The 12 Most Popular Los Angeles Wedding Venues

The Loft on Pine in Long Beach, CA

Here is a list of wedding venues in Los Angeles, California. Some are intimate and some are very popular. We’re lucky to have beautiful hotels and country clubs, social clubs to dedicated event spaces and private gardens. There’s pretty much any type of venue that would fit your wedding style. We have photographed at almost every one of these and if there are any missing that you would like to see, please leave a link to the venue in the comments below. 

I would love to provide input or answer any questions you may have regarding the type of venue that you’re thinking about. Please contact me for more info.

Our free wedding resources will also help you in your planning. 

A few of our favorite intimate wedding venues near Los Angeles: The Loft on Pine, Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, Maravilla Gardens and Calamigos Equestrian. 

1. Bel-Air Bay Club

2. Four Seasons Westlake Village

3. The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

4. Skirball Cultural Center

5. Noor Pasadena

6. Pacific Palms Resort

7. Ebell Long Beach

8. La Canada Flintridge Country Club

9. Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel

10. Loew’s Santa Monica Hotel

11. Royal Palace Event Venue

12. Palos Verdes Golf Club

Los Angeles Hotels for Getting Wedding Ready: 

• Malibu Beach Inn

• Hotel Bel Air

• The Beverly Hills Hotel

• The Westin Pasadena

• Embassy Suites Glendale

• The Westin Long Beach

• Terranea Resort

Here’s a slideshow of a wedding at Old Ranch Country Club:

Weddings at Old Ranch Country Club are intimate and the perfect place to hold your ceremony and reception as everything you need is in one place.

Couple Romantics at Calamigos Equestrian in Burbank, CA

5 Tips to Help You Prepare For Your Engagement Session

Fun, urban Engagement Session with Monica and Jhanisus at Angel’s Flight in Downtown Los Angeles

Engagement sessions are so much fun and we love photographing them because our couples are relaxed, they’re looking good, we’re at a fun location and the time we have together allows them to just be themselves and enjoy each other. Did I mention we get to have fun?!!

Kimi and Daniel in Switzer Falls for their adventurous, romantic engagement session

Tip #1: Why should you book your Engagement Session?

Yes, it allows you to get comfortable with us, in front of our camera and as nerve-wracking as it sounds, at the end of each session our couples always tell us how much fun they had. It’s also a really good time to test out your hair and makeup artist that you’re thinking of using for your wedding.

I may be getting ahead of myself, but if you think about it, most of our engagement sessions are finished by evening on a weekend so since your hair and makeup are done, you’re dressed fashionably casual, it usually makes for a really nice date night!

As with everything we do, whenever we photograph we look at our sessions and weddings like game days. We plan and prepare beforehand and then we rock it out and play as much as we can. We want you to look your best, feel the most joy and be blown away when we show your photos to you!

Silhouette of Sabrina and Leo for their wilderness Carbon Canyon Engagement Session

Tip #2: How should you use your engagement photos?

Sometimes couples ask us if an engagement session is necessary and I always let them know that a lot of our couples use their engagement session photos for Save the Date Cards to let their friends and family know ahead of time to set aside their wedding date. This always gets everyone really excited!

You can also use your engagement session photos for your wedding guestbook so everyone can sign in and leave their best wishes for you. This is always a good idea as you can use it as a wedding keepsake to look back on.

We’ve also had our couples create a canvas to use at the reception table and it also doubles as beautiful wall art to display in their home. If anything at all, we encourage engagement sessions to balance out their gorgeous wedding photos with some casual and fun engagement session photos.

Melissa and Adam in Santa Barbara for their romantic beach engagement session

Tip #3: When should I book my engagement session?

The best timeframe to book your engagement session is about 6 months before your wedding date. You can definitely book it earlier or later but if you’re planning on using them for Save the Dates you want to book your session at least 2 weeks ahead of when you’re planning on sending them out.

Jandy in her red dress and Wilson in Downtown LA for their urban engagement session near Vibiana

Tip #4: Where should we go for our session?

Ultimately we suggest booking your engagement session in a different season than when you’re getting married as it adds a different look to your wedding. If you prefer to use the same or similar seasons, we encourage you to think about holding your engagement session in a different location to balance your wedding day location.

Speaking of locations, if you ask us one of our favorite locations is in urban settings such as Downtown LA Art District, Downtown Fullerton, or Downtown Santa Barbara. If you love taking adventures, we can always head to the mountains or a wilderness vibe. And you can never go wrong with holding your session at the beach. Wherever you decide to hold your session we always encourage you to think about where you enjoy to hang out with your Love. Some might see us as being indecisive but ultimately, these will be your photos and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. You won’t be your best if we were to push a city vibe when you love walking barefoot in the sand. We want you to be as carefree as possible and just enjoy each other to the fullest so we can highlight your relationship in the best way!

Melissa and Adam at Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara for their beach engagement session

Before we give you Tip #5, check out more from Melissa and Adam’s romantic engagement session in Santa Barbara

Tip #5: What should I wear for our engagement session?

