Whether you’re looking to escape to gorgeous weather, enjoy stunning sunsets, or tie the knot in with oceanfront views or an aesthetic landscape backdrop, Southern California has so many unique and stunning wedding venues to explore when deciding on where to get married. So many in fact, that it can be hard to narrow down the best choices! As a destination and elopement photographer, I’ve rounded up some eye-catching options to make it easy for you. While I’ve been to California, I haven’t yet photographed at these venues. This list is just meant to serve as inspiration for what the area has to offer and some options that I think would make for a great backdrop for a wedding. I hope this gives you a jump start on your own research if you’re thinking about Southern California for your wedding day!

Southern California can be broad, so I broke it down into 3 sections: greater Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara. Read on for some of the most charming, aesthetic wedding venues in Southern California.

Southern California wedding venues: Greater Los Angeles

When you think southern California, you likely think Los Angeles. This part of the country is known for its year-round fantastic weather and provides all types of wedding venues, from wineries to urban settings. Here are some of my favorite picks.

Malibu Rocky Oaks

Max Capacity: 180 seated | 400 standing

If the vibe you’re wanting for your wedding is absolutely jaw-dropping, Malibu Rocky Oaks is the southern California wedding venue for you. If the draw of a private vineyard estate isn’t enough, how about 360 degree views of it?! This iconic southern California wedding venue is best known for its helipad ceremonies and bar settings that feature circular seating and absolutely awe-inspiring views of the surrounding mountains. Epic is the only way to describe it.

Avensole Winery

Max Capacity: 100

Avensole Winery is a charming wedding venue in Southern California wine country. Your wedding photos will look stunning against a backdrop of 15 acres of rolling vineyards, and your guests will love the quaint look of the stone patios and walkways that surround the outdoor wedding ceremony location. Avensole Winery gives you the option to add wine barrels as decor to your ceremony, which will add a vintage touch to your wedding photos. This vineyard is an absolute dream location for your Southern California wedding!

Maravilla Gardens

Max Capacity: 275

If you want to feel like you’re in an absolute fairytale on your wedding day in southern California, you have to consider booking Maravilla Gardens as your venue. Located in the farmland of Santa Rosa Valley, this romantic venue has 3 outdoor spaces to choose from for your ceremony and reception, all of which accentuate the lush lawns and vibrant flower beds that make this wedding venue so charming. Trust me when I say the landscape backdrops of Maravilla Gardens will make your wedding photos incredibly stunning!

The Fig House

Max Capacity: 200 seated | 350 standing

If a romantic garden and a house with an ultra-cool design sound like a good place to get married, The Fig House is your spot. It features a unique blend of mid-century modern and art deco vibes along with a lush garden area that is perfect for a ceremony or cocktail hour. It’s no surprise it’s so beautiful since it was designed by someone from HGTV! It’s set up as a hospitality collective, so the venue also offers full-service catering and beverages from upscale vendors. It’s an elevated, stunning place to hold your wedding!

Padua Hills

Max Capacity: 300

You will swoon over the grove of olive trees that line this wedding venue. Padua Hills is the perfect venue for any couple who’s looking for a fairytale forest aesthetic for their wedding. Your guests can admire the breathtaking views of a valley of chaparral and warm sunsets on the Padua Hills Theatre terrace, and you will love the one-of-a-kind wrought-iron gazebo where you can say “I do”. With a variety of indoor and outdoor options for your reception, Padua Hills is the perfect venue to choose if you want an elegant wedding that incorporates nature.

Madera Kitchen

Max Capacity: 200

Located in the heart of Hollywood, Madera is a hip, bohemian, and rustic turnkey restaurant that offers four private rooms or patios to choose from for wedding venues. The design and decor of Madera are wonderfully unique and give all the boho vibes. The greenery lining the walls and light fixtures adds an enchanting touch. If you’re looking for an unforgettable, unique space for your Southern California wedding, you will definitely want to consider Madera Kitchen as a venue!

The Grass Room

Max Capacity: 150 seated | 200 standing

The company who runs this venue owns several other southern California wedding venues, but this one is a personal favorite. The Grass Room is a remodeled 1920s building that’s eclectic, colorful and filled with live plants! The glass roof lets in so much natural light, which means even an indoor ceremony will have gorgeous lighting! If the quirky design isn’t enough, you’ll love that it’s a scalable venue, meaning it has many different adjoining spaces from a courtyard to a “grotto” bar, so you can customize the event to your number of guests.

Calamigos ranch

Max Capacity: 800

For a southern California venue with major northern California vibes, choose Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. Yes, they even have the redwoods here too! The outdoors Birchwood Room is the most intimate space they offer for small destination weddings - and the backdrop is a waterfall. What more could you ask for?! It’s also a hotel space so you and your guests can stay on site and enjoy the spa and beach club. Oh, and did I mention there’s a ferris wheel on site too?! It’s truly a unique place to get married.

