Event recap · Wedding
A Sunset "Happily Ever After" Celebration for 30 After an Elopement
August 2023 · 30 guests · Lifeguard Tower 28, Ocean Park, Santa Monica
Not every wedding needs a ballroom. In August 2023, a couple eloped at a courthouse and came home the next day to throw a "happily ever after" sunset party on the beach for 30 of their closest friends and family.
At Lifeguard Tower 28 we set six spread-out picnic tables with floor pillows, spaced about five feet apart so guests felt together without being squeezed, plus eight camping chairs for anyone who preferred a seat off the ground. Each table got a small floral arrangement, and two canopies shaded the buffet area. Catering came from Joan's on Third, with skewers, an assortment of sandwiches, salads and focaccia, and in place of a traditional cake the couple ordered a cupcake "wedding cake" from Broadway Baker, which we picked up on the day of the party.
A DJ played while guests enjoyed cornhole, ladder toss and bocce, and a photographer captured the group during golden hour, when we recommend gathering everyone for the big group photo. Large coolers of ice kept the drinks cold through sunset.