Civic Park Community Center 1375 Civic Drive • Walnut Creek • CA 94596

Romance is in the air at Civic Park Community Center. It blossoms in the rose gardens and flutters about the shade trees growing in this tranquil urban hideaway. It also resides in the Center's wedding gazebo, an inspiration not only for ceremonies, but for marriage proposals as well. Recently, a young man was so taken with the pretty structure he hung twinkle lights around it and hired a caterer to serve dinner for two beneath its canopy. Then, after he and his girlfriend toasted their love for each other with glasses of sparkling cider, he popped the question—and she accepted!

Located at the edge of Walnut Creek's busy downtown, the park and buildings that make up the community center feel surprisingly secluded. Mature sycamores and redwoods help screen out the sights and sounds of passing traffic. In many places the trees are so tall and thick you can barely see their tops. As you walk beneath their wide boughs or perhaps picnic on the lawn in their long, cool shadows, you have the pleasant impression you've stepped through the looking glass into the countryside.

Weddings have become so popular here they often have to be scheduled a year in advance. Along with the ceremony and reception sites, you can also reserve the center's Social Hall or Conference Room for a casual rehearsal dinner. These two small, unadorned rooms in the main building can be decorated in any style that suits you, and the Social Hall opens to a large commercial kitchen available for your use. On the day of the wedding, the carpeted lounge in the back of the building can be rented as a changing room for the bridal party. A big plus for many brides is the fact that all of the important wedding areas are just steps apart, making the transition from the changing room to the ceremony in the gazebo to the reception in the Assembly Hall easy and convenient.

Another plus is the simple architecture of the spacious Assembly Hall. The building's uncomplicated interior is a blank canvas awaiting your personal vision, and the neutral tones of the well-lit room blend easily with almost any décor. The six-foot banquet tables and metal-and-resin chairs provided by the center can be set up in any arrangement you choose. Many couples like to dress them up by renting special chair covers, tablecloths and table settings. A full Bose sound system, with speakers on all the overhead trestle beams, will have your guests swaying to the music wherever you place the dance floor.

With the exception of tacks, staples or nails in the wall, the transformation of the Assembly Hall is only limited by your imagination. One bride and groom expanded their reception outside the building by opening the room's 10-foot sliding glass door that leads to a small patio and the park beyond.

However you celebrate at the center, you'll love the flexibility of the spaces, and the park setting is sure to provide a beautiful backdrop.