San Francisco’s City Hall becomes backdrop for striking quinceañera photoshoots

Audio By Carbonatix

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco’s ornate City Hall has long been a desirable wedding destination, with the advent of social media it also has become a must-have backdrop for many girls' quinceañera photoshoots.

Leading up to the traditional, coming-of-age celebration for Latino families, many 15-year-olds travel from across the state to pose for portraits in the stately Beaux-Arts building. City Hall is known for its marble staircase, elegant balconies and massive art deco windows.

The photoshoot is a key part of the elaborate, once-in-a-lifetime celebration since pictures are used in party invitations, and blown up to poster-size for the lavish parties.

Some families drive for hours from central California, and even fly in from Los Angeles, to fulfill the teenage dream of feeling like a princess wearing a tiara and posing on a grand staircase.

After seeing photos on Instagram, Allison Garcia and her family decided to drive from Stockton, 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of San Francisco, for her photoshoot ahead of her party in October.

“It’s a good place to take pictures. It’s elegant, and there are some famous people who were married (here), and it looks pretty,” said Garcia, referring to Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe and baseball great Joe DiMaggio, and Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Garcia, who wore a golden gown, long curly locks and a tiara for her photoshoot, said two of her friends have also taken their quinceañera photos at San Francisco’s City Hall.

Cesar Lopez and Paola Soto, a husband-and-wife team of photographers, have been photographing quinceañeras for about a decade. More girls started asking for photoshoots at the domed building since the pandemic, Lopez said.

A castle near Sacramento is also popular with teenagers but it charges a fee, Lopez said. About 60% of his teenage girl clients want their photos taken at San Francisco’s City Hall, he said.

“It’s a beautiful place where you can make beautiful pictures," Lopez said.