Emmie & Sebastian's Brazilian Room Wedding at Tilden Park

Oct 2

If you couldn't tell from the fact that I'm working at three different Julia Morgan properties this year (Berkeley City Club, North Star House, and the Julia Morgan Ballroom), I am a very venue-first planner. I got engaged at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home. I'm a bit of an architecture nerd. So when Emmie and Sebastian reached out to have me plan their wedding at the Brazilian Room at Tilden Park, I was thrilled.

A room that sings

The ceilings, the roaring fireplace, the views of the trees. The entire property sings, especially for a wedding. There's already so much symmetry built in, and so much opportunity to bring warmth and light into a space that is already built for it. The high-contrast ceilings make for such a beautiful backdrop to first dances, toasts, and everything in between.

Love at first sight, ten years later

Emmie and Sebastian met in Berlin. Emmie was going into an elevator and Sebastian was coming out. They made eye contact, and it was love at first sight. They spent the rest of the trip together with the people who would end up being their bridal party. Ten years later, they were getting married.

Walking the space together

One of the most valuable things we did during this planning journey was visit the Brazilian Room together. I always recommend, and provide for all of my clients, at least one site visit together so we can feel the space. It's where I understand what a couple wants to get out of their experience, and where I start building a timeline and floor plan around what they share with me. It was so lovely to be there with Emmie, Sebastian, and Emmie's mom, so we could all partner together to build this perfect day.

Designed around movement

Emmie and Sebastian welcomed 80 guests on a summer day, with the ceremony outside on the patio. We didn't need a rain plan, so we designed the entire floor plan around movement: guests flowing from the patio into the room and back out again all evening. That rhythm of in and out is what makes the Brazilian Room feel so alive, and it shaped every decision that followed.

Bringing the outdoors in

Emmie and Sebastian wanted to anchor on a white and green color palette, with subtle pops of champagne and blush throughout, so they could feel like they were bringing the outdoors indoors.

I knew Mark Dillon Luna was the only person I should have them talk to. He and his team dressed a beautiful chuppah from Events by the Bay with saddle pieces, plus ground décor that made sure the aisle moment was outstanding for Emmie and her entire bridal party as they walked down the aisle on the patio.

A ceremony built on what mattered most

Emmie and Sebastian chose the Jewish traditions that were most important to them, and the chuppah was at the heart of it.

To make sure there was symmetry between Emmie, Sebastian, their bridal party, and the officiant, we used white chalk to draw little hearts where everyone's feet went at the ceremony site. That meant less guesswork, and no trying to catch anyone's attention in the middle of the ceremony to center them so the photos came out properly.

Planner tip: When your backdrop has structure and requires symmetry, it's imperative to mark where your people go. You can train them all you want on where they're supposed to stand, but putting down a marker makes a huge difference. Tan scotch tape, chalk, anything that's unobtrusive to the eye and still tells people exactly where to go.

Using color to guide the day

The couple was originally going to go with all ivory linens. I think there's a lot of value in varying the colors you use on your tables, your cocktail tables, and your moments like the welcome sign, memorial table, or guest book. Color draws the eye and gives information, the same way signage guides people. Your linens can signal the shift between moments across the wedding day.

So we used green linens for the outdoor portion of the event: the guest book table, the memorial table, and the cocktail tables. When guests came inside, the linens were a lovely ivory, which made the florals sing.

Drinks before the "I do"

Blue Heron Catering made their vision come to life. Everyone had a Hugo spritz before they even sat down for the ceremony, and the drinks were flowing all night long.

One of my favorite details from the day was Blue Heron's affogato station. It was such a pleasant surprise for guests, a pick-me-up and a sweet treat at the same time.

The ceremony, carried inside

What was extra special about the chuppah saddle pieces and the aisle pieces is that we were able to repurpose them into the room. They were placed along the windowsills and around the cake table, and they made that indoor-outdoor feeling come to life inside, even late into the night.

A wedding built for the littlest guests

This was one of our most kid-heavy weddings. There were at least 15 children, ranging from six months to eight years old, and Emmie and Sebastian went out of their way to accommodate them. They provided Legos, coloring books, glow sticks, and, most importantly, lounges outside during dancing, where parents could take a break, watch their kids, and give them space to run around while the party went on inside. Because the whole layout was built around moving between the patio and the room, parents never had to choose between the dance floor and their kids.

What I recommend for a kid-friendly wedding

Give parents a dedicated nursing room. Having resources available for children and parents is extremely important, especially if those children are still nursing. A parent might be thinking about when they need to nurse and where they need to refrigerate their items. We recommend booking a separate room on the property, near the reception space, where parents can take a break and breastfeed or pump. It makes a huge difference for their experience, and it takes away the guesswork of walking across the property, driving somewhere, or sitting in the car away from the celebration.

Plan for temperature. We didn't have a ton of shade at this wedding, and in retrospect, I would have liked to have hand fans, parasols, or some kind of temperature control for the guests most affected by heat, especially children.

Be selective with the giveaways. The activities were great, and the glow sticks were fabulous. But when there are a lot of kids, they get rowdy, and small things have a tendency to get thrown. Be careful about how many you hand out.

Hire an event nanny. Parents still want to enjoy the party. A babysitter or event nanny can be a huge difference maker, because then it's someone's actual job to make sure the kids are behaving, or at least to clean up after them, so the parents can be guests too.

A planner's note for Brazilian Room couples

One disadvantage of the Brazilian Room is that your ceremony space is inherently also your cocktail space. Emmie and Sebastian used the same chairs for their ceremony and their reception, so the Blue Heron team had to break down every chair and move it inside before bringing out the cocktail tables. That meant we didn't have a chance to steam the linens, and we had to place florals in front of guests, which is never something I'm a big fan of.

If you're planning here, I'd recommend renting a second set of chairs for the ceremony, or building a dedicated flip crew into your rental and catering plan. Either one buys back the time to finish the room properly before your guests walk in.

Back in Berlin

The dancing went all night long. Even as the dance floor dwindled to just Emmie, Sebastian, and her bridal party (the same friends from that first trip), you could tell they were reliving their best memories of being at a club together in Berlin. Sitting together, laughing over memories, good drinks, and great food.

Ashley M. Clayton did an amazing job capturing the entire day, seeing and feeling the softness Emmie and Sebastian wanted to carry through the whole experience.

See the full gallery: parkerpaloma.com/portfolio/brazilian-room-wedding