A California beach wedding is such an ideal way to say “I Do.” But while strolling barefoot across the sunny sand to exchange vows may seem like a laid back experience, the fact is, you’ll need to plan properly to ensure that you can get hitched without a hitch.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in California can be found in Orange County. If you decide to celebrate your big day here, use this guide to help you with the planning process.

To get married on most beaches in Orange County, you will need an OC Park Permit. The park permits are divided into categories, and for a wedding, you’ll want a Special Events Permit. For more information, check out the OC Parks website. They’ve also got a great list of vendors with verified insurance for your convenience.

You’ll find plenty of amazing oceanfront resorts willing to host your big day. But if you’d rather say “I Do” right on (or in front of) the sand, these beaches are your best bet.

Dana Point Beach Weddings

Palisades Gazebo Park

Image source: Yelp

This breathtaking Dana Point park is used for weddings quite often due to its white gazebo and panoramic park and water views. Reservations can be made up to a year in advance, are limited to ceremonies only, and you or your vendors must provide liability insurance.

Pines Park

Image source: Yelp

If you’d rather forego the gazebo in favor of getting married under the sun with a direct view of the ocean, Pines Park may be your best bet. Just like with Palisades Gazebo Park, reservations can be made up to a year in advance and are for ceremonies only.

Dana Point Harbor Beach

Located on the protected waters of Dana Point Harbor, this small, family-friendly beach is locally known as “Baby Beach” due to all of its kid-friendly amenities. Admittedly, you won’t find much privacy here. But if you’re hoping for a small ceremony with kids in tow followed by a laid back reception at one of the many first-come, first-served BBQ and picnic areas, you’ll love hosting your big day here.

Doheny State Beach – North Beach

Doheny State Beach has two separate beaches. Doheny North Beach is located north of the San Juan Creek mouth and has a large grass park along with this perfect gazebo. Since this beach us run by the state, all of your vendors must be state-approved should you want to have your reception here. This site provides more details.

Monarch Bay Beach

Monarch Bay Beach is a public beach that sits below a private beach club in a gated community. While the resort itself is more exclusive, the beach is free for anyone to use for weddings (with proper permits, of course). Save money and have a small ceremony on the beach, then go all-out with a reception at the Monarch Beach Resort.

Salt Creek Beach

Salt Creek Beach Park sits below the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel beach resort and the Ritz Cove gated development. Though it’s a popular place, it never seems to be packed, so it’s a great place to have a wedding… especially if you’d like to begin your honeymoon at the Ritz-Carlton.

Huntington Beach Weddings

To get married by the sea in Huntington Beach, you’ll need a permit. The city only issues permits for the City beach. State operated beaches are north of Seapoint Street and south of Beach Boulevard. There is a non-refundable application fee of $110.00 due at the time of application to reserve the date and location. Click here for more information.

Once your permit is secured and the deposit has been paid, we recommend getting married at one of the following beaches:

Sunset Beach

Located about two blocks west of Pacific Coast Highway between Anderson Street and Warner Avenue, Sunset Beach features a long public grass park and parking strip that may be convenient for your guests. This tends to be one of the quieter beaches in Huntington Beach, so if you’d rather avoid crowds, get married here, preferably on a weekday.

Bolsa Chica State Beach

This is important to note: Weddings are permitted here, but NOT between Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, if you’re not set on a summer wedding, Bolsa Chica State Beach is a beautiful place to consider. The beach extends three miles from Sunset Beach to Seapoint Avenue along Pacific Coast Highway. Alcohol is not permitted here, and there are no grills, so we suggest having your ceremony here and a reception somewhere else.

Huntington City Beach

While you may have a little background noise during your ceremony here, if you don’t mind being looked at by the adoring eyes of the families and tourists who are enjoying the beach, this may be the perfect beach wedding site. Not only does the pier make an excellent backdrop for wedding photos, you’ll be close to all the amenities of the city.

If you head north of the pier, close to Seapoint Street, you can avoid some of the crowd. No amplified sound is allowed at Huntington City Beach, but you can play quiet music or enjoy the sounds of an acoustic guitar.

Laguna Beach Weddings

Laguna Beach has been named the best place to get married by too many publications to count. Beach weddings here require a permit from the city and a fee to reserve your chosen spot. With over 20 beaches in the city, the choice isn’t easy, but we recommend one of these:

Crescent Bay Park

Image source: Yelp

Getting married at Crescent Bay Park is an amazing experience. On a clear day, your party will enjoy unsurpassed views from Palos Verdes to San Diego. And unlike some of the more popular beaches in town, the park stays remarkably uncrowded, so you can enjoy a fairly private ceremony.

Heisler Park

Image source: Yelp

Stretching along the bluffs on Cliff Drive from Aster Street to Diver’s Cove, this oceanfront park has a small gazebo overlooking the ocean perfect for a small beach wedding. The park itself is both scenic and peaceful, so you can expect a nice, quiet ceremony.

Agate Street Beach

Located between Pearl Street Beach and Bluebird Beach, Agate Street Beach is a nice local hangout framed by homes high up on the bluffs. The access stairway begins at Agate Street and Ocean Way one block from Highway 1. If you time your ceremony around low tide, you’ll have more beach to choose from.

