Emily & James's Pasadena City Hall Engagement

June 2025 · Pasadena City Hall & the Burlington Arcade, Pasadena

A Pasadena City Hall Engagement Session

Emily and James split their engagement session into two looks and two moods. They started in soft neutrals at Pasadena City Hall, where the rose garden, the central fountain and the long arched colonnades give a timeless, European feel right in the San Gabriel Valley. Then they changed into matching black leather jackets and headed to the Burlington Arcade, a glass-roofed arcade lined with string lights, vintage storefronts and a bright red phone booth, for a playful second half with a boba break. Here is their Pasadena engagement session, photographed by One and Only Production.

The Rose Garden and Fountain Courtyard

We started in the courtyard, where the bell tower and dome rise above the palm trees and the central fountain. The roses along the garden paths were in bloom, so we let Emily and James walk, laugh and spin through them while the light was still soft.

The bell tower of Pasadena City Hall framed by palm trees and blue sky.
Emily and James walk hand in hand past blooming roses in the Pasadena City Hall garden.
Emily and James share a laugh among pink roses in the courtyard garden at Pasadena City Hall.
James leads Emily by the hand along the rose garden path.
Emily rests her head on James's shoulder beside the garden hedges at Pasadena City Hall.
Emily and James stand close beneath the arches at the edge of the courtyard.
Emily and James stand together in the garden courtyard of Pasadena City Hall.
Emily and James stand in front of the ornate central fountain at Pasadena City Hall.
James spins Emily in the courtyard below the Pasadena City Hall dome, photographed by One and Only Production.

Arched Colonnades and the Grand Staircase

The long arched walkways are the reason so many couples choose Pasadena City Hall. The repeating arches frame a couple from almost any angle, and the shade keeps skin tones soft in the middle of the day. We finished this look on the stone steps and the curving staircase before the outfit change.

Black and white photo of Emily and James standing in the long arched colonnade at Pasadena City Hall.
Emily and James framed at the end of a row of arches.
Emily and James embrace inside the arched walkway with soft light behind them.
James holds Emily close beside a column in the Pasadena City Hall colonnade.
Emily and James stand below an arched window lined with potted plants.
Black and white photo of James leading Emily up the curving staircase.
Emily and James sit together on the stone steps beneath the arches.
Emily wraps her arms around James as they sit on the steps at Pasadena City Hall.
Close-up of James kissing Emily on the cheek.
Emily and James walk across the courtyard toward the Pasadena City Hall tower, photographed by One and Only Production.

A Boba Break at the Burlington Arcade

For the second look, Emily and James switched to matching leather jackets and brought their drinks along. With its glass ceiling, café tables and string lights, the Burlington Arcade gave this half of the session a completely different energy: candid, playful and a little cinematic.

The arched entrance to the Burlington Arcade in Pasadena.
Two drinks and a Poké Ball on a café table inside the Burlington Arcade.
Emily and James share their drinks at a café table under the arcade's glass ceiling.
Emily and James laugh together at a café table in the Burlington Arcade.
James leans in toward Emily as they sip their drinks.
Emily and James raise their drinks in celebration beneath the string lights.
James crouches in front of Emily in the middle of the arcade.
Emily and James walk through the Burlington Arcade in matching leather jackets.
Emily and James reach for each other playfully in the arcade.
James spins Emily in a candid motion shot, photographed by One and Only Production.

The Red Phone Booth

The arcade's red phone booth was the last stop. The bright red frame and the warm lights behind it made the perfect backdrop for the final hugs and close-ups of the session.

Emily and James stand close under twinkle lights in the Burlington Arcade.
Emily and James dance beside the red phone booth.
Emily leans into James's arms near the arcade storefronts.
Emily and James sit on the floor beside the red phone booth.
James hugs Emily in front of the red phone booth.
Emily and James stand side by side next to the red phone booth.
Emily and James pose inside the red phone booth at the Burlington Arcade.
James holds Emily close against the red phone booth, photographed by One and Only Production.

Planning a Pasadena City Hall Engagement Session?

Pasadena City Hall is one of our favorite engagement locations in Southern California, and we have photographed about a dozen couples there. Go early on a weekday for fewer crowds, check the city's current rules for photo sessions before you book, and consider pairing it with Old Town Pasadena or the Burlington Arcade for a second look. One and Only Production is a photo and video team based in West Covina, serving Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. If you are planning your engagement session, we would love to hear your story. You can also see more of our work in our engagement portfolio.

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