Which beach?

tpeoples7

My daughter is getting married September 2013 and wants a destination beach wedding.  We have a lot of family in OC, so we've decided to go there.  We live in Ohio, so we can't visit all of the beaches to pick.  If you were getting married on a beach in OC, where would you pick?  

We're leaning towards Laguna Beach.

wcasar

How many people are you looking to accomidate? Each beach has different requirements.

tpeoples7

30-35 people, tops.  We are just looking for place to have ceremony.  We already have a reception location.

One of our concerns is the issue of tides with some of the Laguna Beach locations.

rgomez27941

A lot of beachs and cities have reservation processes and permits. I would look into the city of dana point. It's just south of Laguna, less traffic not as touristy and a quit cute city: http://www.danapoint.org/index.aspx?page=312

LDubHawksFan

I didn't look into to it too much but I don't think most city or public beaches allow you to have weddings there.  There are several parks in LB and Dana Point that overlook the ocean.  They are nice, and have a max # that is around or less than your count.  The only place I know that you can have it on the beach is Hotel Laguna.  They were my runner up for our location.  They are an exception because they technically "own" the beach right adjacent to the hotel (I don't think all the way to the water).  They set up an arch and your guests all stand on the sand to watch.  They also have banquet rooms that look out to the ocean.  Very nice location.  I would call them.

DeannaCW

Where is the reception location? That will affect my answer, if reception's in Laguna I don't want to suggest Huntington Beach, etc.

motoLyn

Style Me Pretty Website featured a wedding in South Orange County at Crystal Cove, check out the link and see if it is something you may want.

Style Me Pretty Link

Hobie625

Not sure if you're still checking this post, but I would second Dana Point and Laguna Beach.  You could look into places at Dana Point Harbor, they even have a boathouse you can rent, and it's very pretty.  Or if you're will to go a little bit further south, try San Clemente.  There are a coupld of really nice beaches there with parks nearby.  Laguna might be a little pricier (and have a LOT more traffic), but hotels in/near Dana Point/San Clemente might be more reasonable.  Usually the further north you go in Orange County (Newport, Corona Del Mar, etc), things get a lot more expensive. 

tpeoples7

Thanks for all the tips!  We've settled on Heisler Park in Laguna Beach.  We're very happy to have that part of the planning done!

tpeoples7

Thanks for the input!  We're going with Heisler Park in Laguna Beach.