Malibu
My son is married. Jeffrey married his long time GF-fiancee-partner Leanne. It's great to be able to just settle on wife. It took me months to get used to fiancee. Leanne's parents put on a wedding that surpasses every nuptual I've witnessed and the best for many other guests, it was a topic of conversation among us.
It all happened in Malibu. We stayed at a resort in Westlake Village in the Santa Monica Mountains, a very cool Tuscan property with the 3 hopping restaurant/bar set up. The locals love this place, for casual pizza, anti-pasto and wine happy hours to fine Mediterranean dining to a thumping nightclub with valet parking, high heels and bros. I skipped that last activity.
The ceremony was at Calimigos Ranch in the mountains of Malibu. Ranch is the right word, it's rustic, woodsy, snuggled in a steep valley. It's a wedding factory, a handful every week, but it's a very cool property. The setting was pretty amazing. The Iccovettas nailed it. Good choice
We drove from Tempe to the coast, we've driven thousands of miles in CA, no problem, 6-7 hours depending on exact beach destination, avoid LA, expect traffic at all hours. We love Los Angeles, mostly because we only go to the best hoods and even if we wander into Hollywood there are plenty of witnesses. The bride and groom met at UCLA. We've been to LA many times. Even before our UCLA student connection we did 3 Red Sox road trips seeing them in Anahiem. Southern California has become familiar to us.
At the far end of the Westlake Village Inn resort is a restaurant / wine bar / coffee house / deli, They have a couple of German beers on tap. Super casual with all outdoor seating on cafe tables & picnic tables, lots of tables, in the middle of a mini working winery. In the middle is an outdoor wood fired pizza oven. Stonehaus is the best thing about the resort. The fancy restaurant and night club are for a different crowd. People ride their bicycles to Stonehaus.
There was a beach or two involved in this trip.
So that's where it all happened. I just wanted to mention the wedding and the setting.