With a long shoreline, plentiful parks, various historical sites and lush gardens, Long Beach has no shortage of venues for open air weddings, many of which are nationally recognized.
One of Long Beach’s most well-known and historic icons, the Queen Mary, offers multiple options for open-air ceremonies and receptions of all sizes. “There is nothing like the Queen Mary. It is a historical monument and it’s a Long Beach legacy,” Kacie Rattigan, wedding planner for the Queen Mary, told the Business Journal.
The gazebo on the sun deck of the Queen Mary is a popular spot for open-air weddings, with expansive waterfront views. (Queen Mary photograph)
Couples marrying at the gazebo on the vessel’s sun deck, located at the stern, have expansive views of the ocean as their backdrop. The space seats about 100 people, according to Rattigan. “All of our views have harbor views,” she said. The ship’s sports deck and verandah deck feature teak wood flooring, and overlook the Downtown Long Beach skyline. These venues can seat up to 400 people, depending on the arrangement.
“The majority of weddings are Great Gatsby, Art Deco, [or] roaring ’20s-themed, because it just goes with the history of the ship,” Rattigan said. The Queen Mary, built in the 1930s, is known for its Art Deco décor. “We are able to completely modernize the entire space as well,” she noted.
Rattigan called the Queen Mary a one-stop shop for all wedding services. “We do everything: the food and beverages, [and] we can supply invitations, linens, entertainment, hotel accommodations,” she said. “It’s almost like a destination wedding without going anywhere.”
Across the harbor is another historic site that offers year-round outdoor weddings: the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA). Located on the bluffs with views of the beach and water, the museum is also the site of the Elizabeth Milbank Anderson House, built in 1912. Its outdoor pavilion affords enough space for weddings of up to 350 people.
“There is such a sense of history and peace and natural beauty that it has infinite possibilities,” LBMA Executive Director Ron Nelson said. “There is sort of a soaring spirit about it.”
An aerial photo of the Long Beach Museum of Art showcases the museum’s outdoor wedding space, which includes a lawn for receptions, ceremony space overlooking the bluff and Pacific Ocean, and a patio area. The museum is located at 2300 Ocean Blvd. For more information about the museum as a wedding location, call 562/439-2119, ext. 234. (Business Journal photograph)
Guests may choose to have their ceremony at the bluff’s edge – a view Nelson called “quite stunning” – then a reception either on the museum’s enclosed lawn or inside the Anderson House. “There is the other option of tenting. You can do a partial tent or you could do a tent with walls,” he said.
LBMA offers wedding coordinators to assist couples with the timeline of the event and to keep track of various vendors. The museum also offers catering services through its onsite café, Claire’s. There is also the option of opening up the museum for guests to stroll through and view artwork, Nelson noted.
Nelson, who said the museum is not just his career but also his life, got married there last year. “It was incredibly special,” he reflected.
Rancho Los Cerritos in Bixby Knolls is another venue for couples seeking a historic backdrop for their wedding day. The public museum and historic site is home to an adobe home constructed in 1844 and vibrant gardens. Charlene Ferris, development director for the rancho, said the serene grounds are like a “step back in time.”
Rancho Los Cerritos has two options for outdoor weddings, including its inner courtyard, which accommodates about 300 guests, and the backyard, which can hold up to nearly 400 guests. The inner courtyard features a reflecting pond, a waterfall, and landscaped gardens with California plants and flowers. The backyard’s main feature is a 150-year old Moreton Bay Fig Tree, a popular backdrop for wedding photos.
“Most couples that are attracted to getting married here are folks who like vintage or the lush landscaped gardens,” Ferris said. “It is an outdoor venue, so it is limited to primarily spring through fall weddings, although some events have happened in the winter and they tent and have twinkly lights.” Because the venue is also a museum and historic site with regular programming, wedding availability is limited, she noted.
“We do ask that all couples use a professional coordinator and, between the coordinator and ourselves, we help them get any rentals or additional items booked,” Ferris said. “It’s a pretty painless process.” An added bonus for getting married at the rancho is that a portion of fees is considered a charitable deduction because the venue has nonprofit status.
On the east side of town, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens on the campus of California State University, Long Beach offers a lush setting for weddings. “The Japanese Garden is one of the most romantic gardens in Southern California,” Jeanette Schelin, senior director of the venue, said. “It is very private, so it creates an intimate and romantic setting for events, particularly for weddings.”
