ELOPE IN LAGUNA BEACH: In this post, I’ll give you some ideas on how to Elope in Laguna Beach, California. If you’re looking for the perfect beach elopement experience with a European feel, you can’t do much better than eloping Laguna Beach, California.
The weather is perfect all year round, beaches are manicured and beautiful, and the town is quaint, filled with charming restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries.
Only ninety minutes south of Los Angeles, and fifty minutes north of San Diego, it has seven miles of the most beautiful coastline in Southern California with sea caves and natural tide pools.
And it boasts the most beachfront hotels in the state — from little inns to five-star luxury.
What could be more dreamy than a sunset elopement with the roaring pacific waves in the background and cloudless skies? Unsurprisingly, Laguna Beach has attracted a large artist colony.
After all, don’t artists seek out beautiful places for inspiration? The town has an incredibly European vibe.
If travel restrictions have ruined your plans for a European elopement, it’s a great alternative. Like many European towns, it’s walkable, with a lovely center. You can walk from your accommodations to the beach, or enjoy an enchanting view from your windows.
I recently did an intimate wedding for a couple who had originally planned to get married in Spain, and they loved Laguna Beach. They rented a European-style villa, which had a terrace for the ceremony. We shot photos with magnificent backdrops at romantic places in the area, like Crystal Cove, Main Beach and out-of-the-way caves, then came back to the villa for a romantic, catered dinner.
This elopement planning guide will give you ideas on what to visit, how to elope, and where to stay.
Ideas for your Laguna Beach Elopement
If you’d like a church wedding, the historic mission at San Juan Capistrano is a wonderful choice. Then drive back up to Laguna for photos.
If you’re planning a civil ceremony, you can get married at Laguna Beach’s City Hall, or hire an officiant who will come to your venue, and many of them will arrange the license for you. If you’d like to be married on public property in one of Laguna’s beautiful parks or beaches, you can get a permit through the city hall or parks department.
Elope in Laguna Beach -Where to stay:
- Montage – a luxury option, with a great beach, and a gourmet restaurant and spa.
- Pelican Hill – American-style mega-resort with a top golf course
- The Ritz – five-stars on the beach
- Lots of bed and breakfasts, apartments, and villas
- Hotel Joaquin – a boutique hotel
- Inn at Laguna Beach – quaint with ocean views
- Casa Laguna and Spa
Things to do on your Honeymoon:
- Laguna Art Museum – well worth visiting
- Whale watching and boat tours
- Endless hiking with beautiful nature in the canyons.
When to plan your elopement in Laguna beach
Laguna Beach is great almost any time of year, never too hot or too cold. The beaches and art festivals attract crowds in the summer, so avoid July and August. The off-season begins in September and October when the weather is still warm and sunny and the beaches are less crowded.
For more inspiration on eloping in California, you can watch this video on How to Elope in Laguna Beach.
