The Resort on Pelican Hill Wedding Venue: An Italian Dream Wedding on the Newport Coast
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A mecca for fabulous, high-profile extravaganzas, the Resort at Pelican Hill is an Italian Renaissance-inspired property with a focus on luxury. Located on the picturesque rolling hills of the Newport Coast, this 504-acre resort will check every box on your wish list if you’ve always wanted a destination Italian wedding. The Resort at Pelican Hill is an award-winning oceanfront wedding venue nestled in Newport Coast, California.
Italian Renaissance-Inspired Design With Pacific Ocean Views
The sprawling Pelican Hills wedding venue property is home to awe-inspiring architecture inspired by the works of Andrea Palladio, a 16th century Italian architect, as well as groves of 100-year-old olive trees, a 23,000-square-foot spa, one of the largest circular swimming pools in the world and two 36-hole golf courses. The property is set on 504 acres of landscaped grounds, including ancient olive trees and panoramic ocean views. At the resort guests are greeted by herringbone brick street pavers that replicate charming Italian plazas, grand porticoes, graceful archways, stately columns, expansive outdoor verandas, hand-applied plaster exteriors and vaulted ceilings.
Bungalows and Villas for Wedding Guests
The 332 guest accommodations at Pelican Hill celebrate coastal living. Instead of conventional guest rooms, spacious, single-story bungalows and villas line residential-style streets, creating the inviting ambiance of a Tuscan village on the California coast. For wedding parties and traveling family, the property’s one-of-a-kind residences offer the ideal setting to stay together in comfort and style.
Guests can choose to stay in a bungalow or a two, three or four-bedroom villa. Each bungalow is well-appointed, boasting wood-beam ceilings, private terraces, elegant furnishings and deep soaking marble tubs, all conceptualized to frame unobstructed vistas of the Pacific Ocean or the manicured golf courses. The villas are great for long stays. They come with personal butlers and are equipped with gourmet kitchens. Cabana suites surround the pools and feature flat-screen televisions and Bose audio systems. For more options of luxurious hotels to consider on your next getaway, see this curated list from the Los Angeles Times.
The Appeal of a Newport Beach Wedding
When you choose Pelican Hill, you’re also choosing Newport Beach as your destination. This isn’t just any beach town; it’s a classic Southern California location known for its beautiful harbor, upscale shopping, and incredible restaurants. It gives your guests plenty to do and explore during their downtime for the wedding weekend, from surfing to shopping.
The Iconic Rotunda and Event Lawn
The property is also home to several versatile event spaces. Couples are spoiled for choice with spectacular indoor and outdoor event spaces at Pelican Hill. The highlight is the Event Lawn & Rotunda, a well-manicured oval lawn that extends toward the horizon, where a dramatic Italian rotunda is perched 300 feet above the ocean. The iconic rotunda provides a dramatic backdrop for wedding ceremonies.
With its spectacular domed ceiling and classical columns, the Rotunda offers an awe-inspiring stage for a wedding ceremony with a magnificent backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. The adjacent Mar Vista Ballroom, with its hand-hewn wood beam ceilings and exquisite interiors, serves as the perfect venue for a glamorous reception to follow.
Inside the Mar Vista Ballroom
After the ceremony, most receptions take place in the Mar Vista Ballroom. This isn’t your standard hotel ballroom. The space has incredible hand-hewn wood beam ceilings and opens up onto a huge terrace with panoramic ocean views. The Mar Vista can be customized to fit your specific style and guest count, with plenty of room for tables, a dance floor, and a band.
A More Casual Vibe at the Pelican Grill
For other wedding-related events, like a welcome party or rehearsal dinner, the Pelican Grill is a fantastic option. Located at the resort’s golf club, it has a more relaxed, clubhouse feel. The large terrace offers stunning ocean views and is a perfect spot to watch the sunset. It provides a different but still beautiful setting within the resort.
Parties at the Coliseum Pool
The Coliseum Pool is one of the most famous features of the resort. It’s one of the world’s largest circular pools and is absolutely stunning. While it’s a great place for guests to relax during the day, it can also be booked for private events. Imagine hosting a welcome event or a farewell brunch here, with your guests lounging in private cabanas. It’s an incredible space with top-notch amenities.
