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Real Weddings:

Kate and Alden’s wedding at Menlo Circus Club

photography by Carlie Statsky

Kate and Alden’s mantra during their wedding planning was this: “all we wanted was to throw the best party possible for all of our favorite people in the world.” They made it happen with the help of Riley Loves Lulu at Menlo Circus Club. The florals by Mindy Rosenberg stunned in a warm, sunny palette and decorated the cocktail party and dinner reception on the lawn of the Circus Club’s amazing polo field. Photographer Carlie Statsky was on hand to capture all the warm romance of the day in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Alden and I grew up in neighboring towns and both of our immediate families are still local and live just a short drive from where we now live in San Francisco. We love to travel and briefly considered getting married somewhere a little bit further afield, but we ultimately realized that it’s so special that we could stay close to home for our wedding. Instead, we chose to incorporate some of our travel loves in other details like papel picado decorations, and a cookbook from a famous wine country restaurant as a guest book.

We loved that we were able to host cocktails, dinner, and speeches outside on the Circus Club’s amazing polo field. The weather was perfect, and having dinner and lawn games outside felt fun and relaxed. When the surprise mariachi band arrived to bring everyone inside, we then danced the night away to from the most amazing band, and took a break only to eat tacos from the late-night taco truck!

While planning our wedding, we just kept saying that all we wanted was to throw the best party possible for all of our favorite people in the world, and we loved every single moment of the day.

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

I had a really hard time choosing a wedding dress, but was fortunate to find the amazing Jin Wang in San Francisco, who created my dress by combining the bodice of one dress with the skirt of another (plus an amazing bow!). I never grew up imagining exactly what my wedding dress would look like, but I couldn’t have been more in love with mine — I never wanted to take it off.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Since we stayed around our hometown for the festivities, it was so fun to be able to incorporate lots of small personal touches throughout the day. My bridesmaids and I got to get ready at my maid of honor’s parents’ house around the corner from the ceremony and reception sites. It was so special to get to spend the morning in the same place where we spent so many afternoons, late nights, and sleepovers as teenagers. Because we were local, we also got to invite the family dog to the reception! Hank was a big hit and definitely thought that the crowd was there to just to see him.

We also tried to remember members of our family in some small details too — we added blackberries to the florals in honor of my maternal grandmother, our recessional song was one that my paternal grandfather loved, and we wanted lots of dahlias because Alden’s dad grows them in his garden. Food is also very important to my family, so we honored my mom’s Croatian heritage with some of the passed appetizers and local berry pies for dessert. No one went hungry!

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The day was so amazing that it’s hard to choose just one moment, but I loved our vows, which we wrote to each other. I would have put money on the fact that Alden would cry while reading them, but I was actually the one that broke! The other special thing about the ceremony was being able to look out at those gathered and to be able to really clearly see everyone’s faces. It was so special to have so many people that we love gathered in one place, and we both loved being able to look out and take it all in.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Alden and I went to high school together! We met in photo class when I was a sophomore and he was a cute, older senior guy. While we were mutually interested in each other then, the timing was never quite right to get involved romantically. We never lost touch though, and stayed close as friends for almost a decade before the stars finally aligned for us a few years ago.

Wedding Planner & Designer: Riley Loves Lulu // Photography: Carlie Statsky // Florist: Mindy Rosenberg // Papel Picado: I Invite You // Venue: Menlo Circus Club // Dress: Jin Wang // Hair & Make-Up: Celia Castaneda // Signage: Paper Caper // Lighting & Draping: Got Light // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals // Tables And Chairs: Theoni Collection // Linens: La Tavola Linen // Ceremony/ Table Top: Bright Event Rentals // Cake: Rachel’s Cakes // Pie: Gizdich Ranch // Transportation: Carey International, Inc // Band: Pride and Joy // Ceremony Music: Music To Go / SF Conservatory // Photobooth: Trulight Photo Booth // Taco Truck: Tacqueria Angelicas

 

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Real Weddings:

Kate and Mike’s Cabo Wedding

Photography by Sara Richardson

Flora Farms‘s elegant— yet relaxed—vibe was the perfect location for Kate and Mike’s (destined) destination wedding in Cabo. They couple had known for years they’d be celebrating their nuptials in Cabo, and with the help of Ximena Perez Marentes of Amy Abbott Events, their day was a vision of vibrance and textural details perfectly fit for the locale they love. Sara Richardson captured all the sun-kissed joy and gorgeous details including flowers by Florenta and stationery by Bells & Whistles.

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Tell us about your wedding:

We have been coming to Cabo as a family over the past 20 years and it has always been a second home to me. From birthdays to graduations, I’ve made countless memories in Mexico. When Mike and I had our first vacation here together back in 2012 we knew if we were ever to choose a destination wedding it would have to be Cabo.  And we knew we wanted a one-of-a-kind venue that truly embraced both of our very different styles ad wanted to share it with the people we loved the most.

