Considering getting hitched at Green Gables Wedding Estate in San Marcos, CA? Same here. That’s where I’m getting married!

So I wanted to spill the tea on this venue and give you some insider tips as I’m planning my wedding there. I’m also on their vendor list and friends with the folks that run it, so I’ve learned a LOT from them.

Here we go…

#1 - Ceremony Space

There are 3 main ceremony spaces here: the forest under the twinkle lights and trees, the open-air lawn facing the schoolhouse, and the lawn facing the gazebo and trees. All 3 are gorgeous and you can’t go wrong. But my tip with these is get married in the space you feel like best reflects you as a couple. And don’t go wasting the space you end up not using!

A lot of guests get stuck in one area because they feel like they can’t wander or explore during mingle hour. So if you get marred in the main lawn, have your cocktail hour or pre-ceremony hang out space under the forest!

Utilize the furniture you can rent from the venue to add some decorated seating areas to allow people to gather and really see the fullness of your venue.

cell phone capture I took when I toured here

#2 - Timeline

The sun sets pretty early at Green Gables because it’s so heavily shaded. So consider starting your ceremony 2-3 hours before the actual sunset, so you have enough light for gorgeous photos during your ceremony and cocktail hour, which is when you’ll take the bulk of your photos!

Don’t feel like you need to start the ceremony right up close to sunset time or you won’t have any light left for photos with you and your honey!

The girls can be on property starting at 11:30am, so having 3-5 hours before the ceremony to get ready and photos (even if you’re not doing a first look) is the best plan. Plus, shade means you can take photos earlier in the day and not get sweaty. So move everything up if you can!

#3 - Match the Venue Theme and Dress

This venue is great for vintage, romantic, earthy, woodland, forest, cottagecore, intimate, fairy tale-like weddings. If you’re unsure of what dress style or wedding theme to go with, gather inspiration from the venue itself for a cohesive feeling. Vintage dresses, sleeves, ball gowns, A-line princess gowns, cottagecore dresses will really look incredible with the venue.

#4 - Color Palette: What Goes with Green

Green Gables has lots of, well, green!!! So take a lesson from the Color Theory by choosing colors that complement well with green so they can really pop and look incredible in your photos.

Best wedding colors that goes with greenery:

Browns & wood accents
Elegant Peach
Sunset orange/tangerine
Gold
White
Bright burgundy

#5 - PICK A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO SHOOTS WELL IN GREEN

Speaking of green, I cannot stress this enough. PICK A PHOTOGRAPHER THAT CAN SHOOT GREENS WELL.

What does this mean?

Well, I’m sure you’ve heard by now the importance of photography “style” and editing style. With editing style especially, greens are a big deal. Some photographers desaturate (dull) the color green more than others. Don’t get me wrong, this can look absolutely stunning. Other photographers over-saturate green, which can look great, but sometimes it looks neon or makes skin tones look gross when the couple is standing in a sea of green.

Since you’re getting married at a super green venue, make sure you ask potential photographers to show you full galleries from weddings that have a lot of greenery/grass/trees. Then, you can decide for yourself if you like how they edit their greens.

And this goes for any venue & photographer combo, not just Green Gables.

#6 - Season for the Best Blooms

Idk about you, but I’m obsessed with the natural flowers around the venue. There are a lot of white roses, which bloom in midspring through fall. And luckily, the venue is far enough inland, so you don’t have June Gloom! So June weddings are also beautiful here.

#7 - night photos with the lights

There are so many gorgeous twinkle lights everywhere. Make time to get a couple photos underneath them when they’re lit. Ask your photographer to step out of the reception with you for 5 mins and get a couple cool photos in the dark with just a flash and the pretty lights. I promise it will be beautiful.

#8 - Private Dance Under the Fairy Lights

While you’re at it, bring a little speaker and do a private dance out there under the lights in the forest lawn. We’re talking fairy tale magic!!!!

#9 - MORNING YOGA

The deck on the back side of the schoolhouse when you walk in? Now that’s a cute little nook. My girls and I are planning on spending the morning before we get ready doing yoga on the porch. It’s full of serenity and is so warm and shaded.

Definitely recommend starting your day with peace!

#10 - book a Weekday wedding to save money

All the Trademark Venues are stunning, but they book out so far in advance! I booked my April wedding 22 months out and they were already filling up weekends. So if you need a more affordable venue and don’t require a weekend, a weekday wedding might be for you.

As I was venue searching, so many of the “affordable” venues were really not that pretty or had other logistical problems. Here, everything is 100% professional, perfect, and taken care of. It feels like a million dollar Bachelorette wedding venue without the cost.

So when I booked a weekday wedding with them, I felt like it was highway robbery. I’m gonna have the Twilight bougie wedding of my dreams but still be able to invest in other parts of the wedding instead of putting all my budget into the venue. Like I said… you really can’t go wrong booking Green Gables or any Trademark venue.