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Sausalito Wedding Reception Venues
Note: Many of the places we list as Venues for Weddings are also excellent spots for wedding receptions, and you may be able to hold both events in the same facility, and you could also have a wonderful wedding at some of the spots below.
The places below offer spaces that may be especially well suited to recetions:
IDESST Hall — 511 Caledonia St., Sausalito CA 94965 415-331-2925
NatureBridge Conference & Retreat Center, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Building 1033, Sausalito CA 415-332-2307 x28 Most suitable for meetings.
Presidio Yacht Club, Fort Baker, PO Box 2726, Sausalito CA 94966 415-332-2319 Great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.
Sausalito Cruising Club — 300 Napa St., Sausalito CA 94965 415-332-9922. Their floating clubhouse is moored adjacent to Dunphy Park so you can schedule indoor/outdoor events with them and the City.
Sausalito Woman’s Club (sometimes misspelled Sausalito Women’s Club) 120 Central Ave. Sausalito CA 94965 415-332-2700
Sausalito Yacht Club — PO Box 267, Sausalito, CA 94966 415-332-7400 Fabulous views from their clubhouse by the Ferry pier.
Advice on Picking the Spot for Your Reception
This article started out as a question in our “Ask Annie” section, but we realized that the topic merited inclusion here.
Q: Any advice from a native on the best way to work with local venues in Sausalito?
A: The best advice about Wedding and Reception planning in Sausalito is true everywhere: once you know your budget, the size of the wedding and your calendar date, it’s all about how you feel when you do a site visit:
Ask yourself:
— Does this feel like the place where you want to get married? Do you like the setting and view (if any)? This is a day you’ll remember your entire life and it’s not a time to compromise and settle for what you can get. If the spot doesn’t make you feel special, happy and romantic it’s not the right place.
— Is there good chemistry between you and the coordinator at the facility? This seems like a secondary factor, but it can make the difference between a dream wedding and a day of disappointments.
Always visit the facility personally before you commit, meet the person who will actually be in charge the day of your event (not just the person’s boss or assistant), and watch how thoroughly and efficiently they handle communication with you.
Are they well organized? On time? Do they interrupt their meeting with you to take calls from other people? If they don’t return your calls to set up a visit or treat you with anything but courtesy, it suggests there will be problems later.
Annie’s Sad Story
One of our editors once planned a wedding reception in San Francisco, but the facility manager was on vacation the day pf the ceremony. Someone else managed the event, which was held in a major hotel.
Just as the bride was about to make her entrance, three bus-loads of foreign tourists were led through the event venue, some of them stopping to take pictures of this American cultural display. Inside the ballroom the music was playing and people wondered why the bride had not appeared.
Outside she was engulfed in a mob of strangers as it surged around her en route to the tour buses. She couldn’t hear the music that was supposed to signal her entrance and didn’t know what to do.
Yes, the hotel gave them a big discount and threw in free consolation prizes. But you can’t “do a second take” on a wedding the way they can in the movies.
This is why we say, make sure the person you work with will be on site that day and has the authority to make and keep their commitments.
It’s your reception. It doesn’t matter how exclusive the property is or how prestigious the address. They’re not doing you a favor by hosting your reception and getting paid for it, and you are the customer whose wishes should be central to everything about the day. If something about the people or the place doesn’t feel right, keep looking.
Photo credit: dennis, accessed 7/6/13
