San Clemente Historic Cottage

We chose the Historic Cottage for the price, fantastic view of the ocean, and charming location. That said, while the venue has a lot to offer, they are missing some key elements. Covering all those missing pieces to host a successful event takes an immense amount of work (even with a coordinator). While we are thrilled with how the actual day of the wedding went, it took a lot of effort to make it as successful as it was. Ultimately, if ocean views and a Spanish California theme at a decent price are your highest goals, this is probably the best venue. But if you care deeply about the accommodations, ease of logistics, and helpful venue staff, we would recommend looking elsewhere. Pros: 1.Once you get past the tents and RVs of the State Park campground, the Historic Cottage is a naturally beautiful location. White adobe walls and red Spanish tile, a full 180 degree view of the California coastline and the Pacific Ocean. The only decorations we felt needed to be added came from our tables, the wedding arch, floral centerpieces, and small personal touches. 2. Comparatively affordable beach wedding venue 3. As of 2023, you get to bring in your own vendors with approval. Cons: 1. Public bathrooms. This is a venue located in a California State Beach park. Everyone at the wedding and all visitors to the beach and/or campground use the same restroom. They are large, open air restrooms that flush, but at the end of the day they are public bathrooms with sand, ants, and missing soap. The State Parks staff “thoroughly” cleans them before every wedding but depending on how many people visit the beach that day, you have to accept the state of the bathrooms as being a part of your wedding. We provided luxury soaps, paper towels, electric candles, toiletries, etc. but it was frustrating to provide these items on top of our venue fee. There is a small bathroom in a closet basically for the bride/elderly/disabled, but it isn't as accessible for all of those groups and still no soap/towels. 2. The contract. They can change anything they want, whenever they want, even a few days before your wedding. 3. You need stand alone lighting on the lawn after dark. They said they are in the process of purchasing lights but for ours, we had to provide our own, otherwise our guests would have been walking around in the dark to get to the bar/their cars. 4. You need sturdy bottom-heavy centerpieces. The ocean breeze will topple any tall vases/table signs. 5. Unprofessional staff. From one of the State Parks coordinators who scolded us for being on-site during business hours even after we called ahead and asked permission to be there to plan our wedding layout, rude teenage park entrance staff refusing to let us enter the park until 1:00 PM on our wedding day (as in turning the groom away at 12:58 PM) to a Parks Monitor basically ordering our DJ to play his favorite song "Sweet Caroline", and then later telling us we might be getting a fine because some food from the wedding spilled onto the floor tile. If you don't want food to fall on your tile, you should probably stop hosting weddings. All of their staff need serious training in customer service. On the whole, we were willing to put up with these challenges for the beauty of the cottage, an outdoor venue during the Pandemic, and a way to cut costs. Our wedding was nearly perfect with gorgeous weather, great photos, happy guests, and an overall excellent day. But this happened in spite of the Historic Cottage staff. It would have been a less stressful wedding planning process had the staff been more cooperative in their behavior and regulations. Our recommendation if you decide to book this venue is to hire a wedding planner and one stop shop catering vendor. (catering/tables/chairs/bar/staff, etc.) This will help with the Cottage DIY logistics issues. At the end of the day, many of the cons we mentioned will still exist. Our hope in writing this review is to help future couples consider this place carefully before committing to it for their big day. N&R (Photo Credit-Larissa Bahr)

I photographed a wedding here and it was awesome! You get an overhang of the beach with a great view for the ceremony. Followed by a reception with a romantic patio surrounded by unique 1930s architecture, and you can't forget dancing under the overhanging lights and stars!

Perfect place for a wedding! This venue is located in our home town of san clemente and weddings there are just amazing! The beach is just a few steps away from this breathtaking cottage. The ocean can been seen from the ceremony site. It is a great location for a wedding!!

Beautiful space you can customize for your event.

We have done multiple events at this venue and it's always a beautiful setup. Very versatile outside area for dining, dancing, and of course the photo booth. Lots of parking and the best views!