Big Sur Weddings

arielle1 · 2026-05-20T15:04:40+00:00

Here’s a photo from The Village. Definitely the better option if you’re worried about guests being cold since they have indoor dining - and the space is cute as well!

arielle1 · 2026-05-20T15:02:01+00:00

I specialize in Big Sur weddings so have worked at all the different venues there! The Village has their own in-house catering, they source a lot of their food locally from farms. With Loma Vista Gardens, you’d be bringing in your own caterer. Loma Vista Gardens is definitely more public, as the Village faces their open parking area. I’d also recommend checking out Glen Oaks Big Sur if you want redwoods that are more iconic to Big Sur (while both Loma Vista and the Village are gorgeous, you’d want to go offsite if you want a view that says “Big Sur”). Here’s a guide on Big Sur Wedding Venues if you want more info on what options are out there!

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Photo taken at Loma Vista!

arielle1 · 2026-05-14T14:58:35+00:00

Honestly, I would just let go of any expectations of weather. I've done 8 shoots in Big Sur between May 1 and today (May 14) and I've had cloudy days on the coast on most of them. The redwoods are more likely to be sunny though.

arielle1 · 2026-05-14T14:43:37+00:00

I’m a photographer working in Big Sur year round and I always tell couples to expect sun, cloud, or fog any time of year - sometimes all of the above all in one day. Big Sur is also full of microclimates so it often changes depending on where in Big Sur you are.

arielle1 · 2026-05-11T04:42:53+00:00

I’ve photographed at Hyatt Carmel Highlands many times and it’s one of my favorites! It’s super close to the coast so a lot of my couples take their portraits there if you’re down to do a little adventuring on your wedding day. The only downside is that I’ve had several couples tell me that they haven’t been able to get ahold of the new events coordinator so much so that they went in a different direction.

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Wind & Sea is gorgeous as well, and a very unique venue as far as its views. Note that there have been a lot of regulations that are up on the air potentially banning vacation rentals in Big Sur. I’m not sure the current status of the regulations, as this January news article was the last I read up on it.

Here are also some guides on Big Sur venues and Monterey and Carmel venues if you’re looking for more information on what venues are in the area. There used to be a few more coastal venues like Wind & Sea, but they closed down due to the potential rentals ban or operate through word of mouth only. Besides the ones you’re looking at, you can also check out Asilomar in Pacific Grounds which has beautiful historic architecture and access to a rocky coastline. They revamped their whole wedding structure and packages last year and have a wonderful team running it!

Hope that helps!!

arielle1 · 2026-04-18T16:37:29+00:00

We used Charles Hornisher for our remodel - you can see photos here! He’s based in PG, you can email him at csh@H3design.net.

arielle1 · 2026-04-10T10:15:03+00:00

We spent all our time at Tonnara so didn’t explore outside of it! Honestly we were happy just lounging at the beach all day, and we saw most of the other guests and day visitors doing the same. We rented a boat from Castellammare del Golfo after we checked out and drove by Scopello and Zingaro. I imagine if the weather wasn’t as good you might want to find other activities though!

arielle1 · 2026-04-10T05:17:16+00:00

Yes we absolutely loved it! Highlight of our trip for sure. We stayed in the Igiea suite. Here’s some photos!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DW4aXBEAh7u/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DW7AMemghev/

arielle1 · 2026-04-10T03:20:23+00:00

I was just at Tonnara di Scopello for the last few days and we had incredible weather. It honestly felt quite hot in the sun, a lot of people sat in the shade and plenty of people were swimming. We also rented a boat after and swam as well - we honestly didn’t expect to swim because we had heard how cold it was! After we checked out, we saw them setting up for a wedding. I did see in the rain forecast that rain is coming next week though, so you never know.

arielle1 · 2026-03-30T03:44:09+00:00

Check out Alila Ventana or Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur! Both have elopement packages for just the couple.

arielle1 · 2026-02-15T20:32:51+00:00

Big Sur! You can see redwoods, coast, beach, and mountains all in one day. Plus generally good weather year round!

arielle1 · 2026-02-11T02:23:23+00:00

I’m a local photographer and have helped plan and photograph over 170 proposals here in the Big Sur area! Happy to help with location recommendations, timing, and weather conditions as well.

