Planning the Perfect Santa Barbara Courthouse Wedding

We recently accompanied some of our best friends up to Santa Barbara to serve as witness to their civil marriage. It was the most simple, perfect, sunny, love-filled day and we wanted to share a few details of what we planned to make your courthouse appearance a good one!

Here are some of our tips:

• Book a Santa Barbara Courthouse appointment in advance! They offer appointments Monday - Friday and reservations open 90 days out of the date you are looking for.

• Friday courthouse dates are the most desireable due to being able to turn your appointment into a weekend-long vacation, so make sure to call the courthouse and find out what time they open their booking window.

• Book a local photographer to capture the moment, or bring a friend with a film camera. For our personal courthouse wedding, we used a local Tin-Type photographer, The Alchemistress who took the coolest photos ever!

Stay:

• We recommend snagging a Friday appointment and staying Friday and Saturday night!

• $$$ Belmond El Encanto

• $$$ Palihouse Santa Barbara

• $$ Kimpton Canary

• $$ Drift Hotel

• $ Haley Hotel

Eat:

• Loquita in the Funk Zone is our favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara, book 2 weeks out for a Friday / Saturday night reservation.

• Bettina in Montecito is a cute and relatively new restaurant in their shopping center with great Italian cocktails and Neapolitan pizzas.

• You cannot go wrong with a late lunch at the Honor Bar in Montecito.

Do:

• Cruise the funk zone for a late afternoon wine, cocktail, shopping session.

• Hike 7 Falls in upper Mission Canyon.

• Spend the afternoon at Miramar Beach in Montecito.

• Drive the most scenic road in Santa Barbara through the hills of Montecito.

Shop:

• The Blue Door - great vintage shop

• Mollusk SB - surfboards and softgoods for the beach

• The Shopkeepers - Clothing

• LoveWorn - cool vintage and graphic tee’s

Have so much fun! You’ll love it