Notes on the light
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival landmark and one of the most photographed buildings in California. Its white stucco and red tile hold warm afternoon light better than almost anything we film against, and the Sunken Garden gives a ceremony an enormous lawn framed by arcades and mature palms.
The spaces, and how they film
The Sunken Garden. A wide sloping lawn set below the building, framed by arcaded walkways and palms. It gives a ceremony genuine scale and a backdrop that needs no dressing at all.
The Arcades and Tilework. Tiled staircases, painted ceilings and archways run throughout the building, giving portraits a completely different texture a short walk from the lawn.
The film, so far
We have made one film here so far: Erik & Julianna, a Sunken Garden ceremony and a recessional walked through a corridor of family throwing white petals.
Filming here
It is a working public landmark, so the day moves around the building's rhythms rather than the other way round. We scout the Sunken Garden light for your specific ceremony time in advance, and keep portrait moves through the arcades tight so you are not fighting visitors for the best corners.