The red bridge at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena is a well known feature of the property, and a lovely location for romantic portraits like this one right after the couple's first look.
Though this pristine venue is very popular for weddings, events and a much sought after Sunday brunch, it's beginnings in 1907 were marked with surprising challenges. Because of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, most construction crews were called away so it was hard recruiting workers to build it, which resulted in the first structure only having a temporary roof. Torrential rains the year of its opening initially kept guests away, causing the original hotel, called the Wentworth, to close in its first season. The property then changed hands to railroad magnate Henry Huntington, who further developed it, adding some of the venue's most iconic features. It then had a life under the umbrellas of the Sheraton corporation and the Ritz Carlton before it was eventually taken over by Great Eagle Holdings and renamed the Langham Huntington Hotel, as it is known today.
Pasadena is the center of so much of Los Angeles' history, and hosting a wedding there means guests will be in close proximity to fascinating places to visit prior to or after the big day, like the Huntington Library and the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (with its families of peacocks). No doubt that time spent at the Langham ranks high with beautiful things to see in this very significant section of the city.
Location: 1401 S Oak Knoll Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106.