Many couples ask us what our top 3 wedding venues by the beach are. Surprised? Don’t be! As photographers, we consider ourselves experts at a lot of things when it comes to cameras and photos, but what you might not know is that we also have a lot to say about wedding venues. Granted, we cannot speak to cost or packages, but we can dish on all the best spots for your beach wedding when it comes to ceremony locations, reception spots, access to water, and top-notch must-have sunsets.
The Top 3 Wedding Venues by the Beach
Oh, the Ocean. Some couples crave being near it, either for a ceremony on the sand, for romantic sunset portraits on the wedding day, or both. Since San Diego is by the sea, we get it. And we love it. We believe that the top 3 venues that fit the brief for sand and sea are La Valencia Hotel, Hotel Del Coronado, and La Jolla Woman’s Club.
La Valencia Hotel provides a ceremony site called the Ocean View Terrace which has, you guessed it, a view of the ocean in the background. This means you and your guests will be experiencing your ceremony while soaking in a romantic ocean view. La Valencia also provides golf cart transportation to areas where you can take photos on the cliffs with the ocean in the background! La Valencia is known as the Pink Lady of La Jolla and has some additional spots you might want to incorporate into your photos, like the Spanish-Mediterranean Architecture and the gardens.
Hotel Del Coronado, known locally as “the Del” is located on Coronado Island and has many different ceremony sites available just steps away from the sand, water, and the beauty of golden hour. The hotel itself is on the sand, but it’s also got some fantastic historical chops (opened in 1888) which makes it a true Victorian-era gem. If you want a vintage high society wedding AND ocean access, you cannot beat this venue.
La Jolla Woman’s Club is a gorgeous little venue with an intimate garden vibe (choose the South ceremony garden for the ceremony and use the North arbor-covered terrace with an ocean view for your cocktail hour). No matter where you say “I do”, the Club is just a short block from the water where you can have photos taken at the cliffs with the ocean in the background. The venue is luxurious and exquisite in and of itself, but add that short walk to the ocean and it ticks all the boxes for a romantic wedding by the sea.
The Magic of the Water
Beachside backdrops add something special to any wedding. Even if you don’t choose one of our recommendations, there are a few things to consider when scouting out your dream beach wedding location.
First, ask yourself, do you want to get in and on the sand? Or be sand adjacent? Whatever you decide, assess how accessible the beach location is from the venue. Is it walkable? Or do you need to have a vehicle or golf cart available? If you are considering a ceremony on the sand, is that something the venue permits? And if so, is it also accessible to guests of all abilities?
Second, check and see where the sun is actually setting in relation to the location. The best thing you can do is go there, at sunset, and make sure that you actually love what you see. Take a few phone reference photos and then check in with your photographer to make sure what you see is also going to photograph well.
Third, check for secondary spots that might not be sunset-specific. Many of our beaches do have sunset views, but some might be man-made or oriented in such a way as to not actually catch the setting sun, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. But even if sunset is your one goal, make sure you look for other locations that you love nearby in case it’s a cloudy day. A beach location sans sunset can still be a beautiful backdrop so don’t discount the other parts of the location that might be stunning while you’re there.
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Looking for a seasoned team of engagement or wedding photographers? Get in touch with us by dropping us an email. To see more of what we do, you can also head to our website or check out our Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest accounts.
Featured California Wedding Venues
- La Valencia @lavalenciahotel
- Hotel Del Coronado @delcoronado
- La Jolla Woman’s Club @lajollawomansclub
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