One of my favorite things to do for a portrait session is walk through the streets of San Francisco so when Gee Hee asked to do just that I was excited, well…everything except for the last part of the day :)

material connection disclosure

Venue(s) , Date and # of Guests
Poppy Cottage. Private home. June 18, 2011. 130 guests

What inspired you in planning the wedding?
The location was our number one inspiration. It was easy for us to chose to get married at Poppy Cottage since it is such a dear place to my family and to us as a couple. My sister was also married there and my Grandmother lived there for nearly fifty years. We both felt very strongly that the design of the wedding should reflect both of our design aesthetics and also the natural surrounding of the venue. We tried to keep things casual and polished. We wanted to celebrate the garden setting while pulling it together with our modern eye.

What were your favorite moments, surprises, traditions from the day?
The sunset! In the weeks leading up to the wedding the weather was very unpredictable and we were worried that it may rain. It ended up being a gorgeous day with perfect weather. Just as the reception was in full swing the sun went down and gave us a stunning sunset that went on for over an hour. It was magical and all our guests were in awe. It was something that we could not have planned and it was one of most special visual aspects of the day.

Dress designer, shoes, Jewelry, Etc. Groom’s suit, etc.
Dress skirt: Vera Wang
Dress Corset: Monique Lhuillier
Jewelry: Vintage tennis bracelet borrowed from my oldest girlfriend. (it was my something borrowed).
Suit: Black Fleece
Shirt: custom
Tie: custom by this humble abode
Flower boy’s tie’s also custom made by this humble abode

Wedding Planner, Stationer, Floral Designer, Rentals, Music, Videographer, etc.
Wedding Planner: Amy Nichols
Catering Manager: Megan Buser with the Hospitality Shoppe
Makeup and Hair: kerrie jordan
Stationer and all printed material: darlingville.com
Floral and Event Designer: Natalie Bowen Designs
Linens: La Tavola
Rentals: Wine Country Party Rental

Menu, Drinks, Dessert, Caterer, Baker, etc.
Cheese
Oysters from Hog Island
Pig and Pizza from Rosso Pizzeria
Paella from Gerard’s Paella
10 cakes of six different varieties from www.downtownbakery.net
Summertime Sangria, Bubbles and wine.

DIY elements
Our idea of DIY was “Design It Yourself”. Being in the wedding industry, and Seth in the design community (He is an architect) we know a lot of talented people. We ended up hiring a lot of people to do some of potential DIY projects for us. We knew we didn’t have the time and they would do it better than us, anyway. We did have one DIY element that I loved. Rather than giving a favor, we sent flowers with a handwritten note to each of our guests the day before the wedding. It was a way of welcoming them to our wedding weekend and what better way to do that than with flowers!?

Favorite Blogs or Magazines used in planning the wedding
I avoided reading blogs and magazines for our wedding. Since that is such a part of my work already, I felt saturated in it. I also didn’t want to purposely follow current trends so I tried to use my experience as my inspiration. I’ve seen so many weddings that I’ve been able to collect ideas over the years.

Advice that you’d give to other Brides?
Hire a planner. This is my number one. Hire a great photographer. No matter what happens, they will make sure your photos show your day as looking amazing, and this is the moment that lasts longer than anything. Hire vendors you trust and then let them do what they do best. And, wear comfortable shoes.

I received a call from Julie on a Friday to see if I would be interested in photographing her Elopement on the Golden Gate Bridge the next day and I was like yes please! While it was beautiful blue skies out as I waited for them, in true San Francisco fashion the fog rolled in right as we walked out onto the bridge.  Instead of ruining it for them it just added another element to the story of the day.  Enjoy the photos and thank you so much Julie + Philipp for having me capture such an important moment in your lives.

As a self proclaimed foodie, I won’t lie, when Michael + Amy emailed me about having their wedding at both Cotogna AND Bouchon my heart started beating a little faster. Throw in San Francisco City Hall and it was a dream come true.  Michael + Amy’s love for life, food and friends carried over in every aspect of the wedding.  One of my favorite details from their wedding were their invitations which were Bouchon Cookbooks with a personal letter enclosed and then wrapped in this Virginia Woolf quote: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” I also have to mention the staff at Bouchon. UNREAL. I have never seen a group of staff work so hard, from in the kitchen to the waitstaff to the bar, they were a well oiled machine and it was fitting that underneath every clock in the kitchen was their motto “sense of urgency”. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience to be back in the kitchen and watch Chef Michael and his team work.  Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to read Michael + Amy’s take on their wedding. Enjoy and if you haven’t already I highly recommend dinning at both of these amazing restaurants if you get the chance. p.s. be sure to check out their city hall & Cotogna photos here.

