Exactly How to Plan a Wedding at Adamson House in Malibu, CA
Wedding venue hunting in Malibu can get pretty tough. Not because there aren’t a lot of good options, but because there are SO MANY good options!!
If you’ve been on Google for approximately 56 hours now looking for a wedding venue that feels elevated but also unique, and has the best vibes… You can stop here. Because Adamson House is all of that and SO MUCH MORE.
As a Malibu wedding photographer, I love capturing Adamson House weddings with allll my heart. Days here feel totally special, and if that’s the kind of energy you’re looking for, you’re not gonna wanna miss this guide with all the details, all the planning tips, and all the wedding inspo you could ever need for Adamson House!!
Adamson House Weddings at a Glance
Adamson House is on my list of fave Malibu wedding venues for a reason.
It’s a 1929 home in Malibu that’s so rich with history it’s now a California State Park museum, which already makes it, like… Really cool. It’s a Spanish-style home with the most STUNNING uninterrupted views of the Pacific, so when I say it has peak Malibu vibes, I mean it!!
She’s versatile, with the ocean, wide-open grass, and the historic home all in one place. Truly one-of-a-kind!!
Before we get into the planning guide, here are the main things to know about Adamson House:
Max capacity here is 200, and expect there to be a lot of chatting with them, because this place REALLY makes connections flow. Also, 98% of your conversations will be guests saying, “WOW, this place is incredible!!”
There are only outdoor venue spaces here unless you open up tours inside the house during cocktail hour (which is an additional $500). This is honestly so worth it, because it gives guests that super elevated, super unique experience that they won’t get at just any wedding venue.
While there are no on-site accommodations, there are plenty of hotels here within a 5-10 mile radius, so you have options for your out-of-town guests.
Weddings are available April through October only, so if this is your dream spot (which… Yeah), plan accordingly and quickly.
Adamson House is best for couples who want to include the best of California in their day with the perfect blend of coastal, elevated, modern, and historical vibes all at the same time. And trust me… It works.
Important Things to Know About Adamson House Before You Start Planning
Okay, I know there are a few of you who are already like, “Yep, this is it. This is my venue,” and I tooootally get it.
Before you commit, though, there are a few things that are SUPER important to know about Adamson House, since it operates a little differently than a typical wedding venue!!
First things first, weddings here need a coordinator. Since Adamson House’s main thing is being a museum, weddings are quite literally just a venue rental. You’ll need someone to help carry the heavy lifting with vendors, logistics, decor, and everything else so that your day is more “spinning like a girl in a brand new dress” energy and less “Ummm WHERE is my florist???”
A coordinator also helps with keeping the day on schedule (but in a relaxed, laid-back way) so that we don’t get caught getting portraits of our dreams for so long that you completely miss cocktail hour. And from a Malibu wedding photographer who’s documented real weddings here, take it from me: do everything you can to make it to your cocktail hour. It’s a really great vibe, and then you get to enjoy dinner without being interrupted with a huge bite of food in your mouth. Win-win!!
The last thing to know is that Adamson House has no on-site parking, so be sure to plan for any sort of transportation or shuttles you may need, and PLEASE account for Malibu traffic in your plan. You can direct guests to park in the LACO Surfrider Beach parking lot in front of the property or in the Malibu Lagoon Beach parking lot that’s just across a bridge. The best thing you can do, both for your stress levels and your guests’ stress levels, is to communicate this beforehand!! Maybe it’s on an info slip in your invitation suite or in a little blurb on your wedding website, but believe me when I say you don’t want your great-aunt Joan calling you while you’re in the middle of putting your dress on to say, “Hey sweetie, where should I park??”
Ask About Current Event Restrictions
Adamson House is a historic State Parks property, not a traditional all-inclusive venue, so this is NOT the place to assume you can bring in literally anything your Pinterest board dreams up. Ask about current rules around music, lighting, alcohol, rentals, setup, décor and vendor access before you sign contracts. Your planner will thank you. Your vendors will thank you. And you will not be answering logistical texts while someone is putting mascara on you. Everybody wins.
What an Adamson House Wedding Feels Like
Okay, let’s get into the good stuff: what a wedding here is actually like!!
Adamson House is one of those places that feels luxe, all day long. You get ready inside, do a first look and private vows with an ocean breeze gently blowing your hair that makes it 6389x more romantic, say “I do” and kiss a ‘lil in front of the Pacific, and then float around allll night, wine glass in your hand, while the sun hits PERFECTLY behind you. Yeah, it’s a real-life dream.
One thing that I always notice is how relaxed my couples feel here. There’s so much time that you can build into days here to actually get to talk to your lover (wild concept, I know), and since it’s a place that gives you tons of space for connection, you get to really see your guests, too!!
