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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:

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

 

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:

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

 

Real Weddings:

Colleen and Dean’s wedding at Middleton Place

photography by Allison Kuhn

What’s black, white and gorgeous all over? Colleen and Dean’s stunning Charleston nuptials—duh! You guys—this one is the epitome of southern romance with a strong undertone of modern style that’s perfectly accentuated by the pared-back black and white color palette. Event planner and designer AA Events Design‘s stunning vision came to life with the help of florist Sweet Root Village  and calligrapher Delighted Calligraphy. The dream team decked out the grounds of Middleton Place with dreamy details and a greenery filled white tented reception. Photographer, Allison Kuhn, was behind the lens capturing all the magic in these dreamy film images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Our wedding was so special and unique because we had to completely build and design the reception space from scratch. We could truly do whatever we wanted! Alex (my wedding planner, sister-in-law, maid of honor, and best friend) and I worked really hard on coming up with a design that matched Dean’s and my personalities – the highlight being the massive custom square bar in the center of the tent! I was so lucky to have Alex by my side because I trusted her completely and knew she would be able to execute my dream wedding.  Also, Dean and I are HUGE animal lovers so it was super special to have Middleton’s sheep and horses greet guests as the arrived for the ceremony. Dean and I even got to feed the sheep!

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

The dress is a Sareh Nouri and we got it at Hayden Olivia Bridal in Charlotte, NC. I have always wanted a formal wedding but also really wanted it to be 100% outside; so the mission was to find a dress that fit that wedding vision. Something formal, classic and elegant but not too over the top so it didn’t look out of place in an outdoor garden setting. But most important was I wanted to feel comfortable and confident in it. When I tried my dress on for the first time I knew that it was the one! It checked all the boxes and I could just imagine walking down the floral run aisle in this dress!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Our sweet Labrador puppy, Aspen, was highlighted throughout the wedding including customized cookies in the welcome boxes, and the name of our signature drink.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part of the day was of course marrying my best friend! But besides that, I think a memorable moment was once we finally were able to sit down for dinner and really take in the tent and overlook our guests; it was truly stunning. The band was playing in the background and guests were already up dancing while drink and food was being served. It was such a great moment to see everyone relaxed (myself included!) and having a good time!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Our story began in college at Elon University where we were introduced through a mutual friend. We quickly formed a bond and began dating; however, it almost came to a quick end when Dean transferred to Texas A&M to finish his degree. Two years, many FaceTimes and multiple flights later, we decided to try our best at picking a city where we could both start our careers in consulting and finance. This task was much harder than we ever imagined as we were already in two different cities trying to find jobs in Charlotte, North Carolina. As we were beginning to think our long distance would never end, on one afternoon, Dean received an offer from a consulting company for a job in Dallas, TX, but there was a glimmer of hope. A student in Tennessee had received an offer in Charlotte and was willing to switch locations with Dean and further, that same day I received an offer for a banking job in Charlotte. Since then, we’ve lived in Charlotte for three years and absolutely love it!

We have been vacationing in Charleston, SC for years as my parents have a house on Isle of Palms. Charleston is such an easy trip from Charlotte, the two of us frequently drive down on Friday nights after work for the weekend. The proposal was quite a surprise. My family was supposedly gathering at the family beach house for my Dad’s 60th birthday; however, it was all really a set up to get the entire family together to witness the proposal. I have two brothers and none of the siblings live in the same area, so to have everyone together was very special! As we got engaged in Charleston, we decided to return to the beautiful city to have our wedding at Middleton Place!

Photographer: Allison Kuhn // Event Planner & Designer/ Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: AA Events Design // Florist: Sweet Root Village // Calligraphy & Paper Products: Delighted Calligraphy // Venue: Middleton Place // Videographer: Repeet Productions // Cake: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal // Wedding Dress/Veil: Sareh Nouri // Dress/Veil Boutique: Hayden Olivia Bridal // Hair & Makeup: Ash and Co Bridal // Rentals: Snyder Events / Cottage Luxe // Tent: Skyline Tent Company // Lighting: Technical Event Company // Dessert Caravan: Sweet Lulus Bakery // Band: The Rivertown Band  // Ceremony Music: Bob Williams Duo // Get Away Car/Buses: Low Country Valet // Bride Shoes: Jimmy Choos // Grooms Tux: Alton Lane // Bridesmaid Dresses: Katie May Collection // Groomsmen Tux: J. Crew