June 9, 1887 — First Wedding at the Hotel
May Barnes and Harold Scott, the daughter and son of two building supervisors, were married during the San Diego resort’s construction in a beachside ceremony on June 9, 1887. According to a Coronado newspaper, the couple repeated their vows beneath a “beautiful arch of evergreens,” in the company of “nearly every man, woman and child on Coronado Beach.” Serenaded by “the lively music of two violins,” May and Harold were rewarded with a “ripple of applause” after the ceremony, followed by refreshments and “dancing till a late hour.” The bride was the height of Victorian fashion, outfitted in a white wedding dress.