Why quinceañeras love San Francisco's city hall for dramatic photo shoots

San Francisco's City Hall is known for its marble staircase, elegant balconies and massive art deco windows, making for dramatic pictures to mark Latinas' 15th birthday.

SAN FRANCISCO — 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.

Allison Garcia and her friend Leslie Montero, as they have their quinceañera portraits taken at City Hall in San Francisco, on July 10.Jeff Chiu / APSome 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.