Planning Grand Wedding Weekends
The beauty of a venue like Pelican Hill is that it’s perfect for creating grand wedding weekends. You can really make the most of the property. A couple could host a welcome dinner at the Pelican Grill, have their ceremony at the iconic Italian rotunda, the reception in the Mar Vista Ballroom, and a farewell brunch by the Coliseum Pool. It allows you to create a series of different experiences for your guests, all in one location.
One Wedding Per Weekend: A Truly Exclusive Experience
The Resort at Pelican Hill’s commitment to an unparalleled experience is perhaps best exhibited by its “One Wedding per Weekend” policy. By dedicating the entire weekend to a single wedding, the property eliminates the logistical stress and hurried ambiance that can often detract from a couple’s big day.
“Many of our couples love being the center of attention on their special day, and we make that possible by hosting only one wedding per day or weekend,” says Pamela Wolter, Director of Sales at The Resort at Pelican Hill. “This exclusive approach allows our team to focus entirely on the couple, ensuring they receive the personalized attention and exceptional service they deserve throughout their celebration.”
Personalized Wedding Planning and Concierge Services
The Resort at Pelican Hill’s events team usually works with a couple for approximately a year before their wedding. The process begins with an in-person visit to the resort where the property’s expert team escorts the couple across the grounds and shows them every option available for wedding-related receptions, events and celebrations.
“Once we understand the scope of the couple’s vision, we present a comprehensive contract and finalize all details within about a month of their visit,” adds Wolter. “Our couples are typically well-traveled and seeking a very high level of privacy. They want their experience to stand out in a way that is unique and expressive of their love story.”
Once the contract has been signed Pelican Hill’s culinary team arranges a tasting with the couple. The in-house team of chefs and local culinary experts caters to the bride and groom’s every need. Following that, the property designs a detailed run of events along with the couple’s wedding planner. Then it’s time for the grand event of getting guests checked in and the festivities begin.
On the wedding day the hotel provides a wedding concierge who acts as the couple’s assistant. While the wedding planner manages the event’s logistical details, the concierge focuses on the personal requirements of the bride and groom, ensuring they feel relaxed and cared for. The Resort at Pelican Hill provides personalized wedding planning services with a dedicated wedding concierge for every wedding.
The property also offers exclusive locations for the couple to enjoy private moments. “The manicured garden on a private rooftop is an exclusive location for bride and groom photos and private, post-ceremony champagne and hors d’oeuvres just for couples,” remarks Pamela Wolter.
The thoughtful service continues with the banquet professionals. “Our banquet staff and event captains are truly exceptional. They are masters of their craft as they consistently deliver flawless service while expertly following event timelines,” she adds.
Understanding the Costs
A luxury venue like this comes with a significant price tag. When you’re planning your budget, you’ll need to consider a few key things. There will be a site rental fee to secure the event spaces. In addition, there is a food and beverage minimum, which is the minimum amount you must spend on food and drinks. These are standard for high-end venues and are important to factor into your overall budget. The rental fee for a reception ranges from $5,000 to $10,000 for 7 hours of event time.
Guest Relaxation and Recreation at Pellican Hill
The Resort at Pelican Hill features a range of luxurious amenities designed for pre- and post-wedding unwinding. Evocative of Rome’s well-loved landmark, the Coliseum Pool is a strikingly distinctive swimming pool. Perfectly circular and 136 feet in diameter, it’s one of the world’s largest circular pools, dazzling with 1.1 million hand-cut glass mosaic tiles.
The Pelican Hill Golf Club is home to two 36-hole courses. Ocean North and Ocean South are artfully woven through scenic natural terrain and breathtaking ocean vistas. The Spa at Pelican Hill is a 23,000-square-foot oasis dedicated to wellness and healing. With 22 private treatment rooms for massages and facials, the spa also features an Aqua Colonnades with a Palladian rotunda, a wall of flowing water, steam rooms, saunas and saltwater Roman soaking tubs.
The Perfect Blend of Old World and West Coast
Strategically located about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles International Airport, The Resort at Pelican Hill offers a blend of timeless Italian architecture and thoughtful Californian hospitality. This property is where your Italian dream wedding without the international travel becomes a reality, exhibiting the very best of two worlds.
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