Padua Hills Theatre
A 1930s Spanish Colonial theater built into the Claremont foothills, where a wrought-iron courtyard gazebo and olive-grove gardens frame a sunset view of the San Gabriel Mountains.
A 1931 dinner theater built into the Claremont foothills
Built in 1931 on roughly six acres at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Padua Hills Theatre operated as a dinner theater from 1931 to 1974, home to the Mexican Players, a nonprofit cultural program of Mexican folk music, dance, and theater. Today the City of Claremont owns and manages the property, hosting exactly one wedding a day so couples get exclusive use of the grounds.
The Plaza Courtyard’s wrought-iron gazebo and ring of olive trees is the signature ceremony spot, seating up to 350. The Sunset View Terrace looks straight out over the foothills for golden-hour portraits, and the Theatre Ballroom’s red-tile roofline and brick-and-flagstone details carry the same Spanish Colonial character indoors.
Working with Padua Hills’ own event team
We’ve photographed multiple weddings here and worked directly with Isabela, the venue’s day-of point of contact, who stays on-site through cocktail hour before handing off to the reception team. Catering runs in-house only and only one wedding is booked per day, so our shot list moves at the venue’s own unhurried pace rather than working around another event.
Good to know before you book
- Catering is in-house only — no outside caterers permitted
- Only one wedding is booked per day, for exclusive use of the grounds
- Amplified music is limited indoors, with DJ/band insurance required
- No rice, confetti, or open flames
Where we like to shoot
- The Plaza Courtyard’s wrought-iron gazebo and olive trees
- The Sunset View Terrace, facing the San Gabriel Mountains
- Portraits along the theater’s red-tile roofline and brick walkways
- The Theatre Ballroom’s Spanish Colonial architecture indoors
What couples and guests notice about Padua Hills Theatre
Reviewers repeatedly compare the grounds to a movie set — the courtyard and mountain backdrop need almost no added decor.
The in-house catering is one of the most consistently praised parts of the day, with couples calling out portion size and quality specifically.
Catering and several vendor categories are fixed in-house, which limits flexibility for couples who want to bring in outside vendors.
Planning your day at Padua Hills Theatre
Build your Padua Hills timeline
Move the slider to the amount of coverage you are considering, then pick the size of the day. The timeline below rebuilds itself from the Padua Hills weddings in our own booking records.
The whole wedding at Padua Hills
- 3:10 PMArrival, venue and decor details
- 3:40 PMFirst look and couple portraits before guests arrive
- 4:30 PMTucked away. Guest arrivals and ceremony details photographed
- 5:00 PMCeremony
- 5:30 PMFamily and group photographs
- 6:05 PMCouple portraits: the Plaza Courtyard gazebo, the olive trees and the Sunset View Terrace
- 6:50 PMCocktail hour, guests and candids
- 7:40 PMReception: entrance, dinner, toasts
- 8:55 PMSunset on the terrace facing the San Gabriels, then the brick walkways after dark
Ceremony is set at 5:00pm, the middle of the Padua Hills weddings in our records. Those days run five to ten hours with 80 to 180 guests and finish around 10pm. Tell us your ceremony time and we rebuild the day around it.
What is specific to Padua Hills Theatre
A hillside property with several distinct settings, and a set of choices that decide how the light works for you.
Where couples also photograph nearby
Settings on the property and locations around Claremont that recur on these wedding days.
- The mountain overlook
- The olive tree courtyard
- The west archway
- The gazebo
- The theatre interior
- The dining courtyard
- Claremont village
- The foothill roads at sunset
Questions couples ask about Padua Hills Theatre
How many hours of coverage do most couples book?
Seven hours is the common window and covers a full evening wedding from prep through the dance floor. Eight is the usual choice when getting ready starts at a hotel in town. A reception only celebration works in five.
Should we do a first look?
It helps here more than at most venues, because ceremonies are often at six in the evening. A first look moves your portraits into daylight and leaves the half hour after the ceremony for the gazebo and the overlook.
Which ceremony spot should we choose?
The overlook, the olive tree courtyard and the west archway each face a different direction. It is worth visiting at the hour your ceremony will start, because the light in each is quite different.
Where are the best portraits taken?
The gazebo and the mountain overlook are the two spots couples ask for. Both are a short walk from the ceremony areas, which keeps the post ceremony portrait block genuinely short.
Can we get ready at the venue?
Yes, and many couples do. Others prefer a hotel or rental in Claremont, in which case build the drive up the hill into the timeline.
What about an after-party?
Couples sometimes continue at a nearby rental once the venue night ends. If you want it photographed, add it to the coverage window in advance rather than deciding on the night.