Erica and Jordan married on August 18, 2012, at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City. Their day moved from a rotunda ceremony beneath the stained-glass dome to portraits around the historic building and a reception full of toasts and dancing.
Getting Ready
The morning started with quiet, camera-ready details. Erica’s strapless gown hung on its hanger, next to a pair of navy peep-toe heels and the day’s wedding program. A Zales ring box held Jordan’s plain silver band, and a diamond ring with a halo of smaller stones waited nearby. Down the hall, Jordan’s groomsmen suited up in white shirts and black bow ties. An older relative pinned on Jordan’s boutonniere. Erica’s bridesmaids helped her into her gown and fastened her jewelry, and the bridal party toasted with champagne before heading out.
A First Look and Portraits
Erica and Jordan shared a first look on a quiet wooden footbridge. They spent a few minutes walking hand in hand beneath the trees, embracing, and laughing together. Erica even paused for a portrait with a small puppy.
Wedding Party Portraits
Before the ceremony, the wedding party gathered for portraits at a nearby stone archway. Bridesmaids wore black dresses and carried white bouquets, and groomsmen wore black tuxedos. Jordan carried Erica through a covered stone colonnade. From there, the group made their way to the museum itself — an Italian Renaissance Revival building completed in 1910. It’s been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977, with tall arched windows and a weathered green roofline.
A Ceremony in the Museum’s Domed Rotunda
Inside, the reception room already held round tables dressed in white linens, coral napkins, and gold chiavari chairs. A wine bottle sat out as a guest-book alternative, inviting friends to write their wishes for the couple. Beneath the museum’s stained-glass dome, one of the largest of its kind on the West Coast, Erica walked the rotunda’s aisle to meet Jordan. She passed a marble column engraved with the building’s history as the original county courthouse. The two exchanged vows and shared their first kiss at the base of a wide marble staircase. Afterward, they walked back up the aisle together as newlyweds.
Portraits Near a Fountain Courtyard
The wedding party paused once more for portraits on the museum’s own front steps, banners overhead spelling out “History Museum.” Erica and Jordan then slipped away to a nearby fountain courtyard, under a stone archway lined with palm trees, for a quieter set of portraits together. They crossed a nearby street hand in hand at golden hour. Afterward, they shared a dance of their own on an outdoor plaza before heading back inside.
Toasts, Dancing, and a Sweet Goodbye
Back inside, Erica took the microphone for a toast. The celebration then moved into an evening of laughter and dessert — a table of cupcakes and mini pastries. Later, the couple shared a first dance on the rotunda’s mosaic-tiled floor beneath the dome. Guests danced late into the night. Erica and Jordan closed out their wedding day holding up a “Thank You” sign together.
Getting Married at the San Mateo County History Museum?
The San Mateo County History Museum is one of the most distinctive wedding venues on the Peninsula. It’s a landmark 1910 courthouse with a stained-glass dome, a marble rotunda, and a piece of Redwood City history built right in. If you’re planning a wedding at the San Mateo County History Museum, I’d love to talk with you about photographing it. You can get in touch here, or learn more about the museum on its own site.
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