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Real Weddings:

Jessica and Jesse’s wedding at Flood Mansion

Cassie Valente Photography

Jessica and Jesse’ San Francisco wedding at Flood Mansion was a total reflection of the hyper-stylish couple. The venue’s distinct European grandiose feel provided the perfect backdrop for their personalized details including spectacular ‘victorian-inspired’ florals by Tumbleweed Floral Truck, tarot cards for place cards and throwing tradition to the wind and serving fried chicken at their formal seated dinner. We love the way Prim Event Studio fabulously married all the details into the dusty pink and black palette and it’s all captured here in these stunning images by Cassie Valente Photography. Read on for the planner’s insight and more!

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From Morgan of Prim Event Studio:

What made the wedding special and unique? 

Jessica and Jesse have a unique sense of style and had some really fun descriptors you don’t see everyday for how they wanted their wedding day to feel — mystical is one that caught our eye in particular.  This couple didn’t shy away from darker black accents and unique magical elements like tarot cards as place cards, and stayed true to themselves with signature cocktails crafted by a mixologist to fit their specific taste. The day was woven with little pieces of this couple throughout and felt like a true reflection of what they love, including a champagne welcome and a champagne tower! Instead of the traditional wedding meal, our couple opted to serve fried chicken family style to their guests for dinner, and it was definitely a hit!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

J + J are inspired by European cities and their venue, Flood Mansion, nestled in San Francisco has a distinctly European grandiose feel which provided the perfect backdrop for their vows. As lovers of vintage style, our groom sported a vintage YSL velvet coat, and our bride’s dress is vintage-inspired. Playing to that, we also incorporated crystal cut wine glass and vintage gold floral goblets with and old-world feel. Custom made signature cocktails were a fun touch, along with custom napkins inspired by Jessica’s moon engagement ring with her favorite quote. We incorporated Jessica’s fondness of tarot by giving guests a Victorian Era inspired tarot card as a place card and carried the Victorian florals into the rest of their wedding day stationery. Our bride loves baby’s breath and carnations and found a modern and beautiful way to include these as the star of the floral show. The couple’s love of cake led to us having three cake flavors from their San Francisco favorite, Susie Cakes.

 

Tell us how you met and became engaged. If you have a wedding video that you would like to share, please send us the link!

J+J met through mutual friends more than a decade ago living in the same town.  They built a life together, including their pup Schroeder, and became engaged in Paris – Jessica’s favorite city with a beautiful Sofia Zakia ring.

Photography: Cassie Valente Photography // Planning: Prim Event Studio // Flowers: Tumbleweed Floral Truck // Stationery: Bowerbird Atelier // Venue: Flood Mansion // Hair & Makeup: Salt Spell Beauty // Bride’s Dress Designer: Liz Martinez // Groom’s Jacket Designer: Yves Saint Laurent // Engagement Ring: Sofia Zakia // Catering: LRE Catering // Cake Design: Susie Cakes // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals / Frances Lane / Hensley // Linens: La Tavola // DJ: Heart of Gold // Musicians: Synchronicity String Quartet // Lighting: Got Light // Transportation: Bauer’s

 

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Real Weddings:

Cindy and Jake’s wedding at Greystone Mansion

photography by Kristina Adams Photography

Jake and Cindy’s wedding planned and designed by Milk Events is soft and romantic and totally dreamy. Set at Greystone Mansion with florals by City Flowers LA and two gorgeous gowns, the day is something to dream about and it’s all here in these stunning images by  Kristina Adams Photography

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From the bride: Our story began in beautiful sunny California when our paths crossed on that fateful day when Jake was on holiday. The moment we met, we knew there was something special. With Jake in the Big Apple and myself in the Golden State, the idea of a coast to coast relationship was a challenge we faced head on because we knew it will be worth it. The real possibility of happily ever after with Jake came along when my dream of becoming a NYU grad student because a reality and off I went to NYC! Five years later, we got to celebrate our forever love in the state we fell in love with the people we love most.

