Lauren and Rafael held their Oakland wedding at Joaquin Miller Community Center, using the redwoods, broad deck, stained-glass room, and sunset view for a day that moved from portraits to a 5:15 ceremony, dinner, cake, and dancing.
Portraits in the redwoods before the ceremony
Photography began at 3:30 and the couple used the surrounding park for portraits before guests arrived. The redwoods made the setting feel removed from the city without requiring a long drive between locations.
A deck ceremony and bubble-gun recessional
The ceremony began at 5:15 on the deck, followed by family photographs and a playful bubble-gun recessional. Guests moved inside for dinner at 6:00.
Cake, one big group photograph, and dancing
Rather than formal first dances, the evening moved from cake into a photograph of everyone together and then straight onto the dance floor. Lauren and Rafael stepped outside once more for the 8:21 sunset before the celebration ended at 9:00.
