It's all about the location.  For us we wanted a venue that was convenient with the ceremony and reception at the same place and housing nearby for guests.  Knowing that all of our family was from out of town, we wanted to find a venue with some great exteriors to showcase our amazing California scenery.

Ultimately, we chose Westlake Village Inn in Westlake Village, CA.  They had delicious food, and their site had several lovely photo opportunities around each corner.

For our ceremony location, we chose the "Wishing Well"which later became the "Tuscan Garden". On our initial tour of the venue, we were informed that the site would undergo construction, and basically signed our contract for the place sight unseen... a huge risk, but we were able to get the old price out of the deal

Before                                         After

Our reception was held in the "Lakeside Room" with a beautiful patio near the lake. This was perfect to have cocktail hour out on the patio and then eat inside. The huge fireplace out there was also a big plus.

Rehearsal dinner was in the "Fairway Room" which was located up above the "Lakeside Room" and a delicious farewell brunch was at the "Mediterraneo". A spectacular setting.

We also reserved a suite for us to stay at for Friday and Saturday night. (This way I had a place to get ready.) Several other guests stayed at the hotel. For guests on tighter budgets, we also reserved blocks of rooms at the Hampton Inn and Suites and the Renaissance Hotel, both on the same street as the venue only 2 miles east.