Are you getting married in sunny Southern California? Congrats!
According to the Wedding Report in 2021, California weddings averaged $35,274—but weddings in SoCal tend to cost more.
That’s why we found some of the best wedding venues in Southern California if you’re on a tight budget.
Key Takeaways
- Even though SoCal weddings tend to exceed the California average cost, budget-friendly venues like Albertson Wedding Chapel and Aliso Viejo by Wedgewood Weddings provide stunning, cost-effective options.
- These venues accommodate a range of guest capacities and preferences, from intimate gatherings of 44 to large celebrations for up to 280 guests.
- Unique amenities enhance these venues, such as the deluxe photo box at Albertson Chapel and the variety of seven site options at the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Let’s check out the venues!
Albertson Wedding Chapel- Los Angeles, California
Since 1974, the family-owned Albertson Wedding Chapel is beloved for being one of the best full-service wedding venues in L.A.
Their packages include a wedding officiant, flowers, a photographer, and most conveniently, an instant marriage license filed with the county clerk. Talk about stress-free!
The Main Chapel is 1,800 square feet and the True Love Reception Room is 3,400 square feet of dining and dancing space under chandeliers and a floral canopy.
Bonus: Wedding parties gush about the deluxe photo box feature!
Typical Cost: Starts at $345.
Capacity: Up to 44 seated guests.
Find Albertson Wedding Chapel at Albertson Chapel or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Inn of the Seventh Ray- Topanga, California
The Inn of the Seventh Ray is set in a canyon of gardens and towering trees, with waterfalls and a small creek.
There are several venues available here for all wedding budgets, including the Church Room, adorned with stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings.
The Waterfall Patio has a garden setting for intimate weddings and the Garden Room can be your cocktail reception or main reception space.
Bonus: Onsite catering packages with fresh, locally sourced California cuisine.
Typical Cost: Starts at $300.
Capacity: Up to 240 seated guests.
Find The Inn of the Seventh Ray at Inn of the Seventh Ray or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Whispering Oaks Chapel- Calabasas, California
Whispering Oaks Chapel (near Malibu) is perfectly affordable for micro weddings with its lavender and rose gardens and mature trees.
The wedding chapel is multi-denominational and all-inclusive, and you can marry anywhere on the grounds and nearby beach.
Whispering Oaks Chapel also has reception space onsite or at nearby sister venues.
Bonus: Out-of-town guests can experience the California lifestyle since Whispering Oak Chapel is so close to Malibu’s hotels and restaurants.
Typical Cost: Starts at $500.
Capacity: Up to 60 seated guests.
Find Whispering Oaks Chapel at Whispering Oaks Chapel or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Sidenote at Love & Laughter Studios- Anaheim, California
The Sidenote at Love & Laughter Studios is an outdoor wedding venue behind the Love & Laughter Recording Studio in Anaheim.
Rent the outdoor space and enjoy the patio with a DJ or live music. Or rent the whole recording studio, a 3,000-square-foot space with fantastic acoustics.
Bonus: The Sidenote at Love & Laughter provides additional planning services like event coordination, bartender, catering, flowers, and referrals for live bands!
Typical Cost: Starts at $1,250.
Capacity: Up to 81 seated guests.
Find The Sidenote at Love and Laughter Music Group or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Rasta Rita Cantina- Twentynine Palms, California
Romantic, quirky, and historic, Rasta Rita Cantina is an adobe structure built in 1924 near Joshua Tree National Park.
Fully modernized, this venue offers a great outdoor space with a dance floor and fire pits. There is shade cover outdoors and plenty of room for food trucks.
There is also indoor dining, and the total venue measures 4,500 square feet.
Bonus: Rasta Rita Cantina specializes in all-you-can-eat tacos and margarita service!
Typical Cost: Starts at $1,500.
Capacity: Up to 200 seated guests.
Find Rasta Rita Cantina at Rasta Rita Cantina or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Aliso Viejo By Wedgewood Weddings- Aliso Viejo, California
Orange County residents consider the Aliso Viejo by Wedgewood Weddings venue to be a secret gem.
You’ll get views for miles of Saddleback Mountain at this beautiful outdoor wedding venue in Southern California.
The patio features Mediterranean-style architecture, an outdoor fireplace, and fire pits. Indoors, the amazing ballroom has vaulted ceilings and great outdoor views.
Bonus: Aliso Viejo by Wedgewood Weddings has designed three wedding packages to meet your budget.
Typical Cost: Starts at $995.
Capacity: Up to 280 seated guests.
Find Aliso Viejo by Wedgewood Weddings at Wedgewood Weddings or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Japanese Friendship Garden- San Diego, California
You can get married at an authentic Japanese Garden, a gorgeous outdoor garden wedding venue in San Diego.
This ceremony and reception venue includes koi ponds, waterfalls, bonsai and cherry trees, and wisteria blossoms, located in the heart of Balboa Park.
You have seven venue options here to choose from, including the impressive Inamori Pavilion. The Garden Paths & Earth Bridge, Moon Viewing Deck, and Ceremony Gate make stunning photo backdrops.
Bonus: A delicious Japanese cuisine catering package matches the Japanese garden venue perfectly.
Typical Cost: Starts at $510.
Capacity: Up to 248 seated guests.
Find Japanese Friendship Garden at Japanese Friendship Garden or check out Facebook or Instagram.
San Diego Made Factory- San Diego, California
The San Diego Made Factory is a local artist collective in a hip industrial warehouse space.
Two venues here are great for intimate weddings: the light and plant-filled Event Space, with a garage door that raises to let the outside in, and the smaller, Upstairs Event Space for cocktail receptions and suites for the wedding party to get ready.
Bonus: San Diego Made Factory offers AV rental items including projectors, screens, and a colored light package.
Typical Cost: Starts at $1,000.
Capacity: Up to 70 seated guests.
Find San Diego Made Factory at San Diego Made or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Center- Carlsbad, California
The Discovery Center at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation is ideal for boutique weddings on the California coast.
There are several outdoor spaces with gardens overlooking a lagoon, featuring wood benches and tree stumps for natural seating areas.
Indoors, the Rotunda Room is a small (634-square-foot) room with chandelier candelabra, wood beam ceilings, and French doors opening to a back patio with amazing sunset views.
Bonus: They offer three affordable wedding packages, and the Native Garden Circle is a lovely place for your private cocktail reception!
Typical Cost: Starts at $1,200.
Capacity: Up to 100 seated guests.
Find Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Center at Agua Hedionda or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Longshadow Ranch Vineyard and Winery- Temecula, California
We couldn’t publish a list of affordable wedding venues in Southern California without a winery!
Longshadow Ranch Winery is rustic, elegant, and affordable, surrounded by vineyards, shady trees, and beautiful gardens.
The Grand Lodge has hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings with wooden beams and sliding barn doors that open up to a flagstone patio. Your wedding photos will be amazing!
Bonus: Guests can enjoy wine samples from grapes grown in the vineyard.
Typical Cost: Starts at $1,500.
Capacity: Up to 200 seated guests.
Find Longshadow Ranch Winery at Longshadow Ranch Winery or check out Facebook or Instagram.