With its elegant, yet relaxed vibe there was no other place we could have imagined choosing other than Flora Farms.

Owning a food marketing agency, and being a foodie myself, my one & only priority was having the best food and Flora’s menu is unmatched. Over 100 people came from all over to celebrate with us.

We started the weekend with a welcome cruise around Cabo followed by a cocktail party at the rooftop at El Ciurelo at the Westin, our home away from home. Every year we see the same people (staff) and they are now like second family.

Our rehearsal dinner was an absolute dream. My vision for a casual chic beach party was beyond my expectations thanks to Ximena from Amy Abbott Events who had to bring multiple vendors together to make this night happen. As the rehearsal dinner was on the side of the Club Regina cliffs, it really took an army to pull off as each of them had to bring tables, chairs and a 3 story teepee down flights and flights of stairs into a beach alcove.

Mike and I live in Philadelphia and met at work in 2011 where he proposed on the steps of our office building 7 years later.

I know they say that there are always a few things that go wrong on your wedding day but we had quite a few stressful events. We had family delayed due to storms happening in the U.S, which lost some of our bags along the way including my brothers’ suits, and my rehearsal dinner and afterparty dress! On the day of our wedding, our photographer was sick and had to cancel. Sara and Ramon came to the rescue and we’re so happy they did. Immediately meeting them, there was a sense of ease about both of them that made the entire day flow so much more smooth. They captured everything about our day so perfectly and we are so grateful it was them behind the camera.

If it wasn’t for Ximena, we would have never pulled off the weekend of festivities that we did.

How did you meet, and how long did you date before getting engaged?

We met at work in 2011. We were working at my parents advertising agency at the time. We had to be very secretive about it as I was “the boss’s daughter” Eventually the secret came out and we were engaged 7 years later.

Favorite Moments:

When it came time for my dad’s speech, I knew he would command the attention of the entire room. Being so close, I remember getting extremely emotional. Our wedding guests are still hashtagging the speech #KateChangedMe

With an event this special, who needed a cake! So instead of a traditional cake cutting, we opted for a pinata shaped like wedding cake. Blindfolded and taking turns with Mike to break it open together, while the cameras rolled, and all of our friends and family watched was the most exhilarating part of the night. Once we finally broke it open, Mike scooped me up as guests dived after the treats that exploded around us. It was the highlight of the reception.

Mike and I were married in a private ceremony with close friends and family on the main line in the chapel of my alma mater, Villanova University a week earlier. So when it came time for our Cabo ceremony, we had Mike’s two sisters officiate making it much less nerve wracking, light-hearted, and fun since we were already official. I remember them totally messing up the “official” pronouncing of us as husband and wife and the entire crowd was dying with laughter.

Photography: Sara Richardson // Planning: Ximena Perez Marentes of Amy Abbott Events //  Flowers: Florenta // Stationery: Bells & Whistles // Invitations: Momental Designs // Venue: Flora Farms // Videography: Arocapro // Hair and makeup: Blanc Bridal Salon // Wedding Dress: Naeem Kahn // Shoes: Stuart Weitzman & Chanel // Groom´s Attire: Armani // Logo Design: Think Traffic // Rentals: Let it Be; Baja Boutique Rental Company // DJ: Alex DJ Cabo Events // Live Band: The Shamans // Piñata: Serendipity

 

 

Real Weddings:

Annie and Mauricio wedding at The San Francisco Ferry Building

photographed by Meg Smith

Native San Franciscans, Annie and Mauricio, celebrated their love and their hometown with a fabulous affair at the The San Francisco Ferry Building. Seriously guys—magical from beginning to end which finished out with a late night dance party under the gorgeous historic architectural features of the iconic landmark. The Black Tie event was planned by First Pick Planning with florals by Michael Daigian Design, and Pretty Please Bakeshop cake, Mariachi Estelar band and it’s all captured in these breathtaking images by Meg Smith.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Being both born and raised in San Francisco we wanted a wedding that spoke to the city that we love, and get out of your average ballroom. We chose the San Francisco Ferry Building because it’s quintessential San Francisco (having been in the city since the 1800’s) and has a magical feel to it with the high glass domed ceilings and the mosaic tile floors complete with a California state seal. As a bonus, it’s also one of the only venues in SF that allows you to host events until 1am and we love a good late night dance party!

To honor such a beautiful space we felt that Black Tie dress was the only way to go. We kept the decor elegant and romantic with lots of white flowers, rich green foliage and hundreds of white candles to compliment the beauty of the building.

