A Look Back at 2020 Weddings at The Dana
The Knot has long been recognized as one of the wedding world’s most authoritative sources on all things nuptial. That’s why The Dana is always so honored to be recognized by The Knot’s wedding experts as a standout venue for both receptions and ceremonies.
2021 marks only the latest year in which The Dana has been honored to receive a “Best of Weddings” award from The Knot. So, in celebration, we’re taking a look at why The Dana is such a spectacular wedding venue, plus some of the 2020 weddings that made this last year so special.
A Dream Destination
The Dana’s truly breathtaking location overlooking San Diego’s Mission Bay means we’re surrounded on all sides by spectacular natural beauty. From the fine sand of Sunset Point to the lush green space of Mission Bay Park to the sun-dappled, sky-blue waters of the Mission Bay Channel and adjacent marina, our setting is pretty spectacular. Imagine saying “I do” with your toes in the grass, then adjourning to a resplendent reception in the cool evening sea breeze. Or committing yourselves to each other in our grand Mission Bay Ballroom and dancing the night away ensconced in elegance. Your dream wedding becomes a reality here.
Award-Winning Team
The Dana’s jaw-dropping location would be plenty of reason to book your wedding with us when taken alone. Even so, when you add our passionate, dedicated team into the mix, it becomes ever more apparent why The Knot has honored us with repeated accolades. No matter what sort of event you’ve dreamed of, our expert team is ready and able to help you bring it to beautiful life. From bridal showers to engagement parties to rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, cocktail hours, and full-service receptions, we’ll work with you every step of the way to see to it that your special day is everything you envisioned.
No Detail Overlooked
It’s your special day, and we honor that. Want to create a custom menu? Our on-site culinary staff will happily work with you to determine every special touch and even arrange a tasting prior to the service. Dreaming of unique color schemes, decor, and floral arrangements? Let us show you the possibilities. Need a special dressing area for members of the wedding party? We’ve got you covered. We’re even available to help you arrange for entertainment and can recommend some of the best DJs and live wedding bands in the city.
Standout 2020 Weddings at The Dana
Despite the challenges presented by the last year, love wasn’t canceled. So The Dana was still thrilled to have played host to some distinctive weddings and events over the last year. With permission of the happy couples, we’ve chosen to highlight a few of our fondest memories.
Ashley & Paul
In a perfect example of the type of wedding that can really only happen at The Dana, Paul and Ashley made the most of a less-than-ideal set of circumstances. From the couple:
“Due to Covid, our original plan of a huge 300-person wedding was not possible. We did not want to put off becoming Mr. & Mrs., so we moved our wedding date…Since we had to do something different, we decided to go all-out and do something really fun and special to us, and get married on paddle boards — with just our immediate family surrounding us in kayaks. I loved how fun our wedding [was], and how we got to get hitched out on the beautiful water, and do something untraditional. Although we missed our friends and family who could not be with us, it was such a beautiful intimate day we got to spend with our immediate families.”
Ashlynn
When The Dana hosts a bridal shower, we pull out all the stops. So when Ashlynn came to us for help hosting hers, and COVID protocols had already kicked in for the state of California as well as San Diego County, we weren’t going to disappoint her. We worked with Ashlynn to create an event that was both everything she’d hoped for — with a custom menu, decor, and more — as well as safe. By employing enhanced food-handling protocols, socially distanced seating, and a setting in the fresh air and San Diego sunshine, we were able to help Ashlynn pull off her pre-hitch event free of any hitches of its own.
Lanee & Luke
One of our favorite couples of the year tied the knot before the onset of COVID, and we were simply thrilled to have them. It’s always pretty magical to see any two people in love stand starry-eyed as they commit themselves to each other, but the entire team was sincerely moved by Lanee and Luke’s special love story. After saying their “I do”s under an ivy-adorned proscenium in the park, they danced the night away under the stars, surrounded by loved ones.
You have many options when planning your wedding and all of its additional events. The Dana would absolutely be honored to speak with you about how we can help make your big day the fairy-tale dream you’ve always envisioned at one of the best wedding venues in San Diego. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions you may have regarding how we can make your dream wedding a reality.