Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos

A few weeks ago, I shared photos from Nadia and Joshua’s La Villita engagement portrait session. Well, today I’ll be sharing the exciting conclusion: the moment they walked down the aisle. In today’s blog post I will share with you all the details of their big day along with their lovely Old San Francisco Steakhouse wedding photos.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos: The Venue

Let’s start by talking about the venue. The Old San Francisco Steakhouse has been in business for over 40 years. Located in Castle Hills just off of San Pedro Avenue, the venue looks unassuming in the middle of a business building complex.

But looks can be deceiving. Indeed, I was quite surprised when I walked through the doors during my venue check. While banquet halls normally have a very basic look to them, but the high ceilings and spacious interior rooms of the Old San Francisco Steakhouse are quite impressive.

The main dining area is an atrium with lots of light and is surrounded on the outside by lush landscaping and a rushing waterfall. Unfortunately, the tropical atmosphere can only be viewed through the windows and there are not any gardens surrounding the building. Still, visitors will feel transported to a completely different location when they step into the main reception space.

Adding further to the drama of the venue are the numerous chandeliers found throughout the space. The rooms are fantastically detailed on their own (much like Terrace on the Park in NYC), and don’t require much (if any) decoration. But as proven by the decor choices for Nadia and Joshua‘s wedding, the space can be dressed up in high style.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos: An Overview

Nadia and Joshua’s wedding took place on a Thursday, and they had the entire venue all to themselves. The wedding had a guest count of 70 people. There was no official bridal party, with only the couple’s niece played the role of flower girl.

The ceremony and reception were both held in the main atrium. Guests sat at their respective tables during the ceremony, and this made it much easier for the staff since they did not have to flip the room afterwards. Since the wedding was held during the week, the couple elected to not have a cocktail hour.

Centerpieces for the table were beautiful bouquets of white roses and baby’s breath with taller vases of orchids in water placed at the tables on the outskirts of the room.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos: Ceremony

The ceremony took place in the center of the reception room with a row of flowers and two columns of larger bouquets marking the aisle. The bilingual ceremony was led by Pastor JC, a.k.a. Juan Alonzo. Besides the usual vows, the ceremony also included the lighting of a unity candle.

Once the ceremony was complete, the flower columns were simply pushed to the side, and the sweetheart table was placed where the ‘altar’ had been.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos: Portraits

As I mentioned previously, you are pretty much limited to space inside the restaurant for any portraits. But fear not, you have plenty of choices for backgrounds inside the venue that include lots of mirrors and beautiful chandeliers.

For the family and friend photos, I made the easy choice to take these photos at the ceremony location. Once the ceremony was complete, we simply asked family members to come up to the front for formal photos.

For photos of the bride and groom, I used the main mirrored hallway, the grand ballroom, and the main lobby area. I made sure to take advantage of all of the beautiful decorations in each space. If given more time for bride and groom portraits, then I would have also taken photos from the mezzanine level and the upstairs bridal suite, which includes an antique chaise and more intricate mirrors.

Old San Francisco Steakhouse Wedding Photos: Fantastic Candids & Fantastic Light

The winning feature of the Old San Francisco Steakhouse atrium is the beautiful, natural light. This made for great photos and I did not have to use my flash until late evening.

The highlight for the event – besides the bride and groom, of course – were the little ones. The kids were definitely the stars of the show, and they had a great time running around during the reception. For all of you future bride and grooms considering inviting children to your wedding, just look at these precious little ‘photo ops.’

Events during the low-key evening included a simple speech, heartwarming first dance, and an exuberant bouquet toss. The couple chose to cut their cake privately, and did not feed each other. Remember, it is your wedding, and if you do not want to follow tradition, then you absolutely don’t have to.

I wish Nadia and Joshua the best as they embark on their new lives together. Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

Vendors

Venue and caterer: Old San Francisco Steakhouse
Officiant: Pastor JC, Juan Alonzo
DJ: Reggie (family friend), DJ Black Knight
Florist: San Antonio Floral Designs
Cake: Totally Baked
Special Desserts: Norma’s Creations and Dream Events by Gloria
Bride’s Dress: Essence of Australia, Bridal Galleria of Texas
Groom’s tuxedo: Men’s Warehouse
Rings: Zelle
Photo Booth: Southern Revelry Photo Booths

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Are you interested in saying ‘I do’ in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my wedding photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com