Thanks SOO much for everyone's advice - I am sure I will ask for LOTS of help. Paul and I just got engaged a few weeks ago, and are a little overwhelmed with how to go about selecting a location. Here's what we know so far ...
1) We're inviting about 75 people (including children) so I imagine that the final list will be ~50 or less.
2) I love the idea of the wedding being private, or at least semi-private. Ideally there wouldn't be a ton of beach-goers running around during the ceremony! Though since we plan a late afternoon/evening wedding, that shouldn't be too big an issue.
3) We want the ceremony and reception on the beach (reception can be at least close to the beach if not on it). I imagine a pretty laid back, casual evening.
4) We actually plan on heading to Hawaii after the wedding for the honeymoon - which is the main reason we're looking at S. California and the west side of Mexico. We figured it would be easier to get to Hawaii.
4) One of our main concerns with the date (March, April, or June - May is bad, unfortunately) - is spring break and the Holy Week (Mexican Easter). I think April 7th is bad because of Holy Week, but I am not sure how bad the spring break crowd will be. Does anyone have any input on this topic? Help!