Hacienda de las Flores Wedding in Moraga

Kelsie and Benjamin booked photo and video, and we covered their day with a team of four. Before the photos, here is their day in motion. This is the part photos cannot do for you, and it is why I keep saying the video matters just as much.

Kelsie and Benjamin’s Hacienda de las Flores Wedding

Hacienda de las Flores is a nine acre estate in Moraga, California, and it photographs like three venues sharing one address. A Spanish style hacienda from 1916, gardens and redwoods out back, a Pavilion with columns by the pool. Kelsie and Benjamin used just about every corner of it.

Kelsie and Benjamin standing in the garden gateway with the stone stairway behind them at Hacienda de las Flores

They got ready at the Lafayette Park Hotel, had their first look in the courtyard there, then drove fifteen minutes to the venue for a lawn ceremony, golden hour portraits, and a tent reception under string lights. If you are looking for a Hacienda de las Flores wedding photographer, this is the kind of day this property gives you.

Kelsie and Benjamin kissing in the redwood grove at Hacienda de las Flores

Getting ready

The morning started at the Lafayette Park Hotel, about fifteen minutes from the venue. Kelsie’s dress spent the morning hanging against an ivy covered wall, which is a better backdrop than most getting ready rooms I have ever walked into. Her morning was all laughter, family close by, and a bottle of Chanel on the dresser.

Benjamin got ready a few doors down in a black tux and a bow tie. And yes, those are planets on his socks. Formal on the outside, space program underneath.

Kelsie's gold wedding heels photographed before her Hacienda de las Flores wedding in Moraga California
Bride's perfume earrings and rings laid out on her wedding morning at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin's gold wedding bands and engagement ring photographed in Moraga California
Kelsie's lace wedding dress hanging against an ivy covered wall on the morning of her wedding
Benjamin's watch cologne and pocket square laid out before the wedding at Hacienda de las Flores
Benjamin's space themed socks with his dress shoes at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie laughing while her hair is styled on her wedding morning in Moraga California
Kelsie smiling during makeup on the morning of her Hacienda de las Flores wedding
Black and white photo of Kelsie getting ready by the window at the Lafayette Park Hotel
Benjamin adjusting his bow tie in a mirror while his best man watches at Hacienda de las Flores
Benjamin in his tuxedo in dramatic window light before the ceremony in Moraga California
Kelsie getting help into her lace wedding dress on her wedding morning
Kelsie in her lace gown with its train spread out as she finishes getting ready
Kelsie fastening her bracelet in her lace wedding dress at Hacienda de las Flores

A first look, plus a box of red roses

Most grooms bring nerves to a first look. Benjamin brought a black box full of red roses and handed it to Kelsie right after he turned around. It went over well.

They had the hotel courtyard to themselves for a few minutes, and we let them have it. The laughing photos from this part of the day are always the ones that end up framed, and these two laughed a lot. From there it was a short drive to the venue and straight into portraits.

Kelsie walking up behind Benjamin for their first look in the courtyard at the Lafayette Park Hotel
Benjamin turning around and smiling at Kelsie during their first look in Lafayette California
Kelsie and Benjamin hugging right after their first look at the Lafayette Park Hotel
Benjamin handing Kelsie a gift box during their first look at the Lafayette Park Hotel
The box of red roses Benjamin gave Kelsie at their first look
Kelsie and Benjamin laughing together in the courtyard at the Lafayette Park Hotel
Benjamin kissing Kelsie's forehead in the courtyard at the Lafayette Park Hotel

Portraits in the gardens

From there we walked the grounds. The stone stairway and the iron gates below it, the garden wall, the redwood grove at the back of the property where the light comes through the trees in stripes, and one stop at the Pavilion pool, where the water gave us a reflection shot I did not have to beg for.

This is the part of Hacienda de las Flores that sells itself. You are never more than a two minute walk from a completely different backdrop.

Wide portrait of the couple at the iron gates below the stone stairway at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin walking through the garden gate at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga
The couple standing in the redwood grove at Hacienda de las Flores with sunlight through the trees
Kelsie resting her head on Benjamin's chest in the redwood grove at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie alone with her bouquet at the garden gate at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga
Kelsie standing in a doorway by the pool at the Pavilion at Hacienda de las Flores
Benjamin standing at the garden gate at Hacienda de las Flores before the ceremony
Black and white portrait of Kelsie and Benjamin in the redwood grove at Hacienda de las Flores

The ceremony

Guests sat on the lawn facing the wooden arch and the stone wall. Benjamin walked out from the Pavilion colonnade first, then Kelsie came down the aisle, and his face when he saw her is in the photos below, because some reactions you cannot stage.

Partway through the ceremony they sealed a bottle of wine into a wooden box to open on an anniversary down the road. Then rings, a kiss, and a walk back up the aisle through a cloud of bubbles, which is a far better exit than rice and looks better in photos too.

