We look forward to helping you plan your special day!
A gondola elopement with Black Swan Gondola is a private ceremony on the water at Lake San Marcos in North County San Diego, aboard an authentic Venetian gondola shipped over from Venice, Italy. Every wedding package includes a 2-hour time frame, with room for up to 8 guests plus the couple and your officiant. Pricing depends on the package, the time of day and your group, so fill out the inquiry form on this page and we’ll send you our wedding brochure with details and pricing.
It works for a two-person elopement or a small micro-wedding, with the couple and a few guests aboard. One honest note: this is a lake, not the ocean or the bay. If you want open-water views, a boat wedding on San Diego Bay is a different thing. If you want calm water and privacy, this is it.
You and your officiant ride in the main gondola, set up with plush pillows and blankets. Your guests ride alongside in their own gondolas, with chilled water bottles for everyone. Out on the water, the boats come together, and you say your vows with the lake around you and your people a few feet away. Our gondoliers are professionally trained, so all you have to do is breathe in and say “I do.”
The standard setup fits up to 8 guests plus the two of you and your officiant. If you’d like more time on the water, extra time can be added.
Both include the 2-hour time frame, a 45-minute detail consultation and access to our preferred vendor list. Pricing for each is in the brochure we send after you fill out the inquiry form.
You can add extra time, a floral package (bridal bouquet, boutonniere and simple floral boat decorations), Vows in a Bottle, Italian gondola necklaces as wedding favors, scattered rose petals or rose petal confetti cones, Venetian blankets, music for the guest boats, and a GoPro virtual guestbook that captures the day from your guests’ point of view.
The dock is at 1035 La Bonita Dr in San Marcos, in North County San Diego. If you’re weighing places to elope in San Diego, the coast is the obvious pick. If you’d rather have something quieter and inland, this is a good fit.
The lake setting is part of the appeal: a quiet, residential lake with The Lakehouse Resort and Amalfi on the shore. With a Venetian gondola on the water, it feels like a small Italian scene tucked into North County, with the calm and privacy that a small wedding on the water needs.
A gondola wedding suits couples who want the ceremony itself to be the event, not a long production around it. It fits a two-person elopement, a micro-wedding with a handful of close family or friends, or a vow renewal. If you’re picturing a boat wedding without the big-venue price tag and logistics, start with the inquiry form on this page and see what your group size looks like.
The more you tell us in the inquiry form (your date, morning or evening, and how many guests), the more useful your brochure and consultation will be.
Bring your own champagne or wine for a toast. There is no corkage fee, and we have openers on board. We don’t provide glasses or ice, so pack your own glasses and a small cooler. Bottled water is available to buy on board.
Rides go out in the rain, so bring layers for the day. If the weather is too bad, our team will reach out to you.
If you’re still at the question stage, read about a San Diego marriage proposal on the lake. After the wedding, come back for your first anniversary. Here are some anniversary date ideas.
If a wedding isn’t what you’re planning, our private 50-minute rides are $129 to $299 for two guests, depending on the time of day. See every option on the pricing page or reserve a date on the booking page. We’ve also been featured on CBS 8 and FOX 5.
Elopement pricing depends on the people and options, so we quote each one. Choose a Morning Matrimoni or an Evening Elopement, both with a 2-hour window, then add any add-ons you like. Fill out the form on this page and we will send our wedding brochure with full pricing.
Elopements with Black Swan Gondola Company have room for up to 8 guests plus the couple and your officiant. We ask for at least one month’s notice, and we go over the details with you in a consultation before the day. Tell us your guest count on the inquiry form and we will take it from there.
Yes. You can bring your own officiant, who rides in the main gondola with you, and a photographer can come along as one of your guests. If you are still looking for vendors, Black Swan Gondola Company can share our preferred vendor list when you inquire.
Yes. If you would rather not bring your own, Black Swan Gondola Company can provide an officiant for an additional fee. Tell us you would like one on the inquiry form, and we will go over the details with you when we plan your elopement.
No. Elopements with Black Swan Gondola Company are on Lake San Marcos in North County San Diego, not San Diego Bay, so there are no ocean or bay views. You get a calm lake, authentic Venetian gondolas and a private setting for your ceremony.
Tell us your date, whether you’re picturing a morning or evening ceremony, and how many guests are coming. We’ll send you our wedding brochure with packages, add-ons and pricing, and set up your 45-minute detail consultation.
Prefer email? Write to Weddings@BlackSwanGondola.com or call (760) 410-6820.
We look forward to helping you plan your special day!
We have a variety of gondola cruise options in addition to our gondola wedding experience and we invite you to view them on our pricing page. Each comes with an amazing Gondolier who will ensure you have a first class experience as you tour the serene waters of Lake San Marcos drinking some vino (wine *no corkage*), listening to music and gazing the black swans who inspired our namesake.
For more info, check out our latest reviews!