Kari and Parker - War Memorial, San Francisco

July, 2017. 

Photography: Sasha Leahovcenco Photography / Band: Cosmo Alley Cats

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I swear I didn't pay Kari and Parker to be wedding models. This is real life, but it just proves that real life can be a fairy tale sometimes. Kari wore the most gorgeous full-skirted princess dress I think I've ever seen with a stunning veil to match. Parker wore a bespoke blue polka dot suit that looks like it belongs on the cover of GQ. The Green Room in the War Memorial building is a gold-gilded ballroom, which served as the perfect backdrop for Kari's vision of a wedding-turned-gala. The special surprise of the evening? Kari sang a few tunes with the live band and didn't disappoint. 

Lindsey and Alice - Oakland, CA

September, 2017.

Photos: Nikki Ritcher Photography / Venue: Vessel Art Gallery / Flowers: Gorgeous and Green.

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Lindsey and Alice never thought that they would be dealing with 90-degree weather, wrestling large industrial fans, and running out of ice when they booked the Vessel Gallery in Oakland for their September wedding, but that's exactly what happened. The Bay Area had reached record-breaking temperatures the whole week leading up to their wedding day and so an open-air art gallery in downtown Oakland turned quickly from a refreshing venue to one that could have become stiflingly hot. Luckily, these brides were so flexible and up to the challenge of adapting to the circumstances that the hot weather barely affected them. I love the incredibly different dresses that they both wore that were gorgeous in their own ways. Each had beautiful (and complementary) details: Alice's dress appears slightly conservative in front until you see the sheer lace at her waist and the stunning exposed back, while Lindsey's dress is a low-cut sweetheart strapless dress that is beautifully accentuated by a delicate necklace and hairpiece.

If you're looking for an all-in-one venue for an intimate wedding, Vessel Gallery fits the bill. The upper gallery works converts seamlessly from ceremony to reception space, as long as you hire a team that is able to turn the room around during cocktail hour.  Not to mention that very little extra decoration beyond a few floral table centerpieces is needed, since it's an art gallery!

Matt and Stuart - Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA

September, 2017. Photos: Kim Heath Photography / Cake: Spoonful of Sugar / Venue: The Winery SF

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The one word I would use to describe Matt and Stuart is 'colorful.' To begin with, they both have incredibly vibrant personalities, which translated to vibrant colors throughout every element of their wedding. Guests showered them with brightly-colored rose petals as they exited the ceremony and their wedding colors were orange and aqua (a bold, but beautiful combination), which were displayed in the flowers, bridesmaid dresses, table decor, wedding cake, and even the bowtie for their ringbearer (their dog, Wyatt!!). Matt and Stuart may have had a foggy day for their pictures, but as you can see below, the fog actually creates much more dramatic and romantic photos than you may get on a sunny day. Their wedding venue, The Winery on Treasure Island, had a beautiful indoor warehouse-type space that guests could retreat to for the reception, where they danced the night away to one of my favorite live wedding bands, The Lucky Devils.