potrero hill

Dogpatch + Foreign Cinema Restaurant Wedding » San Francisco, California by Vivian Chen

Lara and Brad’s relationship began and blossomed in San Francisco. When they decided to get married, they chose Foreign Cinema as the perfect San Francisco venue (and the amazing food also helped make it an easy decision.) When I first met with the couple, they emphasized their desire to have a low-key wedding that felt more like a dinner party. They didn’t plan to have any wedding party or any of the other wedding traditions. When I showed up at their home on their wedding day, Lara and Brad were getting ready together. The vibe was peaceful and calm as it was just them and Lara’s hair and make-up artist. Once they were dressed and ready, we met up with their families for a few group portraits around the neighborhood. Afterwards, Lara and Brad took me on a small tour of San Francisco for their portraits: their current neighborhood in the Dogpatch, my favorite San Francisco skyline view in Potrero Hill and then Lara’s old neighborhood in the Mission. We jokingly talked about how all of the locations were where they made out. We arrived at Foreign Cinema before dinner time and the couple hide in the projection room upstairs, spying on their guests as they trickled in down below. For their ceremony, Lara’s old roommate (the one who was responsible for the couple meeting) officiated while their good friends shared some blessings. Afterwards, the couple ducked away upstairs to sign the marriage license before joining the rest of the party for cocktails in the gallery. Once dinner began, they projected Young Frankenstein on the large concrete wall above their guests. The evening wrapped up with two hilarious toasts where Brad’s old roommate and Lara’s sister shared stories about how they met before everyone headed to the gallery to dance the night away.

Wedding Venue: Foreign Cinema // Wedding Planner: Kelly Dawson of Marché51 Events // Floral Design: Wallflower Floral Design // Hair & Make-Up: Chris McDonald Makeup // DJ: Tommy Fulllove

Potrero Hill, Palace of Fine Arts and Clarion Alley Engagement Session » San Francisco, California by Vivian Chen

Jamie and Elena live in New York City but when they first met, Jamie was still living in San Francisco. Their long distance relationship met lots of hours on Skype and frequent visits between the two coasts. For their engagement session, they flew out to San Francisco for a visit and wanted to capture some of their favorite spots while in town. Starting in Potrero Hill, we captured the changing San Francisco skyline before heading over to the Palace of Fine Arts, where Jamie and Elena first exchanged "I love you's". Afterwards, we wandered around the Mission since it was the neighborhood they frequented when they first started dating (where these two crazy cat lovers stalked a stray with me!) As a friend of the couple, it was honored to capture these moments together and I'm so excited for their wedding this September in Brooklyn!