Something Old, Something New: County Hosts Inaugural Ceremony at Beautified Wedding Chapel

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – There was nary a missed marriage as the County transitioned its wedding services to its new Tasman Campus, with dozens of clerk-counter nuptials the first day followed by an inaugural ceremony in the new, expanded and beautified wedding chapel. 

“This is very special for us,” said County Clerk-Recorder Gina Alcomendras. “The new chapel is a beautiful new beginning, the start of a new era for happy couples in Santa Clara County.”

It’s much bigger than the old chapel, which was somewhat hidden out of the way on the lower level of the County Administration Building at 70 W. Hedding St. It’s definitely more visible – you can even see the glowing backlit “Wedding Chapel” sign from the parking lot of 110 W. Tasman Drive. And while the old chapel was a fine – if somewhat austere – place to get married, the aesthetics of the new chapel certainly up the wedding experience. A fuchsia flower decorates the floor, while soft white light and a continued floral theme provide a comforting setting for traditional wooden pews and wreath-wrapped altar. 

“We did remodel the old chapel a number of years ago, we got rid of the carpet and replaced it with wood flooring,” said Assistant Clerk-Recorder Louis Chiaramonte. “It looked nice. But this place – wow!”

Board President Susan Ellenberg, who officiated the first ceremony at the chapel, said the new space better reflects the ceremony of matrimony. 

“On one hand, this is a basic civic function, one of many that the County provides,” Ellenberg said. “On the other hand, it’s an opportunity to celebrate love, relationships, and family. It was very special to be part of this inaugural ceremony.” 

Counter marriages can be done on a drop-in basis; the Chapel must be reserved. Often that can be done with little advance notice, but Clerk-Recorder Alcomendras advised that certain days – particularly ones with numerical significance such as July 7 or August 8 – can book up well in advance. The first day of operations on the new campus was Oct. 23. That’s 10/23/2023, and it drew 25 couples to the clerk counter – an unusually high number. 

As for the first couple to be married at the Chapel, when Andrew Flores went to the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office last week to inquire about the process, he had no idea he’d soon find himself standing next to bride Tania Landin as the inaugural union.

“We’ve been together nearly a decade, and just want to be officially husband and wife,” said Flores. “I went to the old office by myself last week to get a marriage license – they said she needed to be there, too, and told me about the new chapel opening today and that we could be the first ones married there.”

While Flores said he was hesitant at first, Landin said she was quick to warm to the idea when she heard. 

“It was very sudden, but we were like ‘Let’s do it!’” she said. “They offered us to be part of history and we jumped at the chance.”

For more information about the County’s wedding services, visit https://clerkrecorder.sccgov.org/home.