A Chic and Simple Wedding in Berkeley’s Neighborhood

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Location: Berkeley, California, USA
Setting: Ceremony – park; reception – restaurant
Season: Fall
How long did the couple plan the event: 6 months
Number of guests: 65
Wedding theme/style: Intimate, DIY, modern, party.

Kim and Andy had a classic first encounter and met on a dating app in October 2017. Their first date was in San Francisco Chinatown, where they immediately connected and have been inseparable ever since. Fast forward to now, they’ve been living in Berkeley for the past 5 years with their dog Juna. Andy proposed in March 2023 on their favorite dog hike in the Berkeley hills. Since they’ve built a life in Berkeley, it was important for them to keep their wedding local and have their celebration in the East Bay.

Kim’s a Bay Area native and always thought about getting married in the same venue where her parents had their wedding 30 years ago. One day, Kim randomly checked their bookings, and a date opened up on the perfect Saturday in October. It was meant to be!

Kim wanted to keep her look simple with a classic strapless Alexandra Grecco wedding dress, which perfectly matched the serene setting of Tilden Park. Her style was effortlessly elegant, highlighted by her flowing hair and simple jewelry, capturing the essence of understated beauty.

Andy chose a relaxed yet fashionable look, wearing a loosely fitted suit by Auralee paired with a crisp white t-shirt from Lady White Co., ideal for the warm, casual vibe of the day. His outfit featured a vibrant floral boutonniere, linking his look to the colorful bouquet of his bride and super bloom-inspired floral arrangements at their celebration.

The ceremony was held in Tilden Park, the Berkeley Hills in the presence of closest friends and family. “The concept of the wedding was to have an intimate ceremony with a fun, modern dinner party reception with vinyl playing all night,” the bride shared. “What made the day unique was that every decision was very personal to us and our personalities.”

The day’s moments were beautifully captured by Angela Jazmin, whose skill with both film and digital photography added timeless vibes to the images. Angela’s ability to blend spontaneity with artistic composition shone through, showcasing the couple’s genuine emotions against the lush, natural backdrops of the park and the intimate setting of their reception.

The reception took place at a small restaurant, Tarocco, in Kim and Andy’s neighborhood. Since the wedding was local, it was also fun for Kim and Andy to have wedding photos taken at home and around their beloved district, which is full of interesting industrial-style buildings.

Kim and Andy didn’t have a specific color palette for their wedding; they just wanted it to be multicolored and fun. “The Concept for the florals was colorful, modern, ikebana style, super bloom, and we were inspired by the work of Piet Oudolf, whose work we saw at the Voorlinden museum in the Netherlands,“ Kim explained.

It was important to Kim and Andy to have the best food. They love to host dinner parties at home with their friends and have always wanted a Chinese banquet-style reception. The couple enjoys exploring restaurant pop-ups, so they invited one of their favorites, the Four Kings—chefs known for their canto-nostalgic cuisine—to create a modern version of a Chinese wedding banquet, and they graciously agreed!

Andy is a designer, so it was important for him to make all the signage and wedding favors himself. Andy designed matchbooks with crossword riddles about Kim and Andy. Kim said, “He also created an activity book filled with puzzles and trivia about our relationship and things we both like. We wanted to keep our wedding fun and personal!”

Advice from the couple:

• Don’t think of it like planning a typical wedding; we were creating the dinner party of our dreams for our closest friends and family and made decisions based on that, which made it more fun to plan.

• Do what’s true to you as a couple and what will make you happy!