Kari & Julie: An Oakland Restaurant Wedding at Pizzaiolo
If you follow Kari on Instagram, you already know how this wedding tastes. Her stories are a running love letter to the most beautiful places to eat and drink, and she has impeccable, slightly dangerous taste. (She's the entire reason I spent my 30th birthday at Hotel San Cristobal. No regrets.)
So when Kari and Julie told me they were getting married at Pizzaiolo, I wasn't surprised. I was thrilled. And their one non-negotiable made perfect sense: nobody was eating a bad meal at this wedding.
How I Know These Two
Kari and I met at Salesforce, where I produced events for our Equality team and employee resource groups. Kari was our data analyst, the person tracking whether women, people of color, disabled people, and queer folks actually had equal opportunities to succeed there. In other words, she was the one holding everyone to the numbers.
That tells you most of what you need to know about Kari. She is a type-A Virgo who likes things done precisely (as a fellow Virgo, I say that with deep respect). Julie is the perfect counterweight, and she has been wearing that signature top knot for as long as I've known her. I honestly couldn't tell you how they met, because I've never known them apart.
A Weekend Built Around the Places They Love
Kari and Julie didn't want one long, overstuffed day. They split their celebration into the moments that mattered most to them, and each one had its own flavor.
It started with an intimate City Hall ceremony, followed by dinner at The Progress, one of their favorite tables in the city. On Saturday morning, Kari's mom and brother hosted a brunch at the Claremont Resort & Club. (Two brides means the traditional titles get delightfully scrambled. We made it work.)
Then, that evening, everyone headed to Temescal for the main event.
Why Pizzaiolo Works for a Wedding
Pizzaiolo is one of my favorite restaurant venues in the East Bay, and it's built for a celebration like this. The garden out back is made for a long, candlelit dinner. The indoor dining room shifts easily from cocktail hour into a dance floor. Every guest gets a little bit of everything.
And the food. We did the tasting fairly late in the process, which only made the anticipation worse. By the time the night arrived, guests were slurping oysters and fighting over chocolate pots de crème, exactly as Kari and Julie intended.
As a bonus, the neighborhood street fair was happening right out front the same day. The whole block was buzzing with music and color, and the energy spilled straight into the party.
Less Is More, Placed Exactly Right
Kari and Julie took a deliberately restrained approach to design, and it's one I'd love more couples to borrow. Instead of flowers everywhere, they put them where they would hit hardest.
Diosa Blooms filled the fountain behind their place settings with lush, generous blooms, creating a true focal point for the table. Bud vases carried the burgundy and greenery through the rest of the space, so the whole room felt connected without feeling crowded.
That palette started on paper. I designed all of their stationery in their signature sharp green, burgundy, and cream, and it set the tone for everything that followed. It's rich, a little moody, and very them.
The Moment
As the sun went down, Kari and Julie slipped away for a few minutes alone. The sky over Oakland turned bright pink. Lisa Frare captured the two of them together, and then looking down at the garden below, where every person they loved was gathered in one place: eating well, laughing loudly, and waiting for them to come back to the party.
DJ LACONY took it from there.
Kari, Julie: thank you for trusting me with your weekend, and for proving that the best weddings taste like the people at the center of them.
The Vendor Team
Venue: Pizzaiolo, Oakland
Planning & Design: Parker Paloma Events
Stationery Design: Parker Paloma Events
Photography: Lisa Frare
Florals: Diosa Blooms
DJ: DJ LACONY
Planning a wedding that's built around the places, food, and people you love? Start your inquiry.