Carmel Beach
Carmel · Monterey County
White sand below the cypresses at the foot of Ocean Avenue. Ceremonies are confined to the stretch south of 10th Avenue, and the beach stays open to the public throughout.
The fee discrepancy is between two of the city's own pages, not between the city and an outside source. The exact current total needs confirming with the department.
The site
The practical details
Capacity
Up to 100
Capacity notes
There is no hard cap, but a gathering of more than 100 people including staff also requires a coastal development permit from the Planning Department, on top of the event permit.
Lead time
Ninety days for the application, revisions to conditions sixty days out, proof of insurance thirty days out.
Location limit
Events are confined to the beach along Scenic Road south of 10th Avenue.
Prohibited
Single-use plastic bags, styrofoam, tiki torches, sky lanterns, balloons, hay bales, generators, and tents or canopies. Umbrellas are allowed.
Parking
Only small vans of twelve to fifteen passengers are allowed on Scenic Road. Large shuttles are not. The beach stays public and cannot be roped off.
Permit authority
City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Community Activities Department. (831) 620-2020, communityactivities@ci.carmel.ca.us.
Pricing
The city publishes two different figures on its own pages. The event permits page states a beach event permit fee of $428. The application form instead lists a $685 non-refundable processing fee plus a $500 beach use fee, a $500 refundable deposit, $25 per day for a sound permit and $170 for alcohol. Confirm the current total with the city.
See it on your wedding date
Set your date and this page fills in with the tides, what the weather is usually like, sunset, and where the sun will be.
Checked against the agency's own page on September 7, 2026
Sunrise, sunset, and twilight computed for this location. The marine layer rating reflects the time of year on this coast. Orientation and cover recorded for this spot.