Did you know that Southern California has a wine country? And a beautiful one too! Temecula is home to rolling hills, boutique wineries, and even a fabulous resort to call home for your destination wedding! Set just outside of the wineries, a few minutes from the vines is Pechanga Resort & Casino, the perfect place to wed when heading south for an outdoors wedding in wine country. I recently got to test drive what a wedding would be like here…and let’s just say, I’ll be back!
You may think you want to say “I do” among the grapes, but once you set foot on Pechanga’s private garden ceremony site, you may think again. A beautifully manicured lawn and garden with a raised platform just for you, your ceremony point will be protected by trees yet overlook the beautiful golf course and valley beyond.
Then head to the patio nearby for a fire pit-clad cocktail hour (perfect for s’mores) and enjoy a jaw-dropping setting complete with old-fashioned bridge just beyond, where most brides and grooms can be found taking portraits in a place unlike any other.
For dinner, dine under the stars or indoors at Journey, a swanky restaurant the property shuts down just for you and 180 of your closest friends and family. You’ll enter by a large, two-story stone fireplace and head into a space that’s already dressed up so you need not do much to make it picture-perfect.
Then it’s time to eat. And eat you will! The food at Pechanga Resort & Casino is something to write home about. Wow, it’s better than good. Your first meal as newlyweds will be one you remember.
But a destination wedding to Southern California’s wine country isn’t all about the wedding day. What I love about Pechanga is all there is do on property AND nearby. You can take your guests to a comedy show in their comedy club instead of hosting a stuffy rehearsal dinner. If there’s a concert in town, you can catch that too in their theater. If you like to gamble, there’s a major casino on property. And if you don’t, it’s housed a shuttle ride away from the wedding space so you’ll never even know it’s there. But if you do like to play a little, might we suggest a family round of bingo or a poker tournament for your group? Pechanga can set up gaming activities for your group too – even lessons for those needing a little help!
Then don’t forget to arrange a shuttle to the wineries for some tastings along the way and perhaps even a day after trash the dress session!
The rooms at Pechanga Resort & Casino are lovely, the staff knows their stuff, the activities are endless, and the wedding spaces and menus are surprisingly unique and delightful. Home run if you’re looking for a domestic destination I do and a wine country that’s a little more relaxed with a lot more to do. Oh, and did we mention Pechanga is undergoing a 285 million dollar expansion and renovation? That means this time next year, you’ll find even more to do on property with even more luxury at your fingertips. Booking now means getting in before it’s booked later.
{Photos: Image 1: Pechanga, Image 2, 3, 6: Hulse Photo, Image 4, 5: Jenna Joseph Photography}
