When Classic Meets Modern in San Francisco, The Results are Amazing
This, my friends, is what happens when classic meets modern in a stunning San Fran setting. Think a traditional ceremony at St. Agnes Church, a breathtaking Bently Reserve reception dotted with organic details and a sweet surprise from a bride who knows all there is to know about giving the world's best wedding present. (Hint: there's an 80's band involved.) Dive into every moment captured beautifully by Milou & Olin in THE VAULT.
From Milou & Olin... Diana and Howard's San Francisco Wedding at the Bentley Reserve was elegant, chic and timeless. This wedding includes two wedding dresses, surprise musical guests, a ride into the sunset in a Rolls Royce and a happily ever after for two amazing people. The affair was traditional with a modern twist. The couple chose to include very natural and earthy elements in the reception like the seating chart on slate slabs, the wishing stones used as a gorgeous alternative to place cards, and the various lush centerpieces gave the event a lovely organic and chic ambiance. The Bride and Groom danced the night away to surprise appearance of Tainted Love, the Groom had no clue (can you tell?)! Diana and Howard are one of a kind, and so was their wedding!
From the Bride... Howard and I wanted to just throw a big party with great food and music! We were very excited about having all of our family and friends in one place and wanted everyone to have a great time. We wanted a venue that was iconic to San Francisco since both of us were born and raised in San Francisco and continue to live there today. When we first saw the Bently Reserve, we fell in love with the space immediately because of all the history behind it and the architecture is very beautiful. We were really lucky to be able to partner with Jubilee Lau Events who helped materialize our vision into an absolutely gorgeous wedding that still felt grand and stately, yet fun and intimate.
After choosing our venue, we envisioned the color palette to be black, pewter, champagne, blush with accents of metallic gold. Our style vision was modern, clean, streamlined, refined and polished but wanted it to be soft and warm at the same time.
My absolute favorite moment of the entire night was revealing Howard's wedding present. Rather than choosing a more traditional present for the groom, I decided to surprise him by hiring an 80's cover band, Tainted Love, to perform at the reception. We had seen the band in concert early on in our relationship and it was one of the most fun and memorable experiences in our relationship. Keeping this a secret for 18 months was no easy feat and with the help of our wedding planning team, we were able to maintain the surprise up until the big reveal! The look on his face was so worth it!
My one piece of advice for brides-to-be would be - Don't sweat the small stuff! Decide what elements of the wedding are very important to you and that will help with budgeting as well. We decided early on to hire a wedding planner, prioritize catering, photography, and the venue. Howard and I were very lucky to have been able to partner with seasoned professionals with impeccable reputations who were also highly recommended by our friends. We trusted them completely and Howard and I were able to thoroughly enjoy our wedding celebration because it all goes by so fast! Savor every moment!
From the Bride... Howard and I wanted to just throw a big party with great food and music! We were very excited about having all of our family and friends in one place and wanted everyone to have a great time. We wanted a venue that was iconic to San Francisco since both of us were born and raised in San Francisco and continue to live there today. When we first saw the Bently Reserve, we fell in love with the space immediately because of all the history behind it and the architecture is very beautiful. We were really lucky to be able to partner with Jubilee Lau Events who helped materialize our vision into an absolutely gorgeous wedding that still felt grand and stately, yet fun and intimate.
After choosing our venue, we envisioned the color palette to be black, pewter, champagne, blush with accents of metallic gold. Our style vision was modern, clean, streamlined, refined and polished but wanted it to be soft and warm at the same time.
My absolute favorite moment of the entire night was revealing Howard's wedding present. Rather than choosing a more traditional present for the groom, I decided to surprise him by hiring an 80's cover band, Tainted Love, to perform at the reception. We had seen the band in concert early on in our relationship and it was one of the most fun and memorable experiences in our relationship. Keeping this a secret for 18 months was no easy feat and with the help of our wedding planning team, we were able to maintain the surprise up until the big reveal! The look on his face was so worth it!
My one piece of advice for brides-to-be would be - Don't sweat the small stuff! Decide what elements of the wedding are very important to you and that will help with budgeting as well. We decided early on to hire a wedding planner, prioritize catering, photography, and the venue. Howard and I were very lucky to have been able to partner with seasoned professionals with impeccable reputations who were also highly recommended by our friends. We trusted them completely and Howard and I were able to thoroughly enjoy our wedding celebration because it all goes by so fast! Savor every moment!