Venue(s) , Date and # of Guests
Married @ San Francisco City Hall – Friday, May 6 – bride, groom, 7 guests, and Joel
Lunch following civil ceremony @ Cotogna in San Francisco
Party @ Bouchon in Yountville, CA – Saturday, May 7 – bride, groom, 43 guests, an amazing staff @ Bouchon, and Joel

Why did you choose this for your wedding?

We always knew we wanted to create a celebration that was intimate, non-traditional, and authentically “us”.  Though we considered other locations, we settled on San Francisco and Napa Valley because we simply love where we live and play.
City Hall is undoubtedly one of most beautiful buildings in San Francisco – maybe even the country.  And we settled on it as our wedding location after attending a party there in December 2010.
We considered Bouchon in Yountville early in our planning because it has, for many years, been a special place for us.  Only one hour from our home in San Francisco, it’s not unusual for us to head to Bouchon on Sunday evenings for salmon rillette, trout almondine, and glass of champagne to toast the weekend.  Once we decided on City Hall, it made Bouchon the natural choice for our post-wedding celebration.

What inspired you when you were planning your wedding?

From the moment we got engaged – which was across our favorite breakfast table in London – we knew we wanted to create a celebration that was centered around great food and wine, and a shared experience around “the table”.

Over the 15+ years we’ve known each other, we’ve had the good fortune to experience many wonderful meals together.  We’ve whispered across tiny tables in remote Italian villages, sipped champagne in a French chateau, wiped tahini from each other’s chins on a bench outside our favorite West Village falafel shop, marveled at the artistry of four-star dining in Burgundy, even swam up for tacos and tequila while overlooking the Sea of Cortez.  We’ve made friends with strangers while bellied up to dining bars around San Francisco and around the country.  And of course, there have been the countless meals around our home table with our dog, Cali, at our feet.

As we recollected our favorite meals, we realized that they weren’t about food or place at all.  They were about sharing laughter and tears…about celebrating friendship and family…and ultimately, about expressing love.
And so, the concept of celebration our wedding ”around the table” was born.  We wanted to create an outrageous and fun dinner party – only at someone else’s house.  And we wanted our guests to say, “that was one of the best meals I’ve had in my life” as they left.

What was your favorite moment or part of the day?

It’s funny.  We’ve each asked this question of one another since getting married – and we both mark the same moment as our hands-down favorite.  It was during our civil ceremony – standing under the majestic and light-filled dome at San Francisco’s City Hall.  There were only seven other family members present while we exchanged vows – but there could have been 700 for all we knew.   We had our eyes locked on each other – totally present in that moment which will forever mark such a remarkable and important transition in our relationship.
So many moments stand out beyond that very special one.  Lunch right after City Hall @ Cotogna – terrific rustic Northern Italian food and good wine.  A casual dinner across picnic tables @ Gotts in Napa to welcome our out-of-town guests on Friday night.  The entire experience at Bouchon – which in addition to the outrageous food and wine, was set apart by the exceptional team @ Bouchon and the warmth that radiated throughout the evening.  And the day after Bouchon, which was also Mother’s Day.  As a final, quintessentially-Californian experience for our out-of-town guests, we rented the Yountville Boche Ball courts and hired a local food truck, Marks the Spot, to serve up brunch.  That was great fun too!

Did you include any traditions in your wedding?

We didn’t really have any “traditional” traditions – which, given our whole approach to the wedding, didn’t surprise any of our guests.  We didn’t even have a wedding cake!

But Annie, my sister and matron of honor, tied a photograph of our father, John Heidersbach, to her bouquet when she got married.  At my request, she did the same for my bouquet.  That’s a stolen moment with my sister, and a shared memory of my Dad, that I’ll always treasure.

What was the best advice you received as a bride? What advice do you have for other brides?

The best advice – and one of the hardest things to stay true to throughout the process – is to not worry about pleasing anyone else but yourself.  I found this to be really difficult – because I am, by nature, a pleaser.  My orientation is generally outward – and, as my husband will tell you, I’m uncomfortable with the idea of being selfish.  But if there’s any day to be selfish (in a celebratory, not bridezilla, way), it’s your wedding.

