It’s probably no surprise to hear but we looove Oakland. Oakland is where we started our business, where we still enjoy Spring hikes on those lush green hills, and most recently where we shot Luisa and Zach’s wedding at the Oakland Museum of California (one of our favorite venues in town).

While we love the ever-changing exhibits within the museum and hitting the food trucks at Off the Grid, it was great to see the outdoor areas of the museum transformed into a wedding venue for Luisa and Zach’s ceremony. The setup had a fresh and fun feel that was perfect for their intimate ceremony. Luisa and Zach opted not to have a wedding party but there were plenty of beautiful details to capture, including Luisa’s lush bouquet of greenery and Zach’s finely crafted Barong Tagalog. We have seen our fair share of weddings over the past 13 years but it never becomes routine as each couple brings a sense of personalization to their big day. Luisa and Zach brought elegant style and a fun personality to their ceremony which spilled over into the reception.

Wedding days can go by in a blur as there is so much to do, family photos to take, guests to greet, etc. but luckily these two made sure to take some time with one another for a walk through their old Oakland hangouts. We had a ton of fun walking from the Oakland Museum, around Lake Merritt, and to their reception at Duende in the Uptown area of Oakland. These two used to live in Oakland and despite living in Southern California still have their hearts in the Bay. By the time we got to the restaurant we were all ready to dig in to the (thankfully very large) paella dish.

We loved hanging with Zach and Luisa’s families and getting to share a family style dish with them that was fitting for this couple and their very cool day.