We’re Doing a Thing!

Renee & Jodi

06.29.24

Updated optional activities. Keep your eyes here. We will add information as the weekend gets closer.

Friday June 28th 6 pm

Please join us for a pre ceremony dinner in honor of Renee & Jodi’s commitment celebration.

We will meet at the Andiron where we will offer delicious food from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants Casa Del Sol in Fort Bragg. The food is being lovingly provided by Jodi’s mom Barbara.

Vegetarian and Meat entrees will be provided. Please let us know by June 14 if you are able to attend Fridays dinner so we can order accordingly.

Sunday June 30

Bagel Bar 9:00 am

Boichik Bagels, we think they are as good as East Coast Bagels, join us and decide for yourself.

We will have bagels, fixins and lawn games.

Kayak 11:00

Kayak through sea caves, launching from Van Damme State beach with a guided tour. Group will leave the Andiron at ~10:30, or you can meet them there at 11.

All levels of experience are welcomed by Kayak Mendocino, Jodi would love to share this experience with you all. Cost is $80, please contact Jodi directly by May 27(415.378.5485)as they are coordinating with the Kayak company.

Other relaxing activities will be added as the date gets closer.

Ceremony

Saturday June 29, 3:00 PM

The Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins
6051 N. Highway 1
Little River, CA 95456

Directions

Weather and Wardrobe

We do not consider this a formal affair. Wear what makes you feel fabulous! We chose to have our ceremony near the ocean, so dress in layers. It can get down to the 40’s at night.

Saturday schedule at the Andiron

3:30 PM - 10:00 PM

3:30-4:30 Delicious appetizers and mingling

4:30-5:30 Dinner

5:30-7:00 Dancing and General Merriment

7:00-8:30 Rest, Warm up, Get Comfortable

8:30-10:00 Bonfire, S’mores and Mulled Wine

What this all means to us

When planning a well known event in a non-traditional way, there is always the worry of, will our guests understand the things we are doing here? And even though we are happily abandoning some of the more traditional elements, make no mistake about it; we are here to celebrate our partnership with the people we love and enjoy the Mendocino coast together!

Terminology

We both see ourselves as Partners and this is the language we will be using. There is no Bride or Groom here!

Ceremony vs Wedding: We are getting legally married because unfortunately our society continues to give certain privileges to those with that relationship status. That being said, we are choosing not to use the word wedding but rather one that feels more like us, commitment ceremony or celebration. You will find that we worked to unlearn what this ritual has meant in our society and yet you may will still see traces of these rituals where they have resonated with either of us.

We hope that you can embrace our intentions with this celebration of our relationship and show up in full support of our choices.

The Andiron has become such a part of our story…

We first stayed at the Andiron over a decade ago. Madeline and Scott, the owners, were so friendly and welcoming and the place is just so comfortable, cozy, kitschy, and fun. We come up here a couple times a year and always have great experiences. This is reflected in the fact that we are hosting it here at all; this is not a wedding venue and they rarely host these events but they are welcoming us and you all because of this long history. We hope you will have a wonderful time here!

Where to Stay

We wish we could have had each of you stay at the Andiron with us, but it is a small inn and is now full. Please consider any of the following properties for your stay, of course there are a ton more options in the area. Each of these hotels is within a 10 minute drive of the ceremony.

Sea Rock Inn, Mendocino, CA
Heritage House Resort and Spa, Little River, CA
Albion River Inn, Albion, CA
Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites, Mendocino, CA
Little River Inn, Little River, CA

What To Eat, Drink, Do

Little River and Mendocino are on the rocky coast. Here's a small sampling of the things we love to do here and why this area is so special to us.

Eat and Drink

Trillium Cafe - upscale and best in the area. Veggie and meat.

Albion River Inn - incredible views and upscale traditional food.

McCallum House - a real classy meat and potatoes kind of place.

Casa del sol (15 minutes north up the road in Noyo Harbor) no fanfare, just great Mexican food located down by the where the fishing boats come in. There are a few good white clam chowder options and fish markets down there too that are delicious.

Ravens Restaurant - one of original 100 % vegan restaurants in the country. Great bar also if you just want drinks and you can bring your dog!

Mendocino Hotel - great for a drink or brunch. Cool decor too.

Some favorite stops along the drive up and back

PennyRoyal Farm and Winery- amazing cheese and wine. We ALWAYS stop here.

Navarro Vineyards - we love their Gewurztraminer (a very sweet white wine) and their grape juice.

Husch Vineyards - just a pretty place to stop and sip.

Philo Apple Farm - Best Apple Cider EVER!

Explore

Mendocino Botanical Gardens - it’s a gorgeous mile walk (round trip) to the coast walking amongst the stunning foliage and the views are magnificent.

Van Damme State Beach - closest beach to the Andiron and very accessible. We spend a lot of time here. Very peaceful and beautiful.

Big River Beach (under bridge) - you get to walk under the bridge and out along the water. Very cool. Really interesting tides and patterns created by the ocean.

Navarro River Redwoods State Park (driftwood beach) about 15 minutes south of the Andiron. Little dirt road to get there. Lots of amazing drift wood to play around. Feels secluded and special.

Fortunate Farm - Organic farm with some beautiful produce, honor system used and a welcoming farm cat.

Gifts

This is a destination event and your presence is your biggest gift to us. That being said, if you would also like to gift something else, here are some ideas: