but it's a national treasure located in California with so much to offer. A little under a 4 hour drive from San Francisco, it takes a bit of planning to make sure you have the reservations you need. It can be crowded at certain time of the year with late spring being the busiest time. Yosemite offers newlywed couples unlimited hiking trails and tourist spots. If you enjoy photography, it is hard to beat Yosemite. Everywhere you turn, there is another great spot to capture on film. For the more adventuresome, there are small rock climbing locations and even some very challenging ones for those that are really into it. Hiking up Half Dome is a must-do adventure, but you have to allow plenty of time (to get back down!). We have recommended Yosemite to many of our San Francisco city hall wedding couples and they all love it!


5. Palm Springs - It is often considered as one of the ultimate honeymoon destinations, especially if you want to just relax. Whether you both want to laze by the pool, sip cocktails, or spend time at the many bars and restaurants. The Palm Springs party scene is well know if you want to go out and have some fun. There are incredible luxury hotels but you can also rent a house temporarily and have some privacy. No matter what type of Honeymoon you want, Palm Springs offers it in spades. It is bit of a drive from San Francisco, but still doable. There are many flights there and the prices are usually very competitive. You can also fly out of Oakland for more convenience.


6. San Francisco! - Yes, you might have seen this one coming. Honeymooners have been choosing San Francisco as their getaway for years. It offers so much and such a variety of things to do. The real beauty of San Francisco is that virtually all of the above destinations can be included in your honeymoon as day trips with the exception of Palm Springs. Even if you don't want to leave the city, there is so much to do here. We talk about many of these amazing places to visit in this San Francisco city hall wedding photography website but there is so much more. Crissy Fields, Downtown, The Marina District and the whole South of Market area are just a few examples of some of the great places you can visit on you San Francisco honeymoon. Remember that San Francisco used to be on of the top honeymoon prizes on the Newlywed game! It still is a great spot to celebrate with your new spouse.

For other Honeymoon advice please check out the following video that has some great tips for planning.