Autumn Outdoor Art Club Wedding » Mill Valley, California » Erin Prado for VCP

// This wedding was photographed by associate photographer, Erin Prado. //

Amanda and Lee planned a lovely Mill Valley wedding complete with their first look in a nearby redwood grove. Their ceremony took place on the back patio of the Outdoor Art Club while the front of the gardens served as their cocktail hour and dinner reception. The evening festivities kicked off with Amanda and Lee’s first dance with a live band lead by Amanda’s father. Truly a wonderful Marin celebration!

Photographer: Erin Prado for VCP // Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Planner: Limelight Productions // Floral Design: The Little Flower Shop // Caterer: Stacy Scott Catering // Dessert: Creekside Bakery // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Live Band: Greg Johnson Jazz // DJ: Allison from Heart of Gold DJs

Lush Outdoor Art Club Garden Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Katya and Matt were married on a beautiful and warm summer day at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley. The day began at the Mill Valley Inn where Katya and her bridesmaids were getting ready. As they changed into their dresses, I popped over to Mill Valley Beerworks next door where Matt and his groomsmen were grabbing some beers and a quick bite. Once everyone arrived at the venue, Katya and Matt had a sweet first look while her bridesmaids looked on. Katya’s uncle officiated their ceremony under the redwood trees and the vows had everyone crying happy tears. During the reception, Katya and Matt’s sisters surprised them with an acoustic performance of one of Katya’s favorite songs. The party continued on into the night as Katya’s uncle did double duty and DJed the evening’s party. As a nod to Katya’s Lebanese heritage, her family included a traditional dance before everyone assembled for a conga line on the dancefloor. Such a fun wedding!

Intimate Outdoor Art Club Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Meagan and Reuben wanted a low-key and relaxed wedding to match their personalities. They are a very practical and egalitarian couple and it shows. On how they decided to get married, Reuben said, “Even at the moment we started dating, our relationship was already quite serious, since we'd already known each other extremely well for ~5 years. I think we both had in mind that if this 'worked out', we were hoping to marry each other. We talked about marriage frequently in the first two years of our relationship. One belief that both of us held around a proposal is that it shouldn't be the one-sided exercise that it frequently is. We felt that either both of us should get engagement rings or neither of us should and that there shouldn't necessarily be a "proposal" as such. So, in the spring of this year, we spent several weekends going to various jewelry stores in the Bay Area shopping for engagement rings for the both of us. After finding ones we liked and getting them, it was very much a "Hmmm, I guess we should start telling people this is a thing now?" Even though we were very intentional about choosing each other, we actually can't even point to a moment when we decided to get married since it was kind of the default assumption for so long!”

Meagan and Reuben, big fans of backpacking and camping, really wanted to showcase California elegance so the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley was the perfect choice because of its natural beauty. When I arrived at the venue, Meagan and Reuben were getting ready together. Reuben even helped steam Meagan’s dress. Reuben’s sister played a big role in helping the day unfold as she not only officiated but also made the ceramics for the reception florals and baked the wedding cake. Their intimate wedding truly showcased the power of community and the love everyone has for the two of them.

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Floral Design: DIY with help from Reuben’s sister Madeline // Caterer: RSVP Catering // Dessert Pies: Mission Pie // Hair & Make-Up: Caitlin Collentine // Meagan’s Dress: Unbridaled by Dan Jones from LOHO Bride // Meagan’s Shoes: Sam Edelman // Reuben’s Suit: Suitsupply // Reuben’s Shoes: Allen Edmonds // Wedding Bands: Esqueleto

Destination Outdoor Art Club Wedding » Mill Valley, California

J and D live in New York but have a lot of family in the Bay Area, especially since J is a California native. For their destination wedding, the chose the Outdoor Art Club for a low key elegant celebration surrounded by the natural beauty of the gardens and Mill Valley. They were also drawn to the unique wooden architecture of the Bernard Maybeck building. I met D and J for their first look at the venue before walking over to Old Mill Park with their sibling wedding party for portraits under the redwoods. D’s aunt officiated their wedding while J and D’s nieces and nephews participated as flower girls and ring bearers. There were a few Jewish traditions present like the sharing of wine and the breaking of the glass, a nod to D’s family heritage. After the ceremony, guests mingled with the couple in the gardens while enjoying passed appetizers and drinks before heading into dinner for a delicious dinner. Hilarious toasts from the couple’s siblings kicked off the evening of dancing, dessert and merriment.

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Coordinator: Jessica Uhl of City Lights Event Company // Floral Design: Belle-Flower // Caterer & Rentals: Trumpet Vine Catering // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Cake: Live Love Bake // Hair & Make-Up: Rachel Rockwood Artistry // DJ: ChungTech

Winter Outdoor Art Club Jewish Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Katie and Ari were married on an overcast winter day at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley. They chose the Outdoor Art Club because it showcases Mill Valley's natural beauty and it is a central spot for their favorite bike rides. Katie and Ari had an interfaith wedding featuring Jewish traditions but with a twist. The couple’s sisters and close friends held the chuppah and instead of sharing wine, they chose to crack open a Sierra Nevada beer. The rest of the wedding continued this casual and easy going vibe as guests sipped on beer and enjoyed a delicious meal and appetizers before getting down on the dancefloor for the traditional Jewish horah.

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Floral Design: Barbara Winters & Mill Valley Flowers // Caterer: Cater Marin // Baker: Cake Coquette // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Hair & Make-Up: Diana Varat // DJ: DJ Jeremy Productions

Outdoor Art Club Destination Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Originally in the same class at Princeton, Devon and Brandon only started spending more time together when they both moved up to Boston right after college--Devon was working for a nonprofit and Brandon was getting his master's degree. After several months hanging out their friendship turned to romance and they started dating. 

In the winter of 2016, Brandon took Devon to an intimate candlelit dinner at a French restaurant in Reno where he had created a miniature winter wonderland with a tiny village and little figurines representing different aspects of their life together. After Brandon explained all of the different components of the display, they walked over to the dinner table, where he had left a handwritten note on Devon's place setting asking if she would marry him. She replied, "Of course!"

Even though they live in Washington DC, they decided to fly all the way to Mill Valley, California for their wedding. Devon and Brandon knew they wanted to get married in an outdoor garden space with plenty of natural beauty, but also wanted a refined, classy space for the reception. The Outdoor Art Club fit the bill perfectly. As a bonus, they were attracted to the Club's history and its mission: the proceeds from the wedding that did not directly go to maintaining the property are allocated to conservation efforts elsewhere. The rich autumn color palette and their ceremony under some redwood trees brought together relaxed yet elegant elements. As avid readers, their guests were gifted a choice of the couple's favorite novels as wedding favors. 

Wedding Venue: Outdoor Art Club // Wedding Planner: Lindsay Lauren Events // Floral Design: Sweet Roots Farm // Catering: Ann Walker Catering // Cake: Branching Out Cakes // Lighting: Marin Event Lighting // Rentals: JRB Events // Music/DJ: All Ears DJ // Make-Up: Make-Up by Adele // Hairstylist: Hair by Missy // Invitations: Kseniya Thomas of Thomas Printers // Calligraphy: Kim Nichols Design // Wedding Signs: Minted Style Co. // Devon's Dress: Nicole Miller // Dress Alterations: A Stitch in Time // Devon's Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Brandon's Suit: Ted Baker // Brandon's Shoes: Magnanni // Rings: Brilliant Earth & Royal Jewelers