Bluebird Beach

This narrow beach sits right in front of the Surf & Sand Resort near the intersection of Highway 1 and Bluebird Canyon Drive. You can reserve a spot for a beach wedding yourself or allow the resort to plan one for you. On a clear day, you’ll catch glimpses of Catalina Island from Bluebird Beach.

Christmas Cove Beach

You’ll find Christmas Cove Beach tucked below the bluff west of the Montage Resort. It’s mainly used by locals and resort guests, so it’s largely uncrowded and is a great alternative to the nearby Treasure Island Beach.

Cress Street Beach

Want a cozy and intimate wedding? This secluded little beach at the end of Cress Street might be your best bet. A large natural rock wall to the north and steep bluffs create a sandy pocket of beach to enjoy.

Moss Street Beach

Also referred to as Moss Point Beach (because of the rocky point on the south side), Moss Street Beach is a secluded spot – but if you want to get married there, make sure you know exactly when the tide will be out. You won’t have much sand otherwise.

Thalia Street Beach

Thalia Street Beach sits below the dead end of Thalia Street, accessed by a long stairway. A quiet haven for surfers and skim boarders, this could be an ideal setting for a quiet and quick beach wedding – just make sure you plan it for low tide.

Treasure Island Beach

Treasure Island Beach is located south of the Montage Resort. Parts of the beach are wheelchair accessible, and there are some amenities, like public restrooms. The views in this area are incredible and perfect for wedding photos.

Victoria Beach

Victoria Beach‘s public beach access isn’t easy to see, but it’s right next to address 2713 Victoria Drive. This is a long stairway that eventually gets down to the far north end of the beach. This long, pristine stretch of sand is surrounded by mansions in a private gated community.

Newport Beach Weddings

A special event permit is not required to get married at the beach or a public park in Newport Beach. However, there are a few restrictions. First of all, the beaches may not be reserved – everything is first-come, first-served. Beach wedding ceremonies are restricted to 50 guests or less. Alcohol and amplified sound is not permitted. Summer weddings are not advised since the beaches stay crowded.

Some city parks can be reserved to use for wedding ceremonies. No amplified sound or alcohol are permitted. For more information, contact the City of Newport Beach Recreation & Senior Services Department at 949-644-3151.

Here are some beautiful spots for a Newport Beach wedding:

Marina Park

Marina Park has a beautiful north-facing beach on Newport Bay. Adjacent to the park is the Marina Park Community Center and Sailing Center where weddings are often held. The park has plenty of amenities such as restrooms, restaurants and kids’ play areas. If you don’t mind sharing the common spaces with others, it’s a great place for both a ceremony and a reception.

Balboa Peninsula Beach

You’ll find this long stretch of sandy beach at E Balboa Blvd and B Street, south of the Balboa Pier. Often used for sunbathing, biking and beach walks, the area is nice and quiet in the off season.

Crystal Cove State Park

As a state park, the rules are a little different for beach weddings at Crystal Cove. The good new is that you are able to reserve wedding sites here, and in fact, they recommend a few for you. To learn more details about a Crystal Cove State Park wedding, click here.

Newport Municipal Beach

Newport Municipal Beach sits on either side of the Newport Beach Pier. The picturesque pier is a great place for photos, and the beach itself is stunning. However, if you’d like to get married here, consider a season or time of day that would not be considered “peak” – it does get crowded quickly and stays packed all summer.

West Newport Beach

Located at the western end of the Newport Beach Municipal Beach, West Newport Beach parallels Pacific Coast Highway. People often gather here for beach sports and sunbathing, so it does get crowded at times, but parking is abundant and the views are stunning.

San Clemente Beach Weddings

San Clemente is often called Southern California’s Spanish Village by the Sea because of its sweeping views and Spanish architecture. Wedding ceremonies are allowed on all city beaches without a special permit, but the spots are first-come first-served, and you’re only allowed up to 20 guests. Local parks will accommodate 50.

Here’s where to have a small, simple, San Clemente beach wedding ceremony:

San Clemente Pier City Beach

The main city beach in San Clemente is a wide sandy spot on both sides of the pier between T-Street Beach and Linda Lane Beach. The sunsets here are spectacular, perfect for an evening ceremony if you’re lucky enough to secure a good spot.

Calafia Beach

Calafia Beach is on state beach property, but it’s operated by the city. It has a large day-use pay parking lot with access to a fantastic sandy beach, so it’s perfect for a quick, simple wedding ceremony with your nearest and dearest.

Mariposa Beach

Mariposa Beach is on the north side of San Clemente, At high tide this narrow beach can be mostly under water, but if you time your visit right, this is an uncrowded sandy spot to say “I Do” on.

Riviera Beach

The physical address for Riviera Beach is 2300 Plaza A La Playa – it can be tough to find the access point, so your best bet is to map it. This beach is wide enough that you’ll have plenty of room to walk down a sandy aisle even during high tide, and it’s a quiet space surrounded by beautiful beach homes.

T Street Beach

T Street Beach is at the west end of Esplanade Street in San Clemente, so it’s sometimes referred to as Esplanade Beach. The San Clemente Pier is just north and frequently photographed from this spot.

Seal Beach Weddings

Seal Beach is a quiet oasis that offers clean beaches and clean water, and not much else. But if a laid back beach wedding is what you’re after, this may be your ideal place. The main beach at Seal Beach offers breathtaking views and a beautiful pier in the background.

For more information, check out our Guide to California Beach Weddings.