Classic Black-Tie San Francisco Wedding With a Twist
Black-tie weddings run the risk of being stuffy, but this fun couple ensured their wedding at San Francisco's James Leary Flood Mansion had a few twists to keep things fun. From the playful heart-shaped sunglasses to the whimsical animal figurine escort cards and the mood lighting from Got Light, this wedding was definitely fun. Enjoy it all thanks to stunning photos from onelove photography here.
From the Bride... After living on the East Coast our whole lives, we moved to San Francisco in 2013 and quickly made it our home. When we got engaged, we thought it a great idea to share our new home with those closest to us, so we decided to get married on the West Coast. With so many beautiful venue choices in the Bay Area, we searched for a while before finding the perfect, classic San Francisco spot. We had always thought our wedding would be casual, but when we first viewed the James Leary Flood Mansion, we realized that we were going to be having a much more formal affair than originally intended! We fell in love with the vintage glamour and elegance of the space, but we wanted to add our own touches to avoid any possible stuffiness that a black tie wedding might involve. We chose purposely less formal table settings and flowers, and we added some personal touches—our signature cocktails were simply a Corona with lime and a glass of Prosecco—so our guests would feel more like they were joining us for a big family dinner.
We both love animals and talk constantly about when kind of pet(s) we should get in the future, so when I came across the idea to create miniature gold animal place card holders, I knew it had to be done! I loved spending time creating the tiny holders leading up to the wedding and we adore how they turned out! Two especially meaningful animals (our college mascots) adorned the top of our cake.
We adored our flowers. Cathy Cowman from The Bud Stop understood our vision completely. The Dogwood blooms in the center of the tables and around the room held a special meaning: Dogwood is the state flower of Virginia, where Ricky and I first met.
The entire weekend felt like a dream- it was everything we hoped for and more. Some highlights include having friends and family from across the country visit us in our new hometown, a more than hilarious and just plain crazy ceremony experience (our priest got the groom's name wrong, among other things!), and coming down the stairs at the Flood Mansion after being announced for the first time. We felt such love and gratefulness to see the faces of the most important people in our lives!
In the midst of making (what feels like) a hundred thousand decisions, remember to prioritize. What matters most to YOU as a couple should come first. Everything else can probably wait. Also, work with a coordinator!
We both love animals and talk constantly about when kind of pet(s) we should get in the future, so when I came across the idea to create miniature gold animal place card holders, I knew it had to be done! I loved spending time creating the tiny holders leading up to the wedding and we adore how they turned out! Two especially meaningful animals (our college mascots) adorned the top of our cake.
We adored our flowers. Cathy Cowman from The Bud Stop understood our vision completely. The Dogwood blooms in the center of the tables and around the room held a special meaning: Dogwood is the state flower of Virginia, where Ricky and I first met.
The entire weekend felt like a dream- it was everything we hoped for and more. Some highlights include having friends and family from across the country visit us in our new hometown, a more than hilarious and just plain crazy ceremony experience (our priest got the groom's name wrong, among other things!), and coming down the stairs at the Flood Mansion after being announced for the first time. We felt such love and gratefulness to see the faces of the most important people in our lives!
In the midst of making (what feels like) a hundred thousand decisions, remember to prioritize. What matters most to YOU as a couple should come first. Everything else can probably wait. Also, work with a coordinator!