weddings

Asian Art Museum Wedding » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

As members of the Asian Art Museum, choosing this historic venue was a no brainer for Sylvia and Andrew. They knew that by having their wedding celebration would be supporting one of their favorite places in San Francisco. We started the day at the beautiful waterfront Hyatt Regency Hotel where they held a traditional tea ceremony as a nod to their Chinese heritage. Afterwards, the wedding party, armed with bubble guns piled into a couple of pedicabs and we made our way down San Francisco’s Market Street, receiving congratulatory messages along the way. Upon arriving at the museum, we took some time to explore the galleries before heading to the ceremony held on the grand staircase. Their delightful dinner reception included a quiz about the couple where guests showed off their knowledge and competed for wine bottles. Sylvia surprised Andrew with a sweet ukulele performance before kicking off the evening with desserts and dancing.

Venue: San Francisco Asian Art Museum // Hotel: Hyatt Regency // Wedding Planner: 2 the 9s Events // Catering: Jane Hammond Events // Floral Design: Poppy’s Petalworks // Rentals: Bright Event Rentals // Lighting: Love in the Mix // Cake: The Cakemaker // Hair & Make-Up: Dreamcatcher Artistry // Videography: Shutter & Sound // DJ: DJ eTunes // Transportation: Cabrio Taxi Pedicabs // Invitations: Minted // Sylvia’s Dress: Watters from Papers and Petals // Sylvia’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Andrew’s Tux & Shoes: Generation Tux // Rings: Derco & Gordon Aatlo // Second Photographer: Nicole Morrison

Untraditional Pema Osel Ling Redwood Grove Wedding » Watsonville, California /  by Vivian Chen

Meredith and Jorge chose the untraditional route for their redwood wedding in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They rented out Pema Osel Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist retreat, which allowed all of their wedding guests to spend the long weekend together. Florali provided the gorgeous floral arrangements while A Paper Flower Wedding helped keep the day flowing without a hitch. Since Meredith is a professional dancer and Jorge is a writer, their creative backgrounds meant that their celebration was uniquely them. Instead of a white dress, Meredith wore a custom made soft green draped shift gown. Instead of a typical wedding ceremony, Meredith and Jorge sat in the round and their friends sang songs and read poems. Since Jorge’s family is from Spain, every part of the day was translated from English to Spanish and vice versa. After the ceremony under the redwoods, everyone headed down to the Shrine lawn for a delicious family style meal paired with delicious Spanish wines. And of course, the evening wrapped up with an epic dance party that went well into the night.


Magical + Remote Hotel Budir Wedding » Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland /  by Vivian Chen

// Part 1 of Vivian & Dragos’ Icelandic wedding celebration can be found here. //

The Wedding Weekend

After Thursday’s epic road trip engagement session, we all met up again for the wedding weekend. Nestled on a lava field on the Snaefellsnell Peninsula, Hotel Búðir provided the perfect backdrop for Vivian and Dragos’ celebration. Whether it was the famous black church Búðakirkja, Snæfellsjökull Glacier, the Búðir-estuary, or the expansive mountain range speckled with waterfalls, you were treated to a stunning view no matter which direction you looked. The hotel is also home to a sweet mastiff named Thor who likes to spend his evenings watching the tide go out and chasing seals. (Not that he’s ever caught one!)

Gathering 71 of your closest friends and family for a destination wedding in Iceland means pulling out all the stops. Just one day of celebration wasn’t enough so before their Sunday nuptials, Vivian and Dragos kicked off the festivities with a beach bonfire Saturday night with local drinks and barbecue. I was invited to attend and felt at home. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and I especially enjoyed introducing myself as “the Other Vivian Chen” among her friends. The evening continued and impromptu toasts were given as the moon rose above the horizon. Once the embers died down, guests were treated to roasted marshmallows and s’mores. Those who braved the dropping temperatures a bit longer were rewarded a beautiful display of the northern lights, dancing in the sky.

The Big Day

The next morning, Vivian and Dragos got ready in the hotel while guests spent the morning riding horses or exploring local lava caves. For their first look, we chose a spot next to the hotel near the dock with a view of the mountain range and the estuary. After a few sweet moment alone, Vivian and Dragos gathered with their wedding party and headed over to the ceremony site down by the beach. Their good friend Anna played a beautiful rendition of Sigur Rós’ “Starálfur” on her violin as Vivian and her father walked down the grass path where everyone was waiting. Their friend, Laura, who threw the housewarming party where Vivian and Dragos first met, officiated the ceremony. In addition to exchanging rings, they drank traditional spirits—homemade Romanian plum wine and Chinese baijiu—out of chalices. After they sealed their vows with a kiss, Vivian and Dragos lead everyone back to the hotel for cocktails. As Dragos earned his degree in mathematics, they had their guests try to find their seat assignments by answered riddles and math equations (some more successfully than others!) As the evening light faded away, everyone was treated to a delicious three course meal in the cozy dining room before heading out to the lobby for dessert and a dance party that went on well into the night. It was an incredible wedding weekend that was made even more magical because of the connection Vivian and I felt for one another.

