Nicole & Calvin's Cerritos Civic Center & Rodeo 39 Engagement

July 2024 · Cerritos Civic Center, Cerritos & Rodeo 39, Stanton

A Playful Cerritos and Stanton Engagement Session

Nicole and Calvin's engagement session was full of personality. We started at the Cerritos Civic Center with a handful of KitKat bars, the rose garden and golden light on the lawn, then explored the center's fountains, wire sculptures, vine-covered arbor and dolphin splash pad. For the second half, we headed to Rodeo 39 in Stanton, where they raced, shot hoops and played classic arcade games before cooling off with milk tea. Here is their Cerritos Civic Center and Rodeo 39 engagement session, photographed by One and Only Production.

KitKats and Roses at the Cerritos Civic Center

Nicole and Calvin brought KitKat bars along, and they became the star props of the first few minutes: unwrapped, shared and tossed into the air in the rose garden. As the sun dropped, we moved to the lawn for relaxed, sunlit portraits.

The terraced lower gardens and balustrade staircase at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.
Saira in a blush satin gown at the foot of the stone staircase in Greystone's lower gardens.
Saira and Matthew leaning together at a stone balustrade above the garden fountain.
Matthew in brown suspenders walks Saira up the garden staircase.
Matthew smiling against the staircase wall in a white shirt and suspenders.
Matthew adjusting his cuff on the Greystone garden staircase.
Saira lifting her blush gown on the curved stone staircase.
Saira holding out the skirt of her satin gown against the garden hedges.
Close portrait of Saira looking down, her curls over one shoulder.
Detail of Saira's hand resting at the neckline of her blush satin dress.
Saira holding a pink rose bouquet beside Matthew on the stone steps.
Saira and Matthew laughing together on the staircase with her bouquet.
Saira and Matthew walking down the grand staircase at Greystone Mansion.
Saira and Matthew seated on the stone steps, hands together on her satin gown.
Saira's engagement ring as she rests her hand on Matthew's chest, photographed by One and Only Production.

Fountains, Sculptures and the Arbor Walk

The Cerritos Civic Center is full of hidden backdrops. We used the plaza fountains, a pair of looping wire sculptures, a vine-covered arbor tunnel and the dolphin splash pad, where Nicole and Calvin couldn't resist playing in the water jets.

Tiered stone fountain in the formal garden at Greystone Mansion.
Saira and Matthew forehead to forehead beside the garden hedges.
Saira and Matthew in a warm embrace in soft afternoon sunlight.
Saira cradles Matthew's face as they lean in close.
Saira and Matthew touching foreheads in the garden light.
The couple walking past the fountain along the formal garden path.
Saira and Matthew strolling the hedge-lined path toward the fountain.
Matthew spins Saira on the lawn as her blush gown flares.
Saira and Matthew at the end of the tall cypress walkway.
Saira and Matthew walking hand in hand down the cypress-lined path.
Long view down the cypress allée at Greystone with the couple in the distance.
Saira leaning into Matthew between the cypress trees, photographed by One and Only Production.

Game Night at the Rodeo 39 Arcade

For the second half, we headed to Rodeo 39 in Stanton. Inside the arcade, Nicole and Calvin played pinball, shot hoops, aimed light guns and raced side by side, and the neon lighting gave every frame a fun, cinematic glow.

Saira and Matthew on a limestone staircase beneath a bare tree beside Greystone Mansion.
The couple at the mansion's wooden door beneath a sculptural bare tree.
Black and white portrait of Saira and Matthew on the courtyard steps of the mansion.
Saira and Matthew walking down the stone steps from the mansion's carved doorway.
Saira seated at the motor court fountain, her curls over her shoulder.
Saira at the edge of the fountain in Greystone's motor court.
Saira seated beside the fountain with her satin gown spread across the stone.
Wide view of the Tudor-style Greystone Mansion and its motor court with Saira at the fountain.
Saira and Matthew seated at the motor court fountain in front of the mansion.
The couple at the fountain with the mansion's slate roof and chimneys behind them.
Saira and Matthew sharing a close moment on the fountain ledge.
Saira touches Matthew's face as they sit by the fountain.
Saira and Matthew walking across the cobblestone motor court toward the mansion entrance.
Matthew twirls Saira in the courtyard beneath the mansion's brick chimney.
Saira's gown swirls as Matthew spins her across the courtyard.
Saira and Matthew holding hands under the arched stone loggia.
Matthew and Saira embracing beneath the stone archway at Greystone Mansion.
Saira resting her hand on Matthew's chest, her engagement ring catching the light.
Portrait of Saira in blush satin in front of the mansion's limestone walls, photographed by One and Only Production.

Retro Arcade Games and Milk Tea

We wrapped up among the retro arcade cabinets before cooling off with milk tea in front of a wall of greenery, a sweet and easygoing end to a playful session.

Saira and Matthew walking between boxwood hedges toward the formal garden.
The couple standing beside the reflecting pool in Greystone's formal garden.
Saira and Matthew laughing in front of the stone pavilion at the reflecting pool.
Close-up of Saira and Matthew holding hands.
The lily-filled reflecting pool leading to the stone pavilion at Greystone Mansion.
Saira and Matthew framed by the pavilion at the end of the reflecting pool.
The couple reflected in the pool in front of the stone pavilion.
Saira and Matthew on the garden terrace with the Los Angeles skyline beyond.
A pink water lily blooming among the lily pads in the reflecting pool.
Saira smiling over her shoulder beside the garden hedges.
Saira at the balustrade overlooking the city as her gown catches the breeze.
Detail of Saira's hand and engagement ring against her satin gown.
Matthew kisses Saira's hand at the terrace overlook.
Matthew kisses Saira's hand at the stone balustrade with pines behind them.
Saira and Matthew at the terrace balustrade surrounded by tall pines.
The couple at the mansion's side entrance with its Gothic-style doorway.
Matthew twirls Saira beside the mansion's tall brick chimney.
Matthew leaning against the mansion's leaded glass windows.
Saira wraps her arms around Matthew beside the window frame.
Saira and Matthew before the arched windows on the patterned terrace at Greystone Mansion, photographed by One and Only Production.

Planning a Fun, Personal Engagement Session?

Pairing a classic outdoor spot with a place that shows your personality makes for a session that feels like you. The Cerritos Civic Center offers gardens, fountains and sculptures for golden hour, and a stop like the Rodeo 39 arcade adds color, energy and plenty of laughs. Bring props that mean something to you, and if you plan to photograph inside a business, ask for permission first and go during a quieter time. 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 watch Nicole and Calvin's wedding film or see more of our work in our engagement portfolio.

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