Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, CA; Event Design and Planner: Allure Events Atelier, Irvine, CA; Floral Design: Butterfly Floral & Event Design, Los Angeles, CA; Linen: Luxe Linen, Irvine, CA; Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental, Napa, CA; Rentals: LM Event Productions, Studio City, CA; Rentals: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Photography: Lin & Jirsa Photography, Santa Ana, CA

From Santa Barbara to San Diego, the southern California coast has some of the most beautiful seaside resorts anywhere, making this a great destination for a wedding that mixes big-city fun with an exclusive beach getaway.

Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, CA; Event Design and Planner: Allure Events Atelier, Irvine, CA; Floral Design: Butterfly Floral & Event Design, Los Angeles, CA; Rentals: LM Event Productions, Studio City, CA; Rentals: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Draping: Always the Best Party Rentals, Anaheim, CA; Lehenga: OSAA by Adarsh; Groom’s Ceremony Attire: Sabyasachi; Photography: Lin & Jirsa Photography, Santa Ana, CA

Begin by deciding what kind of destination wedding suits your fancy: an LA getaway with shopping on Rodeo Drive and channeling Old Hollywood with a silver-screen themed affair, or the more laid-back charms of San Diego, where the historic Gaslamp Quarter and the world-famous San Diego Zoo offer intriguing backdrops for your ceremony or reception. Both cities serve as great gateways to Southern California’s finest oceanfront resorts and most treasured wedding venues.

Location: Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design and Planner: Kat Minassi Events and Design, Los Angeles, CA; Floral Design: Eddie Zaratsian Custom Florals and Lifestyle, Los Angeles, CA; Rentals: White Night Design, Burbank, CA; Cake: Rafi’s Pastry & Cakes, Glendale, CA; Photography: Studio Purdy, Los Angeles, CA

Two hours north of Los Angeles you’ll find the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara, where the classic Spanish-Mediterranean design speaks to this beach hotel’s laid-back elegance. The nearby Bacara Resort has 78 acres of beachfront and can stage your ceremony high above the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Location, Cake and Caterer: Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA; Florist: Eric Buterbaugh Designs, Los Angeles, CA; Linen: Roberta Karsch - Resource One Inc., Reseda, CA; Furniture and Chandeliers: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Fabric: LA Premier, West Hollywood, CA; Tuxedo: Armani Collezioni; Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier; Photography: John Solano Photography, Reseda, CA

Among the coastal towns lining the shoreline between LA and San Diego, Newport Beach stands out for its beaches, piers, marinas and harbor. In other words, the sea is the star here, and never more so than at the Pelican Hill Resort, known for its oceanfront golf course and its Mar Vista wedding venue. To the south you’ll find the famous artist’s colony of Laguna Beach, where the Montage resort boasts a spacious spa, 248 guest rooms, and 16,000 square feet of event space—ample room, in other words, for even the biggest wedding celebration.

Location: Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design and Planner: Kat Minassi Events and Design, Los Angeles, CA; Floral Design: Eddie Zaratsian Custom Florals and Lifestyle, Los Angeles, CA; Ceremony Dress: Galia Lahav; Groom’s Attire: Tom Ford; Photography: Studio Purdy, Los Angeles, CA

Ready to take it downtown? The Four Seasons Los Angeles is a Beverly Hills landmark, while the Hotel Bel-Air has perhaps the city’s most desired wedding locale: Swan Lake, where you can exchange vows under the boughs of a 100-year-old Sycamore tree.

Location: Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, CA; Planner: JZ Events, New York, NY; Entertainment: Elan Artists, Los Angeles, CA; Photography: Elizabeth Messina, Santa Barbara, CA

Food: Wolfgang Puck Catering, Los Angeles, CA; Location: Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, CA; Photography: Ron Manville

Location: Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA; Table and Floral Design: The Woods Exquisite Flowers, Los Angeles, CA; Linen: Roberta Karsch - Resource One Inc., Reseda, CA; Table Setting: Classic Party Rentals, El Segundo, CA; Chairs: Chameleon Chair Collection, Torrance, CA; Photography: Mike Colón Photographers, Newport Coast, CA

Location: Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, CA; Planner: JZ Events, New York, NY; Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai for Kleinfeld, New York, NY; Photography: Elizabeth Messina, Santa Barbara, CA

Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, CA; Event Planner: Details Details, Irvine, CA; Floral and Event Design: Bloom Box, Costa Mesa, CA; Linen: Home Fabrics & Trims, Los Angeles, CA; Rentals: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Lighting: Pacific Event Lighting, Los Angeles, CA; Stationery: Lovebird Wedding & Event Styling, Chicago, IL; Photography: Jasmine Star Photography, Orange County, CA

Ceremony Location and Caterer: The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, CA; Event Planner and Design: Pink Rock Events, Los Angeles, CA; Floral Design: Nisie's Enchanted Florist, Los Alamitos, CA; Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Santa Ana, CA; Hair and Makeup: Jeannine Jeffries, Couture Beauty, Newport Beach, CA; Wedding Gown: Sonas Haute Couture, London, United Kingdom; Photography: Andrena Photography, Los Angeles, CA

Written by Bob Curley