About Cypress Sea Cove

Set on a bluff above the Pacific in Malibu, Cypress Sea Cove is a wedding venue with a history that goes back to the late 1930s, when a Santa Monica lifeguard named George "Cap" Watkins was given two acres of beachfront land in exchange for surveying the coastline by boat. He chose this cove, and within a decade it had become a gathering spot for actors and other figures from Hollywood's Golden Age. According to the venue's own history, one regular visitor later became known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. Cap owned the property until the 1960s, when it passed to the Mark family, who still own it today.

Couples are drawn to Cypress Sea Cove for its real history, its privacy, and the contrast between its two lawns. The venue is gated and private, screened from the road and the public beach below, which matters to couples who want their day to feel like their own. Moving from a more sheltered ceremony space into a wide open lawn for the reception gives the day a natural shift in feeling that couples notice even before they book.

Ceremony and Reception Spaces

Large Event Lawn 

The large lawn is used for cocktail hour and the reception, set beneath palm trees with an open view of the ocean. Its size gives the evening room to move between dinner, toasts, and dancing without feeling boxed in.

Small Side Lawn 

The small lawn hosts the ceremony, framed by garden plantings with the ocean as a backdrop. Its closer scale gives the vows a more contained feeling before guests move to the large lawn for the rest of the evening.

What We Love About Cypress Sea Cove

Coastal Views

 As photographers, we are drawn to the coastal views that this wedding venue offers. The Pacific Ocean and the rugged Malibu coastline provide backdrops with natural beauty in every photograph.

Intimate Atmosphere 

Cypress Sea Cove's intimate setting allows everyone to relax and focus on the connection shared by the couple. The laid-back, beachy vibe and the gentle sea breeze create an atmosphere of ease and joy, which translates into authentic moments for us to capture.

Coastal Plants and Trees 

The landscaping mixes coastal plants, flowers, and Cypress trees across the property. That combination adds to the overall environment and gives us a real variety of backdrops to work with.

Insider Tips

We usually recommend couples get ready at a nearby Airbnb rental before heading over for the day. These rentals tend to have plenty of space for everyone, and many share the same ocean view and Malibu feel as the venue, so the images from the morning stay cohesive with the rest of the day.

Sunset here can be captured from a few different spots, and we like to get all of them when time allows. The beach, the gazebo above the cliff, and the cliffside near the palm trees each gives a different feel, so a couple ends up with real variety in their sunset portraits.

We also love walking up to a smaller area at the top of the property for portraits. It has an open ocean view framed by Cypress trees, and the light tends to go soft there later in the day.

Who Is the Right Couple for a Cypress Sea Cove Wedding?

Couples who love nature are drawn to Cypress Sea Cove, where coastal plants, flowers, and Cypress trees line both lawns and the ocean stays in view throughout the day. Couples who want the day to feel relaxed are drawn to the venue's laid-back, beachy pace, with the ceremony and reception outdoors rather than moving through a series of formal spaces. Couples who want to give their guests something different are drawn to the property's history, which stretches back to the 1930s and has ties to Hollywood's Golden Age.

Cypress Sea Cove brings together a history that goes back to the 1930s, two distinct lawns that let a wedding day shift from an intimate ceremony into an open reception, and a coastal setting that keeps the ocean present from start to finish. Guests move through the day at an easy, outdoor pace, from a garden-lined ceremony to dancing under palm trees as the sun goes down. We never get tired of shooting here, since the ocean, the lawns, and the sunset all give us something different to work with over the course of one wedding.

Inspiration

The best way to get a feel for what your day could look like at Cypress Sea Cove is to look through the images below, from a real wedding we photographed at this property. For more on the venue itself, take a look at their profiles on Venue Report and Wedding Spot.

Considering a Cypress Sea Cove Wedding?

Whether you are still exploring venues or have already chosen Cypress Sea Cove as your wedding venue, we would love to connect. We have photographed a wedding here and would love to share what we saw and learned from documenting a celebration at this property.