A San Francisco photographer has revealed she leaped at the chance to shoot a wedding where both spouses wore inflatable T-Rex costumes.
Kate Rasskazova, a photographer with more than 15 years of experience, told The California Post that the October 8 request at San Francisco City Hall marked a first in her lengthy career.
“I’ve never had a request quite like this before, but I was so happy to get the chance to photograph people in dinosaur costumes! My son has been obsessed with dinosaurs for the past two years, so for me it was truly an honor,” she said.
Rasskazova described the anonymous couple as “wonderful people with a great sense of humor” and said she embraces client ideas no matter how wild they initially sound.
The spectacle unfolded on the historic building’s grand staircase, where the love-struck dinosaurs posed among other couples in more conventional wedding attire. One of the inflatable T-Rexes accessorized with a flowing white bridal veil and a pink-and-white bouquet, a visual detail that quickly became central to the scene’s viral spread.
San Francisco resident Rio De Léon captured video of the shoot after stopping by City Hall to admire its architecture. He told The Post that he began recording the space from above, then panned right and spotted the newlyweds waiting on the grand staircase in full prehistoric regalia.
“My reaction was completely spontaneous. Dinosaurs were my favorite growing up, and even as an adult, I still get excited whenever I see them,” De Léon said.
He added that the unexpected encounter resonated on a personal level: “Moments like that keep me connected to my inner child, so it felt like such a funny and serendipitous thing to unexpectedly come across.”
The footage De Léon posted has since accumulated more than 283,000 likes, with commenters mining the scene for humor. One user drew a three-way comparison between a woman in a massive red dress, another in a minimal white dress, and the “DINOSAUR ONSIE.” Another spun an elaborate Hollywood conspiracy theory suggesting the costumes might hide a celebrity seeking paparazzi cover. A third commenter took a more self-deprecating angle, noting that “even dinosaur getting married, and some people are still single.”
The couple’s identities have not been disclosed, and neither spouse has spoken publicly about the ceremony. Their choice of venue placed them inside one of San Francisco’s most photographed civic buildings, where the grand staircase has hosted countless traditional weddings over the decades.
Rasskazova’s willingness to take the assignment reflected both professional openness and personal connection. The photographer noted that her son’s two-year dinosaur obsession made the shoot particularly meaningful, transforming what might have been dismissed as a bizarre request into a family-relevant opportunity.
The viral response to the footage suggests the public appetite for unconventional wedding content remains robust, with social media users treating the costumes less as a stunt and more as a genuine expression of personality. The 283,000 likes indicate the video reached well beyond typical wedding-content audiences, cutting into broader entertainment circulation.
De Léon’s childhood passion for dinosaurs, which he maintained into adulthood, positioned him as an ideal accidental documentarian. His architectural sightseeing trip yielded what he characterized as a front-row seat to potentially the most unexpected wedding photo shoot in the building’s history.
The couple’s ceremony took place October 8 at San Francisco City Hall.