For our wedding, we wanted to celebrate our coast-to-coast love. What better way to celebrate than making a full circle by coming back to California with New York City style. Our “California meets New York” theme naturally came to light by combining elements from our beloved home states to create a feel for our guests that provided a “relaxed but timeless” vibe. We brought in classic New York elements of traditional elegance, chic, sophistication into a very laid back, outdoor, sunny, charming Californian venue all with hints of modern elements.

Photography: Kristina Adams Photography // Planning and Design: Milk Events // Floral Design: City Flowers LA // Stationery: Milk Events // Venue: Greystone Mansion // Videography: Emma Lynn Cinema // Ceremony Gown: Vera Wang // Reception Gown: Kitty Chen // Hair and makeup: Sherilyn Beauty // Rentals: MTB Event Rentals // Catering: Silver Services // Photo Booth: Pixster Photo Booth // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Lauren and Matthew’s NYC Wedding

photography by Heather Waraksa

Lauren grew up in the St. Louis area and Matthew grew up in Omaha. They both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan and fell in love with the New York city. “One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town,” explains the bride. With the help Classic Events NYC they hosted a weekend of NYC fun that culminated with a rooftop wedding in Tribeca. Photographer Heather Waraksa captures all the beautiful  custom details—and a vibrant emerald palette—in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I grew up in the St. Louis area and my husband, Matthew, grew up in Omaha. We both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan, where we fell in love with the city. One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town. We hosted both our Welcome Party and Wedding on different rooftops of NYC (the NoMad Hotel and Tribeca Rooftop), which both offered a bird’s eye view of our city. The whole weekend felt like we had just met our nearest and dearest at a great restaurant for a fun night out.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Choosing my wedding gown was the toughest selection in the process. I went to over 20 bridal salon appointments and just could not seem to pull the trigger. My family jokes that I must have tried on every gown in all of New York City. In large part, many of the gowns felt very sweet or costume-y to me, nothing really seemed to reflect “me.” After an exhausting search, a girlfriend of mine offered to make an appointment for me with the bridal consultant she had worked with at Oscar de la Renta. As soon as I walked into the store, I immediately felt more at ease with the focused selection and an aesthetic and designer that I already knew I loved. As soon as I put on the silk faille “Hayden” dress, the pieces really came together for me­ –not just for the gown, but for the whole event. The Hayden was highly tailored yet feminine, with a bit of a surprise in the back of the dress. The gown honesty felt very similar to the type of neckline and style I would wear in my normal life, which made me feel more authentic on the big day.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We held our rehearsal dinner and welcome party on the roof of the NoMad Hotel. The hotel is one of our favorite spots to grab drinks and it also happens to have a gorgeous, tented event space on the rooftop. As our wedding was held at Tribeca Rooftop, we loved having a consistent rooftop theme throughout the weekend. At the Welcome Party, we distributed a special wedding weekend goodie as a takeaway for our wedding guests. Everyone close to me knows that I drink a lot of coffee and that I love New York City, so we created a custom coffee mug with our wedding logo, which was a sketch of the city building where our wedding would take place, and filled them with a little bag of chocolate covered espresso beans and a welcome note from us. It was a special way to gift a takeaway that felt meaningful and personal, but also useful, for our guests who had traveled to spend the weekend with us (it also fit easily into their carry-ons!).

My father and I are very close and, unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet either of his parents; they both passed away before I was born. To honor them and my dad, my mom wore the dress that my dad’s mother wore to their wedding to our rehearsal dinner/welcome party. The dress happened to be a shade of green, which was a theme throughout our whole wedding weekend. It was incredibly special for my whole family to have her carry a piece of my father’s heritage into our wedding weekend.

I have been so fortunate to have a wonderful and loving family and a true support system my whole life, I really wanted our wedding to reflect those close bonds. To achieve this, our wedding was officiated by my father’s best friend since childhood. It was a very special moment for me and Matthew, but also for my whole family.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Even though Matthew and I did a first look and had already seen each other before the ceremony, I think the most memorable part for both of us was finally coming together on that rooftop. All of the stress of planning, the anxiety of anticipation, the nerves…it all melted away when we finally saw each other on that rooftop.

Tell us how you met.

