San Diego is widely considered one of the most idyllic locations to have an alfresco wedding, especially because the beaches lining its coast are so spectacular. The enchanting mix of perfect weather, tropical foliage, pristine sands, and magnificent sunsets makes it a place where wedding dreams come true.
But because this city has seemingly endless beachside wedding venues, you might find there are too many options when conducting your venue search. To simplify that endeavor, we’ve researched the 7 best San Diego beach wedding venues, narrowing them down to event spaces along the most striking bays, those resting on dramatic seaside bluffs, and others that are steeped in luxury. We hope you enjoy the process of discovering your just-right venue while you plan all the exciting details for your wedding!
1. Hotel del Coronado
For 129 years, this famous Southern California resort has been the prime reception and ceremony site for couples wanting to say “I do” on golden sand as the Pacific Ocean surges in the background. With an aesthetic exuding Old Hollywood glamour mixed with the laidback vibes California is known for, Hotel del Coronado is the ideal San Diego wedding venue if you want a chic wedding day that’s not too stuffy.
The sprawling beach in front of the hotel, which is backed by swaying palm trees, is incredibly versatile. It can accommodate any size wedding and host an array of customized add-ons. For example, the hotel can facilitate the “Sandcastle Man,” designing a custom creation for your special day, or it can organize a firework display to end your wedding reception in spectacular fashion. If you want a truly unforgettable beach wedding, Hotel Del is for you.
Typical Cost: Ceremony fee is usually $8,000 and site fee ranges from $500 – $2,500; package prices start at $210 per person and food and drink minimum ranges from $14,000 – $100,000 depending on guest count
Capacity: 1,500
Bonus: The guest rooms are incredibly plush and stylish, allowing you and your guests to live in the lap of luxury as you celebrate the momentous occasion.
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2. Loews Coronado Bay Resort
One of the premier beachfront wedding locations in San Diego, Loews Coronado Bay Resort provides stunning bay views and supremely elegant vibes. We can almost guarantee you’ll hear ample oohs and ahhs from your guests at this acclaimed wedding venue.
As for a favorite outdoor space? Look for the pristine Silver Strand Beach which is adjacent to the hotel. If you want the sight of crashing waves behind your ceremony, you can choose to wed on the Pacific side of the beach. But if you’re looking for a more tranquil environment, say your I Dos on the portion of the beach that overlooks the bay. After the wedding ceremony, why not celebrate your union in the hotel’s 5,500-square-foot Bay Terrace, which has multiple levels and provides gorgeous ocean views, or the 6,200-square-foot Marina Terrace? For a smaller wedding, the more intimate Sunset Terrace and Bliss Garden, Grow Garden, and Nectar Garden are excellent reception sites.
Typical Cost: Site fees range from $1,500 – $4,000; wedding packages range from $140 – $200 per person
Capacity: 400
Bonus: If you have post-ceremony cocktails on the Marina Terrace, you can make your grand entrance on a gondola!
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3. Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa
An enchanting combination of beach and garden, Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is a dream for couples wanting soft sands and a rainbow of foliage to be present at their nuptials. While the most popular ceremony site is the beach overlooking Mission Bay, you can also tie the knot on one of two lawns directly behind the beach.
After the ceremony, enjoy a one-of-a-kind reception by dancing the night away in the Polynesian Kon Tiki Ballroom which is accented by a South Pacific-inspired cathedral ceiling and elegant chandeliers. The prime wedding package at Catamaran Resort includes a ceremony, hosted cocktail hour, reception with meal service, chairs and linens, discounted guest room rates, and numerous add-ons.
Typical Cost: Packages start at $136 per person
Capacity: 250
Bonus: The hotel’s popular spa will help you soothe pre-wedding jitters with a massage, skincare and water therapies, body wraps, and more.
Find Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
4. La Jolla Shores Hotel
One of the go-to seaside wedding venues in La Jolla, this hotel provides a large, uncrowded beach for your nuptials and several outdoor and indoor spaces for your reception. A popular outdoor reception site at La Jolla Shores Hotel is the Shores Patio which has a stylish Spanish aesthetic and is surrounded by tropical flora and glistening ocean views. Meanwhile, indoor receptions are often held in the 1,320-square-foot Acapulco Room that looks out on ocean vistas and has a tri-level terrace with stunning views of La Jolla Cove and Scripps Pier.
And then there’s the food. The award-winning chefs at this wedding venue will work with you to craft a menu suited for everything from a formal sit-down meal to a beach BBQ. Whatever you choose, the food is sure to be so good it’ll make you want to slip into your stretchy pants.
Typical Cost: Starts at $99 per person
Capacity: 200
Bonus: The wedding staff is incredibly hands-on, helping to ensure that all aspects of the planning, ceremony, and reception go off without a hitch.
Find La Jolla Shores Hotel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
5. L’Auberge Del Mar
A seriously chic event space to have an outdoor wedding in Southern California, L’Auberge Del Mar is a glamorous resort perched on the California coast and equipped with an amazing wedding team dedicated to making your vision for your big day come to life.
The three primary ceremony spaces include Seagrove Park, which is a grassy lawn adjacent to the beach, the stylish Pacific Terrace, and the Sunset Terrace which seems to float above the beach and provides extraordinary sunset views. Additionally, the venue includes three wedding packages that offer a range of food, drink, decor, and other services.
Typical Cost: Ceremony and location fees range from $2,500 – $4,500; packages range from $179 – $279 per person
Capacity: 200
Bonus: As this venue is also a resort, couples and guests can relish in the luxe comforts of the Mediterranean-style guestrooms, and the numerous spa treatments, between wedding events.
Find L’Auberge Del Mar on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
6. Paradise Point Resort & Spa
A resort that lives up to its name, Paradise Point Resort & Spa offers wholly San Diego vibes with massive palm trees, tropical plants, and the iconic clear skies of Southern California. Located on 44 acres of an islet adjacent to Mission Bay, this ceremony and reception venue provides an impressive assortment of alfresco ceremony spaces including powder-soft beaches, a dazzling lagoon, verdant gardens, and bayfront lawns.
While there are numerous indoor reception spaces, the most popular is the Mission Bay Ballroom that easily impresses with its vaulted wooden ceilings, rustic pillars, and subtle, tropical color scheme. Plus, a neighboring garden patio offers views of a fire-lit lagoon.
Typical Cost: About $36,000 for 300 guests
Capacity: 400
Bonus: The onsite spa provides a one-stop-shop for bridal prep, offering services such as makeup, hair styling, massages, and facials.
Find Paradise Point Resort & Spa on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
7. Carlsbad Seapointe Resort
An intimate wedding venue perched above the Pacific, Carlsbad Seapointe Resort is an optimal choice for a small outdoor wedding. A ceremony at the outdoor portion of the resort’s Clubhouse allows the sea breeze, beach, and ocean views to infuse your special day with enchantment, especially if you plan to say “I do” at sunset, basking in the beauty of the watercolored sky.
When it’s time to eat, drink, and be married, you’ll move inside the Clubhouse and revel in the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that let in gorgeous, natural light and offer sweeping views of the ocean.
Typical Cost: Starting site fee for a ceremony is $425; starting site fee for a reception is $2,000
Capacity: 100
Bonus: There is an outdoor fire pit that can add cozy, laidback energy to your reception.
Find Carlsbad Seapointe Resort on Facebook and Twitter.
