Jeannie and Brad - Berkeley City Club

January, 2017.

Photos: www.drewbirdphoto.com / Flowers: Rust + Thistle / Cake: Have Your Cake.

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Brad and Jeannie couldn't have had a more perfect day for their wedding - and it was pouring rain the entire time. Berkeley City Club was their dream venue - it has gothic architecture, romantic lighting, and a library/smoking lounge that makes you want to cuddle up by a roaring fire and read a good book. The inclement weather simply accentuated all of those attributes. The couple chose dark jewel tones for their attendants who looked like they could have stepped out of the set of Downtown Abbey; the women wore long beaded gowns and the gentlemen donned mismatched suits with matching ties. The rainy forecast meant that the ceremony location had to change, but Emily from Rust + Thistle rose to the occasion and created a spectacular last-minute 'chuppah' full of eucalyptus and other lush greenery above the fireplace in the drawing room. The expressions that Drew Bird was able to catch during the whole day take my breath away: Brad's tears during the first look, a Vogue-worthy snapshot of the wedding party in the library,  and Brad and Jeannie's terror as they were lifted in the air for the hora.

Renee and Tim - Admiral's Mansion, Mare Island, Vallejo

October, 2016. Photos: Wellshot Photo Co.

This was the second wedding Hitch Perfect coordinated at the Admiral's Mansion. What is so special about this venue is how much space there is - both inside the mansion and outside on the grounds - to make the day unique for each couple's individual vision. Since October is a particularly good month for weather in the Bay Area, Tim and Renee wanted to use the outdoor spaces as much as possible. They and their attendants got ready inside and as you can see below, the grand staircase made for some stunning photos. All other elements of the day were outside: ceremony, cocktail reception, dinner, toasts, and dancing. If you're looking for some cute ways to save money, check out the bouquets that the bride and bridesmaids had - they're all silk flowers and you truly can't tell! Renee and Tim also had the good fortune to have a baker friend who not only created a stunning cake, but all of the other desserts for the dessert bar. 

Katrina and Andrew - Presidio Log Cabin, San Francisco

August 2016. Photos: Millay and Young Photography / Flowers: Home Sweet Flowers

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The Presidio in August can turn from sunshine to fog in an instant, which is exactly what happened right before Katrina and Andrew's ceremony. Fortunately, the ceremony was short and the guests could move promptly to the warm and cozy confines of the Log Cabin for the cocktail hour and dinner. The inside is incredibly spacious with a gigantic fireplace at one end and plenty of room for all of the tables on the other, with a large dance floor in between. Katrina and Andrew had an inside joke about 'spirit animals,' which then led to some of the cutest escort cards I've ever seen. Katrina found tiny woodland animal figurines, spray-painted them gold, and then made a tiny notch in each of their backs for the card to sit in.The couple also decided to treat their guests to two amazing food trucks for dinner: Chairman Bao and Tacolicious. If you know anything about Chairman Bao, you know that the lines are normally 100-people deep, so it was a true treat to get exclusive access to the tastiest bao truck in San Francisco.