Storrier-Stearns Japanese Garden
A hidden 1930s stroll garden in Pasadena, complete with koi ponds and an imported teahouse — where we’re an approved, recurring vendor.
A private garden most guests have never seen
Built in the 1930s by Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns and designed by Kinzuchi Fujii, this private Japanese stroll garden was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Koi ponds, stone bridges, and streams wind through the property, leading to a teahouse imported from Japan and rebuilt after a fire in 1981. Only one event is held at a time, which keeps the garden as quiet and secluded on a wedding day as it feels the rest of the year.
It seats around 150 for an outdoor ceremony, with an indoor dinner space for roughly 30 and the teahouse itself holding about 15 — better suited to an intimate wedding than a large reception, which is part of what makes it feel so private.
An approved vendor, not a first-time guess
We’ve photographed weddings at Storrier-Stearns going back to 2021, working with coordinators including Blossom Events LA, and we keep an active Certificate of Insurance on file with the garden year to year — the paperwork the venue requires of vendors it recognizes as recurring, not one-off. One couple’s photos from a spring 2025 wedding we shot there were later added to the garden’s own gallery and Instagram at the request of the team managing the property’s social media. We have another wedding already booked there for summer 2026.
Good to know before you book
- Outside catering only — the garden does not provide in-house food service
- A single-file driveway and residential neighborhood mean parking and noise are tightly managed
- Only one wedding is scheduled at a time for full privacy
- An on-site changing suite is available for getting-ready photos
Where we like to shoot
- The koi ponds and stone bridges for reflective, quiet portraits
- The imported teahouse as a singular, unrepeatable backdrop
- The stroll paths for candid, in-motion guest photos
- The garden’s natural shade for soft midday light
What couples and guests notice about Storrier-Stearns
Reviewers repeatedly call it a “hidden gem” — a serene, private escape that feels unlike any other LA-area wedding venue.
The koi ponds, streams, and imported teahouse are the most-cited features and favorite photo backdrops among past guests.
The garden’s management is praised for hands-on, personal service, with many guests calling it the most beautiful setting they’ve attended a wedding in.