As far as fashion is concerned, we want you to look and feel your best. Think about what you would wear if you were going out to a nice dinner date. If a cute dress and heels are your thing while your love wears some slacks with a blazer then feel free to rock that out! If you like jeans and a cute top while your love is a collared shirt and jeans type, then show us what you’re working with! Haha! I think you know what we’re trying to say here. If you need some extra help, we always provide our Style Guide, so make sure to check it out once you book.

Lawrence just proposed to Melissa at the Hollywood Bowl Overlook in Los Angeles

How do I book our engagement session?

If these tips helped you out and want to check our availability for your engagement session, I encourage you to fill out the info below today and we can get the ball rolling for you.

We’re looking forward to highlighting your relationship and we’re excited for what’s in store!

Romantic engagement session in Pasadena with Michelle and Daniel

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Are you thinking about booking your Engagement Session?

Feel free to fill this out and get in contact with us to get the ball rollin’!

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Santa Barbara Hyatt Wedding | Georgia and Peter

We can't express how much we love Santa Barbara. We love Santa Barbara Weddings even more. And to photograph Georgia and Peter in Santa Barbara for their wedding was absolutely awesome and we loved every minute of it. 

They were so relaxed and easy going throughout the whole day, we had to remind ourselves we were at their wedding! Their family and friends were so warm and welcoming and to be able to celebrate their wedding with them was so much fun! 

Here are a few previews of their wedding story as we saw it unfold and we hope you enjoy their images. Be sure to leave your blessings in the comments below! 

If you or someone you know is getting married and love our images, drop us a line and we'd love to hear what you have planned!

Much love, 

WEDDING CREDITS:

Ceremony Venue: Santa Barbara Greek Orthodox Church

Reception Venue: Santa Barbara Hyatt

Photography: Chris Holt Photography

Palos Verdes Estates Wedding | Rowena and Andy

Palos Verdes' Neighborhood Church provided a beautiful backdrop to hold Rowena and Andy's wedding and we were in awe of the simple yet classic beauty of this church. The church coordinator, Barbara Johnson gave us a brief history of the church estate and she was more than helpful to keep everyone on time and running smoothly. 

Rowena and Andy told us they 'didn't really like taking pictures' and we totally understood what they meant. Although, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what they meant because they absolutely rocked it and enjoyed their wedding from beginning to end! Rowena wanted to make her own version of the movie, Bridesmaids and how could we say 'No' to that?! Haha!

Their reception was held at Palos Verdes Golf Club and it provided such an intimate space for their closest friends and family. David and his crew from Definitive Talents kept the music and party rockin' out while mixing a bit of 90's slow jams and hip hop with the current hits. 

It might sound cliche, but we are so grateful to be able to bring the best out of our brides and grooms whether or not, they love the camera. Our goal is to create images that highlight the vision and effort every couple has put into planning their wedding, and we love every single minute of it. 

I don't mean to brag, but here is a direct quote from Andy after we delivered their wedding previews: 

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“We could not be happier with the way you guys treated us, and made us feel so comfortable. As you know neither of us particularly like taking pictures, and yet you managed to take some amazing pics that we will treasure. You guys fit right in with the rest of the family and friends, you were just more friends helping us capture our special day. We received more than expected and just could not be more pleased. Our pictures are perfect.”

— Rowena + Andy

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Check out these highlights from Rowena and Andy's wedding and be sure to send them your blessings. They're such a beautiful couple and they deserve all of the praise they can get! 

If you are engaged to be married, or you know anyone who is, please share this blog post with them or contact us below! 

Many Congratulations and we're looking forward to hearing from you!

We'd love to hear your story and get together to create some awesome images with you on your wedding day! Please fill out the contact form below to fill us in on your wedding details. We're looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Dana Point Wedding at Chart House Restaurant in Orange County | Kim and Jim

Last Fall, we had the privilege of taking Kim and Jim out to Shaw's Cove for their engagement session since that's where Jim proposed to Kim; right on the steps leading out to the beach. We couldn't be happier for them as their theme for their engagement session and wedding revolved around the beach, ocean and that sweet ocean breeze!

They held their wedding at Chart House Restaurant in Dana Point and couldn't have chosen a more beautiful location to have their wedding. The Chart House was perfect for their intimate, outdoor wedding ceremony and their secluded reception area provided for the best dinner setting for their friends and families. 

We're so excited for these two and make sure you give them your blessings in the comments below!

Wedding Venue: Chart House Restaurant Dana Point

Wedding Preparation Hotel: Ayres Suites Mission Viejo

Wedding Florals: Lynne Lucente

Wedding Officiant: Jeff Tackett

Acoustic Guitarist: Chris Wooley

Wedding Gown: Stella York

Wedding Belt: Vera Wang

Wedding Shoes: Lauren Lorraine

For more info on Chris Holt Photography, please contact us via our Contact Page. We'd love to set up an appointment for you to meet us and see our albums. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!