Even though we are both from San Francisco we were raised with different traditions. Mauricio’s parents are from Nicaragua and El Salvador and Annie’s family is Armenian. We wanted our wedding to celebrate both cultures as well as things special to Mauricio and I as a couple.

As a nod to Mauricio’s Latin culture we had an 11 piece mariachi band, an oversized papel picado art installation and table numbers, pink Himalayan sea salt shot glass as seating cards and gifts, sipping tequila and lots of reggaeton music and dancing.

As a nod to Annie’s Armenian heritage we performed an Armenian crowning tradition in our ceremony, served a Mediterranean menu starring the best lamb we’ve ever had, layers of almond and apricot preserve in our wedding cake and got the entire crowd involved in some Armenian circle dancing.

For some smaller personal touches we sewed buttons from my mother, grandmother and great grandmother’s wedding dresses into the ribbon of my bouquet. Mauricio and I also sipped on the tequila we bought in Tequila, Mexico days after we got engaged, the bottle had been engraved with “Riveras 2018” and we waited until our wedding day to open it.

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

After going to 8 different wedding gown stores, I was beginning to lose hope of finding one that I really loved. After venturing out to Walnut Creek, I lucked upon an Alon Livné White Trunk Show at Le Soie Bridal. The second I put his first dress on I was obsessed, and I was able to work with Alon Livné White to custom-make the dress adding a few features so it was absolute perfection. The lace and beaded detailing were exquisite and beyond having several layers of fabric it was so light and comfortable. I wish I could wear it every day.

 

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

It’s nearly impossible to pick just one as the most memorable part. One that we both like to reminisce on is the feeling we had when we first saw our reception space. After our ceremony, we had cocktail hour outside in front of the ferry building during sunset, then our 11 piece Mariachi band played and led us, followed by our guests, back up the grand staircase and into the reception mezzanine. Seeing how it had all come together left both Mauricio and I speechless. You spend so much time planning, but you never really know how it will turn out. Everything had come together perfectly, actually, way better than we possibly imagined it would. I can only describe the feeling as pure magic. The papel picado, the candles, the flowers, the music, it was a moment I treasure deeply. And Meg being the most incredible photographer she is, captured a photo of the reactions on our faces that was one of our favorite photos of the day, as the emotions just pour through the picture.

 

 

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

How we met: We both were born and raised in San Francisco. In 2016, I introduced one of my brother’s high school friends, Tim, to one of my best friends, Lauren.  Tim and Lauren became a couple and during a summer weekend up in Tahoe, they introduced me and Mauricio who is Tim’s best friend. Tim and Lauren were married almost a year before us, and we live within 10 minutes of each other.

How we became engaged: My family has spent Christmas down in Mexico for the past 15+ years so in December 2017 we decided to bring both families together and had Mauricio’s parents down in Puerto Vallarta with us. On Christmas Eve, after spending the best day out on the water on my favorite boat cruise – swimming, dancing, eating and drinking – and catching the end of a Niners game on TV, the two of us went to sit on the beach to watch the sunset and Mauricio proposed. I was not expecting it as I was all sandy and salty but it was perfect. Then we got to spend Christmas day celebrating with our families.

Annie + Mauricio | Ferry Building SF Wedding from Kyle Henry on Vimeo.

Photographer: Meg Smith // Planner: First Pick Planning // Florist: Michael Daigian Design // Venue: The San Francisco Ferry Building // Wedding Dress: Alon Livné White // Cake: Pretty Please Bakeshop // Catering: Paula LeDuc // Mariachi Band: Mariachi Estelar // Videographer: Hitmaker Films  // Tux: Tom Ford

 

Real Weddings:

Amanda and Anthony’s NYC Wedding

Photography by Kylee Yee

Amanda and Anthony, with the help of Carrie Sartor of Sartor Events, drew upon the view of the NYC skyline at their wedding venue, The William Vale, for all of their design inspiration. The couple met and fell in love in the city of New York so it was fitting that the iconic NYC skyline was their inspiration. Customized details had a clean, minimalist and modern feel—from the architectural bow on Amanda’s Amsale gown to the graphic floral arrangements by Rachel Cho Floral. Glowing rays of sunshine were the final touch and photographer Kylee Yee was on hand to capture it all in these gorgeous images.

