Wedding bells ringing at Santa Clara County’s new chapel

Andrew Flores and Tania Landin probably didn’t expect their wedding to be a media event, complete with reporter interviews and TV cameras recording. But that’s what happened Tuesday when the couple got married at Santa Clara County’s brand-new wedding chapel.

Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, officiated the 11:30 a.m. ceremony, which was attended by more than a dozen of Landin and Flores’ family members, including their children, Maya, who turns 1 on Thursday and 4-year-old, Jordan, who was the ring bearer. Ellenberg, who had only officiated one wedding previously, said she won’t be the regular officiant at the chapel but enjoyed the honor Tuesday.

“It was very special to be asked to be part of the first ceremony in this new chapel,” Ellenberg said.

For the past 24 years — since the county clerk-recorder’s office took over marriage ceremony responsibilities from the courts — couples were married in a smaller chapel in the basement of the County Government Center on West Hedding Street. When the clerk-recorder’s office moved to a new building on Tasman Drive in North San Jose, the new chapel was included in the deal. The last ceremony at the old chapel was held last Friday.

“We said it was the end of an era at Hedding and the beginning of a new era on Tasman,” Clerk-Recorder Gina Alcomendras said.

And, with no offense to anyone whose happiest day was at the Hedding Street chapel, the new one is a big improvement. It’s about twice as big with space for 49 guests on light-colored wooden pews, a white terrazzo floor and decor that reflects a natural environment, with images of branches and blossoms covering the walls. Ceremonies also can be performed at a covered outdoor space, too. And for those looking for even less pomp and circumstance, weddings can still be performed at the clerk-recorder windows, too.

When Flores and Landin applied for their marriage license last week, the San Jose couple was offered the opportunity to be the first to wed at the new venue and decided to go for it.  “We thought it would be a unique situation,” Flores said. “We’re just lucky to inaugurate this beautiful chapel that we have here.”

HALLOWEEN TREATS: The Tech Interactive in downtown San Jose has a fun Halloween event this weekend called Tech or Treat, which is included with regular admission Saturday and Sunday. Kids can come in costume (or not) and visit the trick-or-treat stations throughout the downtown learning center and participate in activities that explore the intersection between technology and the spooky holiday. Sounds like something a young Dr. Frankenstein might have enjoyed.

For older trick-or-treaters, the Beerwalk is bringing back its 11th Halloween edition to San Jose’s Japantown on Saturday. You can sample suds from 12 breweries at three locations between 2 and 5 p.m., and they will all have their own treats, too: Jack’s bar will have live artists painting appropriately creepy art, Jtown Pizza will allow visitors a glimpse into the future with the help of a tarot card reader, and 7 Bamboo will screen scary movies with popcorn.