Looking for wedding venues in the desert?

Southern California Wedding Venues: San Diego

To the south, beachy San Diego’s sunny skies are an inviting atmosphere for a wedding. But beach weddings aren’t your only option here - these picks provide a totally unique backdrop for your ceremony.

Estancia La Jolla

Max Capacity: 420

For all of your fairytale, garden aesthetic desires, Estancia La Jolla is a dreamy wedding venue in Southern California. It’s a hotel and spa with that distinct mediterranean architecture the area is known for, and it’s just minutes for the dramatic coasts of La Jolla. While the max capacity is pretty large, they also offer micro-weddings and elopements here! There’s a luxurious spa and serene pool for you and your guests to relax at when you aren’t partying for the big occasion. Bonus: the resort is dog-friendly so you can bring your pup to your destination wedding!

Darlington House

Max Capacity: 200

This gem in La Jolla has all the Spanish villa charm you could possibly want. From a lush garden setting to a brick courtyard that will transport you to the Mediterranean, whatever backdrop you choose is guaranteed to provide a romantic setting for your wedding. The property was designed and then modified by a variety of architects from the 1920s to 1940s and now serves as one of the most picturesque southern California wedding venues. As a bonus, it’s just a couple of blocks from Pacific ocean views!

Flora

Max Capacity: 200

Weddings with a botanical flair are some of the most popular there are right now, and Flora serves those vibes in plenty. It’s a gorgeous mix of floral and urban for all the right kinds of wedding day drama. It’s lined with plants that add built-in decor and also provides its own bespoke furniture and in-house tech for lighting and sound. It has pretty much everything you need to design a picture-perfect wedding day!

The Condor’s Nest Ranch

Max Capacity: 150

If you’re looking for mountaintop vistas in your southern California wedding venues, you’ve found it at The Condor’s Nest Ranch. This old California ranch was founded back in 1862, and features an adobe ranch-style estate and cottage. While the home and pool are totally gorgeous, this venue’s highlight is the panoramic view that backdrops the ceremony site. They can accommodate weddings up to 150 people, but they also have an “Intimate Package” for up to 30 people that’s perfect for a small destination wedding!

Southern California Wedding Venues: Santa Barbara

You don’t have to travel to Europe to have Mediterranean scenery at your wedding! Santa Barbara is overflowing with Spanish tile roofing and white stucco buildings that are romantic all on their own. These area wedding venues make it even better.

Blue Sky Center

Max Capacity: 150

The Blue Sky Center does a whole lot more than host events, but you can have your wedding at this desert venue north of Santa Barbara! It’s a non-profit that’s aimed at sustainable initiatives in the community (and we love an eco-friendly wedding!). They offer lodging on site for up to 27 people as well as event add-ons like yoga, s’mores, guided stargazing, hikes and more! It’s like it was made for an experience-driven wedding.

El Encanto, Belmond Hotel

Max Capacity: up to 200 depending on location

It’s no surprise this spectacular hotel puts on spectacular weddings. As a large property, there are multiple different locations on site to choose from for your ceremony or reception. You can choose from 5 indoor locations and 2 outdoor locations. The options range from an intimate garden pond to grand views of the Channel Islands just offshore. Your group can opt to stay on site for luxe accommodations or even enjoy the high-end spa at the resort. And if your group is small, it’s one of the best southern California wedding venues for you because they have a special package for micro-weddings and elopements!

Canary hotel

Max Capacity: 130 seated, 180 standing

With California’s mountain and ocean views, a rooftop venue HAD to be on this list. It doesn’t get much better than the rooftop at the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara. It provides sweeping views of Santa Barbara’s unique architecture as well as the ocean and mountains that frame it. There are also ballrooms, salons and a lounge, but personally I love the intimate, romantic setting on the rooftop. It’s hard to beat this view of the Spanish tiled rooftops across the city!

Dos Pueblos Orchid farm

Max Capacity: 300

This gorgeous greenhouse venue is located just up Highway 1 from Santa Barbara. The historic orchid farm opens up its beautiful grounds for events and the giant greenhouse can be customized into the dreamiest of weddings. From tropical to funky to classic and everything in between, you can use decor to transform this space into anything you want it to be. If the greenhouse isn’t your style, there’s also a breathtaking overlook of the coastline on property as well.

Which Southern California Wedding Venue Will You Choose?

Whether you want oceanfront views, wine country vibes, an enchanted garden aesthetic, or something in between, there’s a Southern California wedding venue for you. Once you decide where to get married in Southern California, you’ll need to choose a photographer! If you’re looking for destination wedding packages, you’ve come to the right place. To see more of what I have to offer and how I can help you have the perfect day, check out my wedding packages. Have a southern California wedding venue you love?