Guide
Planning a Big Bear Wedding
What to know about getting married at 8,200 feet, from access roads to altitude to what actually changes at a mountain venue.
What actually changes at a mountain venue?
Three things: access, altitude, and vendors. The access road is real and your vendors need to know it before the day. Altitude means guests should drink more water on arrival and that the temperature drops hard after sunset in every season. And a caterer who has never worked at 8,200 feet will discover their equipment behaves differently. Every vendor we coordinate has worked this property before, which removes all three problems.
How far ahead should we book?
Summer and early autumn Saturdays go first, often twelve to eighteen months out. Winter and spring dates are far more available and are frequently the better value. Because a Sunstone wedding is a full-property booking, there is only one wedding on any given date.
What does the weekend actually look like?
Most couples arrive Friday, have a welcome dinner at the Lodge, hold the ceremony and reception Saturday, and finish with a farewell brunch Sunday. Forty guests sleep on the property the entire time. That is the part people remember, and it is the part a six-hour venue block cannot produce.
What about guests who are not staying on site?
Up to 200 attend, 40 sleep here. The rest stay in Big Bear proper, which is a short drive down the mountain and has everything from cabins to hotels.
Quick answers
How many guests can Sunstone host?
Sunstone hosts up to 200 guests for a wedding or event, with up to 40 staying overnight on the property. Retreats and tr...
Where is Sunstone located?
Sunstone sits on forty private acres at 8,200 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, in the Big Bear area of Southern Cal...
Do you get the whole property?
Yes. Weddings, events and retreats at Sunstone are full-property bookings. There are no other guests on the property dur...
What seasons is Sunstone open?
Sunstone operates year-round and hosts weddings, events and retreats in all four seasons. Winter brings deep snow and fi...
What is included in a Sunstone wedding?
Sunstone is a one-stop shop. Coordinated through us: catering and bar, tenting and structures, furnishings, florals and ...
How far is Sunstone from Los Angeles?
Sunstone is roughly 105 miles from Los Angeles, about two hours and fifteen minutes by car. Orange County is about two h...
More guides
How to Choose a Wedding Venue in Big Bear, California
A checklist for couples comparing mountain venues: capacity, lodging, access, altitude, vendors, and the questions to ask before you hold a date.
Big Bear Wedding Venue Pricing: What Moves the Quote in 2026
How a private mountain venue with lodging is priced, what a full-property weekend replaces, and the four inputs that change a Sunstone quote.
Full-Property Buyout vs. Venue Plus Hotel Block for a Mountain Wedding
The two ways to run a Southern California mountain wedding, compared on privacy, logistics, timeline, cost structure, and what your guests remember.
Red Flags When Booking a Lodge or Retreat Center in the San Bernardino Mountains
Nine warning signs to check before you sign with a mountain venue for a retreat, offsite, or group event, and what a straight answer looks like.
Retreat Venue Near Big Bear With Private Cabins: Men's, Women's, and Wellness Retreats
What a forty-person retreat needs from a mountain property, and how Sunstone hosts multi-day containers with private cabins, a Lodge, on-site meals, and the Pacific Crest Trail at the door.
A Private Lodge Near Big Bear Lake for a 30 to 40 Person Corporate Offsite
What a leadership team should expect from a private mountain lodge for a two or three day offsite, and how Sunstone runs one.
Request your dates
Tell us when you are thinking and roughly how many people. Availability is the first thing we answer.