Beachcomber Cafe at Crystal Cove 15 Crystal Cove • Newport Beach • California 92657

Want to treat yourself and your guests to a quintessential Southern California "endless summer" experience? Well, raise the martini flag—as well as your expectations of a really great time—and invite them to an event staged right on the beach at historic Crystal Cove Park, one of the Newport coast's most celebrated sites. This is the place for the classic Southern California beach wedding or party at its best. We're talking anything from gowns and tuxedos to bikinis and board shorts—whatever you envision, it will look amazing with the foaming surf and the scintillating sun close at hand.

Run by Beachcomber Catering, experts in coastal entertaining, festivities here unfold in with energy and ease. There are adorable and affordable settings for every kind of affair. A host of tiny cottages and event sites dot the property, all offering varying degrees of privacy and communal activity.

The Beaches Cottage, with its sand-strewn terrace and white picket fence a mere 20 yards from the Pacific, is about as picturesque as you can get. This was the set for the Bette Midler movie, Beaches, as well as a long list of other films over the decades. Exchange vows on the inviting blanket of sand out front, then pop around the fence for cocktails, dinner, cake, and a big dose of charm.

The park-like Commons has cute and quirky surfside event areas, as well as marvelous ocean and creek views—Trancos Creek meets the sea here. Wine tasting, food stations, cracked crab and buckets of ice-cold beer, lobster steamed to perfection, sushi platters, margaritas and mini-ahi tacos, surf and turf extravaganzas—your options are practically unlimited. The dedicated Beachcomber Catering team will turn your vision into reality by delivering excellent service, incorporating fresh local products, and customizing every aspect of your event.

Of course you might want to hang out above it all. If that's the case, plan to party up at the Cultural Center Cottage with its expansive deck—it's a heavenly perch designed with elegant entertaining in mind and overlooking exhilarating views of the ocean.

Whatever venue you ultimately choose, we're certain that when your celebration is over you (and some of your guests!) may not want to leave this seductive seaside location. No worries. Just slip off your sandals and stay awhile at one of the many cottages at your disposal. Then take a little time to unwind and explore the coast. You'll soon discover what's made Crystal Cove a popular destination since the 1930s, and why people who arrive as visitors soon turn into devoted fans.