This charming Bellevue Club wedding in Oakland is actually the very first truly solo wedding that I have photographed! It is also particularly dear to my heart because the bride, Michelle, was in the San Francisco Girls Chorus with me. I have also photographed Ashley, her sister, and her family several times! (You can see Ashley’s Windy Hill Maternity Photos). The Bellevue Club is a lovely five-story French chateau right off of Lake Merritt. Just a few streets away from downtown Oakland, it feels completely separate from the city. I can’t believe I have lived in the Bay Area my entire life and never been there, because it is beautiful! Michelle told me that her grandparents used to be members, which is how they knew about it.

I met Michelle and her bridesmaids in the bridal suite on the third floor, which had the prettiest light! And how gorgeous is Michelle’s dress with that beautiful lace back. As Tali (the flower girl and Michelle’s niece) pointed out, Michelle looked just like a princess. The girls were all getting their makeup and hair done, so after I snapped a few photos, Ashley gave me a quick tour of where everything was being held. The ceremony was upstairs in a gorgeous room with high ceilings. Guests were able to take an elevator straight up, which was especially important for Michelle’s grandparents. The flowers were all incredibly gorgeous and so unique! Apparently one of the flowers in the bridesmaids’ bouquets was actually baby kale! How fun! The reception was held in a gorgeous ballroom right around the corner from the ceremony room.

My favorite part of the wedding was that there were so many personal touches. Michelle’s brother Alex, who is in seminary school, officiated the wedding and Ashley’s husband Eric was the DJ. The bride and groom also did a “money dance” which is apparently a Filipino tradition where guests can come dance with the bride or groom as long as they pin some money on them to help them start their married life! Michelle’s cousin and bridesmaid came up with the Newly-shoed game which was one of the most fun games I’ve seen at a wedding! The bride and groom each traded one shoe so they were holding on of their own and one of their spouse’s shoes and sat in chairs facing away from each other. Michelle’s cousin then asked a series of questions like… who’s the better driver (they both raised their own shoe, haha!) or who’s the sweetest (Michelle).

Congratulations to Greg and Michelle! It was so incredibly clear that they were head over heels in love. I spent most of the reception following them around, watching as they made sure they were always holding hands and staying close to each other even as they greeted different guests. The Bellevue Club was such a lovely venue for their elegant wedding.

Vendors:

• Venue – Bellevue Club

• Dress – Janene’s Bridal Boutique

• Cake – Whisk Cake Creations

• Flowers – Pairs and Pieces

• Band – Music-To-Go San Francisco Conservatory of Music

• Officiant: Bride’s Brother

• DJ: Bride’s Brother-in-law

Contact me or email me at alice@aliceche.com now to book your Bellevue Club wedding in Oakland now!

If you liked this wedding, you might also like this stunning, lavish wedding held in the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco or this lovely wedding held in the beautiful Ruby Hills Golf Course ballroom.

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Alice Che is a San Francisco Wedding Photographer based in the Bay Area specializing in intimate, emotional wedding, engagement, couple and boudoir photography. Serving the South Bay, Peninsula, and East Bay: San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Carlos, Burlingame, Los Altos, Milpitas, Union City, Fremont, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and surrounding areas.