The ceremony setup on the lawn at Hacienda de las Flores with white chairs and a wooden arch
The wooden ceremony arch set against the stone wall at Hacienda de las Flores
Guests seated in front of the Pavilion colonnade before the ceremony at Hacienda de las Flores
Benjamin walking down the aisle in front of the Pavilion at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie walking down the aisle at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga California
Benjamin watching Kelsie arrive at the arch during their Hacienda de las Flores ceremony
Benjamin's reaction as Kelsie walks down the aisle at Hacienda de las Flores
The handoff handshake at the start of the ceremony at Hacienda de las Flores
Wide view of Kelsie and Benjamin's ceremony on the lawn at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin holding hands during their ceremony at Hacienda de las Flores
The officiant reading during Kelsie and Benjamin's ceremony at Hacienda de las Flores
The ring exchange under the wooden arch at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga
Kelsie and Benjamin at the table for their wine box ceremony at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin's first kiss under the wooden arch at Hacienda de las Flores
The newly married couple walking back up the aisle at Hacienda de las Flores
Guests blowing bubbles as the couple kisses in the middle of the aisle at Hacienda de las Flores

Golden hour in the gardens

After the ceremony we stole them for ten minutes while the light dropped. The garden gate and the trees behind it go gold at that hour, and the hacienda itself made a pretty good backdrop for the last frames before dinner.

Kelsie backlit by golden hour light at the garden gate at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin in golden hour light at the garden gate at Hacienda de las Flores
The couple embracing in golden light through the trees at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin framed by golden hour sun in the gardens at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin laughing together at dusk at Hacienda de las Flores

The reception

Dinner and dancing happened in a tent on the patio, string lights overhead, gold chargers and floating candles on the tables. Kelsie and Benjamin walked in dancing, which set the tone for the night.

The toasts did what good toasts do. People laughed, Benjamin laughed harder, and at one point Kelsie had to wipe away a tear. Then cake, a packed dance floor, and a bouquet toss that turned into a small contact sport.

The couple on the lawn at dusk with string lights behind them at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin in front of the hacienda building and palm trees at dusk in Moraga
Floating candles and white flowers on a reception table at Hacienda de las Flores
Reception table with gold chargers and black napkins at Hacienda de las Flores
The sweetheart table with a long floral runner at Kelsie and Benjamin's Hacienda de las Flores reception
Wide view of the reception tent with round tables at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga
Kelsie and Benjamin making their entrance into the reception at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin's first dance inside the tent under string lights at Hacienda de las Flores
The couple smiling at each other during their first dance at Hacienda de las Flores
A toast at the sweetheart table inside the reception tent at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie wiping away a tear during a toast at her Hacienda de las Flores reception
The couple laughing during a toast inside the tent at Hacienda de las Flores
Kelsie and Benjamin's two tier white wedding cake with greenery at Hacienda de las Flores
The couple feeding each other cake and laughing at Hacienda de las Flores
Open dancing inside the reception tent at night at Hacienda de las Flores
Black and white photo of the couple dancing in a spotlight at Hacienda de las Flores
Guests reaching for the bouquet during the toss at Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga

Kelsie and Benjamin, thank you for trusting me with this day. Your wedding is the one I point to when couples ask what Hacienda de las Flores can look like when you use the whole property.

Planning a wedding at Hacienda de las Flores, or anywhere in the East Bay or wine country? I shoot photo and video together, so one person tells the whole story of the day instead of two crews working around each other. You can see more of my work on my wine country wedding photography page , and I would love to chat and learn more about your day.

Kelsie leaning on Benjamin at dusk in front of the hacienda at the end of their wedding day

FAQ

Where is Hacienda de las Flores?

Hacienda de las Flores is at 2100 Donald Drive, Moraga, CA 94556, in the East Bay hills between Oakland and Walnut Creek. It is a nine acre town owned estate run by Wedgewood Weddings, with a Spanish style hacienda, gardens, redwoods, a grand patio, and the Pavilion by the pool.

What are the ceremony options at Hacienda de las Flores?

Couples can marry on the lawn in front of the stone wall, the way Kelsie and Benjamin did, with guests seated on the grass and the Pavilion behind them. The Pavilion’s circular patio and colonnade are the other main ceremony spot, and the estate hosts up to 200 guests.

Can one person shoot both photo and video at a Hacienda de las Flores wedding?

Yes. I shoot photo and video together as one hybrid coverage, which works especially well at a property like this one, where the best spots are a short walk apart and the light changes fast. Kelsie and Benjamin’s video is at the top of this post if you want to see what that looks like.

Where did Kelsie and Benjamin get ready and have their first look?

Kelsie and Benjamin got ready at the Lafayette Park Hotel in Lafayette, about a fifteen minute drive from Hacienda de las Flores, and had their first look in the hotel courtyard before heading to the venue for portraits and the ceremony.

Who was the wedding photographer and videographer for this Hacienda de las Flores wedding?

Silver Seas Weddings, with Ryan Kort shooting photo and video together as hybrid coverage. Kelsie and Benjamin booked the photo and cinema package.

Vendor credits

Venue, Planning, Florals, Catering, and DJ: Hacienda de las Flores by Wedgewood Weddings

Getting Ready and First Look Location: Lafayette Park Hotel

Cake and Dessert: Oh My Crepes!

Hair and Makeup: Aria Collective

Bride’s Dress: Sparkle Bridal Couture

Groom’s Suit: R. Douglas Custom Clothier

Rings: Rogers Jewelry

Officiant: provided by the venue

Photo and Video: Silver Seas Weddings

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