The piece of advice I’d lend to other brides (and grooms) is to create a celebration that really reflects who you are as a couple – whatever that is – and to be fully present in that experience.  Don’t let the little dramas – and there will always be some – outshine anything else.  And, most of all, while weddings are wonderful milestones – make sure you spend as much time planning and investing in your marriage as you do your wedding.

Dress designer, shoes, Jewelry, Etc. Groom’s suit, Bridesmaids, etc.

On Friday @ City Hall & Cotogna:
· Bride’s dress and coat by Lily Sami, SF-based designer
· Bride’s shoes by Manolo Blahnik
· Bride’s jewelry – Mikimoto pearls “borrowed” from dear friend, Carla Himy
· Groom’s suit designed by Luigi Borrelli
· Groom’s shoes designed by Gravati
· Groom’s watch – his grandfather’s, Vacheron Constantin
On Saturday @ Bouchon:
· Bride’s dress by Lily Sami, SF-based designer
· Bride’s shoes by Jimmy Choo
· Groom’s suit designed by Sartorio
· Groom’s shoes designed by Stefano Bi

Wedding Vendors, Floral Designer, etc.

Flowers @ City Hall and Bouchon designed by In Water, San Francisco.
Guests in Napa stayed @ Avia Hotel
Friday night “welcome” @ Gotts in Oxbow Public Market
Sunday “send off” @ Yountville Bocce Ball Courts – brunch provided by one of Napa’s best food trucks, Marks The Spot
Music played during cocktail hour dinner @ Bouchon – a mix created by the groom!

Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day?

Joel’s wonderful photographs tell the story better than words possibly could!

Michael + Amy’s Wedding weekend was so amazing that I am having to blog it in two posts.  On Friday they had their ceremony at San Francisco City Hall followed by what was one of the most amazing meals ever at Cotogna.  The following day they held a very intimate dinner for family and friends at Bouchon in Yountville.  Be sure to check out the pics from Bouchon as well as words from the couple about details of their wedding.

Venue: Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma, CA
Catering: Sage Catering
Planner: Alicia K Designs
Music: Ever Music Group
Lighting: Illusions Lighting
Stationary: Hello Lucky
Hair/Makeup: Carole Li Cahu

Few peoples family roots run as deep into San Francisco as Katie + John’s do. Their wedding celebrated not only their love, their family and their friends, but there was a sense of honoring their San Francisco heritage as well.  And did we mention these two (and their guests!)  know how to party? Thank you Katie and John for letting us be a part of your big day! As always we loved working with Dream a Little Dream Events & the flowers from A Simple Ceremony were stunning. This was the first ever wedding at One Leidesdorff and it was a perfect venue for their wedding. For a full list of vendors and more info about the wedding be sure to scroll down to the end of the post. Also, I want to give a big shout out to Nirav and Kelly for shooting with us at this wedding and a couple of the photos below are theirs.  Thanks you two.

Venue: St. Cecilia Church (SF), One L (One Leidesdorff, SF)
Date: February 26th, 2011
Guests: 325

My inspiration was winter in the city. If I had my way and forests grew in San Francisco, we would have been married in the woods! I wanted to bring a woodsy, country feel to the city. I wanted the wedding to be classic, somewhat traditional, but very characteristic of Johnny and myself – lots of good company, good food, drinks and tunes! I found a spread in a bridal magazine that incorporated metallic colors and foliage and I was sold – anything green in color makes me happy! I wanted the reception to be original, comfortable and organic – & Melissa (A Simple Ceremony) nailed the flowers & decor on the head. I wanted each area, each table, etc. to have its own personality – same with my bridesmaids, too. We just wanted everyone to have as great a time as we were having!

The whole day was my FAVORITE moment! Each step throughout the day was exciting and new and absolutely so much fun. I cannot pinpoint my exact favorite moment, but each of them happening as the day went on was surprising and thrilling and wonderful for its own reasons.

Dress: Marisa; from Bridal Galleria (SF); alterations to dress Bridal Galleria; Vintage Fur Coat from my namesake – Auntie Kate (my father’s great aunt)
Shoes: Colorful Creations (dyed Green, of course)
Rings (Katie): Lang Antiques (SF)
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo & Lula Kate from Bella Bridesmaid SF
Planner: Dream a Little Dream Events
Floral: A Simple Ceremony
Rentals: Hartmann Studios
Lighting: Got Light
Linens: La Tavola Linen
Catering: City Forest Catering, Citizen Cake & That Takes the Cake (SF)
Stationer: Paper Source
Music: DJ Remeddy; bagpipes – Sean Murphy