Mariah and Michael - Stern Grove, San Francisco

April 2016. Photos: Kate Hoss Photo / Flowers: Rust and Thistle / Cupcakes: Susiecakes

Michael and Mariah's Stern Grove wedding was all about simple elegance. Mariah's bridesmaids were in mismatched lavender (the color) dresses, while the groomsmen wore lavender (the flower/herb) boutonnieres. There were other little touches of lavender sprinkled throughout the venue including bunches of lavender tied to the outside of the ceremony aisles. This couple loved the outdoors and wanted to celebrate the natural beauty of the surrounding redwoods and only add small pops of color here and there, but as you can see from the bouquet, the 'pops' of color were so incredibly rich and lush that not much was needed anyway. Michael is a graphic designer on the side and not only designed their wedding website, save-the-dates, and invitations, but also designed a custom wedding logo (see the 'choose a seat' sign below). After this wedding, I recommend Stern Grove to any couple who wants a natural setting in the heart of San Francisco; it's a pretty bare-bones venue, but with a little bit of craftiness and the right touches, you can turn it into the wedding of your dreams.

Darlene and Alan - Burlingame, CA

November, 2015. Photos: Mark Kuroda

Darlene and Alan's ceremony was held at Wedgewood Crystal Springs. It's hard to believe that this gorgeous gazebo backed by verdant hills overlooking a river is only a mile from Highway 280 in the Bay Area peninsula. In fact, if you face the other way, you can see cars zooming by. However, there is no traffic noise and on a good day, the scenery is truly stunning. You can only reserve the ceremony space for a couple of hours, so the reception was held at the nearby Marriott, where guests were treated to a three-course dinner and a show (a Chinese lion dance complete with dragons and drums)! 

Gabrielle and Bruce - Admiral's Mansion, Mare Island, Vallejo

September 2015. Photos: Rachel Simpson Photography / Calligraphy: Gabrielle Wunsch

If DIY weddings were an Olympic sport, this bride, Gabrielle, would win a gold medal - no question.  

Folks, this woman did her own gorgeous calligraphy for the invitations, favors, and wedding signs, created floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception sites, and made all the food for 90 guests. I'm sorry, do I need to repeat that? She MADE the (delicious) food for all of her guests. The buffet included marinated and grilled steak, marinated and grilled tofu, potato salad, farro salad, marinated zucchini noodles, and a salad with homemade vinaigrette. 

Not to be outdone, her groom, Bruce, made all of the beer for the guests. I probably don't need to point out that it takes a lot of dedication and planning, not to mention extreme skill, to create FOUR delectable beers worthy of guest consumption. (If you're wondering, the beers were Mannekin Pis Belgian Ale, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Porter, Oktober Fest Lager, and Kitchen Sink Pale Ale). 

Below are the pictures to prove that a DIY wedding is completely possible and can turn out incredibly beautifully if you are willing to dedicate yourself to each minute detail. Bruce and Gabrielle did - look how well their wedding turned out!