Best Destination wedding locations in California
Starting to plan your wedding for 2019 and tossing around the idea of a destination wedding? We have put together a few of our favorites for off the beaten path locations for destination weddings in California. From the top of Northern California to the border of San Diego there are so many incredible sceneries to have your ceremony and celebrate with family. We tried to stay away from the big-name places that have been done before like Joshua Tree and Yosemite, while still offering incredible scenery and breath-taking views. Hope you enjoy! Let us know your thoughts!
Patrick’s Point State Park – Think Big Sur but along the Northern California border. This endless coastline is Thirty miles north of Eureka, Patrick’s Point State Park sits on a forested cliffside beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Patrick’s Point is situated in Humboldt County offering some of the best overlooks along the Northern California Coastline. Miles of trails, campgrounds, and historic Native American village, viewpoints, tidepools, and long beaches to explore. Getting married here offers panoramic views of the coastline to the north and south, waking up at sunrise with the fog hugging the cliffs with waves crashing against the cliffs is second to none. If you are thinking of a beach wedding Patrick’s Point is ideal for a sunset ceremony.
Tahoe – If you have never seen photos of Lake Tahoe we highly recommend doing some research. Getting married at Lake Tahoe would be a dream, and is one of the most beautiful locations in California. Lonely Planet describes Tahoe best, “ Shimmering in myriad shades of blue and green, Lake Tahoe is the USA’s second-deepest lake and, at 6255ft high, it is also one of the highest-elevation lakes in the country.” The shoreline is a mesmerizing 72 miles offering so many different areas to explore and spots to host your wedding. After deciding on Tahoe as your preferred wedding venue, the next question is what time of year? The horned peaks surrounding the lake, encompass the California–Nevada state line, are year-round destinations making it that much easier to schedule a date for your wedding.
Convict lake – After our recent road trip up to Mammoth we fell in love with Convict Lake. The ease of driving right up to the lake and the massive mountains that lay right at the back of the water make for one of the most incredible landscapes in the Sierras. There is also a wedding venue directly down the street from the lake! Here is a little info from their site - Convict Lake offers a breathtaking view of Mt. Morrison, Laurel Mountain and the hillsides surrounding the lake. Lake views are idyllic and create the perfect picture for your wedding. The lake is open to the public. Wedding couples may obtain permission to use areas around the lake to conduct their ceremony including the popular shale beach area.
Channel Islands National Park – One of the most overlooked parks in the U.S. The Channel Islands are a chain of islands just off the coast of Ventura. If you are searching for a Hawaii type feel with green islands without the headache of coordinating flights and the long travel and tourists, this is it. Channel Islands National Park is made up of five beautiful islands with complete Isolation which over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and environments that can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. If places and adventures like this get your heart pumping like us, lets definitely talk and start planning details on boat rides and logistics.
Mojave Desert – If you are a desert person like Brittney is then you guys will automatically connect. She has an obsession for Cactus and I have a bizarre sense of curiosity for sand dunes. That’s why the Mojave Desert is perfect for us. If you have thought about having your wedding in Joshua Tree, take a look at Mojave Preserve, the wide-open landscapes offer so many different unique ideas... and they have sand dunes, a major reason to consider Mojave. The Kelso Dunes cover a vast 45 miles and rise to heights of 650 feet above the desert floor overlooking the whole Mojave National Preserve.
Lake Jennings – Being from San Diego, we don’t necessarily consider our home a destination, but hey there are some who may be from Northern California or out of state who may be reading this! Instead of writing about the beautiful beaches and amazing wedding venues San Diego has, which we have done here, we wanted to offer something way different. Look no further then Lake Jennings, located in the mountains of San Diego. Perched on a hill overlooking the lake, this glamping site has yurt style teepees to sleep in for guests and is one of the coolest spots we’ve seen to get married at here in San Diego
Why Destination weddings? We love to travel, we are destination wedding photographers and love to explore new areas in our home state. If you are recently engaged and also looking to take engagement photos in a new location, be it a local beach or national park we are open to all ideas. We love connecting with new people and having a good time during our shoots.
We are Andy and Brittney. We are San Diego wedding photographers who love to capture life’s greatest moments. We live for travelling to distant places and meeting new people who share the same energy and passion for life. our objective in life is pretty simple: live to create endless memories, and wedding photography definitely allows us to do just that! Sometimes in life, it can be flat out hard to meet new people and is why we love engagement photography so much. Many of our clients have become lifelong friends with engagement shoots often leading to dinner dates and drinks. So, if you guys are looking for more than just photos and looking to build a relationship, shoot us a message. Hope to meet soon!
From San Diego weddings to San Francisco we love the different feels each city has to offer and all of those in between. If you are planning a small intimate wedding and looking for a travel wedding photographer to tag along or if you are planning a large family wedding and looking for a local wedding photographer, we are able to fit both of your needs. Send us an email and we would love to talk more details and see how we can offer wedding photography for your big day. Talk soon!