Duke's Malibu
An oceanfront restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway, with a koa-lined Ocean Room, a balcony facing the Pacific and the beach right below.
A tribute to surf history, right above the Pacific
Duke's Malibu sits on Pacific Coast Highway directly above the ocean, and it pays tribute to the Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku, who taught surfing in Malibu, and to the early surf history of this stretch of coast. The restaurant is run by TS Restaurants, and inside it feels warm and relaxed, with wood beams, sweeping ocean views and the sound of the waves close by.
For weddings, Duke's has an in-house event team and two private rooms. The Ocean Room, its largest, is lined with Hawaiian koa wood, looks out across the Pacific and has its own standing balcony with a private entrance. The Board Room is a smaller, more intimate space. There is also a private apartment, Celebrate & Stay, with a large oceanfront deck that couples can use for the start of the day.
Salt air, surf and a dining room full of light
We have photographed weddings at Duke's Malibu, and it is one of the rare places where the beach is part of the portrait session without a drive. A few steps take you from the dining room to the rocks, the old pilings and the white beach stairs below, and the light off the water keeps skin tones soft all afternoon.
Days here take two shapes. Some couples plan a morning ceremony and a lunch reception, with beach portraits in the early afternoon. Others choose an evening wedding and slip down to the sand at sunset. We plan the portraits around the light and the tide on your date.
Good to know
- Weddings here run either as a morning ceremony with lunch, or an evening ceremony with dinner
- Some couples get ready in the private apartment upstairs or at a rental nearby
- Plan a short beach portrait set, timed to the light and the tide
- The balcony and oceanfront deck work well for portraits close to guests
- Keep sandals or flat shoes handy for the beach stairs
Where we like to shoot
- The rocks and the concrete landing between old wooden pilings above the surf
- The white-painted wooden beach stairs
- The white railing on the oceanfront deck
- The dining room with its wood-beam ceiling and string lights
- The Ocean Room balcony at sunset
Sample wedding day timelines at Duke's Malibu
These are drawn from the weddings we have photographed and planned here, with the ceremony and reception both at Duke's. Use them as a starting point to adapt with your coordinator rather than a fixed schedule.
Six hours in the evening
- 3:30 PMCoverage begins. Details and getting ready, upstairs at Duke's or at a rental nearby.
- 4:15 PMFirst look on the deck, then couple portraits on the beach stairs and rocks below.
- 5:00 PMWedding party and family portraits before guests arrive.
- 5:30 PMGuests arrive. Ceremony setup and ocean views photographed.
- 6:00 PMCeremony with the Pacific behind you, around thirty minutes.
- 6:30 PMCocktail hour. Guest candids, and any remaining family groups.
- 7:30 PMA short sunset set by the water, timed to your date.
- 8:00 PMDinner, toasts and first dance in the dining room.
- 9:30 PMOpen dancing, then coverage concludes.
Five hours with a lunch reception
- 9:00 AMCoverage begins with details and final getting ready moments.
- 9:30 AMFirst look or individual portraits, then scenic portraits around the deck and railing.
- 10:15 AMGuests arrive. Ceremony details photographed.
- 10:30 AMCeremony.
- 11:00 AMCocktail hour. Family and group photographs, with balcony and ocean view frames.
- 12:00 PMLunch reception. Toasts, cake and a short first dance.
- 1:15 PMCouple portraits down on the beach.
- 2:00 PMCoverage concludes.
What is specific to Duke's Malibu
A few things about this oceanfront setting that shape the day, and that are worth settling early with your coordinator.
Where couples also photograph nearby
Spots at Duke's and along the Malibu coast that come up on wedding days here.
- The beach and rocks below Duke's
- The old pilings above the surf
- The white beach stairs
- The Ocean Room balcony
- The oceanfront deck
- Malibu Pier
- El Matador State Beach
- Point Dume
Questions couples ask about Duke's Malibu
How many hours of coverage do couples book at Duke's Malibu?
Five to six hours covers most days here. Five hours suits a morning ceremony with a lunch reception. Six hours suits an evening wedding, with getting ready, the ceremony, a sunset set on the beach and the first stretch of dancing.
Can we take portraits on the beach?
Yes, and most couples do. The beach, rocks and pilings are just below the restaurant. We keep the set short, check the tide for your date, and choose spots where the dress stays clear of the water.
Where do couples get ready?
Some couples use the private apartment at Duke's, which has a large oceanfront deck. Others get ready at a rental nearby and arrive for portraits. Both work well; allow travel time on Pacific Coast Highway if you start off site.
Is a daytime wedding at Duke's a good idea?
It is lovely. A morning ceremony with lunch keeps the day relaxed, and the soft coastal light suits portraits on the deck and the beach in the early afternoon. It is a good choice for a smaller guest list.
When should we plan sunset portraits?
We look up the sunset for your date and plan a ten to fifteen minute set on the sand just before it, usually during cocktail hour or between dinner and dancing. On overcast days the light stays soft and even, so the set still works.
More venues nearby on our regional venue guide and the city page.