Orange County – it’s where the term “perfection” was coined. No no, don’t try to convince me otherwise. I will only roll my eyes at your ignorance and stick my fingers in my ears so I won’t hear you.

We just returned from Dana Point, where my friends Bhakti and Monsterville had the wedding of the century. Of this, I am sure. Indian weddings are extravagant and glorious events, and I was honored to have been a part of such a colourful experience.

The groom gets to enter with a procession of drumming and dancing revelers, while being carried in on a noble white steed. See below:

The groom

his harem of dancers

the stunning bride

I left that wedding feeling like I was born in the wrong culture. An incredibly boring and colourless one. But I digress. Back to the point.

Get married in California for the Weather

Southern California weather is near perfect year round. As a Houstonite, I can actually put a dollar value on this. From where I hail, the humidity sits thick and heavy like a blanket, suffocating all who venture outdoors. It drips from the trees at midnight and slinks up your back, coating your body in a nice layer of moisture. And that’s December…

California is literally a breath of fresh air. The wedding was outside, in October, and we were sitting in full sun exposure for an hour and half. Then when it finally went down, the air was chilly. CHILLY. Could it be? Is there really a land as spectacular and lovely as this? I have grown up cursing the sun and its god-forsaken shine. But do others live differently? Do others wake up, smile at the morning light, and carry about their day without concern of shade and air con? I fear I’ve been bamboozled.

happy in CA

Get Married in California for the Scenery

Let me take you on a virtual tour:

Laguna Beach

flowers on the road

ceremony site

sunset

Scenery in California is for the fancy free. Dance in the sand, plunge in the (ice cold) waves, sway with the palms, and sip cocktails as the sky turns fiery orange and then fades into inky nothingness. Flowers of vibrant colors everywhere, overcrowding the road systems with their rich aroma and punchy hues. And as you inhale their sweet sweet scent, close your eyes and let the gentle ocean breeze caress your cheek, over and over and over…

Get Married in California Because It’s Domestic

Since California is around a 3 hour flight from Houston, it’s easily accessible. No need for me to fish around my travel box for my passport, or pay hefty airfare in order to go somewhere abroad. Yet, it is so vastly different from where I live now that I might as well have stepped into another country. A perfect choice for a destination wedding – exotic and perfect, and yet doable for family and friends to share the weekend with you as well. Great choice Bhakti! ‘Twas the best wedding I have ever attended.