Wedding Photographer & Videographer in Santa Monica & the Westside

I'm Connery Davoodian. I've been photographing and filming weddings across Los Angeles for 17 years, and the Westside — Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, the coastal edge of the city — is a place I've learned to read the way a surfer reads a swell. It looks easy. It isn't. The light out here does things it doesn't do in the Valley or downtown, and if you don't plan for that, you lose the best hour of the day. My studio runs photo and video as one team, so the person behind the still camera and the person running the cinema rig are already talking to each other before you walk down the aisle. On the Westside, where timelines are tight and the good light is short, that coordination is the whole game.

What actually makes shooting the Westside different

The marine layer. That's the first thing. From late May through July — locals call it June gloom — the coast can sit under a flat gray ceiling until noon or later, then burn off into a hazy, diffused glow that is honestly gorgeous for portraits if you know it's coming. I plan around it instead of praying against it. A soft overcast morning is a gift for getting-ready photos and first looks; the drama comes back the second the sun drops toward the water.

The second thing is that the ocean lies to you about time. Sunset on the Westside doesn't fade gently — it collapses. You get a spectacular five to ten minutes of color over the Pacific and then it's gone and it's cold. Coastal evenings drop temperature fast; I've watched wedding parties in strapless dresses turn blue during a reception that ran ten minutes long because nobody accounted for the wind coming off the water. I build your wedding day timeline around real sunset math, not a guess, so we're standing at the coast at the exact right moment.

Third: traffic and geography. I'm based out in West Hills, and getting to the coast means either the 405 or a long PCH crawl, both of which can turn a 40-minute drive into 90. I leave early — always — and I tell couples the honest truth about buffer time between a Palisades ceremony and a Malibu reception. Trusting Google Maps to route you on a Saturday afternoon on the Westside is how people miss their own cocktail hour.

The venues I know out here

Here's my blunt stance: the Westside is stacked with beach clubs, oceanfront historic homes and modern hotel spaces, and almost every one of them runs on a tighter clock than an inland ranch. Beach clubs in particular hand you a hard load-in and load-out window. Know that going in.

Malibu West Beach Club is a genuine feet-in-the-sand beach club, and it's one of the venues out here that keeps a preferred-vendor list. Shooting there means committing to that sunset over the water and being ruthless about your timeline, because the club's evening cutoff is not negotiable. It rewards a team that moves fast.

Adamson House in Malibu is one of my favorite oceanfront spots in all of LA — Spanish-Moorish tilework, the lagoon, the ocean right there. Two things to know: it's a state historic property that only hosts weddings roughly April through October, and the light bounces off that tile and water in a way that makes exposure genuinely tricky if you haven't shot it before. I have.

Temescal Gateway Park up in Pacific Palisades is a completely different Westside — sycamores, canyon shade, the smell of the chaparral instead of salt. It's an MRCA park, which means it runs on a permit and a schedule, and the tree canopy throws dappled light that you either manage or it manages you.

For the vineyard-estate side of the coast, Malibu Rocky Oaks sits on a hilltop with 360-degree views that beg for a drone, and Cielo Farms gives you rolling vines with that same coastal light softened by elevation. And Calamigos Ranch in Malibu — 240 acres of oak and creek and manicured grounds — expects couples to bring their own photographer and videographer, which is exactly how I like it, because it means no vendor politics and full creative freedom on the day.

If you're leaning into that hilltop or vineyard look, my guide on choosing a photographer for an outdoor LA wedding is worth a read, and for the sweeping aerials those Malibu ridgelines were made for, here's my honest take on whether you actually need a drone videographer.

Beach ceremonies, permits and the stuff nobody warns you about

A ceremony on an actual public beach in Santa Monica or the Palisades usually needs a permit, and the setup rules vary block by block. Most couples end up at a beach club or an oceanfront property precisely to avoid that headache — but even then, wind is your quiet enemy. It knocks over florals, buries audio for your video, and turns a veil into a weapon. I mic for wind and I shoot for it. If a beach or coastal wedding is your plan, read how I think about choosing a videographer for a beach wedding in LA before you book anyone.

Because Westside days are so light-dependent and timeline-compressed, I also get asked constantly how many hours of coverage actually make sense. My answer isn't a sales pitch — it's laid out here: how many hours of coverage you really need. On the coast, that golden window at the end matters more than an extra hour of dancing, and I'll tell you that to your face.

Frequently asked questions

Will the marine layer ruin my photos?

No. Overcast coastal light is soft and flattering — it's honestly easier to shoot than harsh noon sun. The only risk is a fully socked-in sunset, and I hedge against that by scheduling portraits with flexibility and by knowing which pockets of the Westside clear first. Gray mornings almost always burn off; I plan the day so we're ready either way.

Do you cover both Malibu and Santa Monica, or just the beach?

All of it. I regularly shoot the full Westside spread — Santa Monica hotels, Palisades canyon parks, Malibu beach clubs and hilltop vineyards. If your ceremony and reception are in two different coastal spots, I build the drive time and the light into one plan.

Why hire one team for photo and video instead of two vendors?

Because on a tight Westside timeline, two separate companies fighting over the same five minutes of sunset is a disaster. My photo and cinema teams share one plan, one shot list and one clock. Nobody's stepping into anybody's frame, and you get both mediums covered without doubling the number of strangers at your wedding.

How far ahead should I book for a coastal date?

Peak Westside season — late spring through fall, when Adamson House is open and the beach clubs are busy — books out fast. If you have a Saturday in that window, reach out early. I only take a limited number of weddings a year so I can give each one real attention.

If you're getting married anywhere from Santa Monica to Malibu and you want a team that already knows the light, the traffic and the quirks of your venue, let's talk. Call or text (818) 749-7039 or reach out through the contact page, and tell me your date and your venue — I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit for your day.