Are you having a Hyatt Huntington Beach Wedding? I'm a wedding photographer who has documented several weddings at Hyatt Huntington Beach! I'll go ahead and share my favorite tips that apply to this specific venue below!

I love Huntington Beach and am very familiar with the area. It has so many great locations for exploration and photography!

Check out the recent Redfin article I was featured in that covers 10 beautiful places to visit in Huntington Beach!

I'm also including some some photos from Kelly and Kevin's beautiful day. They got ready and took portraits at Hyatt Huntington Beach, while their reception was at the Eureka Building, which is a venue space nearby the hotel. Kelly & Kevin, thank you so much for trusting me to document your love story!

Best Spots for Getting Ready Photos

The great thing about the hotels room at Hyatt Huntington Beach is that...

1. They are spacious
2. They get phenomenal light

With this said, I highly recommend getting ready on the property in one of their hotel rooms.

If possible, I recommend getting a room on their GROUND floor.

The reason is that this offers more image variety in terms of backdrops. You can walk out and easily access the outdoor area, which is also incredibly beautiful!

Recommended First Look Location at Hyatt Huntington Beach

The most important things for an optimal first look experience include:

1. Privacy to create an intimate moment
2. Good light (as far as photography goes, this makes a world of difference)

Luckily, there are plenty of spaces around the Hyatt Huntington Beach property that fulfill these two qualifiers. The most important thing is to choose somewhere that doesn't get a lot of foot traffic, this way you don't have onlookers impeding on your intimate, special moment.

For this, I specifically like the long arched hallway, located near the fountain. It provides a sense of intimacy AND it catches beautiful light! Photos of this space are included below.

Additional Beautiful Photo Locations

• The hallways around the property catch beautiful light because of the light colored walls. They reflect light back onto the couple, creating soft, light & airy images.
• The pathway lined with palm trees is also really beautiful and showcases California vibes
• The lawn in front of the bridge to the beach is spacious, making it a great place for larger group photos, such as wedding party portraits
• The bridge to the beach is also a really great spot, it has a miniature lighthouse in the background
• The beach - this is available after crossing the bridge. Keep in mind it will take about a 10 - 12 minute walk to get there. I especially recommend taking photos here after the ceremony, during the golden hour. At this time it will be a lot less hot, preventing sweating. And the light will be super magical. With some luck, you'll catch a beautiful sunset!

Hyatt Huntington Beach Wedding Cost

A wedding at the Hyatt Huntington Beach costs $3,000 - $4,000 for the ceremony and $110 - $190 per plate. They also have a 25% service charge. This averages a total of around 24,000. Keep in mind, this price just includes the location, food, a one hour hosted bar, and overnight accommodations for the newly weds. Other pricing factors will need to be considered for the total cost, such as a wedding planner, the florist, wedding photographer, wedding day outfits, a DJ or wedding band, additional decor, etc.

My Best Tips On How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer

One of the most important vendors you can choose is your wedding photographer, specifically because the photos are what you'll be left with at the end of the day. With that said, I have some tips on how to select a wedding photographer.

Pay Close Attention to How They Capture Light
When you're looking for the perfect wedding photographer, it's important to view their portfolio to get an idea of their photography style. Please pay close attention to how they capture the light, color, and exciting backgrounds to build captivating shots.

Some photographers, like myself, use an artistic approach to wedding photography, so the images always have a soft and dreamy look. But I also love to pull back and shoot in a documentary style, which means I am capturing the real moments that unfold naturally. It's telling your love story on film with all of its honest and heartfelt details rather than the "perfectly posed picture."

Other OC wedding photographers shoot in a dark and moody style, which means that the tonality of the photos is altered in post-production to give them a filtered dark effect. A photojournalistic photographer captures candid wedding moments or spontaneous images of people,

If you have a fun-loving, free-spirit, and don't want your wedding photos to be filled with stiff poses and fake smiles, I'm your gal! Documenting authentic love stories that capture your personalities is what I do best. If you love the light and airy look and artistic style drop me a line. 

