venues

Rosewood Miramar Beach sits right on the sand in Montecito, a newer property with a feeling all its own,
white buildings and columns wrapped in greenery, East Coast manners in California light. I've photographed a handful of weddings here, and it's the venue I recommend most when a couple wants a whole weekend in one place rather than a single day. This page is what I'd tell you over coffee if you were deciding on it.

The Great Lawn is the showpiece, natural grass with the ocean behind it and room for up to 400. Most
couples who book it take the whole thing, which lets a planner build the room from nothing. The Event
Lawn is the quieter one, tucked among gardens with a koi pond and bocce courts, lovely for a ceremony or an outdoor rehearsal dinner. Indoors, the Chandelier Ballroom seats up to 350 under twelve Baccarat chandeliers and splits into smaller rooms when you don't need all of it. And The Study, the resort's bar and lounge, is the rehearsal dinner room I'd pick every time if you can buy it out.

The spaces

The Miramar is built for the three-day version. Brielle and Garrett's weekend had a bridal lunch, a
rehearsal dinner in The Study, a custom speakeasy welcome party, the wedding on the lawns and an after- party in the welcome-party space transformed overnight. Nobody drove anywhere. If you're planning a weekend here, give each event its own look and let the property do the rest. It photographs like a small town that happens to be all yours.

A weekend, not a day

The resort sits between the beach and the mountains, so the light is soft most of the day and the last hour before sunset is warm rather than harsh. I'd plan the ceremony to end about 90 minutes before sunset, so there's time for family photos, a real cocktail hour and a short walk to the sand for the two of you as the
light goes. Spring mornings can start with marine fog that burns off by midday, which is worth knowing if
you're planning a morning event.

Light and timing

Which lawn is best for the ceremony?
The Event Lawn if you want the gardens around you and the Great Lawn saved for dinner. The Great
Lawn itself if you want the ocean in every frame and your guest count is large.

Can we do the rehearsal dinner and welcome party on property?
Yes, and I'd encourage it. The Study is a wonderful rehearsal dinner room when bought out, and the
indoor-outdoor spaces take a custom welcome party well. Brielle and Garrett turned theirs into a
speakeasy one night and Cabo the next.

How far in advance should we book a full-weekend buyout?
Early. The Great Lawn and The Study go quickly for spring and fall weekends, and a full buyout needs the property's calendar clear across several days. 

Do you travel to Montecito?
Yes, often. I'm based in Thousand Oaks, about an hour down the coast, and the Miramar is one of the
venues I photograph most.

Questions couples ask about Rosewood Miramar Beach