Expert: Steve Summers - 6/15/2009

Question
Hi Steve,

I'm getting married in Las Vegas next April, but planning on holding a very casual reception when we get back, probably in May or early June.  We're looking to host about 100 people, either catered food or barbecue, and we were thinking of the beach.  Ideally, it would be nice to be able to reserve an area to discourage crashers, and we'd likely want to set up a tent and a few tables.

Given all this, which beaches would be best to start looking into?  We live in Anaheim along with most of our guests, but we'd be okay with a bit of a drive, ideally no more than an hour.

Thanks,
Brittany

Answer
Hi Brittany,

Just a warning up front: Beach weddings/receptions can be VERY pricy. Be prepared for some sticker shock.

Reserving a public beach can also be a huge hassle. Public beaches like Huntington or Bolsa Chica have a lot of rules, regulations, and expecially fees.

For more private affair, you probably want to head a bit further south, to beaches like Laguna, Crystal Cove, or San Clemente. Since my oldest daughter is getting married next summer, we have done quite a bit of research into this. We found one lady who has a number of options. http://www.marcyann.com/Orange_county_weddings.htm

You can also Google "Orange County Beach Weddings", and get a plethora of good info. But we found that the beaches in South County tend to be less crowded, and the vendors at these locations are very good at dealing with privacy issues.

Good luck!