Rose Tobin arrived at Golden Gate Park on the first day of Outside Lands holding three red roses tied with a black bow that matched the bows in her hair. Her partner, Eric Dosier, wore a black denim suit and polka dot Converse Chucks by Comme des Garçons that matched her mid-length white dress with black polka dots.

Their outfits may have been a bit extravagant for the outdoor festival, but on Friday, August 9, they celebrated their ten-year anniversary by tying the knot in front of dozens of their closest friends and family.

There was nothing conventional about this union, but the couple wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Their love story has long been intertwined with Outside Lands. They have spent every anniversary together at the festival, they said, and last year Eric proposed to Rose at Marin Headlands before they returned to town for the event.

When Another Planet Entertainment, producers of the annual three-day music festival, announced the first on-site wedding venue, City Hall, in April, Rose and Eric were thrilled. The two said they had always wanted to get married at Outside Lands, but just didn’t know how to go about it.

“It felt like we had manifested it,” said the newlywed Mrs. Dosier of City Hall. “We honestly hadn’t considered any other option than to get married at Outside Lands. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s really all we could have ever dreamed of for ourselves.”

Outside Lands’ latest promotion comes to mark the 20th anniversary of the Winter of Love, when San Francisco hosted the first same-sex wedding in the United States. For $349 plus fees, couples can marry or renew their vows amid the eucalyptus trees of McLaren Pass during the three-day event. The package includes a wedding photographer, drink tokens and a 15-minute ceremony, among other things.

A portion of the proceeds from the ceremonies at City Hall will go to Lambda Legal, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and provides legal assistance to those in need.

When Rose and Eric signed up for one of the 27 appointments (nine per day) to get married at City Hall, they knew it would be a challenge to get all of their guests there. They only had three months to prepare, and since Eric’s family was from Southern California, they knew it would be a long trip for some.

The couple, who live in Outer Richmond, said they initially sent out about 50 invitations and expected only a fraction of those invited would actually RSVP. But to their delight, almost everyone on the guest list managed to come.

And although her vision was anything but traditional, Rose said, “no one was surprised.”

“The Is Rose and Eric,” said the bride’s father, Michael Tobin. “We are thrilled because it is them … it’s perfect.”

The bride and groom, together with the festival organizers, ordered over 40 day passes to Outside Lands. While Rose’s parents, who live in Sonoma County, had no problem coming to the wedding, others flew in from as far away as London.

But the Dosiers’ wedding attracted far more visitors than they ever expected. Due to the town hall’s central location on the festival grounds, with flower-shaped lights and colorful flags draped through the trees, their ceremony attracted many passersby who were curious and touched by the ceremony.

After the ceremony, during which vows and rings were exchanged, Mr. and Mrs. Dosier walked hand in hand down the aisle, some of their guests shooting bubbles into the cool air with bubble guns as strangers cheered them on.

“It was magical,” said Ryan Hui, a former colleague who has known the groom for more than six years.

“I cried,” added another wedding guest, Cassidy Miller. “It was even sweeter than I imagined.”

What’s next for the newlywed couple?

They said they’re looking forward to rocking out tonight at the Lands End Stage for the Killers’ headlining set. Rose and Eric also plan to see Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set on Saturday, August 10, and Post Malone’s special country performance on Sunday, August 11, because they don’t want post-wedding exhaustion to interrupt their tradition.

“We call it the most wonderful time of the year,” Rose said of the Outside Lands weekend, “kind of like what people call the holidays.”

How to contact Zara Irshad: [email protected]