Marin County Site 010901clearest
Marin County Site 010901clearest
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An iconic redwood site just north of San Francisco, this venue features towering old growth redwoods and several designated sites for an elopement wedding.
You'll be walking through some incredible redwood groves, along some really neat boardwalks, and over some interesting, wooden bridges. This site, simply put, is just a beautiful spot to say, "I do."
What we love about this site:
Fantastic redwood backdrop.
Very accessible site.
Potential drawbacks of this site
There is a permit fee and the agency that runs this venue often won't commit to an exact amount until after you apply..
Permitters are slow to grant permits; need at least 6 months lead time.
It can take them several months to approve a permit. This is not a goos last-minute site!
Accessibility
Parking: the site does have its own parking lot. However, it tends to get full quickly and stay that way. We HIGHLY recommend carpooling. Parking passes must be applied and paid for in advance.
Access from parking: paved parking lot that leads to mostly paved pathways with boardwalks as well.
Additional Logistics
Dogs/Pets: no.
Bathrooms: yes.
Suitable for children: yes.
Max vehicles accommodated: about 50, but the parking lot gets full quickly, and tends to stay that way.
Max number of guests at this site: 30.
Dates and Times of Availability: year-round, except for weekends and holidays between March 15th to October 15th. Non-holiday weekdays are still available during that time. Ceremonies must be conducted before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m.
Type of site: public, reservable.
Permits, Fees and Other Information
Permits, Fees and Other Information
A permit is required to have a wedding of any size at here. And I'm going to be totally honest--it is VERY difficult to secure a permit here. This site is owned and managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and the staff there refuse to commit to a price, are slow to return emails and phone calls, and basically do everything they can to make the process of securing a permit as difficult as possible. That said, if this is where you want to be married, we'll take on the task of trying to obtain a permit for you.
The permit can be anywhere from $300 to 1 gazillion dollars (I say this because they have never given us an "upper limit" price.) Generally speaking, if your wedding is small and informal, they will book you at the $300 - $450 rate, but no promises can be made.
In additional, they charge us a $60 non-refundable application fee to apply for the permit. (If you book the site, the $75 is applied to your permit, but if you decline to book (after seeing the price), that $75 is not refundable.
Your wedding must be--at minimum--six months in the future for us to attempt to book any GGNRA site. (Meaning, we won't apply for a permit if your wedding is less than six months away.) It simply takes too long for them to issue the permit so anything less than six months of lead time isn't workable.
This site does not allow chairs, arches, lecterns or music. The sound of the wind in the trees is all you'll need anyway. You do not have exclusive use of the site when getting married here; most likely there will be tourists alongside your ceremony. This is not the site we recommend if you're looking for total privacy for your ceremony.
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Location
Note: place marker is approximate; the actual location will be provided upon booking.
Mill Valley Calendar of Events
IMPORTANT: be sure to check the calendar of events for the dates you're considering before you submit your date to us. Local events can impact traffic and the accessibility of your site.
Mill Valley Average Temps and Precipitation
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