Wedding Photography At

Five Crowns

A Tudor-style English country inn on Coast Highway in Corona del Mar, with a sunlit Greenhouse, a colorful garden and a red phone box wrapped in roses.

Location3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar, CA

Built1936, as a replica of an English inn; a restaurant since 1965

StyleTudor-style English country inn with a Greenhouse and English garden

About the venue

An English country inn on the Corona del Mar coast

Five Crowns stands on East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. The building went up in 1936 as The Hurley Bell, a replica of an English inn named after Ye Olde Bell at Hurley-on-Thames, and it opened as Five Crowns on April 14, 1965. It has been a Corona del Mar landmark ever since, and today it is run by Lawry's Restaurants.

The Tudor-style building was designed to feel like an English country manor, with wood paneling, cozy fireplaces, antiques and period paintings. Beyond the dining rooms are the sunlit Greenhouse and a colorful English garden, and SideDoor, a casual gastropub, shares the property. Five Crowns also offers private event spaces for weddings and celebrations, so the whole day, from the ceremony to the last dance, can stay under one timbered roof in the heart of Corona del Mar.

Bride seated on the brick walk by the red phone box and potted topiaries at Five Crowns

Couple smiling at each other on the garden path at Five Crowns, Corona del Mar

Lulan Studio at Five Crowns

A little piece of England, a few minutes from the sea

We have photographed weddings at Five Crowns, and it gives a look you will not find anywhere else on the Orange County coast. The dark timber exterior, the brick front walk, the red phone box covered in roses and the dark wood staircase inside all read like a country inn, while the beaches of Corona del Mar are only minutes away.

Couples here often split the day, with portraits at the ocean or a hotel nearby and the ceremony and reception at Five Crowns. We plan the portrait block around the light and the travel, so the interiors are photographed at their best once the rooms are set.

Good to know

Both morning ceremonies with a midday reception and late afternoon ceremonies work well here
Many couples get ready at a hotel nearby and arrive for the ceremony
Beach or bluff portraits before the ceremony are a common addition
The interiors are busiest while vendors set up, so plan indoor portraits around it
The red phone box by the entrance is a favorite quick portrait stop

Where we like to shoot

The Tudor-style exterior with its dark timber
The red phone box covered in red roses, with topiaries and a lantern post
The brick front walk
The garden path
The white floral ceremony backdrop between white columns
The dark wood staircase inside

Couple kissing beside the rose-covered red phone box at Five Crowns

Couple walking hand in hand past the red phone box and lantern post at Five Crowns

Planning your day

Sample wedding day timelines at Five Crowns

These are drawn from the weddings we have photographed and planned here. Use them as a starting point to adapt with your coordinator rather than a fixed schedule.

Eight hours with portraits by the ocean

Getting ready nearby, a first look and portraits on the coast, then the ceremony and reception at Five Crowns.

1:30 PMCoverage begins where you get ready. Details, candids and final touches.
2:30 PMFirst look at a quiet spot on the coast nearby.
2:45 PMCouple portraits, then the wedding party and immediate family.
3:45 PMTravel to Five Crowns. You tuck away while the team photographs the garden, Greenhouse and decor.
4:15 PMGuests arrive. Ceremony setup and arrivals photographed.
4:45 PMCeremony, around thirty minutes.
5:15 PMCocktail hour. You are free to mingle, with a few minutes at the phone box and on the brick walk.
6:15 PMGrand entrance, first dance, dinner and toasts.
8:00 PMParent dances, cake and open dancing, then coverage concludes at 9:30 PM.

Five hours with a midday reception

A morning ceremony and a lunch reception, with portraits around the inn.

8:30 AMCoverage begins with details and getting ready.
9:30 AMFirst look, then couple portraits in the garden and on the staircase.
10:00 AMFamily portraits before guests arrive.
10:30 AMCeremony.
11:00 AMCocktail hour and extended family photographs.
11:30 AMGrand entrance and first dance, then parent dances.
12:00 PMLunch, toasts and cake cutting.
1:30 PMCoverage concludes.

Good to know

What is specific to Five Crowns

A few things about this English-style inn that shape the day, and that are worth settling early with your coordinator.

An inn, not a hallThe rooms are intimate and full of character: wood paneling, fireplaces and period pieces. They photograph beautifully once they are set, so we plan interior portraits for the finished rooms rather than during setup.

Setup timeThe interiors are busiest before the ceremony while florals and music are set up. A first look and portraits away from the building keep you out of the way and give the team time to photograph the decor when it is ready.

Garden and GreenhouseThe English garden and the sunlit Greenhouse give soft, natural light close to your guests, which makes them easy spots for quick portraits during cocktail hour.

The front of the innThe Tudor exterior, the brick walk and the red phone box wrapped in roses are the frames couples ask for most. Five minutes out front is worth protecting in the timeline.

Getting readyMany couples get ready at a hotel nearby and arrive for the ceremony. Allow travel time on Coast Highway, and plan a separate car for the photographers when portraits are off site.

Morning or afternoonA morning ceremony with lunch keeps the day short and relaxed. A late afternoon ceremony leaves room for portraits by the ocean before guests arrive.

Nearby

Where couples also photograph nearby

Spots at the inn and along the Corona del Mar coast that come up on Five Crowns wedding days.

The red phone box by the entrance
The brick front walk
The English garden
The Greenhouse
The dark wood staircase
Corona del Mar State Beach
Little Corona del Mar Beach
Inspiration Point
Crystal Cove State Park

Questions couples ask

Questions couples ask about Five Crowns

How many hours of coverage do couples book at Five Crowns?

It depends on the shape of the day. A morning ceremony with a lunch reception fits in about five hours. A late afternoon wedding with portraits by the ocean first usually needs six to eight hours, from getting ready through the first stretch of dancing.

Should we do a first look?

It works well here. The rooms are busy before the ceremony while vendors set up, so a first look and portraits away from the building keep the day calm and leave cocktail hour free for your guests.

Where do couples get ready?

Many get ready at a hotel nearby on the coast and travel to Five Crowns for the ceremony. Plan the travel into the timeline, and a separate car for the photographers helps if portraits happen off site.

Can we take portraits at the beach?

Yes. The beaches and bluffs of Corona del Mar are a short drive away, and couples often plan a portrait block there before the ceremony. We pick a spot with a sheltered corner in case of wind.

Where are the best portrait spots at the inn?

The Tudor exterior, the brick front walk and the red phone box covered in roses are favorites. Inside, the dark wood staircase gives a rich, classic look, and the garden and Greenhouse have soft light for quick portraits during cocktail hour.

Groom dipping the bride in front of a white floral backdrop between columns at Five Crowns

Bride at the dark wood staircase inside Five Crowns, lit warmly from below

More venues nearby on our regional venue guide and the city page.

Five Crowns photography

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