Beachside Bliss: Top Five Beaches for Your Bay Area Elopement
Muir Beach
Getting married at Muir Beach in Northern California offers couples a breathtaking setting right on the majestic Pacific Ocean. With its unique and picturesque landscape, couples will enjoy the perfect wedding backdrop of the golden sunset, the rocky coastline, and the blue ocean. It is a beautiful spot to exchange vows, especially at low tide when you can walk out to the low-lying rock formations, explore the abundance of wildlife, or just take in the views while we take beautiful candids of you having fun on your wedding day!
When considering a wedding at Muir Beach, it is important to keep in mind that a permit may be needed depending on the type of ceremony you are planning. If you're having a small pop-up wedding with twenty-five people or fewer then you do not need a permit. Your wedding photographer and officiant will take you to our favorite ceremony spot so you can get married to the symphony of crashing waves in front of you!
The beach provides ample amenities for a wedding ceremony. The stunning views and secluded atmosphere can help make the day that much more special. Couples can take advantage of picnic tables, the lovely canopy of trees over the boardwalk for a green backdrop, restroom facilities, parking areas, barbeques, and wheelchair-accessible trails if you have seniors with mobility issues traveling with you. The beach area is quite spacious, providing enough space for whatever type of ceremony or celebration you choose.
Our wedding picnics are very popular at this location. We can create a beautiful and unforgettable experience for up to twenty guests at this time, and you can bet they'll be talking about how much fun they had at your wedding! Since we also specialize in elopement weddings, picnics for two are available and are a very sweet and memorable way to celebrate your brand-new marriage. You can have a champagne toast with your toes in the sand!
Overall, Muir Beach provides a picturesque backdrop for unforgettable memories on a special day. The beach is perfect for those looking to keep their wedding small, intimate, and romantic. With its stunning views, picnic tables, trees, and amenities, Muir Beach has everything couples need to plan an unforgettable experience.
Montara Lighthouse Beach
Montara Lighthouse is a great option for couples looking for a unique and beautiful Northern California wedding spot. It offers unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean and breathtaking cliffs which make for a truly unforgettable backdrop. The beach nearby is known for its powdery sand and tranquil atmosphere and is perfect for coastal photos and intimate ceremonies.
The area also offers plenty of activities and amenities to make any wedding day complete. Nearby attractions include the Montara State Beach, which is perfect for a beachfront reception setting, The McNee Ranch State Park and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve which offer some fantastic hiking and photography opportunities, as well as the Driscoll Ranch where couples can enjoy horseback rides for a truly unique experience. Additionally, the nearby towns of Half Moon Bay and Pacifica offer a wide range of activities and delicious restaurants for guests to enjoy. For couples looking for something a bit different, Montara Lighthouse is a perfect choice.
Some of the restaurants near Montara Lighthouse, where you could have dinner after your wedding, include La Costanera, Sam's Chowder House, and The Moss Beach Distillery. La Costanera is a cozy restaurant featuring waterfront views, fresh seafood, and Peruvian fusion dishes. Sam's Chowder House offers up delicious seafood classics, including their famous Lobster Rolls, Fish & Chips, and Crab Cakes. And The Moss Beach Distillery is a romantic spot, perched atop a cliff, with a famous spirits list. All three of these eateries are sure to make your wedding night an extra special one.
West Bluff Picnic Area and Beach
If you're looking for the best location for a San Francisco beach wedding, then look no further than the Wesy Bluff Beach and Picnic Area. This half-moon crescent beach is located a mere five miles from downtown and has all the amenities that you'd want for your wedding guests. Ample parking, restrooms, and ADA walkways make this an easy spot to love. It's also dog friendly!
When you compare this location to the very well-known Baker Beach, we think it comes out on top for a lot of reasons. It's not on most people's radar and draws a much smaller crowd, so it's easier to take incredible wedding photography. West Bluff is not a deep beach, so it's easier for bigger groups to get to your ceremony location, without wading through acres of sand and sunbathers. It's highly likely if you have a wedding towards sunset, that it will be just you and some locals walking their pups.
The view of the Golden Gate Bridge is very impressive, and you'll also be able to see Angel Island, Alcatraz, and the San Francisco skyline from this wedding destination. There are several old wooden piers that make for great staging areas for romantic couples photography and some grassy banks as backdrops for family photography. If you have a small group of twenty or fewer and you don't have an arch or chairs, you can skip the permit. We suggest a rug and plants and decor on either side instead of an arch. Why block this incredible view?
Monastery Beach
If you're looking for a more secluded and private beach for your elopement wedding in the Monterey and Carmel California areas, then Monestary Beach might be the spot for you. You can park on the side of the highway, and the entrance is at 27951 California 1.
This is a dog-friendly beach, as long as they stay on leash, and there are restrooms for your guests. Because of the shape of the beach, and the steep drop-off underwater, this beach is no swimming for people or pets, and we only work here at low tide, for everyone's safety.
With beautiful rock formations, a crescent-shaped beach, and an actual Carmelite Monastery up above, this is a lovely spot. They are currently also building out green park space which should be open to the public very soon for additional amenities and wedding photography opportunities.
Lovers Point Park
This whimsically named beach and park, has been a favorite location for engaged couples planning to get married for many, many decades. We've worked with several couples whose parents also got married at this very same location! This gem of a wedding destination is located in Pacific Grove California, tucked right between Monterey and Carmel.
At low tide, there is plenty of beach and some truly stunning rock formations to use as the backdrop for your newlywed photos. We always suggest checking the tide guide for your wedding date, so that you have twice as much beach to play on during your time with us during your wedding ceremony and photography session.
You'll find a parking lot, ADA compatibility, and restrooms at this location. If you have a larger group you'll want a permit, but if you're having a small beach elopement wedding, then you can just pop down to the sand and get married! (Going to the beach does require walking down two sets of stairs). There are wedding ceremony locations on the flat grassy area for those who want the scenery but not the sand.
Lover’s Point is located close to downtown, and there are plenty of nearby restaurants to enjoy a wedding reception meal with your guests afterward. The Sardine Factory is a local favorite!