Ask The Overlooked Questions

You'll naturally have a ton of questions to ask potential Orange County wedding photographers, but here's one you shouldn't skip. "What is your approach to wedding day photography?" Sure! It's important to love their style, but you also want to know "how they shoot to get those images. Will they be like a fly on the wall, or do they get hands-on with posing people to help create moments throughout the day. Knowing this will help you choose a photographer. 

Make Sure Personalities Gel

You'll definitely want to make sure that you not only trust your Huntington Beach wedding photographer but that your personalities are a good fit too. You're going to be spending the day with them, including many intimate moments. So you want to select a photographer that makes you feel relaxed, comfortable and allows you to be yourself. Your Hyatt Regency Huntington beach wedding should be fun, and having the right photographer can help make that happen. 

Best Timeline for a Hyatt Huntington Beach Wedding

Below is my recommended wedding day timeline for a wedding specifically at the Hyatt Huntington Beach. Let’s say your ceremony start time is at 5:00 pm. Here’s a timeline for that.

9:00 – 12:30 – Hair/Makeup (This start time will vary depending on how many people will be getting their hair/makeup done; typically, the bride is last)

12:00 – Photographer(s) Arrive

12:00 – 12:40 – Details (Dress, shoes, rings, etc.)

12:45 – 1:45 – Getting Ready Photos (One photographer is with Partner A & second photographer is with Partner B)

*Note: If you don’t have a second photographer, more time is needed here as the solo photographer will have to take extra time to document Partner A & Partner B.

1:45 – 2:45 – First Look + Couple Portraits

2:45 – 3:15 – Wedding Party Portraits (More time is needed here is there is no second photographer)

3:15 – 3:45 – Family Portraits

3:45 – 4:40 – Buffer Time (Super important to always leave buffer time within the schedule should things run a bit behind schedule. It also allows the couple to just relax more…the day won’t feel rushed.) If the timeline goes exactly to plan, the couple can use this time to relax or take extra photos. ;)

4:40 – Couple Preps for Ceremony / Photographer Documents Ceremony Details

5:00 – 5:30 – Ceremony

5:30 – 6:30 – Cocktail Hour + Couple Portraits

*The cocktail hour typically takes place during the golden hour (best time for photos because of the light), so usually about 30 minutes of couple portraits are taken during this time.)

6:45 – Grand Entrance

6:45 – 10:00 – Reception (First Dance, Parent Dances, Speeches, Open Dancing, Etc.)

Wedding Reviews About This Venue

"Courtney and her team were an absolute dream to work with. They were professional, knowledgeable, and fun. They made our dream day so special. Everything was perfect even down to the steak preparation which is hard in a group of 150. All anyone could talk about was our stunning ceremony views overlooking the beach at sunset. Just breathtaking. Get married here- you won’t regret it!"

"The Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach was absolutely the best location to have a wedding! The property is so gorgeous with stunning views! Heather Jeffers in Event coordinating did an amazing job helping me plan my wedding! The entire staff was professional and helpful. Oh and the food is so delicious! Highly recommended!"

"The venue is gorgeous and right near the water. I can't express how much I was in love with the work they did with the space available. The manager was very courteous and staff was completely helpful and accommodated anything my husband and I needed. I love that it's right near home, right where everything started. It's well worth the price for a beautiful location, large venue space, great food! It was a great first chapter to the rest of our lives, I wouldn't have gone anywhere else."

Pros of a Hyatt Huntington Beach Wedding

• The ocean views. You're right next to the sea...it's beautiful!
• It's spacious and can accommodate a larger guest count
• Since it's so close to the beach, there's a lot to do in that area, making it easy for guests who are traveling to come to your wedding to explore.
• It offers an all in one solution. Since it's at a hotel, you can get ready there, have your ceremony + reception there, and all your guests can stay the night there as well. It makes everything easy and convenient.

Cons of a Hyatt Huntington Beach Wedding

• The venue cost is definitely on the more expensive side
• It doesn't allow for unique food options. If you have a wedding there, you have to use their catering. So if you want to offer a customized dinner option, that isn't a possibility.