Cuvier Park Wedding | La Jolla venues
Cuvier Park, also known as La Jolla Wedding Bowl, is one of my favorite seaside wedding ceremony venues in San Diego. It's in the heart of La Jolla, very close to the Museum of Contemporary Arts, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Cuvier Park offers a panoramic ocean view from the La Jolla coastline and, in my opinion, is a perfect place for a wedding or elopement. The lower lawn area is right by the coast Blvd but feels like a private cove. Cuvier Park is a secluded area despite being in the center of busy La Jolla.
Cuvier Park is a wedding venue very special to me. It's where I got married almost 15 years ago. I was already a San Diego wedding photographer then. I knew about all the venues in San Diego, but we felt like it was the perfect place for us. After all those years, we still believe it was the right choice for our wedding ceremony.
After speaking with Aaron and Susannah about their Cuvier Park and getting an idea of the wedding day timeline, I was excited about everything we set up to accomplish. It was a sunny day, which is perfect for Cuvier Park weddings.
I met with Susannah for getting-ready shots at Scripps Inn, across the street from Cuvier Park. Scripps Inn is the hotel where my wife got ready for our wedding. It brought me great memories of a very special day for us.
Susannah had only her very best friends and her dog in the room and was happy to be getting married to the love of her life. She had plenty of time before her Cuvier Park wedding ceremony, so she finished her makeup and wrote her vows.
Everything was ready for their Cuvier Park wedding ceremony, and Susannah walked in with her brother. It was a small and beautiful ceremony, witnessed by their close family and friends. The vows were very emotional, and the bride and groom were happy to tie the knot in a gorgeous location.
After the Cuvier Park ceremony ended, we went into some family photos. Everyone present at this La Jolla wedding was very special to the couple, so every guest was part of the formal photos. After we finished with every group, the guests were free to go to the reception, and the couple and I were off to some portraits.
Cuvier Park is a stunning place for any session and offers different settings for photos. The dramatic cliffs, the beach, and the rocks are the perfect combination to get a variety of pictures. We started the session on the lawn with some photos of their dogs. After that, we moved to the cliff part for some walking shots. Susanna and Aaron interact very well with each other, so candid shots work well for them.
The sun was lowering, and we got to the beach at the perfect time. They were happy to stand on the rocks, which was my favorite setting at that location. The rustic landscape and the ocean in the background create a dramatic atmosphere for the bride and groom.
It was another great Cuvier Park wedding in La Jolla, and I wish Aaron and Susannah the best of luck in their lives.
About Cuvier Park Weddings (La Jolla):
Cuvier Park is a very popular location for La Jolla weddings. It's a stunning setting, in front of the ocean and rocks. Cuvier Park is one of the most beautiful wedding ceremony places in San Diego. It's naturally shaped into a bowl, which brings some privacy to the wedding.
Cuvier Park is a perfect place for small, intimate wedding celebrations. The amount of guests you can have at a wedding at Cuvier Park varies depending on the chair setup. I would estimate around 50 or 60 people max. But, if you are not having a very large wedding, it could be perfect for you.
Cuvier Park is a location that allows only wedding ceremonies and not cocktail hour or wedding receptions. Most weddings I photograph at Cuvier Park choose to have their reception in one of the many popular La Jolla restaurants nearby. It's a great option, especially if you're having a more intimate wedding.
Because it's a public area, Cuvier Park weddings require a permit. It's important to know that since it's a very popular spot, it might take some time to get an available date. So, if you're thinking about having your wedding at Cuvier Park, contact the city of San Diego as soon as possible to check for dates.
Parking can be tricky in La Jolla coastal area, so it might be wise to advise the guests to give plenty of time to find parking or use ride-share services. No parking lots are available close to Cuvier Park, but you can find street parking all around that area.
One aspect of wedding locations I always like talking about is the photo opportunities we can find around the area. Some venues offer a beautiful location for the ceremony but not much else. It's certainly not the case with Cuvier Park weddings! The surroundings are incredible, perfect for everything else we need to do before and after the wedding ceremony.
I'm a big fan of family photos with the ocean in the background. Especially at late afternoon Cuvier Park weddings, the lighting works perfectly. I generally do the family formals at the park to avoid moving a lot of people around. I also feel the green grass contrasts well with the ocean and ski.
Cuvier Park offers plenty of options for bridal party photos and couple pictures. I enjoy going down to the beach for some photos at the shoreline when the tide is not too high. There are natural rocks that can help when composing some of the pictures, and you can even sit the couple down for a different perspective. When photographing at busy beaches I tend to bring the couple closer to the water, so we have fewer people walking into the frame. Depending on the tide, you can find a few natural tide pools. It's not an area that is particularly easy to walk. But if the bride and groom are adventurous it's something I recommend trying.
Another great area to explore is north of Cuvier Park. The dramatic cliffs with the ocean behind can create amazing shots of the bride and groom. If you're lucky, you might get a few birds flying above. There is also a man-made rock wall with warm tones that I usually take advantage of.
Late afternoon is the recommended time for the ceremony. Cuvier Park doesn't offer shade, so earlier in the day it could be a bit uncomfortable. It also gets colder after the sunset, so late afternoon works beautifully. Ending the wedding around one hour or one hour and a half before the sunset is ideal, and it leaves plenty of time for family formals, bridal party photos, and couple pictures.
Cuvier Park has a special place in my heart and brings me some great memories of my wedding in 2010. I hope to keep coming back for many years to document beautiful wedding celebrations.