How we met is a bit of a funny story. We both attended the George Washington University and both lived in an area called “Townhouse Row,” which was a row of townhouses that housed members of the Greek life system. The summer before my senior year, I was interning at a magazine and working a part time job at a restaurant at night, which left the mid-afternoon as my only real time in our room. I shared my room with a close friend, who was attending classes that summer and had a few friends in the fraternity whose townhouse was next to ours. One afternoon, I went to take a shower before my afternoon shift while my roommate was studying. I came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my wet hair and wearing nothing but an oversized Tshirt to find a stranger sitting in my room. Alarmed, I squealed and asked who he was and what on earth he was doing there. Embarrassed, he explained that he had come over to hang out with my roommate, who had gone across the street to grab lunch. The stranger was Matt. We all had a big laugh and the rest was history!

Planner: Classic Events NYC // Photographer: Heather Waraksa of The Wedding Artists Co. // Florals: Designs by Ahn // Stationery: 1440 // Wedding Venue: Tribeca Rooftop // Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The NoMad Rooftop // Gown: Oscar de la Renta // Cake: Nine Cakes // Lighting: AV workshop // Video: NST // Rentals: Party Rental // Ceremony Musicians: Julliard // Band: Hank Lane // Beauty: Face Time Concierge

 

Real Weddings:

Margaret and Clay’s Southern Garden Wedding

Photography by Davy Whitener

Margaret and Clay’s stunning southern estate garden wedding took place on the property of both the bride’s parents’ and grandparents’ homes. Margaret grew up across the street from her grandparents and the charmed childhood inspired the gorgeous wedding day planned by Mariee Ami Ami  with abundant florals designed by In Bloom and perfectly captured by Davy Whitener. Read on for more of the love, heartbreak and joy that went into the couples breathtakingly beautiful day.

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Growing up across the street from your grandparents isn’t something most families experience, but this was the only upbringing that Margaret knew. Spending her childhood running back and forth between her home and her grandparents’ allowed her imagination to run wild as she saw the endless possibilities in these places. This experience made decision-making much easier when it came time for Margaret and Clay to choose where they would be married. They aptly chose for their ceremony to be in the backyard of Margaret’s parents’ home followed by an elegant reception in the backyard of her grandparents’ home.

When planning began, Margaret’s family was thrilled about the wedding and her grandparents were especially excited to immediately begin taking on projects to get their home ready for the celebration. Margaret’s grandparents have always had a special place in her heart because they played such a large part in her life, so she was ecstatic they would be part of the planning and her big day as well. The bride’s inspiration was pulled from the overall style of both homes and her desire to bring a real connection between the ceremony and reception. A watercolor of the bride’s home on the save the date was the perfect piece to set the tone for the entire wedding and many other classic southern themes were seen throughout the weekend.

Heartbreak overcame this family when Margaret’s grandfather fell ill during the planning and ultimately passed away before the big day. An immense void was felt by all, but when Margaret and Clay’s wedding day came it was evident he had a hand in the beauty of it – the perfectly manicured lawns, fresh potted window boxes, wrought iron gates and traditional beauty of the family’s spaces were a big part in the design of the wedding and it was all perfectly executed just as if he had been there to make sure of it himself. After a beautiful ceremony, the wedding party was led to the reception by a second line band which really got the party started. With the setting of his home surrounding the celebration, Margaret’s grandfather continued to shine down on the day as the happy couple danced into the night with their loved ones. The elegance of the evening concluded with the bride and groom departing in an antique Rolls Royce to begin their life as husband and wife.

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Photographer: Davy Whitener // Planning, Design and Paper: Mariee Ami Ami // Floral Design: In Bloom // Dress: Oscar de la Renta // Hair and Make-up: Celine Russell // Cake: Barb’s Cake // Tent and Rentals: Pre Events // Specialty Rentals: Please Be Seated // Catering: Shindigs // Videographer: Film Poets // Band: Atlanta Rhythm and Groove // Get Away Car: Coats Classic Cars // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Cynthia and Sean’s Festive Bay Area Soiree

Photography by Meg Smith

Eat your heat out Gatsby. Cynthia and Sean’s “festive old-world soiree” is absolutely dazzling and totally the kind of energy we’re looking for right now. Coordinator, planner and florist, Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios, is a one-woman magic-maker who transformed the Bay Area private club into a seasonal vision and deco-inspired dream. Oh, and we’re also totally mesmerized by Cynthia’s stunning Oscar de la Renta gown. Lucky for us, Meg Smith, was on hand to capture all the details is these beautiful images.

