Wedding Photographer at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral
3325 N Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, CA 91504
Get directions ↗ Check your date
St. Leon is built from Armenian tuff, the pink-orange volcanic stone the churches in Armenia are made of, and that single material decides most of what a wedding there looks like in photographs.
Inside: warm, dim, and much more contrasty than it feels
The cathedral interior is lit almost entirely by warm tungsten and candlelight, over cream marble and gilt. To the eye it reads as gentle and even. To a camera it is high contrast: the altar, the gilded icon of the Madonna and Child above it, and the candle stands are several stops brighter than the faces of the couple standing in front of them.
The mistake is to expose for the altar, which leaves the bride and groom sitting in shadow in the most important frames of the day. We expose for faces and let the gold behind go bright, then bring it back in the edit. White balance also runs very warm here — left uncorrected, the marble turns yellow and the white dress with it, so we set a reference on the dress rather than trusting auto.
The Armenian ceremony has a shape worth knowing
An Armenian Apostolic wedding at St. Leon is a crowning service, not a Western-style exchange with a single kiss at the end, and the moments that matter are distributed differently. The couple stand together at the altar steps for most of it; the crowning, the joining of the right hands and the blessing all happen in a compact space with the clergy close in. That means there is no long, wide aisle moment to wait for — the whole ceremony is a series of small, close gestures.
We cover it with two positions: one at the aisle, straight down the centre, and one to the side at the altar steps for the crowning and the faces. Neither moves much once the service starts. On flash: parish practice varies and clergy expectations differ from wedding to wedding, so we confirm with the parish office beforehand and work without it by default. The room has enough light for fast glass, and unlit coverage is less intrusive anyway.
The recessional is the best exterior frame of the day
The carved wooden doors, with the Armenian khachkar cross worked into them, sit in a deep porch of that same pink tuff stone. When the couple walk back out through them into afternoon light, the stone bounces a warm cast onto everyone — it flatters skin without any help, and the doorway makes a natural frame. If you plan one thing about photography at St. Leon, plan for the family not to crowd the porch in the thirty seconds after the doors open. That is the frame.
The oriental carpet running up the aisle and the altar steps also give clean, symmetrical compositions for the family groups that always happen straight after the service. Those go quickly at the altar; we keep them to a list agreed in advance because the church usually has another service or event behind you.
Getting there
The cathedral is on North Glenoaks Boulevard across from Woodbury University, with on-site parking. It was consecrated in 2010, so the building is modern in its services while traditional in its form. From our base in West Hills it is about twenty-five minutes, and it pairs naturally with the Burbank and Glendale banquet halls where most of these receptions continue — we have photographed a St. Leon ceremony and a De Luxe Banquet Hall reception on the same day.
Photographs from St. Leon Armenian Cathedral
Photographs from Mariet & Joe's Armenian wedding at St. Leon Cathedral, Burbank — ConneryFilm. Every frame on this page was made at this venue by us, except where the caption says otherwise.
Photographing your wedding at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral
ConneryFilm covers weddings across Los Angeles with one coordinated team for both photography and cinematography — seventeen years, and ceremonies in English, Persian, Armenian and Spanish. If you are marrying at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, tell us your date and your venue timeline and we will tell you exactly how we would cover it.
Check your date or call or text (818) 749-7039.
Common questions
Is flash allowed at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral?
Parish practice varies and clergy expectations differ from wedding to wedding, so we confirm with the parish office before the day and work without flash by default. The interior has enough light for fast lenses, and unlit coverage is far less intrusive during the crowning.
How do you photograph an Armenian crowning ceremony?
With two fixed positions — one straight down the aisle and one to the side at the altar steps. An Armenian Apostolic service is a sequence of small, close gestures at the altar rather than one big aisle moment, so the side angle is where the crowning, the joining of hands and the faces actually are.
What is the light like inside the cathedral?
Warm tungsten and candlelight over cream marble and gilt. It looks even to the eye but is high contrast to a camera — the altar and the icon are several stops brighter than the couple. We expose for faces, not for the gold, and set white balance on the dress so the marble does not go yellow.
What is the best photo at St. Leon?
The recessional through the carved wooden doors. The pink Armenian tuff stone of the porch bounces warm light onto everyone and the doorway frames the couple naturally. It only works if the family holds back for the first thirty seconds after the doors open.
Do you travel to Burbank for church ceremonies?
Yes — St. Leon is about twenty-five minutes from our West Hills base and there is no travel charge. Photography starts at $850 and video starts at $1,499, quoted individually.