With thousands of Central Coast wedding venues to choose from, getting started can feel daunting. Let us help simplify your search.
From vast landscapes of rolling hills sprinkled with vineyards and rustic farms; to coastal towns with seaside charm; cliffs overlooking the beautiful Pacific ocean; or lush orchards and tree covered canopies. The wedding venues on the Central Coast will take your breath away, and it can feel impossible to choose just one for your big celebration, but you know what can really help narrow it down? Having a comprehensive list of venues all in one place. Over the course of many years, Kramer Events has had the opportunity to get an up close and personal look at some of the greatest venues around, and we want to share our knowledge with you! That is why we have created Central Coast Wedding Venues, a free resource dedicated to making your search for the perfect venue far simpler.
Not only does this resource contain hundreds of Central Coast Wedding Venues in one location, but it also makes it very easy to narrow your search based on your wedding day needs. Break down your search by region ( San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara County), style ( garden, vineyard, ranch, oceanfront, etc.), layout (outdoor/indoor), capacity, and services offered.
View all listed venues in grid mode, or view a map of the Central Coast with pins placed in the areas where venues are present.
Each Venue profile contains a brief description of the venue as well as a link to their website and all pertinent contact information to make your job easy and stress-free. No need to do additional Google searches, we have provided you with everything you will need to contact any of our listed venues to ask questions or arrange a site visit.
None of the venues we have featured here paid to be included in our database so rest assured, any venue you consider from within this list is highly reputable and completely endorsed by the Kramer team. We want nothing more than for your celebration to be above and beyond your expectations which is why we have taken the time to showcase these beautiful and professional venues.
As you head into a new season brimming with opportunity and possibility, it’s time to hone your game. Last month we talked about some marketing myths and some foundational marketing concepts. You may recall the basic four “P’s” of marketing being, Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion. Let’s address the first one,
PRODUCT
As a venue, you may think this is obvious – and perhaps from your point of view, it is obvious. You’re not selling flowers, suits or transportation, you’re selling a place – hopefully, the place. But from a bride and groom’s point of view – their venue is so much more than just a place. It’s the backdrop for their “forever memories”, it’s their beginning, it’s a gathering place for those closest to them, it’s where they’ll celebrate, it’s where they’ll spend their first night perhaps. There are many emotional buttons that your venue may or may not push for your couples. The key to your success is understanding what their emotional values are. How? Ask and then LISTEN – they’re happy to tell you. Once you know what motivates them emotionally, you can share the pertinent information that will most meet their needs.
For example, when you meet with a couple, ask them what they are looking for in a venue. You’ll be blown away by the answers that have very little to do with a “place” and often have to do with the emotional reaction or experience they are looking for. We’re looking for a great celebration, we want our families to connect, we want our friends to have a great time, we love nature, we want everything to be convenient, or I want my family to stay together on the property. Your venue now represents connection, celebration, convenience, nature, closeness – THOSE are the things you sell – your product! Once you know this, your website, social media, print advertising should all consistently reflect that message.
As a marketer, I would encourage you to refine this much further by defining your unique offerings, or your unique selling opportunity. What attributes differentiate you from the venue down the road from you? How do you do business different from those around you? How do you create a personalized experience for your couples? These attributes are what your unique product is. This is often a time to define the core values of your operation. This product information should be replicated in everything you do.
Stay tuned for next months article, where we delve into the second “P’, Price!
Meet Melissa, the Heartbeat of the Kramer Events Team.
If you haven’t met Melissa you are missing out. Her positive attitude and energy are infectious. She brightens any room she walks into. And lucky enough she’s one of the first people you get to talk to when you are calling the office.
10 years ago she joined the team to run the front office and help our customers find the event services they need. As an event consultant, she’s a huge part of what you get when you work with our team. Just read years worth of our wedding wire reviews and count how many times she’s mentioned.
We definitely wouldn’t be where we are today as an organization without her helping deliver amazing experiences in the planning process for our wedding couples and the businesses we work with. And our office definitely wouldn’t be as much fun without her energy there. From time to time you’ll see her turn up the music and start an impromptu office dance party.
She also wears her heart on her sleeve and would stop everything she’s doing to help a friend or brighten someone’s day.
Melissa, you are awesome! But of course, I’m a little biased.
What happens when Kramer Events, one of the top Central Coast DJ and Entertainment companies teams up with SLO Brew Rock, one of the hottest new venues on the scene? A totally rad and innovative event, that’s what!
You will not want to miss this game-changing collaboration! It is going to take the concept of a corporate party to the next level.
Come join us and kick off the new year in style with delicious food and craft beer provided by SLO Brew as well as entertainment by Kramer Events.
