Venue Wrap Up - Half way to a decision

After exploring all the venues, I came away thinking it would be fantastic to get married in any of them.  Which didn't exactly help with the decision-making process.  No venue was perfect, but I truly could imagine us - at every one - having a beautiful ceremony and reception, taking wonderful pictures, and the place feeling sufficiently natural and calm.  To start eliminating venues, we had to be very critical and really consider the drawbacks of each comparatively.

The Mean List: Cons of each venue

1) Descanso - 1) No amplified sound --> practically: string quartet or swing band, but no DJ or band; 2) Mandatory event time of 5 pm - 10 pm --> we preferred an afternoon wedding; 3) Patina catering menus don't have many vegetarian items on them 

2) Fenyes Mansion - 1) Smallish; 2) too much greenery, not enough flowers; 3) would have to get satellite parking lot for guests because site only has parking for 30

3) Malibu Nature Preserve - 1) WAY out in Malibu --> think halfway to Oxnard; 2) Event coordinator is a bit prickly; 3) need van transportation to get guests to cliff overlooking ocean

4) Adamson House - 1) need satellite parking lot/ shuttle since not enough parking on site; 2) many decorations restrictions since National Historic Landmark; 3) would have to get significant general liability insurance for event 

5) Disneyland - 1) Last night at dinner, Dad jokingly called it "The Rat Kingdom"--> hardest one to "sell" to parents; 2) Not as much natural beauty as venues 1), 3), 4), and 6)

6) Arboretum - 1) Reception would be too difficult to have there (tent, insurance, porta potties, etc.), so guests would have to go to hotel reception site after ceremony, which might make event too late for guests who have work/ flights on Monday morning; 2) Mandatory event time of 5 pm - 10 pm

We've come to a few compromises so far: 

- because of the fatal flaw of the Arboretum as a ceremony AND reception site, we've decided to take engagement pictures there, but skip it as a wedding venue.  That way, we'll get some lovely pictures of us in all its natural splendor, but not have to worry about all the issues that having a wedding there would create.

- also, we've crossed #2 off the list because we agree it's unremarkable compared to the other places.

- #3 is narrowly remaining on the list because A) the caterer seemed *awesome* and offered tons of gourmet vegetarian items, B) she was also receptive to our idea of a "Soda bar," and didn't charge cake-cutting or corkage fees and C) it really is spectacularly pretty there.  I just worry about our out-of-town guests getting there and back (since there are no hotels nearby) and about all the extra coordinating I'd have to do because of the nature of the location.

So it's really down to Descanso, Adamson House, or Disneyland.  Which one would you choose? Why? 

Stay tuned for the final decision!