A Few From the Serra Center

In an effort to share with my brides a view of some of the local venues they may want to investigate in their search for the perfect wedding space, I am posting a few shots of a wedding I recently covered at the stunning Serra Center in Camarillo. The center was named for the Blessed Junipero Serra, the founder of the California mission movement. Originally the parishioners held mass at nearby St. John’s Seminary, until, that is, the current church and surrounding buildings were erected in 1995. The Serra Center chapel is unique in that the seating is not in long traditional pews, but rather individual chairs radiating away from a spectacular rock altar in the center. The area of the altar is surrounded by a “golden circle” behind which the photographers and videographers must stay when covering any church proceedings. There is plenty of beautiful warm light streaming into the church from all angles, however, so this restriction does not intrude on a photographer’s ability to ably document a wedding or other event. It is a beautiful setting both in and out, with a formal garden on the west side and well-groomed crushed granite courtyards and red adobe-style stucco walls that give the grounds a southwestern look and feel. There are plenty of areas where stunning portraits can be made, but understand the style is clean, spare and very Spanish mission. There are no curlicue Corinthian columns or Victorian fainting couches anywhere to be seen! Padre Serra Center is located in Camarillo on Upland Road, with the Santa Rosa hills to the north and the Pacific ocean to the south. The day I was there it was a bit too foggy to see the ocean, but nevertheless the views all around were beautiful.  A reception area is adjacent, and there is plenty of room inside and out for partying the night away after the ceremony is over.