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Ask The Expert: OC's Most Stylish Wedding Venues

chuck jones header
(credit: Chuck Jones Center)

Spring kicks off the high season for blissful nuptials, but finding that perfect place to tie the knot can prove a daunting undertaking for any engaged couple. Wedding planner Natalie Good from A Good Affair Wedding & Event Productions gives the inside scoop on dream wedding locations around Orange County and shows how getting hitched can be a beautifully unique and creative affair.

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(credit: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production)

Rancho Las Lomas

19191 Lawrence Canyon
Silverado, CA 92676
(949) 888-3080
www.rancholaslomas.com

Imagine exchanging your vows while being surrounded by family, beautiful Spanish architecture and a zoological garden full of rare birds, zebras and tigers. You don't have to book a destination wedding overseas to get married in an exotic location. Rancho Las Lomas is an elegant private estate in the hills of Orange County with facilities to accommodate up to 400 guests. Perform the wedding ceremony in the Teatro, an outdoor theater surrounded by oaks and sycamore trees. The grounds of the estate serve as the perfect backdrop for those wedding photos and a dancing stone fountain near the Grand Salon is ideal for entertaining guests during cocktail hour. This romantic and picturesque location is Good's top pick for most stylish places to get married in OC.

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(credit: Chuck Jones Center)

Chuck Jones Center By 24 Carrots
3321 Hyland Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(800) 717-1545
www.chuckjonesby24.com

In the middle of Costa Mesa's chic South Coast Collection (SOCO) district, you'll find a gallery owned by Chuck Jones, the Academy Award-winning artist and visionary who brought you Warner Bros. characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. His partnership with Orange County's premiere caterer, 24 Carrots Catering and Events, brings you the Chuck Jones Center which offers a brand new, state-of-the-art event venue perfect for a unique and memorable wedding. Good says this new property can be rented for a reasonable price and is great for brides looking to save money on a modern facility. The space is a blank canvas that can be transformed into anything you want it to be.

Related: Best Places To Buy Wedding Gifts In OC

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(credit: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production)

Franciscan Gardens

31815 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 248-1586
www.franciscangardens.com

This open-air wedding venue in historic San Juan Capistrano is set amid an Italian courtyard and lush rose garden down the street from the old mission. Event packages include tables and chairs for up to 200 guests, the use of string lighting with white paper lanterns, lamppost lighting around the courtyard, and use of all of the courtyard fountains. The Franciscan Gardens is a romantic and intimate setting for both your ceremony and reception.

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(credit: A Good Affair Wedding & Event Production)

The Resort At Pelican Hill

22701 S. Pelican Hill Road
Newport Coast, CA 92657
(949) 467-6800
www.pelicanhill.com

If you're looking for an upscale and luxurious wedding experience, there are few locations in California that can compare to The Resort at Pelican Hill in the exclusive Orange County community of Newport Coast. Good describes this hotel venue as an amazing property with gorgeous ocean views. Exchange your vows beneath a gigantic Italian rotunda overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Dance the night away with your guests inside the elegant Mar Vista ballroom enclosed with glass windows. Good highlights the European atmosphere of this venue with its massive stone work and use of fireplaces to add to the romantic ambiance. The Resort at Pelican Hill is most definitely one of the most stylish and exclusive places to get married in Orange County.

St. Regis Monarch Beach
(credit: St. Regis Monarch Beach)

St. Regis Monarch Beach
One Monarch Beach Resort N.
Dana Point, CA 92629
(949) 234-3200
www.stregismb.com

If you want a Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond resort to get married at, look no further than the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point. This resort has venues for weddings of every size, from 50 of your closest family and friends to 800 guests. The Grand Lawn offers views of the Pacific Ocean and is the resort's signature ceremony location. You can also choose the botanical garden with its lush plants and charming pathways. Entertain your guests inside the 12,000-square-foot Pacific Ballroom or treat them to an intimate cocktail hour at Club 19 with views of the ocean and golf course. Whatever your dream wedding entails, the St. Regis is guaranteed not to disappoint.

Related: Best Spring 2013 Wedding Shows in SoCal

Truc Dever is a freelance writer covering all things Orange County. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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