Scripps Seaside Forum
A modern, glass-walled event space on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus in La Jolla, with direct sand access and panoramic Pacific views — where Lulan Studio has photographed weddings at a rate of roughly one or more a year since 2022.
A modern venue with panoramic ocean views
Officially the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment, this roughly 16,400-square-foot complex sits on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus immediately next to La Jolla Shores beach. Designed by Safdie Rabines Architects and completed in 2009, it’s a genuinely modern building — floor-to-ceiling glass, wood-accented interiors, a tile veranda, and direct sand access — a different look from the coastal Craftsman or Spanish-style venues found elsewhere in San Diego. Weddings are scheduled Friday through Sunday, with a standard rental window of 2:00–10:00pm.
A recurring venue for us since 2022
We’ve photographed weddings at Scripps Seaside Forum at a rate of roughly one or more per year since 2022, most recently a January 2026 wedding coordinated by a San Diego wedding-planning company. Earlier weddings here included a fall 2022 ceremony planned by Moments Remembered Events and a spring 2023 wedding with an extensive multi-vendor day-of timeline coordinated alongside The Abbey Catering. We’re familiar with the venue’s Friday–Sunday scheduling, its 8:00pm outdoor-music cutoff, and its required in-house bar vendor, and know how to make the most of the oceanfront lawn’s light through the afternoon and into evening.
Good to know before you book
- Weddings are scheduled Friday–Sunday only, with a standard 2:00–10:00pm rental window
- Catering must be chosen from the venue's approved caterer list; alcohol is served exclusively through the venue's designated bar vendor
- Outdoor music must end by 8:00pm (75-decibel cap); no rice, confetti, glitter, sky lanterns, or open flames anywhere on University property
- A 25% non-refundable deposit is required at booking, per the venue's own current rental handbook
Where we like to shoot
- The oceanfront lawn with La Jolla Shores and the Pacific behind every frame
- The tile veranda at golden hour as the light comes off the water
- Floor-to-ceiling glass interiors for soft, diffused portraits on overcast days
- The beach itself, steps from the venue, for sunset portraits after the ceremony
What couples and guests notice about Scripps Seaside Forum
A grassy ceremony lawn that sits directly on the sand, with unobstructed Pacific views rarely found this close to San Diego.
A genuinely modern, award-winning building — floor-to-ceiling glass and clean lines instead of a themed or historic backdrop.
Catering and bar service must go through the venue's own approved vendor list, and outdoor music has an 8:00pm cutoff — plan your reception timeline around both.