Planning a micro wedding in California means something different for every couple. For some, it’s an intimate dinner in the redwoods. For others, it’s a coastal ceremony with a few loved ones and your fur baby by your side. The beauty of a micro wedding is that it allows you to slow down, be present, and create a day that feels like a true celebration of your love, without the pressure of traditional expectations.
Whether you already know that you want to plan a California micro wedding, or you’re just starting to explore what’s possible, we hope this guide helps you imagine what a micro wedding in the Golden State can look like. As California intimate wedding and elopement photographers, we’ve explored so many corners of this beautiful state and have documented some of the most beautiful intimate celebrations in the deserts, forests, mountains, coasts, and everywhere in between. Whether you’re planning a private elopement, or a micro wedding with your loved ones, here are some of our favorite micro wedding venues in California that are the perfect place for your celebration.
What is a Micro Wedding?
Before we share some of our all time favorite micro wedding venues in California, let’s first talk about what exactly is a micro wedding.
We believe there are no limits when it comes to your love, and there should be no limits to how you celebrate or how many guests you choose to invite. So many of our couples want time for themselves and time with loved ones, but they don’t necessarily want a big wedding. This is where micro weddings are a great alternative.
A micro wedding is a smaller wedding with around 30 guests. It combines the intentionality of an elopement with elements of a traditional wedding. You get to include only the people who matter most and focus on your experiences rather than the production of a day.
To learn more about micro weddings and how to plan one, check out our planning guide below.
Best Northern California Micro Wedding Venues
Sea Ranch Lodge
Location:
Sea Ranch, CA
Why We Love It:
We are kicking off this guide to the best micro wedding venues in California with one of our favorite small wedding venues on this list. The Sea Ranch Lodge is a peaceful and remote micro wedding venue that centers around community and living in harmony with nature, which you can feel all throughout the property. The lodge is set right on the edge of the ocean, giving sprawling views of the coast and relaxing sounds no matter where you are celebrating on the property. They offer multiple ceremony and lodging spaces so you can customize your day to fit your micro wedding vision.
Guest Capacity:
12 – 150 people
The Inn at Newport Ranch
Location:
Fort Bragg, CA
Why We Love It:
Micro weddings at The Inn at Newport Ranch feel like you’ve stepped into a private oasis. The ranch is located on 2,200 acres of private property and has everything from hiking trails through the forest, horseback riding through the meadows, whale watching from the coast, or relaxing afternoons at the spa. Not to mention the views at this California micro wedding venue are incredible! With panoramic views of the cliffs and a guest experience that goes above and beyond, this easily is one of our top picks for hosting a small wedding with guests.
Guest Capacity:
2 – 85 people
The Lake and Wood
Location:
Placerville, CA
Why We Love It:
If a peaceful forest retreat with cabin vibes and open-air spaces is your vibe, then a micro wedding at The Lake and Wood might be right for you. This micro wedding venue just outside Sacramento truly feels like a world of its own. It instantly gives off a sense of peace and, with a single sparkling lake as the main attraction, you’ll be able to focus on what truly matters – spending time with your loved ones.
Guest Capacity:
Up to 150 people
Best Micro Wedding Venues in Central California
The Sequoia Retreat Center
Location:
Ben Lomond, CA
Why We Love It:
While the first few locations we shared are mostly lodging and event spaces, The Sequoia Retreat Center was built specifically for wedding ceremonies and receptions. But this isn’t your typical California micro wedding venue. Tucked in the redwoods, the setup here truly feels like a summer camp experience with smaller cabins surrounding the main house. This layout makes it super convenient for you and your guests can stay on the property and have enough space to spread out, while still being able to easily walk around and meet in the common space for your ceremony and reception. We also love that it’s close to the coast, so after your ceremony, we can sneak away for adventure photos before coming back for your reception.
Want to see what a real wedding at The Sequoia Retreat Center looks like? Check out Jen & Craig’s California micro wedding at this beautiful venue!
Guest Capacity:
Up to 150 people
Glen Oaks Big Sur
Location:
Big Sur, CA
Why We Love It:
If you want to maximize your time with loved ones during your wedding day, then you may want to consider this California micro wedding venue. Set along the coast of Big Sur, Glen Oaks Big Sur is a private forest wedding venue in the redwoods. The cabins give an elevated glamping feel and, since they are surrounded by tall redwoods on all sides, they feel very private. They even have bathtub hot tubs outside the cabins which are so fun for photos.
But what we really like about this micro wedding venue is that you can get photos among the redwoods without leaving the property. Instead of traveling to busy state parks and worrying about permits, you can get beautiful forest photos among the tall redwoods and be back at your cabin within a few minutes for a candlelight celebration.
