California sites embrace same-sex ceremonies

• Since 1999, 10 percent of all the ceremonies at Ardenwood Affairs, a Victorian wedding site in Fremont with an impressive mansion, gardens and grounds, have been by same-sex couples. Many choose to arrive at the ceremony, held in a Victorian-style gazebo, via a horse-drawn carriage; www.ardenwoodaffairs.com or 925-426-3055.

• The Viceroy Palm Springs is now including a wedding, commitment or vow-renewal ceremony along with overnight accommodations, champagne and fruit upon arrival; two 60-minute spa treatments each day; and some dining; www.viceroypalmsprings.com or 800-670-6184.

• Voted by Out & About Magazine as one of the Ten Most Romantic Gay Guesthouses, Casitas Laquita in Palm Springs is a lesbian-friendly resort that has offered commitment ceremonies for many years. It's on 1.2 acres, and its architecture incorporates the "early Mission" style that dominated Palm Springs in the 1930s; www.casitaslaquita.com or 760-416-9999.

• Several hotels in the Los Angeles County region also cater to gay and lesbian weddings. Some are Travel Alternatives Group Approved Hotels, meaning they have developed criteria of policies and services that specifically support the LGBT community. These include the Hilton Checkers, Hotel Angeleno, Sofitel Los Angeles and the Sheraton Universal. Some outdoor venues are also gay-friendly, including The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada and Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, a 130-acre mountain retreat.

• The Fantasy Elopement package at Simpson Hotel Inn in Santa Barbara, an AAA five-diamond bed-and-breakfast, includes an officiator, wedding-license appointment, flowers, live music, a photo CD, wedding cake and champagne; www.simpsonhouseinn.com or 800-676-1280.

• The Ahwahnee resort hotel in Yosemite National Park hosts several hundred wedding receptions each year; www.nationalparkreservations.com/ or 866-875-8456.

• The Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, a gay-and-lesbian-owned business in Midpines, offers a guesthouse, cabins, main lodge and health spa nestled in the black oak groves 25 miles from Yosemite Valley; www.nationalparkreservations.com/yosemite_bug.htm or 866-875-8456.

• The Casa Laguna Inn & Spa in Laguna Beach has been a venue for marriages, as well as same-sex ceremonies, since 2000. The Inn offers a 10-percent discount from the published rate for any same-sex couples who arrive with a signed California marriage license; www.casalaguna.com or 800-233-0449.

Sources: California Travel and Tourism Commission and www.visitcalifornia.com