Many of the most impactful moments are celebrated through an event where people gather around those they want to be surrounded by to help them celebrate life. Then it clicked with our team as we realized why we are here.
Sippin’ wine, fine dining, cruising around on a party bus, and great company? ALL ON A WEEKDAY! Learn why the Kramer Events Wine & Dine Tour is a networking event you won’t want to miss!
As many of you already know, networking with fellow industry professionals is incredibly important for the overall success of your business, but sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the noise of large networking parties and events. That is why the Kramer Team decided to create the Wine & Dine tour, a small scale networking event designed to bring together active members of the Central Coast Wedding and Events Industry in a casual and fun way.
Since the last few tours were a huge success, we have decided this is something worth repeating. The next Kramer Events Wine & Dine tour will be held on February 4th and the team has big plans as to how we will provide even more value to our guests this time around.
What to Expect on the Kramer Events Wine & Dine Tour
So, you may be wondering what this event will look like, so I will give you a brief rundown of what to expect.
Morning meetup at the Kramer Events office for coffee and breakfast goodies before heading out on our tour (North County pickup is also available as needed)
Fun transportation aka party bus provided by Slo Safe Ride
An informative tour of up to three Central Coast Wineries
Small bites and a full lunch, catered by a fabolous caterer.
The opportunity to network with a handful of key players in our local industry
This is a great opportunity to not only network with other industry professionals but the intimate nature of the event allows you to really get to know one another and forge authentic relationships which are such a vital part of doing business. We really want to see how this event can benefit you and your Central Coast Business and most importantly we want you to have FUN while you “work”!
Here are some photos from our previous Wine & Dine Tours.
At Kramer Events, we are always striving for improvement and innovation in our industry, and our BRAND NEW photo booth takes this concept to a whole new level!
Designed and crafted from scratch by our former lead technician Kris Teunissen, the new Kramer Events photo booth is a perfect combination of the classic photo booth experience with a modern flair that makes it a unique addition to any wedding or special event.
The New Classic was created with the intention of taking the Photo Booth experience to a new level, and it has certainly achieved this in more ways than one. Some of its innovative features include:
A lightweight design that is easy to transport and assemble in a fraction of the time.
A one of a kind, handcrafted wooden exterior that provides a sleek yet classic appearance.
A built-in compartment for power cords to maintain a neat and visually appealing setup.
A tilt feature, making the booth more accommodating to children and taller individuals alike.
A compact design which greatly minimizes the amount of space needed for setup.
The Kramer Team is stoked on this new addition to our lineup and even more excited to say fair well to the dinosaur that is our old Classic Booth.
Let’s chat about marketing. What is it, what is it not? It can all be quite overwhelming – SEO, social media strategy, UX, direct email, newsletters, print & digital advertising, pay per click… The truth is that these things are NOT marketing, they are tools of promotion. Promotion is ONE of several aspects of marketing – in fact, the LAST component of marketing. Why do you hear so much about them? Simple, it is where marketing companies are able to build in a revenue stream component. And when I say revenue – I mean, charge YOU money.
If you start with promotion but don’t understand the preceding components of marketing – you’re not only wasting money and effort, you will not be completely successful. So, let’s get acquainted with the basic 4 P’s of marketing – or marketing 101. Over the coming months, we’ll chat about them all right here, and why it’s critical that as a business owner, you know them.
PRODUCT – What are you offering or selling? Not just what you’re selling, but what about it makes your product different from the vendor down the street selling the same thing? How can you tweak it to make it even more appealing to your customer?
PRICE – What is the value of what you are offering? This actually goes beyond price, it considers the VALUE of what you are offering. How desirable is it? Price is simply a numerical quality of something – but how do we determine that number?
PLACEMENT – Who are you selling it to? Who is your target market, their attributes, otherwise known as demographics, where do you find them, how do they find you? What is your PLACE in your market?
PROMOTION – How will you get your message about your product out to the market that is looking for it? This is where the plethora of tools come in. Most often this segment of marketing is referred to as advertising – but advertising is again only one tool of promotion. Which tools are going to be most effective at reaching your peeps?
So, you’ve come to the conclusion that throwing a company party is one of the secrets to a successful business year, and certainly worth the invested time and capital. Now, you find yourself in the planning stages and you’re wondering if there is a secret formula to ensure that your party is a success and achieves the desired results for your business and team environment. We are here to tell you that there is!
