My husband and I were married at the Mission San Juan Capistrano and then had our reception at the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, CA. I want to begin this review/blog/opinion column by stating that I am not the kind of person to take the time to submit my opinions of any kind online; however, in this case, I felt a deep sense of obligation to brides- to- be to know about one of the best kept secrets in Orange County and to reward the people who made my wedding an unforgettable experience.

One person in particular, Russell Miller, made my entire wedding planning experience seamless. I met him with my mother and future mother -in -law a few months prior to the big day. I really appreciated his high level of professionalism and his calm demeanor from the moment I met him. While the three of us enjoyed a glass of fine white wine in the dining room Russell took extensive notes on every detail that I voiced from white lights on the patio to a canon ball going off to signal dinner to my guests. This was my first time planning a wedding and to every single question he had a simple answer and reassurance that it would be� taken care of�. The expression, �the devil is in the details� is so applicable to wedding planning and thankfully, Russell took care of all of them. At all times it was about me and making me feel relaxed and excited about this special day.

Additionally, I was on a serious budget( I am one of 10 children) and he worked with me on all the prices. So many venues in the OC were really fabulous venues like Rancho Las Lomas and Seven Degrees, but I don�t have the budget for $5,000-$7,000 site fee.

The Balboa Yacht Club offers your guests one of the greatest views of the harbor and sets the nautical tone for your reception. It was such a beautiful day with sailboats on the water during the cocktail hour and a breathtaking sunset during dinner. Russell made sure we ate our dinner by bringing it out early to us so we could eat and then walk around to welcome our guests (I highly recommend it!). He also made sure I always had a nice glass of wine in hand even though I kept setting it down and forgetting where I put it!

If you want an incredible wedding that is affordable and unforgetable- the Balboa Yacht Club is for you. Also, forget wedding cake- I served Balboa bars and people loved it!!

Ask for Russell!

When my husband and I began planning the wedding reception and dinner for our daughter's wedding, numerous friends recommended the Balboa Yacht Club as the ideal location for our daughter's wedding reception, held on October 25, 2014. We had the pleasure of working with Israel Castell, the Banquet Manager, who did an outstanding job of ensuring that every aspect of our daughter's wedding reception and dinner was handled beautifully. Israel's follow-up and efforts resulted in a successful, joyful evening that truly met all our expectations.
Israel graciously met with us regularly, advising us on every aspect of planning the reception. He helped us select the dinner entrees, advised us on the alcohol selections, and suggested a table layout for the downstairs cocktail reception, as well as efficiently handling numerous other details we had requested. One of our key concerns for the dinner reception was that the dinner entrees served would be delicious and well-received by our guests, and Israel assured us that the Chef, Felipe, was excellent. Israel helped us in selecting the entrees, which were New York Steak, Chicken Piccata, and Vegetable Risotto, and all three of the entrees were outstanding. In addition, every detail we requested on the table layout and linens was done beautifully, and the entire evening was a very special and memorable one for both ourselves and our guests.
We also appreciated the fact that even though my husband and I are not members at the BYC, both Israel and his staff were consistently professional, courteous, and gracious to us, as well as making our guests feel comfortable and welcomed at the reception. We highly recommend the Balboa Yacht Club and are grateful for the outstanding help from Israel Castell and his staff. They truly did an outstanding job in every way, and we are happy to highly recommend the Balboa Yacht Club to our friends and business associates for any special occasion.

My daughter's wedding at the Balboa Yacht Club was perfect! Russell Miller, the Food and Beverage Director, was so easy to work with, helpful with ideas for the event and flexible with changes as we made them over the months of planning. The food was good and all of the staff, waiters and valets were attentive and helpful. The yacht club is a beautiful setting and we couldn't have asked for a better reception. Thanks!
Susan Alford