Monterey Park Wedding at Luminarias Restaurant

For the Monterey Park Restaurant, Luminarias, their “light on the hill” shined a little brighter as friends and family celebrated Darryl and Roberto’s marriage. First, the couple had a beautiful traditional church ceremony. The church was amazing, filled with bright stained glass windows and ornate details! Then, the newlyweds rode in style in a wedding-white Porsche (my dream car!) to their reception at the Luminarias Restaurant. Before the reception started, Darryl and Roberto made sure to incorporate a time-honored tea ceremony. The traditional ceremony allows the couple to pause and show respect and gratitude toward their families, and their families can in turn bless the couple’s marriage. This was my first time photographing a tea ceremony, and I love that the tradition sets a meaningful and intimate time apart for family members.

Their red and white color theme perfectly portrayed the balance between modern and traditional styles—traditionally, red symbolizes luck, happiness, and joy, while white is the modern wedding color, symbolizing light, goodness, and perfection. Their wedding celebration definitely had all of those qualities. I love photographing at Luminarias because the restaurant has a wide range of backdrops and areas to take pictures. The outside looks like a tropical botanic garden, filled with palms and greenery. The Spanish-style architecture of the building also contributes to some striking shots. Inside, the reception hall’s arched entryways are lined with solid wood trim, which looks beautiful in contrast to all of the twinkling lights and white décor.

But the décor had nothing on the bride and groom’s ecstatic, joy-filled faces. Together with all of their friends and family, they shared wedding cake and danced the evening away. I wish this sweet couple many more years of happy romance!