We created a comprehensive guide for everything you need to know about having your wedding at the Brazilian Room in Tilden Park including where to take photos, how to reserve the venue, rental fees, and more (Updated for 2020).
We love shooting weddings at Preservation Park. It’s one of our favorite outdoor wedding venues in Oakland. We were super excited to shoot with Christina and Justin as they got married outside in the Pavilion, surrounded by friends, family and gorgeous flower arrangements by Ash & Oak Floral. We had the pleasure of shooting Christina and Justin's engagement photos and were pumped to work with them for the second time on their big day.
We could tell that the day was going to go well from the moment we started capturing getting ready photos. There is an image that we captured of Christina getting ready that encapsulated the pure joy that she exuded the rest of the day. We love shooting weddings because not only are they are milestone occasions but also because we simply love to see people in moments of genuine happiness. Christina and Justin really delivered on this end.
Preservation Park is a venue that has a lot of built in charm but Christina and Justin enhanced its positive features with beautiful floral tablescapes, fun games for people to play and even a photo booth. Bride and groom portraits and family groupings are always fun to shoot but it is nice to also capture the details in the decor that each couple brings to make the venue their own. Christina and her bridesmaids held incredibly fun and fresh bouquets that coordinated with the table centerpieces and floral arrangements that greeted guests at the entrance to the venue.
The day was not only beautiful but also a ton of fun. It was easy to snap a ton of photos of not only the decor but of the friends and family who were also feeling the joyful vibes of the day, which included being able to play a Pac Man game that the couple crafted themselves. Guests were able to relax, unwind and enjoy some great dancing to the music of a live band in the open air pavilion. They were also able to snack on delicious, elegantly plated appetizers and some sweet desserts (we may have grabbed one or two). We loved hanging with Christina and Justin and the people that they love and can’t wait to see how the next couple we work with makes Preservation Park their own!
Nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains in Los Gatos, California is a beautiful wedding venue called Radonich Ranch. This old fruit packing facility was chosen by Claire and Steve for their wedding towards the end of Summer. We love shooting weddings at Radonich Ranch and it’s one of our favorite venues. When we see it listed as the venue in our wedding inquiries we instantly get excited about the potential of heading back to one of our favorite places. The excitement was no different with Claire and Steve. Their bright and summery event brought out all of the details that make shooting at Radonich Ranch such a treat.
Being at Radonich Ranch without wedding decor already feels like a lush and relaxing experience. There’s no shortage of awesome backgrounds and rustic details and the coordinator Marky Carr and her team from Vignette Events do a bang up job making the whole place shine. The rustic barn, the cozy picnic tables and the perfectly hung string lights don’t need much extra work to make you feel like you have stepped into a cozy and intimate treat. With such great bones to start with-it is easy to for our couples to make the venue photo ready-making our job that much easier.
We never get tired of seeing how each couple plays with the scenery to create their own ideal event. We loved the super fun sunflower arch that Claire and Steve stood under to say their “I do’s”. Snapping photos of their wedding party looking elegant wasn’t too hard as they all looked very sophisticated in their navy attire. Color and light are two factors we always love to play with in our work and we really had fun on this day with these two.
The bright and happy vibes of the venue match Claire and Steve’s shared passion for staying healthy and living an active life. We thought it was really cool to learn that this couple shares a love for tennis and staying fit. While there wasn’t a full size tennis court, Claire and Steve still included lawn games in their day to keep their guests moving.
Claire and Steve’s day was vibrant in both decor and in love from their friends and family. We look forward to how future couples dress up (one of) our favorite places in the Bay Area!
The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek is such a beautiful wedding venue and among one of our favorites in the Bay Area to shoot a wedding at. Tucked along the hillside the garden’s six acres are full of natural beauty all year long. We got extra lucky this Spring however when we photographed Jake and Janel’s wedding surrounded by the lush rose garden in full bloom.
Spending time with Jake and Janel to shoot their engagement photos gave us some insight on just how great of a couple these two are. Having had this time to capture the two of them together set some high expectations for their wedding day and these two really delivered. We knew it would be a great time but the level of love and warmth that Jake and Janel have for their family and friends-who so obviously love and appreciate them back is a great reminder of why we shoot weddings. The elegant, bright and beautiful scenery of Heather Farm provided a beautiful backdrop for a heartfelt ceremony and a loving (and incredibly fun!) reception.
We love that we are able to document the wedding day as it unfolds while also witnessing friends and family adoringly speak about the couples that we feel are turning into our friends as well. Jake and Janel’s wedding wasn’t only fun to shoot because of the thoughtful details and well appointed tablescapes throughout the Camellia Room -- it was fun to hear Jake speak about how nervous he was to first ask Janel out on a date, to hear Jake being poked fun of a bit for promenading on a Hawaii beach in his “short-shorts” but ultimately being appreciated for his protective nature, to hear Janel’s intelligence and presence being complimented by Jake’s sister.
The evening was filled with warmth, laughter, joy and love. It was obvious that family is important to both Jake and Janel and their loved ones. You could tell that Jake’s sister was speaking from the heart when she spoke about Janel felt like a part of the family from the beginning. We felt that sense of warmth throughout the night and felt lucky to be a part of Jake and Janel’s evening. Congratulations Jake and Janel!
For more information on booking your wedding at The Gardens, visit their event website and schedule a tour. As a recommended vendor, we offer a complimentary engagement session to all Gardens at Heather Farm referrals who book us for 8 or more hours of coverage. You can see more of our wedding photography here.
