Wedding Blog

I’m not sure how many people this post is relevant to but I’ll give it a shot here because I wish someone had done this for me. A beach wedding “on the sand” in the OC can be really complex because all the different cities have different regulations. I’ll break it down as best I can.

Note: There are also several parks within the cities with ocean views that you can get married in. The permit costs are the same and most everything I’m going to state for the beaches applies to the parks. Also, if you have your reception at one of the many gorgeous hotels on the beach, they usually can host a wedding ceremony on the beach for you as well. I know there are a ton of beach view sites I’m not going to mention. I wanted this post to focus on getting married on the beach/on the sand. You can check out Here Comes the Guide for more beach view locations and more locations period if you’re getting married in California.

Newport Beach:
You don’t need a permit. You can just set up shop on the sand. Bad news is no chair. (Although, I have seen pictures of weddings with chairs on the sand in Newport Beach.) It is risky though. I suppose you can just say you didn’t know–and what kind of heartless person would stop a wedding?!? BUT, you never know. I don’t think I would take that kind of risk.

Laguna Beach:
You do need a permit with a $175 application fee to get married in a park or beach in Laguna. Again, no chairs, arches or tables - unless you get married in Crystal Cove State Park which is mostly Laguna Beach but also has a little bit of Newport in it.

You can get married on the sand with and an arch (the sand is off limits from Memorial Day to Labor Day). To book a special event call the Coordinator @ (949) 494-3539 for date, time and location. I believe you pay a $50 application fee and then the rest of the cost is determined by the size of the spot you want and the number of people you’re having. You also have to pay for a site monitor since it is a state park.

Dana Point:
Here, you can get married on Salt Creek Beach which is gorgeous.

You can have up to 1000 guests on the sand WITH CHAIRS and AN ARCH. You can call (949) 923-2284 for permit information. This Dana Point Online Wedding Brochure has a lot of information about vendors and park weddings with ocean views.

Huntington Beach:
You can have a beach wedding in Huntington Beach from Beach Blvd. to Seapoint. You do need a permit. There is a $75 application fee and a $50 site fee. Call (714) 536-5281. You can have chairs and an arch.

That’s all! Send me an email at hibiscus@weddingbee.com if you’d like more information!