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

As Amanda was marrying into the ‘Bow’ family she thought it was fitting to wear a bow on her dress, choosing to adorn a modern yet classic Amsale design with a statement bow on the back.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We had a small but sweet Chinese Tea Ceremony to honor our parents, and our Chinese heritage.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Our fur baby Bella stole the show during the ceremony.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Our first date was at the Big Apple Circus near Columbus Circle. The most memorable “date” was when I was running the Brooklyn Half marathon, and Anthony purposely traveled to every 3 mile checkpoint to wave at me and provide me with emotional encouragement. He basically ran around the city that day to get to each checkpoint as well. As for the proposal, it was my birthday, and I had lamented how Anthony didn’t seem to plan anything. I had to suggest where to go for my own birthday dinner! Turns out Anthony actually hid the ring underneath my sleeping pillow the night before my birthday, and I never found it.  Until the morning 3 days later, Anthony told me he couldn’t find his phone, and he asked me check under my pillow. I retrieved his phone, but I still didn’t find the ring. A few minutes later, Anthony said he lost his phone again, and asked me to check under the pillow again — and I finally found the ring!  That’s when he proposed to me afterwards!

Photography: Kylee Yee // Wedding Planner: Carrie Sartor of Sartor Events // Florals: Rachel Cho Floral // Venue: The William Vale // Videography: Shutter and Sound  // Hair: Andy Tseng // Makeup: Anny Chow Bridal Artistry // Bridal Gown: Amsale // Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN // Groom’s Tuxedo: Enzo Custom

 

Real Weddings:

Allie and Tim’s wedding at Laguna Gloria

featuring Julie Wilhite Photography

Allie and Tim’s Austin wedding weekend was a “celebration of family, friendship and love.” Held at  The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria, the ceremony capitalized on the the lush gardens of the location with graphic white florals by Wild Poppy and pops of green in the tablescape accents. Keeping the color palette simple created an edited elegance that we’re totally loving and you can see all the details in these images by Julie Wilhite Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Tim and I are both from Kansas, and most of our guests traveled from the chilly Midwest so we wanted to make the weekend feel like a fun vacation. From the welcome party at a hip East Austin watering hole on Friday, to the champagne toast during the ceremony, and Rainey Street brunch for the Sunday farewell, everything was a celebration of family, friendship and love.

We especially cherish the ceremony & reception venue, Laguna Gloria. Not only is it one of the most stunning wedding venues in Austin, but it’s also a museum and sculpture garden that we can enjoy anytime we want.

Because of the naturally beautiful setting, we wanted to keep the décor and florals to a minimum, opting for a white, cream and green color palette with natural wood elements and romantic lighting. And having just our siblings as the wedding party made the ceremony feel intimate and special.

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

I knew I wanted a simple gown with unexpected details, but I truly had no idea how many options there could be! After dragging my mom, sister, future mother-in-law and future sister-in-law to five bridal shops in one day (I do not recommend this), I finally found the perfect THEIA gown from Unbridaled in Austin – an ivory crepe mermaid gown with Chantilly lace long sleeves and back.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We enjoyed adding little touches of Austin where we could as a nod to our adopted home. The welcome bags included local favorites, including iced coffee from High Brew, Tito’s vodka and Topo Chico sparkling water, along with a personalized cup, bottle opener and weekend events schedule.

For the reception food, we knew we didn’t want the typical rubber chicken wedding food – especially because Austin is known for having an excellent food scene. Local Asian-fusion restaurant Peached Tortilla was the one and only catering tasting we went to, and we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our guests were raving about the wasabi mashed potatoes for weeks!

Because neither of us are big cake people, we opted for an ice cream sandwich cart from Baked Bear as dessert, and then surprised our guests with late-night Torchy’s tacos (an Austin fave) to end the night.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Having dated for 8 years before we got married, Tim and I were no strangers to each other’s family and friends. But having them all together in one place to celebrate us was overwhelmingly moving. The entire day (and weekend) was everything we wanted and more.

To end the night, everyone remaining on the dance floor joined in an all-ages passionate sing-along of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” followed by a sparkler send-off. It was magical.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Tim and I met through my sister, Morgan, in 2010 in Lawrence, Kan. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree and Tim had completed his first year of law school (he and Morgan were in the same KU Law class). Most of our eight-year relationship was long-distance (KC>Lawrence, KC>Singapore, Austin>KC) as we pursued graduate degrees and career passions. Tim moved to Austin in 2016 and proposed in July 2018 at his alma matter, the University of San Diego, overlooking San Diego Bay on a weekend trip to California.

Photography: Julie Wilhite Photography // Wedding Coordination: Lovely Day Events – Clarissa Melendez // Florist: Wild Poppy // Getting Ready Venue: The LINE Hotel // Venue: The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria // Hair & Makeup: Katy Reddell // Bridal Gown: Lauren by Theia // Bridal Boutique: Unbridaled // Bridesmaids: Show Me Your Mumu // Grooms Suit: Knot Standard // Groomsman Suit: The Black Tux // Ceremony Music: Terra Vista Strings // DJ: DJ Gatsby // Officiant: Rev. Sheryl at Short & Sweet Weddings // Rentals: Whim // Lighting: Ilios // Dessert: Baked Bear