From first dates and lifelong friendships to family traditions and once-in-a-lifetime proposals, the Santa Monica Pier has been the backdrop for millions of meaningful moments. This February, the Pier invites the community and visitors from around the world to be part of its annual “Month of Love” by sharing the stories that give the Pier its unmistakable sense of magic.
Now open through February, the Month of Love 2026 Story Submission Campaign encourages guests to reflect on the memories they’ve made along the historic Pier deck—whether it was holding hands at sunset, sharing an ice cream cone, braving a roller coaster ride with a best friend, celebrating with family, or saying “I do” beneath the Ferris wheel lights at Pacific Park.
Submitted stories will be featured throughout February on the Santa Monica Pier’s website and social media channels, creating a collective love letter that honors every form of connection. All stories will be shared anonymously, and all types of love are welcome.
“The Pier has always been a place where people come together — across generations, cultures and life moments,” says Jim Harris, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. “Month of Love is our way of celebrating those connections and inviting people everywhere to be part of the story.”
Past submissions have ranged from cross-country proposals at the end of Route 66 to family New Year’s celebrations, first dates that turned into lifelong partnerships, honeymoons from around the world, and quiet personal moments of reflection by the sea. Together, these stories capture the Pier not just as an iconic destination, but also as a place where memories are made and shared.
2025 Pier Love Stories Submission – Sarah & Husband
“My husband (boyfriend at the time) and I are from the Midwest and his job brought us to Los Angeles for the first time in 2015. Someone recommended the Santa Monica Pier so it was one of our first stops. We fell in love with it that day and ever since then we come back all the time to watch a sunset on our favorite west end step after some Pier Burger. In 2019, he proposed to me on the compass rose! We got married on the California coast a couple years later and took our photos on the Santa Monica Pier that afternoon. My bouquet was designed to match the colors in Pacific Park and of course we had to get a photo on our favorite step. Our parents, his sister, and a few friends traveled with us for the wedding so we finally got to share our special place with them. The pier has been a part of the biggest days of our lives and we look forward to making many more memories!”
How to Participate
To submit a story, participants must be signed into a Gmail account. Month of Love 2026 submissions are now open to everyone, and participants are encouraged to share the call with friends and family. For more information and to submit a story, visit santamonicapier.org/month-of-love
While many enjoy the magic of free programming at the Pier, it’s made possible through the efforts of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on the support of donors, partners, and the community to help keep the Pier fun, free, and accessible to all. The Santa Monica Pier Corporation is a nonprofit that isn’t fully funded by the City of Santa Monica.
Arrive by rideshare, Metro, bus or bike. The Santa Monica Pier is located at 200 Santa Monica Pier, Suite A, Santa Monica.
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