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How did you meet and become engaged?

We met at a friend’s dinner party in New York City the day after Valentines Day 2014. It was a snowy night in the city and both of us came close to bailing on the party and staying in. Glad we didn’t! How and when did you get engaged? (Include month and year) Labor Day weekend 2018, we were vacationing on the Amalfi coast. Sean rented a boat for the day, we both love being on the water. We had just hopped back in the boat from a swim in the sea, and he caught me by complete surprise by proposing as we sailed through the “Love Arch” rock formation off the coast of Capri.

Why did you pick the venue? What did you most love about it?

Sean grew up going to this club, so it has special meaning to him. The club itself is a stunning and stately venue at the site of one of the original country estates of the Bay Area. We knew we wanted a formal winter wedding, in a place that could accommodate both indoor and outdoor activity. Between the gorgeous house and lush grounds with a view of the Bay, the club was perfect. To seal the deal, we had recently decided to settle in the area, so it made perfect sense to invite friends and family to our new hometown for the celebration.

What was your vision for your wedding?

Given the date around New Years, and majestic venue, we envisioned a festive old-world soiree – like Gatsby! Glamourous and classy, with some unconventional twists.

What was the planning process like?

Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios spent quite a bit of time upfront getting to know us as a couple and talking about our vision for our wedding. Once we honed in on what we really wanted, she went to work checking availability and pricing of everything from venues to vendors. Then she came back to us with two proposals for options that we not only loved, but that she knew we could pull off. We chose New Year’s in Hillsborough! One of the wonderful things about working with Isabella was that she’s not just a planner and coordinator – she’s an incredibly talented designer. She created a comprehensive design proposal of the entire weekend, then sourced and coordinated every element of the event from linens and glassware to entertainment and photography. We loved exploring possibilities then seeing even our craziest ideas become reality. For us, planning was a fun adventure.

 

Ceremony and reception décor:

We chose to go with lush tropical greenery – ferns and palms everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling. With lots of candles, of course. The only splash of floral color was the bridal bouquet of red roses.  The décor had an art nouveau feel, with deep jewel toned velvet linens and lounge seating, with gold accents.

How did you personalize your wedding day to reflect who you are as a couple?

We wrote our own vows, which was daunting at first, but turned out to be so much fun and made the ceremony so special and personal. We chose the brother of the bride to officiate the wedding. Having an officiant to who knew us so well made for an extra special personalized ceremony with an element of good humor.

 

Any anecdotes from the dress-shopping experience?

This was the first dress I tried! 2 days and 100 dresses later, I went back to where I started. I’m short, so I knew I needed something minimal, not too heavy. But I also wanted some drama. This dress was perfect! It was simple and sleek in the front, with a wild ruffle down the back. I tried on dozens of gorgeous gowns and could have been happy with many of them. But my dress was the only one that screamed my name. I just felt like myself in this dress.

Special memories, stories, or details from your wedding day:

Not only were Sean’s vows incredible and touching, but he memorized every word! Even though we planned the wedding and knew exactly what was coming, the whole atmosphere and event felt magical with surprises around every corner.

If you could offer one piece of wisdom to couples currently planning a wedding, what would it be?

Relax, have fun, make it exactly what YOU want.

Photographer: Meg Smith // Coordinator/Planner/Florals: Isabella Sikaffy at Florabella Studios // Venue: Private Club // Videographer: Elysium // Officiant: Richard Maus (brother of the bride) // Bridal gown and Veil: Oscar de la Renta // Bridal Stylist: Julie Sabatino, The Stylish Bride // Makeup: Lisa Louie // Jewelry: Jennifer Behr earrings and hair comb // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Groom’s attire: Traditional Custom Tuxedo from Trumaker // Music (ceremony and reception): Rhythm Collective, and other entertainment from Elan Artists // Accommodations: Fairmont San Francisco