Here are the top 5 must-have components of a successful corporate party:
Venue – When you begin planning your party, the first order of business is finding a Central Coast Venue that suits your company’s needs. There are some important factors to consider when selecting your venue, and the budget is only one of them. First, you must ensure that the venue you select is appropriately sized for the number of guests you anticipate. Too large of a space and your guests may not interact as much as you would like, and if the space is too small people may feel cramped and uncomfortable. It’s important to tour the venue ahead of time and ensure it fits your needs. The next thing to consider is whether or not the venue is all inclusive or not. Some venues come with table and chair rentals, food & bar, bathrooms, heaters, etc. Do you want to use some or all of these included services, which can save cost, or do you prefer to outsource to other vendors for things such as food and drink or specialty rentals? Find out what the venue allows for so your not disappointed later on if you want to change something. Finally, you must consider whether or not the venue has any restrictions on what you can and can’t do there. Most venues in our county have a sound ordinance that states any loud music must be turned off by 10 p.m. This and other restrictions are important to note to prevent improper planning for the event. Keep a list of questions handy when touring your venues and make sure to ask them all before booking. Once you narrow down your preferences, our free resource Central Coast Venues is the perfect place to begin your hunt for the perfect venue for your year-end party.
Coordination – The second most vital component of throwing a corporate party is having a competent person to plan the event. Planning a celebration is a job in itself and although it is possible for a company employee to plan the event, it may require that they work extra hours to do so without it taking away from their ability to do their job. We recommend you leave this one to the professionals and allow one of the many competent Central Coast Event Coordinators to take the hard work off your team’s shoulders so everyone can just show up and enjoy! Kramer Events Coordinator, Renee Weber has extensive knowledge planning corporate parties in San Luis Obispo County. She knows the best venues/vendors in the area and what their capabilities are and she can work with any kind of budget to create a celebration that meets your unique needs. If however, you decide to take on the task of planning the party in-house, Renee has laid out some really helpful tips:
Tip 1: Get an RSVP!! Send out an email, invitation or Evite with a clear date that employees are expected to rsvp by. You want to know how many guests to plan for.
Tip 2: Provide some sort of entertainment – raffle, photo booth, slideshow, music, etc.
Tip 3: Make sure your employees get home safe! If possible, provide transportation, encourage carpooling, etc.
Entertainment – Expanding upon tip number two, providing entertainment for your guests is a huge factor in ensuring that they enjoy the party and that it achieves the results you’re after. Kramer Events has many options when it comes to entertainment including Karaoke, Dance Party, Game Show, and photo booth options. Each of our entertainment packages includes a Kramer Events team that is knowledgeable in their craft and skilled at encouraging guests to interact and have fun with one another. It’s a great idea to get input from your team when deciding on the type of entertainment you will have. We love to utilize online polls within our team’s Facebook group whenever we have a big decision to make that will affect the team. This allows everyone to feel included and gets them excited for the party and entertainment that they helped select. To learn more about Kramer Events Entertainment packages, see Your Party Made Simple.
Food & Drink – Next to entertainment, your food and beverage selection will likely be one of the most talked about aspects of your company party. There are a few things to consider when selecting the right catering and bartending team to work your event. First, what is the theme of your party? If it is a formal affair, you may consider a seated dinner with servers as opposed to a more casual buffet-style setup. The second thing to consider is if there are any dietary restrictions that you will need to accommodate for. Check in with your team and make sure you know what those are. The last thing you want is to have one of your guests without a meal because the food options you’ve provided do not fit in with their diet. If you have dinner options, it’s a great idea to send those out with your RSVP request and allow people to choose what they would like to eat. This also has the added benefit of incentivizing that they submit their RSVP in a timely manner. Now, let’s talk food. Luckily you will have no shortage of options when it comes to selecting a catering company to help with your party as the Central Coast has many talented vendors available. Here are a few of our favorites:
Special Acknowledgments – Finally, we feel that its vital to the overall goal of your corporate celebration to include important company and team acknowledgments at some point throughout the evening. An annual company party gives you the perfect opportunity to celebrate the amazing team of people that are the backbone of the organization. The acknowledgment of individual employees or divisions as a whole for their hard work and perseverance can give your team a feeling of being recognized and appreciated for their hard work. This unique environment provides a space for praise to be given in a public setting. Being recognized for your hard work and attributes amongst your peers provides more accountability and serves as a huge motivator for everyone to maintain and excel beyond their current achievements. Presenting awards to those who have earned them is a great idea and will give your guests something to take home and remember the event for many years to come. As the CEO/Team Leader of a company, it is vital to give back to your employees and acknowledge all their strengths and achievements so they feel proud to be a part of the vision you’re all working towards. It also gets everyone pumped up for the next year to come and motivates everyone to raise the bar even higher. This is the component that will really bring your team together and ultimately, that is the goal of throwing an annual company party; to create a space of authentic connection.
