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 2024).
We’ve photographed several weddings over the years at the Brazilian Room (also often called the Brazil Building) and we love working there. We’re so lucky to have Tilden Park in our backyard and we love that there is a such a great wedding venue tucked within it’s borders. Even better, the Brazilian Room is one of the more affordable wedding venues in the Bay Area.
If you’re interested in other venues, check out our list of favorite Bay Area wedding venues.
You can view more of our Bay Area wedding work here.
Brazilian Room Wedding Ceremony Locations
The main ceremony location at the Brazilian Room is outside on the patio. The view is beautiful and overlooks the lush tree covered hills of Wildcat Canyon. The patio is adjacent to a large green space, which adds a pop of color to your ceremony backdrop. Due to the abundance of natural scenery, it doesn’t take much to turn the patio into an elegant wedding ceremony site. White chairs and a few floral arrangements are all you need to wow your guests and have them wondering how they can find an opening for their own event.
The Brazilian Room is a beautiful venue both inside and out. The large floor to ceiling windows allow guests to continue to enjoy what nature has to offer during your wedding reception. A reception at the Brazil Room allows you to feel connected to the outdoors while enjoying the romantic comforts of hardwood floors, dark wood paneling and even a large stone fireplace. This venue is a gift from Brazil (a relic of the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island) that allows couples and their families to celebrate the landscape of the Bay Area.
Where to take wedding photos at the Brazilian Room
Tilden Park has so many wonderful areas to take wedding photos and you don’t have to go far to find some great spots. If you’re short on time, even the venue grounds at the Brazilian Room will do nicely. Below are some of our go-to spots for shooting couple, wedding party, and family portraits.
Regional Parks Botanic Garden
One popular area to visit for wedding photos is just down the hill at the Botanic Garden. This is a beautiful labyrinth of plants that contains hundreds of native California plant species from coastal redwoods to California poppies. It’s the easiest spot to access and one of our favorites. Bear in mind there is an additional fee to use the space for wedding portraits.
Tilden Park Picnic Sites
In addition to the garden, there are plenty of nearby picnic sites with open meadows and groves of eucalyptus trees. Immediately behind the Brazilian Room is small open space off Anza View Rd. If you follow Wildcat Canyon Rd. towards Inspiration Point, you’ll pass Mineral Springs and the Quarry Trail Picnic Site both of which are nice spots for photos. The latter option climbs a little bit but the Seaview Trail is worth the view.
Inspiration Point
While the name certainly elevates your expectations, Inspiration Point in Tilden Park may not be the best spot for wedding photos. It’s a beautiful place don’t get us wrong but with wedding day logistics it can be tricky to truly take advantage of this place. The immediate view from the parking lot looks out over the San Pablo Reservoir and is slightly obstructed by the hillside trees below. To achieve a view that looks out on to the San Francisco Bay you will have to walk quite a bit along the Nimitz Trail for the tree line to fall away. This is a lovely, mostly paved trail but for a quick scenic spot you’re better off finding a different location.
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak, with it’s panoramic views of the Bay Area, is obviously deserving of a mention too. It’s a popular lookout so it can get busy but if you’re up for a small hike there are several spots you can reach with beautiful views.
Wherever you are in Tilden Park, make sure to stay on trails and watch out for Poison Oak! It’s rampant out there and certainly won’t make for a happy wedding keepsake.
How to Reserve the Brazilian Room
The park service operates an online facility calendar that you can use to check availability. As with most Bay Area wedding venues, Saturdays and Sundays in the Summer months are quick to go and weekend dates in September are a hot ticket and book up quick.
How much does the Brazilian Room Cost?
One perk about using a wedding venue operated by the Parks Department is price. The Brazilian Room is one of the more affordable wedding venues in the area. Couples looking for a good deal can choose to have their wedding on an “off-peak” day of the week (Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday) and can buyout the facility from 8am to Midnight for $1160 (catering restrictions do apply). Booking the whole day on Friday is $2890, $4615 on Saturdays, and $4500 on Sundays and Holidays. You can view the full rental fee document here.
Preferred Vendors
The Brazilian Room has a required caterer list here. You must hire a caterer if you’re having an event on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or on a holiday.
The venue also provides a preferred vendor list for photographers, florists, event planners, and DJ’s. We’re grateful to be listed as a preferred photographer!
About e&b photography
e&b photography is a natural light wedding and portrait photography studio located in Oakland, California.
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