A wedding like this next number photographed by Nathanael Keck is classic done so, so right. The crisp, black tuxedos, the swoontastic dress tied up in a pretty black bow, dining alfresco – every single detail of this San Francisco soiree is infused with perfect elegance. And when we say perfect, we mean perfect. See the rest of the details all designed and planned gorgeously by Atelier Joya and MAP Events in the gallery.
see more of this pretty wedding in the gallery!
After dating for 10 years and living in 3 major US cities together (Boston, NYC and San Francisco), Matt proposed on February 22, 2009 at my favorite hotel in New Zealand, Kauri Cliffs, located on the North Island near the Bay of Islands. My mother is from New Zealand (now living in Maryland where I grew up) and every year, we tried to plan a trip but life got in the way…finally, we were off in Feb ’09 to meet the extended family and much to my surprise, get engaged. Thoughts of the ultimate wedding began just a few days after the incredible proposal and little did we know, we would be embarking on 6 months of planning every type of wedding possible. We thought about getting married in Point Reyes, CA (just a short drive from our home in San Francisco), Palm Springs or Mexico for a destination soiree and Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, for a formal east coast wedding, where I’m from. After researching multiple venues and planning very different events in my head, we had landed on Napa. As you can see from the photos, we didn’t quite make it there. While the Napa venue was incredible and we had come as far as having the contract ready to be signed, something didn’t feel right. Matt, a San Francisco native, and me, an east coast transplant who has fallen in love with San Francisco, realized that the city was our home and the home to tremendous friends and family. In an effort to make the event as fun and convenient for everyone as possible, we decided to get married at the church in our neighborhood and have the reception at our favorite restaurant, Foreign Cinema. While there were multiple iterations of weddings planned in my head, a San Francisco wedding was what felt right and just came together seamlessly.
Foreign Cinema located in San Francisco’s Mission district, is our absolute favorite restaurant. When the waitstaff know you by name, you know it’s home…therefore we decided to host our closest friends and family at a place we think of us as home. Planning the wedding along with my amazing event and floral designers, Priska and Lisa from Atelier Joya, was one of the most incredible yet stressful experiences of my life. To have all of the thought, inspiration and excitement built up for months happen over just a few hours was intimidating yet ended up being the most exciting project I had ever embarked on. On the day of the wedding, I was surrounded by my closest girlfriends with croissants, laughter and an excitement that I cannot even describe. The day of kicked off with pictures at a park in our neighborhood, Lafayette Park, with the wedding party and that’s when the relaxation and enjoyment of the moment set in. This was the only time I would be surrounded by everyone I love and at this moment, realized I was marrying by best friend and everyone we knew and loved was joining us for an incredible party! It was time to relax and enjoy every second of the evening…. The ceremony was beautiful and we had 2 readings that we cherished: Litany by Billy Collins and a verse from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres.
Photography: Nathanael Keck / Flowers: Atelier Joya / Event Design: Atelier Joya / Event Planning: Jennifer Janzen of MAP Events / Ceremony Location: Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin / Reception Location: Foreign Cinema Restaurant / Invitations: Mika78 / Shoes: Miu Miu / Spoons: Hammerman / Photobooth: Glass Coat Photography / Mustaches and Props: Paper and Parcel / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bridal Jewelry: J.Crew