Speaking of guests, they LOVE it here. Every single time I’m photographing a cocktail hour or reception here, guests always have big, cheesy smiles on their faces, are sipping on a cocktail, or are dancing SO much that it’s basically impossible to get a picture of them that isn’t blurry (and we love that vibe)!
Wanna see more days like this? Check out my blog for weddings all around Southern California that feel just as good.
Who a Wedding at Adamson House is the Absolute BEST For
If you’re still wondering if this is the right space for you, let’s break down what couples who book here really want. My couples who get married at Adamson House are always searching for:
Laidback luxury
Coastal California vibes
Feeling over performance
A space that feels elevated even before you decorate
An outdoor space that feels easy to move through
If those are already sounding suspiciously like your wedding priorities… Keep reading, because the way this property photographs is probably going to make you even more annoying about wanting it.
Venue Spaces (+ Photo Ops, Of Course!) At Adamson House
When you get married at Adamson House, you have a few outdoor options for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception areas.
First, there’s the sycamore lawn, which gives you woodland fairy vibes while somehow still feeling perfectly coastal?? This space is best for couples who want to feel secluded and tucked-away, and it works well for any part of your day. From my Malibu wedding photographer perspective, it also has GORGEOUS lighting that shines through the tree leaves like magic and makes playing with light and shadows sooo fun!!
The front courtyard is another space at Adamson House that truly knows how to take your breath away. With the Spanish architecture of the home as a backdrop, you kind of feel like you’re in Europe, except you didn’t have to be yelled at by TSA agents even once!! I love this spot for receptions, because there’s something about having different parts of your day in totally different parts of the venue that feels so elevated.
Lastly, you can choose to hold parts of your day in the rear lawn. This one has a fountain (which means helllooo editorial portraits) and oceanfront views, which means that it makes the most incredible ceremony backdrop you could probably ever imagine. I might be biased as someone who lovvvves the beach, but ceremonies here really have my heart. They feel romantic, coastal, and easy to stay present in. Kinda the recipe for a good time!!
Adamson House works really well for photos, because with everything so close together, I’m not pulling you away from your people for three hours and saying, “Okay, now smile. Okay, now kiss,” over and over and over. We’ll get portraits in some of these spaces that I mentioned, take wedding party and family photos in the courtyard (where it’s shaded, you’re welcome), and then I’ll send you off to party and get allll the candids your little heart desires. The way that couples get to enjoy the day makes for the best documentary-style photos, which are the ones that feel the most honest and nostalgic!!
How Much Does an Adamson House Wedding Cost?
For my couples who are ready to put down their deposit, like, now… Reach out to the venue first. You’ll get accurate information cost-wise when you contact the venue directly, because, let’s face it: their prices are probably different than they were two years ago. And has that blog post really been updated??
One thing to consider is that since the Adamson House is just a facility rental, you’ll have to include things like rentals, decor, furniture, catering, etc. in your budget. This means the actual cost of your wedding will vary SO much, and totally depend on things like your guest count and your vision.
The Best Time of Year for an Adamson House Wedding
Because Adamson weddings are outdoors, I'd choose your date based less on “which month is prettiest?” and more on temperature, sunset time, wind, your ceremony time and what kind of dinner/reception experience you want.
As I said, Adamson House weddings can only be held between April and October, which means you get the choice between late spring, summer, and early fall. If I’m being totally honest, you can’t go wrong here anytime. April-May will bring warm, but not hot, weather and the highest chance of rain; May-August will bring hot temperatures, low precipitation, and freaking GORGEOUS sunsets, then September-October will get a little cooler and colors will get a little deeper.
Note that weddings at Adamson House can only be held on Saturdays and Sundays, so when you’ve nailed down your wedding date, I’d suggest reaching out ASAP!!
A Sample Timeline for a Wedding at Adamson House
If you’re wondering how days can really flow here, I’ve got you!!
Note that this is NOT the end-all, be-all of Adamson House wedding timelines. This is just a simple, basic timeline that you can build off of to fit your needs. AKA: please don’t send this to your planner and say, “But Cambria said…!!”
9:00 am: Start getting ready (also read: drink mimosas, get your hair done, dance around in your cutie satin PJs) + detail and venue photos
1:30 pm: A first look and private vows on the sycamore lawn, then couple portraits around the property
2:30 pm: Wedding party + family photos on the oceanfront courtyard
3:15 pm: Hide away before your ceremony and say “OMG, I can’t believe we’re about to get married!!” to your partner about 14 times
4:00 pm: Say “I do,” kiss, get married… The casual stuff
4:30 pm: Cocktail hour on the front lawn
5:30 pm: Reception entrance into the sycamore lawn
6:30 pm: Dinner + toasts
7:30 pm: Sneak away for like 20 mins for golden hour photos (it’s a must, sorry!!)