Guest Capacity:
Up to 100 people
Ventana Big Sur
Location:
Big Sur, CA
Why We Love It:
Whether you want to glamp in a modern canvas tent in the forest or relax at a luxurious resort, Ventana Big Sur has options to fit your needs. With property overlooking the coast and winding trails through the forest, this micro wedding venue in California offers so much variety in terms of ceremony locations and vibes to fit your vision. This is truly one of the most versatile micro wedding venues on our list, and with top-tier service and incredible views, it’s a hard venue to beat!
Guest Capacity:
5 – 100 people
Wind & Sea
Location:
Big Sur, CA
Why We Love It:
You and your guests won’t want for much when holding your micro wedding at Wind & Sea. Located on the Big Sur coastline, this is a luxurious California micro wedding venue that offers panoramic views of the ocean, lush gardens, and plenty of room for you and your guests to wander around. Plus, with their in-house rentals, all-inclusive wedding planning services, and amenities (like the outdoor bathing tubs overlooking the ocean), you can spend more time focusing on your experience rather than worrying about the planning.
Guest Capacity:
Please contact the venue for details.
Auto Camp Yosemite
Location:
Midpines, CA
Why We Love It:
If you are looking for a unique experience for your micro wedding in Yosemite, you have to check out AutoCamp Yosemite! Guests can stay in airstreams or refurbished container cabins (and we have to admit, both options are so unique). They also offer options for tent camping, so there truly is something for all your guests to enjoy.
But AutoCamp is more than just a cool place to stay, it’s also an amazing micro wedding venue in California! The Clubhouse can be rented out for your intimate wedding reception (in fact, our couple Daphne and Mike did this for their wedding, which you can check out here).
*Pro Tip – Auto Camp has locations all over the U.S., so if you love the idea, but want to get married somewhere else, there are other options. For instance, they even have a location in Joshua Tree, which we are dying to visit!
Guest Capacity:
Up to 150 people
Acorn Falls
Location:
Bass Lake, CA
Why We Love It:
Acorn Falls is not your typical wedding venue, but we couldn’t leave it off our list of micro wedding venues in California. This a-frame cabin is tucked just outside Yosemite and is the perfect place for small gatherings with loved ones. Their side deck is ginormous and a beautiful place to hold your reception celebration under the stars. Casey and Melissa held their Yosemite micro wedding at this location, and we are still not over it!
Guest Capacity:
Up to 20 people
Best Southern California Micro Wedding Venues
The Oasis at Death Valley
Location:
Death Valley, CA
Why We Love It:
You might not expect to find palm trees in the desert, but they do exist! The Oasis at Death Valley truly lives up to its name. Located in the middle of Death Valley (the place with the hottest recorded temperature on earth), this small wedding venue truly feels like an oasis in the wild. The resort is conveniently located within the national park, meaning you can get to most locations within 15-20 minutes and don’t have to spend hours driving on your wedding day. Plus, the architecture here is incredible, and with so many cozy corners, you may never want to leave!
Want to see for yourself why we love this California micro wedding venue? Check out Hannah & Blake’s desert elopement at this gorgeous property.
Guest Capacity:
2 – 50+ people
Morada Joshua Tree
Location:
Joshua Tree, CA
Why We Love It:
We are closing off this list of the best micro wedding venues in California with one of the coolest small wedding venues – Morada Joshua Tree. Weddings in Joshua Tree are already a unique experience, and finding the right wedding venue can help make your wedding day even more meaningful. What we love about this micro wedding venue is that it has a simple, yet modern design that allows you to focus on the natural beauty that this area is known for. Plus, it’s located just 15 minutes outside the national park, so you can easily travel around for your adventure photos.
Guest Capacity:
Please contact the venue for details.
How to Choose a California Micro Wedding Venue
When it comes to choosing your California micro wedding venue, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right micro wedding venue in California really comes down to one thing: Where do you feel the most alive?
Whether it’s the desert, the forest, or the coast, we believe your venue should reflect your relationship. Think about the kind of experience you want to have, and consider not just what a venue looks like, but how it feels.
And don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Some of the most magical moments we’ve documented happened in unexpected places, like on quiet decks under string lights, on trails without cell service, and on quiet beaches with not a single other person around.
Ready to Plan Your California Micro Wedding?
We’d love to help you plan your special day. Contact us at the link below to get started.
Or, if you need more resources and inspiration, check out our list of the 34 best micro wedding venues in the U.S. here!
Meet Your Intimate Wedding & Elopement Photographers
We’re Henry, Sergio, and Nick, the faces behind these honest, meaningful, and artful photographs of couples eloping in the most beautiful places. Since 2018, we’ve photographed more than 200+ intimate weddings and elopements all over the world and on 6 different continents. Our work has been published on Junebug Weddings, Green Wedding Shoes, Brides, Dancing With Her, etc…We’ve won international awards for best wedding photos but what’s most important to us is actually winning our clients’ hearts with our art.
With 15 years of combined photography experience, we’ve learned that the only way to a beautiful wedding experience & photos is through intentionality.
We’re here for you and with you from “let’s do this” to “I do”, one step at a time, each step of the way. We’re in this together