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens have year-round greenery and blooming foliage, according to Senior Director Jeanette Schelin. The gardens have ample space for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours and receptions. Couples often choose to exchange vows on the bridge over the pond. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)
“The garden offers a visually stunning landscape,” Schelin continued. “There is a large koi pond, a beautiful teahouse and a lovely Japanese style Zen garden.” The focal point in the garden is an arched bridge, where couples often choose to exchange vows. The venue also includes a courtyard, where cocktail hours following the ceremony are often held, she said.
“Japanese gardens are famous for their evergreen plantings. So no matter what time of the year you are planning an event, there is a lot of greenery,” Schelin said. Although weather in Southern California is typically fair all year round, the venue does offer a tented space. “If they want to create kind of a club atmosphere in there, we can do that.” The gardens come equipped with surround sound, she noted.
The Japanese Gardens provide a day-of wedding coordinator, who consults with couples in advance to plan out the timeline of the event. “We have a preferred vendor list of wonderful local photographers and service providers that are familiar with the garden and that will provide top-notch services,” Schelin added.
With tropical foliage and waterfront views, the Hotel Maya, a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, also offers natural outdoor settings for weddings. The hotel has a private beach with a built-in platform so the bride doesn’t have to walk directly on the sand, according to Lisa Duncan, director of catering and convention services.
“We also have our Esplanade, another waterfront area. It is topped by a 14-foot-tall, 42-foot diameter umbrella,” Duncan said. “You’re looking back onto the city and the Queen Mary.” Another ocean view venue at the Maya is the Jardin, a garden setting where couples can be wed with a waterfall backdrop. Also overlooking the water is the hotel’s Vista Del Mar, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor area with a ceremony platform and chandelier. “We have so many options on the water that you really can’t go wrong,” Duncan said. The venues range in capacity from 150 to 350 guests.
“Each of the areas has fire pits and tiki torches and palm trees and waterfalls,” Duncan said. “We’re really bringing in that whole tropical feel, but it’s nice and quiet and very serene, and very unique, especially to Long Beach.”
The Hotel Maya’s wedding packages include a coordinator, catering, custom wedding cakes, and more. Starting February 8, the Hotel Maya is offering a Mayan Monkey wedding package, which coincides with the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Year of the Monkey. “A lot of the elements that the Mayan gods celebrate, we actually have here already,” Duncan said, citing facing west for ceremonies. “Fire is certainly one of the lucky elements, and with fire pits and tiki torches all over the hotel, we sort of encapsulate that lucky element.”
For those who want more than just a view of the ocean, Harbor Breeze Cruises offers chartered vessels for weddings in the Long Beach harbor. Most of their vessels have indoor, upper deck and stadium seating options, according to Nikki Ross, director of sales.
“We offer ceremonies on the water with the Queen Mary as your back drop or any special area you might choose to wow your guests with amazing pictures that capture a once in a lifetime experience,” Ross wrote in an e-mail to the Business Journal. “We cruise through the beautiful Long Beach Harbor at a comfortable speed so your guests can enjoy the open air and you can relax while enjoying the wedding of your dreams.”
Harbor Breeze is able to accommodate parties of up to 200 guests, and can book up to two years in advance or as soon as a week prior to the event, Ross said. “We offer complete wedding packages with everything they would need to create the perfect ceremony and reception . . . catering to a particular budget they might be working with.”
Couples seeking to marry outdoors for a bargain need look no further than facilities of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine, which range in cost from $135 to $595 for an entire day, according to Kimberly Wendt, supervisor for the department’s registration and reservation office.
Popular spaces for weddings at Long Beach parks include reservable picnic areas in El Dorado Park West near Horseshoe Lake, and El Dorado Park East beside the duck pond, Wendt said. Less often used, but very unique, is the historic band shell at Recreation Park, she added. Waterside venues include a small park space beside the Colorado Lagoon, Marina Vista Park and Bluff Park. The latter of these is not a reservable space, so someone from the wedding party must arrive early to block out an area, she noted.
“Of all of the things we reserve here, actually being married on the beach on the sand is probably the most popular,” Wendt said. “And if people are wanting to be married in a facility or get married somewhere and come into one of our facilities for their reception, we have 20 or so different big community centers that people can reserve.” Alcohol isn’t allowed in these facilities, but the department and its commission are working to establish a fee to allow for alcohol at special events, she said.