7:50 pm: Dance party time
A Peek Into Summer + Alex’s Real Adamson House Wedding (For Your Inspo!)
Summer and Alex’s wedding was one of those days that had everything I love. A gorgeous venue with ocean views?? Tons of emotional moments?? Lighting that makes my photographer heart grow three sizes??? Like, did I actually dream this day??
Seriously, though, this day was just the sweetest, from start to finish. Summer and Alex got ready in separate rooms that each overlooked the water, and both of them were SO anxious to finally get to see each other. They did their ceremony at a nearby church that was the absolute cutest, then everyone made their way over to Adamson House.
When they got there, they were met with sushi rolls, good drinks, ocean views, and constant hugs, and they were SO excited to be with their people, so we kept guided portraits short and sweet.
The reception was truly one of my all-time faves (and I say that as a Malibu wedding photographer who’s photographed hundreds)!! Something about the 100-year-old oak trees that made little drops of sunlight all over their beachy tablescapes made it feel like we were in an enchanted forest on the ocean, and that’s the kind of magic I LOVE.
Aside from being SO stunning, the reception was filled with so many sweet little moments. Summer and her mom did a sweet, fun dance in honor of her late father; everyone got teary-eyed during the toasts, and the couple got to spend so much time with their people, which was the most important thing in the world to them.
This was a couple who really got to soak up and treasure every single moment of their wedding day. Alex trying not to cry watching Summer walk down the aisle, watching Summer totally lose it after the ceremony when it hit her that she’s MARRIED (!!!), Summer and her mom’s little moments throughout the day… It was all so near to my heart.
These two also treated me like a guest and a friend, always asking if I needed anything and making sure things were feeling smooth on my end. They endlessly wanted to care for everyone around them when they easily could have sat back and waited for everyone to do that for them, and that speaks so much to who they are: just completely wonderful humans!! I feel SO lucky to have been able to capture this day for them!!
Coordinator: Alison Rose Events
Catering: The Hungry Bear
Bar: The Whaling Club
Cake: Alana Jones Mann
Cocktail Hour Musician: Gordan Daniels
Reception DJ: Second Song
Florals: Good Floral Co.
Hair: Anthology Bridal
Makeup: Emily Dimant
If you love the vibes of this day but you still aren’t sure if Adamson House is right for you, check out my guide to Malibu Sea View Estate, another Malibu wedding venue that I adore!!
Still Have Questions? | FAQs
If you’re still wondering a few things, I get it!! Here are a few questions that my couples getting married at the Adamson House pretty much always ask me:
Q: What happens if it rains at an Adamson House wedding?
A: Since there are no indoor venue options here, a clear tent is the best way to go for a rain plan!! It lets the light through beautifully, and rain can honestly make a day so much more beautiful. If you need proof, check out this rainy Laguna Beach wedding I captured!!
Q: How many venue spaces are at Adamson House?
A: There are three main outdoor options to host your guests at your Adamson House wedding, with the potential to add on an indoor tour during cocktail hour!! Love that.
Q: What are the best hotels near Adamson House for wedding guests to stay in?
A: The Surfrider Hotel and The Malibu Beach Inn are both within a mile of Adamson House, and they’re beautiful options for your out-of-town guests.
Q: What does Adamson House include in their wedding packages, and what needs to be brought in?
A: Adamson House just includes the venue rental in their packages, which means you need to provide things like rentals, furniture, catering, music, beverages, transportation, and anything else that’s important to you!!
Q: Is Adamson House good for destination weddings?
A: Absolutely, because it shows off the BEST of Southern California. And even if you’re not traveling here… It feels like it’s in a completely different world!!
Q: Is Adamson House good for intimate weddings?
A: 100%!! Intimate weddings are incredible here. It feels so expansive and tucked away that if it’s just you and your 30 favorite people, you feel like you get the whole entire world to yourself.
Q: Can you get ready at Adamson House?
A: Yep, they have getting-ready spaces on site (that overlook the Pacific) so that everything gets to stay in one place. We love a smooth venue.
Q: Is Adamson House in Malibu?
A: Yes! The address for Adamson House is 23200 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA, 90265.
Cambria Shelley | Malibu Wedding Photographer
When Summer and Alex were planning their wedding, they knew they wanted their day to be allll about spending time with guests. So, they were looking for a photographer who would capture those special moments and wouldn’t take them away from their guests all that much.
My documentary approach as a Malibu wedding photographer was EXACTLY the style they were looking for, and it was important to them that they got to enjoy the party they’d been dreaming about while still getting photos they’d want to look at for years and years and years!!
If that sounds like you, we’re probably, like, soulmates. Inquire here today, and we’ll chat about your whole vision (Adamson House or not)!!
