What it is: Cozy, Dreamy, Timeless, Peaceful, Romantic, Very in-tune with Nature
What it is not: Glamorous, Urbane or Swanky
The General's Residence is easily one of the bes...t wedding venues in San Francisco. The stunning views are nigh impossible to beat, and the building exterior and interiors boast an old-world charm that's well-suited for weddings. This venue is ideal for couples who want an outdoor ceremony on a bed of grass, under a tree, by the water, with birds singing in the background. All that insane natural beauty is guaranteed to enhance your joy and bliss a million-fold, and leave you with the most poignant and striking memories.
That being said, there were a few substantial annoyances that bothered and hindered us:
1) The rental window is typically 7 hours, including set-up and break-down. This leaves about four and a half hours for the ceremony, reception and a photo-shoot. If your guests/ vendors show up late, that could leave you with less than four hours. We did not realize the significance of this until the day of.
2) The venue does not provide trash disposal. Your caterer will have to carry all your trash away from the venue, since they don't even provide trash dumpsters.
3) The expenses add up to a lot. Before renting this venue, remember to factor in additional charges for the dance floor, the historic preservation fee (10%), cocktail tables, cafe tables, outdoor seating, etc.
4) All their business is conducted strictly on weekdays, usually up until 4pm. No weekend walk-throughs, meetings or phone calls.
On a brighter note, the FM guys allow you full freedom in picking your vendors. They have no 'approved list' that you are forced to choose from, and no hefty surcharges for choosing vendors outside of this list. The staff is very friendly and extremely prompt in their responses. They are also very upfront regarding all their extra charges as well as the trash disposal situation. The trouble is that one doesn't realize the full import of these seemingly minor inconveniences until the very end.
Overall though, I'd say I highly recommend this venue despite all of its shortcomings. The vivid and beautiful memories we have walked away with far outweigh all the cons.