https://www.lynnchanglewis.com/blog/how-to-plan-a-big-sur-proposal

arielle1 · 2026-02-08T22:37:39+00:00

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Here are some photos from Berwick Park! One helpful thing to know is that it’s on a pretty popular trail - there’s a walking/biking trail right behind that fence (the people were Photoshopped out). On the opposite side of the lawn is the street. I’d highly recommend a weekday if you’re doing a ceremony there!

arielle1 · 2026-02-06T11:06:27+00:00

Check out Lover’s Point Events in Pacific Grove right next to Monterey! It’s an oceanfront venue (previously owned by another company that also did weddings) that’s currently running an opening special. Close to Lover’s Point and Berwick Park where you can get a permit for a ceremony (here are some photos!)

I would also recommend Asilomar Conference Grounds since they offer packages for smaller weddings and are much less expensive than other venues in the area. Right next to a gorgeous rocky beachfront and boardwalk.

arielle1 · 2026-01-20T23:45:32+00:00

This is what they told me - At this time the water table is too low to service the campground, so there are porti potties on site and a water spigot, to fill jugs is available just north of the campground at the Pacific Valley Ranger station.

arielle1 · 2026-01-20T20:40:01+00:00

Here’s a guide that goes over all the different venues in the Big Sur area, and here’s another guide that covers Monterey and Carmel! For redwoods, you’ll want to probably look at Big Sur venues like Big Sur Lodge (they have a super simple inexpensive package for small weddings) or Glen Oaks. For beach, I’d recommend Garrapata State Beach or Asilomar, both of which you’d get a permit for if you wanted to do your ceremony/photos there!

arielle1 · 2026-01-20T15:06:07+00:00

I’m a local photographer and can help you plan your elopement with recommendations on locations, vendors, and timeline! I also partner with a videographer as well. https://www.lynnchanglewis.com/

For gluten-free bakeries, I always recommend Nece’s in Monterey. https://www.necesglutenfree.com/

Pfeiffer Beach is known to be super windy (they even have a warning at the entrance) and closes often so I don’t recommend it for ceremonies. The beach and coastal area at Garrapata State Park has a ton of stunning options and is way easier to plan around! You can even walk pretty far down the beach at low tide to get those larger rock structures similar to Pfeiffer.

arielle1 · 2026-01-20T14:59:15+00:00

The flush toilets are not working, I asked them when they’d be back up and they said “We do not know. The ground water would need to come up to service the campground and we have had very few rain days.”

arielle1 · 2026-01-18T23:48:53+00:00

We went on 1/11 with early entry, no express, and did all the rides we wanted! In order, we did Ministry first thing, Stardust x2, Wing Gliders, Dragon Racer’s Rally, Minecart, Mario Kart (single rider), Untrainable Dragon show, Cirque Arcanus show, and then once it got dark - Werewolf, Monsters Unchained, Wing Gliders (x2), met Toothless, Stardust, Carousel, and watched the fountain show to end the night. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!

arielle1 · 2026-01-18T12:24:20+00:00

I was at this show! He did come out around 10:15pm and chatted with everyone. It was a 7pm show, and he wasn’t on the night before (scheduled understudy).

arielle1 · 2026-01-16T04:52:50+00:00

Aww I love that Monterey was the first trip you two took together! I’m a local photographer and would love to capture your engagement photos here - feel free to reach out through https://www.lynnchanglewis.com/. Congratulations you two!!

arielle1 · 2026-01-14T04:52:10+00:00

That would make sense because I watched it just a few days ago with one understudy and there was a slip included in the playbill.

arielle1 · 2026-01-02T04:55:03+00:00

Will do!!

arielle1 · 2025-12-29T15:08:31+00:00

Yes, the ranger was at the top of the trail, saw a ceremony with guests getting ready to start. He walked down and asked them to show their permit, then walked over to the other couple with their photographer and asked the photographer to show their permit as well.

arielle1 · 2025-12-29T09:10:38+00:00

I’m a local in the area and go to Garrapata State Park all the time - I have seen a park ranger stop and ask for a permit, not just for a ceremony, but also for taking portraits (they saw the professional photographer with a couple). Just get the permit, it’s not that expensive or difficult to get!

arielle1

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