Tiny Front Yard Wedding in the Oakland Hills

Allison and Eliot’s Tiny Oakland Wedding

As proven by this delightful, tiny Oakland wedding, people are still finding meaningful ways to celebrate love during the pandemic. While life may not return to “normal” for some time, weddings offer a sense of grounding, joy, and connection that we all desperately need in uncertain times. Let’s face it — we miss our communities. We miss dancing, laughing with friends, and sharing food and drink with the people we love. In response, couples are pivoting, reimagining their celebrations, and choosing to host smaller, more intentional weddings that focus on what matters.

Allison and Eliot did just that with their sweet, intimate ceremony in their neighbor’s driveway. The guest list was short, but the joy was immense. Everyone wore masks, tables were spaced for safety, and hand sanitizer flowed as freely as the champagne. It was a beautiful example of how love adapts — how community shows up, even six feet apart. This stripped-down celebration was no less meaningful than a grand affair. It may have been even more so.

Getting Ready

When I arrived at Allison’s friend’s house in the Oakland Hills, the atmosphere was calm, joyful, and mindful of safety. Everyone except Allison was masked up, windows were open, and fresh air circulated through the space. Her friend carefully applied her makeup while her mother snapped photos, sending updates to out-of-town family who couldn’t attend the wedding in person.

Once Allison was dressed and ready, she stepped outside to meet Eliot for a quiet moment together before the ceremony. We made a quick stop at Joaquin Miller Park for portraits among the towering trees — a serene detour before heading to their ceremony site in their friends’ front yard and driveway. It was intimate, heartfelt, and full of personal touches.

Portraits and Setup

Allison and Eliot took a hired car to Joaquin Miller Park, and I met them there. We walked and chatted in the redwoods while taking pictures, and continued on to their friends’ house. Once we arrived, they did some quick setup, and then we took some family and friend portraits before the ceremony began. Several out-of-town guests joined via Zoom.

Ceremony

The ceremony was sweet and brief. Allison and Eliot talked about how they met, their similarities (many), and their differences (a few). Guests who were joining via Zoom seemed to enjoy things as much as the people who were there in person. After the ceremony, the Zoom party was going strong, and folks on the call were laughing and sharing stories. Allison’s mother gave a speech that she had written, and then read the speech that Eliot’s mother wrote (she joined via Zoom).

Reception and Dancing

As the day went on and people had some food and drink, it seemed that the desire to keep masks on and physically distant loosened a bit. Hanging with friends, laughing, dancing, and not worrying about COVID for just a little while sure is nice. I get it. And, it made me think that, better than masks and keeping physically distant, it would be nice to do testing or quarantining before events like this. People are doing the best that they can. I appreciate that folks continue to gather for tiny weddings. It brings me joy to be able to be a part of their festivities.

Allison, Eliot, and I snuck away for a few minutes during the reception for some more couple pics. These moments are always refreshing. We talked about politics, bees, travel, and the state of the world. Always trying to keep things real. Thanks, Allison and Eliot, for a wonderful day. Congrats!

If you enjoyed this tiny Oakland wedding and want to read a little more about planning a wedding during these uncertain times, check out my pandemic planning post.