Santa Barbara Wedding Tips 

If you’re thinking about having a wedding in Santa Barbara, you’re making the perfect decision! From beautiful beaches to gorgeous venues (and of course the best wedding entertainment), there are plenty of reasons to get married in Santa Barbara. We’ve put together some wedding tips for engaged couples to help make planning easier. Additionally, check out this great site for Santa Barbara Wedding Resources.

Planning a Wedding in Santa Barbara

We HIGHLY recommend (as always) hiring a professional wedding planner to help in the early stages of your wedding planning. An experienced coordinator can help leverage their relationship with preferred vendors to help you save time, get you the best value for your investment, and also avoid some common mistakes that people make when trying to plan everything on their own. In other words, a great planner will end up paying for themselves and help make your venue and vendor selection a breeze!

Santa Barbara Wedding Planners we love:

• Pamela Galvin Events
• KB Events
• Percy Sales Events
• Felici Events

Venues in Santa Barbara

From luxurious mansions to glistening coastlines, there are so many amazing wedding venues in both Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas. (Santa Ynez, Carpinteria, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Goleta, Solvang, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Cayucos, and Los Alamos, to name a few)  If you’re looking for spacious areas with excellent views, consider some of the garden and country club locations (in Montecito). Santa Barbara also boasts many Spanish-style historic properties for those looking for amazing wedding photo-ops. If you have many out-of-town wedding guests, hotels and resorts are also great options, as they already account for lodging and can also host a rehearsal dinner.   

The Replicas Music has worked with some of the best wedding and corporate venues in Santa Barbara. We can assist in connecting you to meet your needs, style, and also give you advice from a Live Music Agency perspective in regards to layout and how to insure a smooth logistical flow. 

We have worked closely with the Santa Barbara Zoo, The Santa Barbara Club, and Sunstone Winery. Our clients include AppFolio,  Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, and dozens of satisfied newlyweds.

Tips on Santa Barbara Wedding Pricing

One of the most popular Google searches when wedding planning is about pricing. While wedding costs can vary depending on the venue and vendor, keep in mind that Santa Barbara is a popular destination. You may find a chart online to give you an idea of what to expect, but it will more than likely not be accurate and give false expectations.

Great live music production with state of the art sound equipment and genius audio engineers is a great investment and will cost you (but you’re worth it!). We’ve all been to concerts and know it is a huge production to set up the stage, lights, and sound before the band even shows up. Set realistic expectations when hiring great live music. It is not supposed to be cheap. If it is, buyer beware!

Annual Events in Santa Barbara

Depending on what time of year you’ll have your wedding, there are plenty of events and festivals to enjoy while in town. Bear in mind that these are also peak times for traffic and tourism, but there is always traffic in Santa Barbara so have your guests plan accordingly. 

Be sure to refer to a calendar of popular events taking place throughout the year.

Santa Barbara Marriage License Information

You will need a California wedding license to get married anywhere within the state. If your wedding will be in Santa Barbara County, you can easily apply for it through the Santa Barbara County Registrar-Recorder.  An even better idea is to hire a professional officiant who can help you with this process — we recommend Great Officiants!

Weather in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara has warm weather for the majority of the year, but there are microclimates that can creep in. It can also get chilly and foggy as the sun goes down. The season can also affect venue availability, especially if you book an outdoor venue between October and February. Be prepared to have extra budget in case you need to rent a tent last minute due to rain.