Kimberly Crest
wedding photographer.
A Victorian château and terraced Italian gardens in Redlands — one of the Inland Empire's most storybook wedding settings. Francisco Sarmiento photographs Kimberly Crest weddings the way they happen, with room for the place to speak for itself.
From $3,328 · 8–12 hour coverage · No travel fee from Riverside
A historic estate
that photographs itself.
Kimberly Crest House & Gardens is a six-acre estate in Redlands built around an 1897 French château-style Victorian mansion. The Italian Renaissance gardens — terraces, a rose garden, a stone balustrade, and two reflecting ponds — were completed in 1909 and are today a California Historical Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It's one of the most distinctive wedding backdrops anywhere in the Inland Empire.
Weddings here are outdoor affairs — the ceremony and reception live on the lawn, terrace, and gardens, with the château rising behind. The estate hosts up to about 200 guests. For a photographer, that's a dream: formal garden symmetry, old-world architecture, and water, all in one walkable footprint. We work documentary-style so the day feels natural, and let the estate carry the grandeur.
Vida Visual is based in Riverside, about 25 minutes from Redlands — no travel fee applies for a Kimberly Crest wedding.
The estate,
read for the camera.
A photographer's take on the corners of Kimberly Crest that give you the most on camera — the gardens, the château, and the quiet spots in between.
The Italian Renaissance gardens
Terraced formal gardens completed in 1909, with clipped hedges, stairs, and stone balustrades. The symmetry and greenery make a natural aisle and a portrait backdrop that needs almost nothing added.
The rose garden & lawn
The expansive lawn and rose garden host the ceremony itself — up to 200 guests — with the mansion rising behind. In bloom, the roses give color and softness that read beautifully on camera.
The Victorian château façade
The 1897 French château-style mansion is the estate's signature — turrets, gables, and old-world detail. It anchors wide establishing shots and gives couple portraits a storybook backdrop.
The terrace & two ponds
The stone terrace and the estate's two reflecting ponds add water, reflection, and quiet corners for intimate portraits away from the main lawn.
Plan the day
around the light.
The gardens have mature trees that scatter soft, dappled shade through the afternoon, and golden hour lands warm on the terraces and the château. That last hour before sunset is the sweet spot for portraits in the Italian gardens.
For the ceremony, we suggest starting about two hours before sunset so vows, family formals, and couple portraits all fall inside the best light — then a few quiet minutes by the ponds at dusk.
Spring, when the roses are in bloom, and fall are the most popular seasons here. Because the estate is outdoor-only, we always talk through a weather plan for wetter dates.
Redlands weddings — no travel fee.
Full-day photo coverage starts at $3,328, photo + video from $4,160, and the Signature package (second photographer, full film, engagement session) is $6,760. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
Kimberly Crest
questions.
Do you photograph weddings at Kimberly Crest House & Gardens?
Yes. Kimberly Crest is a 6-acre historic estate in Redlands — a Victorian French château with Italian Renaissance gardens, on the National Register of Historic Places. It's an outdoor-only event space that hosts weddings of up to about 200 guests on the lawn and terrace. Redlands is squarely in our Inland Empire service area, so there's no travel fee.
How much does a Kimberly Crest wedding photographer cost?
Wedding packages start at $3,328 for full-day photo coverage. Photo + video bundles start at $4,160, and the Signature package with a second photographer, full film, and engagement session is $6,760. Each package includes an online gallery with download rights and a print release.
When is the best light for a Kimberly Crest wedding?
The gardens face the afternoon sun and the mature trees throw beautiful dappled shade, so late afternoon into golden hour is ideal — roughly the last hour before sunset. We recommend timing the ceremony about two hours before sunset so the vows, family formals, and portraits in the terraced gardens all fall inside the softest light.
Is Kimberly Crest an outdoor-only venue — what about the mansion interior?
Weddings at Kimberly Crest take place outdoors on the grounds; the house itself is a museum, so ceremonies and receptions are staged in the gardens, on the lawn, and on the terrace. That's a gift for photography — the estate's gardens and château façade do all the heavy lifting for your backdrops. We'll plan a rain contingency if your date is in the wetter months.
Can we do engagement or portrait sessions in the gardens too?
The public gardens are a stunning spot for an engagement session, and an engagement session is included with our Signature wedding package. Note that the estate has its own access rules for private photography, so we coordinate timing with Kimberly Crest ahead of any shoot.
More on Inland Empire weddings: San Bernardino wedding photography, our Inland Empire overview, best wedding venues in the Inland Empire, and full pricing.