Considering Brownstone Gardens in Oakley, California as your wedding venue?


Read on to hear my thoughts on the venue, from the perspective of a photographer who recently photographed a wedding there!

The Getting Ready Experience


Taking it back to the beginning of the day, I must note that I really enjoyed the Bridal Suite. It was centrally located and provided a nice, clean backdrop for the bride's getting ready photos. I mainly pointed my camera in this one corner of the room, which was my favorite backdrop, so that the bride and her bridesmaids could leave their bags and other items around the other parts of the room and not worry about them interfering with the photos. The space itself was not too large, but it comfortably fit around 7-8 people standing around, and had a private bathroom which is always a plus. But overall: the white walls, mirrors, and romantic paintings were perfect for a bridal look.

Groom Getting Ready

The groom's getting ready space surprised me in that it was actually larger than the bride's, and hosted more seating. The groom's space was also different in decor - it had more modern decorations and artwork, leather couches, and wooden details. This space definitely gave a more masculine vibe, which I imagine would appeal to most grooms and their groomsmen who use the getting ready time to share some drinks and laughs.

Bride + Bridesmaid Portraits

Once the bride was dressed and ready to go, I took her to the side of the ceremony space where there was nice, open shade for us to snap some photos of her bridesmaids seeing her in her dress for the first time! I had the bridesmaids face the wall while the bride got in position, then had them all turn around at the count of three to capture their genuine reactions. It was a sweet moment, followed by some formal portraits of the bride solo and with her besties.

Groom + Groomsmen Portraits

While I took photos of the bride's side, my 2nd photographer snapped away at some photos of the groom & his groomsmen. Another nice thing about this venue is that the spaces are somewhat separated, allowing us to get photos of the bride and groom outside at the same time without worrying about them accidentally seeing each other. I just had to communicate with my 2nd photographer where we were going to be!

She had them pose around the koi garden, which features a sloping bridge and lots of pretty greenery.

First Touch

This couple opted to do a first touch instead of a first look. Meaning, they preferred to keep the first time the groom saw the bride that day a sacred moment of when she was walking down the aisle towards him. However, since they still wanted to have an intimate moment to check in and wish each other good luck before the ceremony, we did a first touch. They stood on opposite sides of the columns and reached their hands out for each other in an emotional and memorable moment.

The Ceremony

The ceremony is often my favorite part of the day as a wedding photographer, and this was no exception. I love how the ceremony space was set up at Brownstone Gardens, with the columns being a natural focal point. The trees surrounding the ceremony space were not only beautiful, but practical as they covered the seated guests with shade to provide some relief from the heat of the summer sun.

Family Portraits

Directly after the ceremony, I took family portraits with the columns as the backdrop. This was a great location for the family portraits because it provided enough space to comfortably fit a large group in for photos, and it was convenient for the immediate family to stay in the same place after the ceremony for these photos (as opposed to grandma having to walk all the way to another part of the venue, or a cousin being tempted to run off to the bar after walking past the cocktail hour space).


Pro tip: A month or so before the wedding, write down a list of all the different combinations of family members you want photographs with on your wedding day! This way you'll have the time to think about it, and the photographer can quickly and efficiently capture the photos by reading off the list. In the chaos of the day, you won't be scrambling to think of everyone you might want a picture with and accidentally forgetting some.


Example:

Bride, Bride's Mom

Bride, Bride's Mom, Bride's Dad

Groom, Bride, Bride's Mom, Bride's Dad

Cocktail Hour


While I captured the family portraits and some couples portraits, my 2nd photographer stayed at cocktail hour to get some candid photos of the guests and beautiful shots of the venue. The string lights, fountain, and tables were a nice touch for the guests to enjoy during this time. I noticed the kids also liked playing around the koi pond and running around the large cocktail hour space. Note: you could also opt to have your dinner in this space, but my couple opted to have dinner on the other side of the venue at the Bridal Falls!



Reception


When it was time for the reception, all of the guests were directed to walk a short distance across the venue from the Koi Gardens to Bridal Falls. My couple did their grand entrance and made their way to the sweetheart table, where they listened to a few speeches. Dinner was served buffet style, while the couple did table visits to greet each guest.

Newlywed Portraits


Around this time of the day, I snuck my couple off for some more newlywed portraits. We actually took a few portraits of the two of them together after the family photos, but now since it was nearing sunset they wanted a few golden hour photos as well. I love how the golden light shined through the trees at this time, giving a beautiful glow. I'm all about maximizing variety as a wedding photographer, so I love how the lighting during this golden hour timeframe totally changed the atmosphere of the photos.

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More Reception Fun

The good times continued after dinner with all the classic activities - special dances, cake cutting, bouquet & garter toss, etc. In the 3rd picture of these slides, you can see that the dance floor at Brownstone Gardens rests a few short staircases down from where the dinner tables were set up. I found this layout to be a unique concept that photographed beautifully. It led to an organic flow of the guests joining onto the dance floor after dinner, and not being as tempted to walk back up to their seats.

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Dancing the Night Away


The beautiful wedding ended with open dancing on the dance floor. The couple brought light-up wands for the guests to play around with, and that combined with the colorful lighting made the mood seem much more energized and fun - a true party and celebration. I also love how the venue had woven balls wrapped in string lights hanging around the trees; it was a nice touch that added a lot to the photos and vibe. As a grand exit, the guests all lined up on either side of the dance floor to form a tunnel for the couple run through. It was a perfect way to end the evening!

Final Thoughts

Upon reflecting on my experience photographing this venue, I must say that I enjoy how Brownstone Gardens utilized their space. It is not a huge venue, but for practical purposes this can sometimes be better for your guests to not have to walk long distances between events. I liked how each space had their own vibe to add maximum variety to the photos. The staff were friendly & helpful, and overall I would definitely recommend considering having your wedding here!

I hope this blog helped you visualize how your own wedding day could look at this Bay Area venue! If you're still searching for a wedding photographer, please consider me for your special day.

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