St. Vincent de Paul
A 1925 Spanish Baroque basilica near USC, gilded from altar to dome — one of the most photogenic Catholic ceremony spaces in Los Angeles.
A gilded 1920s basilica, still an active parish
Designed by architect Albert C. Martin Sr. and dedicated in 1925, St. Vincent de Paul draws on Spanish Baroque churches in Mexico and Spain, right down to its 45-foot domed ceiling clad in handmade glazed ceramic tile. The high altar and reredos are hand-carved and gilded, depicting ten saints and the four Evangelists, and the pulpit is red marble cut from a single block. It’s a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, and its scale and detail have made it a recurring filming location, including the climactic scene of “End of Days.”
St. Vincent de Paul functions as a ceremony venue rather than a full wedding venue — there’s no reception space on-site — so couples routinely pair a ceremony here with a reception 8 to 15 minutes away in downtown or the Westside. Photography rules are strict and non-negotiable: a maximum of two photographers and two videographers, non-flash and silent-shutter only during the ceremony, and no equipment or personnel allowed on the raised sanctuary.
A church we shoot again and again, paired with LA’s best reception venues
We’ve photographed and filmed multiple weddings with ceremonies at St. Vincent de Paul, every time paired with a reception a short drive away — The Majestic Downtown, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, City Club of LA, and The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey among them. One of those St. Vincent de Paul ceremonies, paired with a Millennium Biltmore reception designed by Sarah C. Brown Designs, was later published in Brides & Weddings Magazine. We know the church’s strict photography rules well enough to plan around them rather than discover them mid-ceremony.
Good to know before you book
- No reception space on-site — couples pair the ceremony with a nearby downtown or Westside venue
- Photography is capped at 2 photographers and 2 videographers, non-flash and silent-shutter only
- No equipment or personnel allowed on the raised sanctuary; no aisle runner or thrown items
- Parish hosts a free annual community wedding-blessing program each June
Where we like to shoot
- Wide shots of the gilded high altar and hand-painted domed ceiling
- The mosaic Stations of the Cross for detail and texture
- The ornate carved entry doors for a formal processional shot
- The red marble pulpit and reredos for close portrait work
What couples and guests notice about St. Vincent de Paul
Reviewers repeatedly call it “gorgeous” and “breathtaking,” comparing it to churches they’ve seen in Europe.
The parish’s wedding-planning process is called well-organized and professional, including live music options such as mariachi.
Strict, non-negotiable decoration and photography rules — and back-to-back Saturday scheduling — are the most common planning notes.