Rehearsal Dinners at Ivy at the Shore
The night before a wedding deserves a room that feels like a held breath — familiar, warm, and a little bit dressed up. That’s the Shore. A block from the bluffs on Ocean Avenue, our pink, bougainvillea-fronted dining room has been hosting Santa Monica’s family dinners since 1985, and rehearsal dinners are the ones we quietly do best.
Pick the room to fit the guest list. The covered Patio seats 35 with the ocean just across the way — and because it’s fully covered, a marine-layer morning or a rare rainy evening changes nothing. The Bungalow hosts 55 for the classic rehearsal-dinner size, and the Main Dining Room seats 90 (or 120 for a standing reception) when both families come. If the celebration outgrows even that, a full buyout of the restaurant hosts up to 150 — Mondays are the most flexible day for it, and other dates open up with the calendar.
The logistics are the easy part. Most wedding weekends in Santa Monica orbit the beach hotels and coastal venues within a few minutes of our door, so guests arrive on foot, on time, and already relaxed. Inside, white linens and pitchers of roses do the decorating, seaside paintings set the mood, and the toasts come easily once the seafood platters and Italian classics start circulating. Grandparents get comfort food, the wedding party gets cocktails, and everyone gets dessert from our own bakery.
Timing bends to your weekend: we host Tuesday through Sunday, with last reservations at 9pm early in the week and 9:30pm on Friday and Saturday — enough runway for a full dinner and speeches before the couple is sent home for a responsible night’s sleep.
To start planning, email our events coordinator, Mari, with your date and headcount, or call 310-393-3113 for the Shore directly — and if the guest list outgrows the room, ask about our Robertson Blvd flagship, The Ivy, whose patio has closed out more than a few wedding weekends since 1980.
For all event inquiries, please contact our events coordinator, Mari, at 310-274-8303 or email us at [email protected]
Why rehearsal dinners work at the Shore
Where your guests already are
1535 Ocean Ave sits minutes from Santa Monica’s beach hotels and wedding venues — no shuttles, no freeway, just a short walk down Ocean Avenue.
A room that photographs itself
Pink walls, seaside paintings, white linens, and roses on every table — the wedding-weekend photos start a night early.
A menu everyone agrees on
Fresh seafood, American comfort, and Italian classics on one menu, with vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options arranged in advance.
Planned personally
Our events coordinator, Mari, handles the details — timing, menu, and the toasts-friendly seating — so the couple doesn’t have to.
Ivy at the Shore
- Hours
- Get directions
- 1535 Ocean Ave
- Call our front desk
- 310-393-3113
Good to know
How do I book a rehearsal dinner at Ivy at the Shore?
Contact our events coordinator, Mari, at 310-274-8303 or [email protected] with your wedding date and expected headcount — weekend dates book far in advance.
What private spaces can a rehearsal dinner book at the Shore?
Three, all steps from the ocean — the covered Patio (seats 35, up to 40 standing), the Bungalow (seats 55, up to 60 standing), and the Main Dining Room (seats 90, up to 120 standing). For a wedding-scale celebration, a full-restaurant buyout hosts up to 150 guests.
What happens if it rains?
The Patio is fully covered, so your dinner goes ahead exactly as planned whatever the weather — ocean air, none of the worry.
Is Ivy at the Shore close to Santa Monica’s hotels?
Yes — we’re at 1535 Ocean Ave, on the bluff-side stretch near the pier, within a short walk or ride of most Santa Monica beach hotels and Third Street Promenade.
What should our group know about payments?
A 20% gratuity is added for groups of 5 or more, and we accept a maximum of three credit cards per payment per table — worth settling the plan before the toasts.