Wedding Venue: Hótel Búðir // Floral Design: Thordis // Hair + Make-Up: Margret Magnus // Baker: Sætar Syndir // DJ: Atli Már Gylfason // Vivian’s Dress: Enzoani (Handmade cape by Vivian’s mother) // Vivian’s Shoes: Aquazurra // Dragos’ Suit: Enzo Custom // Paper Goods: Minted // Rings: ID Jewelry

Relaxed Yokayo Ranch Wedding Weekend » Ukiah, California /  by Vivian Chen

Laura and Jake are one of my chillest and most stylish couples I know. The plan for their wedding was to ignore all the stuffy traditions and just get a good group of their favorite people together for a fun weekend away. Yokayo Ranch in Ukiah was the perfect venue for this. Their families and wedding party stayed with them on the ranch, which made getting ready on the day of just a continuation of the weekend festivities. Since both Jake and Laura work in the restaurant industry (Jake owns Hardwood Bar & Smokery in San Francisco), I knew that they would pull out all the stops for their meal and they did not disappoint. After dinner, the guests were treated to delicious dessert and a bud bar with personalized prerolls. My favorite part of the day was Laura and Jake’s dog Frank. He was with them every step of the day, from first look to walking down the aisle and sitting with them for the ceremony to partying on the dance floor. He’s so beloved that they even made enamel pins and personalized homemade hot sauce in his honor. Truly the best wedding pup ever!

Saints Peter + Paul Catholic Church & Golden Gate Club Wedding » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

Sarah and Mike had a classic San Francisco wedding. Since both of them had a lot of guests coming from out of town, they really wanted to showcase the city where they fell in love. Sarah and Mike were married at the famous Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in North Beach. After the traditional ceremony, they hopped on a cable car with their wedding party for a drive around the city where we stopped at Crissy Field for some photos in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. The party continued at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio where everyone enjoyed a delicious meal and cocktails before partying the night away to live music by Retro Jukebox Band.

Wedding Coordinator: Dreams on a Dime // Ceremony Venue: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church // Reception Venue: Golden Gate Club // Florist: An Added Touch Flowers // Caterers: Presidio Foods Catering // Lighting: Just De Lights // Band: Retro Jukebox Band // Make-Up: Angie Elko // Hair: Abby Ramstad // Videographer: Final Frame

Colorful + Joyful Gardens at Heather Farms Wedding » Walnut Creek, California /  by Vivian Chen

Claire and Doug are one of those couples that are a natural fit for one another. Their genuine warmth and love for one another and their community truly shines through, especially on their wedding day. They chose to get married at the Gardens at Heather Farms for the lush gorgeous gardens. After a sweet ceremony officiated by a close friend, the party continued with a festive and colorful reception. The decor was a nod to their honeymoon destination, Spain and the guests were treated to a delicious meal by Havana Cuban Cuisine with specialty mojitos and other delicious cocktails. For dessert, there was cake and a make you own halo halo bar. Claire, a professional dancer, kicked off the evening with a beautifully choreographed dance with Doug and then surprised everyone with a flash mob for her father-daughter dance. Truly a fun celebration!

Wedding Venue: The Gardens at Heather Farm // Floral Design: DIY by family friend // Caterer: Havana Cuban Cuisine // Desserts: SusieCakes & Roline’s Uniquely Filipino (Halo Halo Dessert Bar) // Rentals: Standard Party Rentals // Lighting & DJ: Amos Productions // String Trio: Corelli Strings // Make-Up: Victoria Torrey // Hair: Nicole Hester // Claire’s Dress: Kinsley James Couture Bridal Salon // Doug’s Ring: Hannah Louise Lamb // Videographer: byDesign Films

A Summertime UC Faculty Club Wedding » Berkeley, California /  by Vivian Chen

Kathleen and Ben met in college when they both joined the mixed race student association. Ben knew from the moment he met her that she would be the one he would marry but it took ten years of dating before he popped the question on the first day of winter in San Francisco's Japantown. For their wedding, the chose the rustic Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus. The ceremony under the grand oak tree was officiated by a good friend who Ben recently married. Afterwards guests were treated to cocktails and a delicious dinner in the grand hall. A highlight of the evening was when Kathleen's mother sang "Stand By Your Man" acapella and brought the whole house down! 

Venue: The Faculty Club // Wedding Coordinator: Simply Elegant // Floral Design: Belle Flower // Hair & Make-Up: Vinnia Tjhin // Lighting: Immersive Pro // DJ: Sounds Elevated // Desserts: Sweet Adeline Bakeshop

Festive + Floral Garden Valley Ranch Wedding » Petaluma, California /  by Vivian Chen

Eugenia and Rohan were married on a warm summer day at Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma. This venue boasts multiple gardens spread out over five acres including a huge rose farm which lead guests over to the ceremony area. We started the day with a private first look in the secret garden area before all the portraits and ceremony. Afterwards, everyone headed to the Carriage House where everyone was treated to a delicious meal provided by Fogcutter. Eugenia and Rohan kicked off evening's festivities with a lovely first dance before Rohan's brother surprised everyone with a groomsmen flash mob dance performance. As the sunset, we ducked away for some additional portraits as we explored the grounds before heading back to join the party. Overall, a gorgeous and sweet day.

Wedding Venue: Garden Valley Ranch // Wedding Planner: Cindy Ng of Happily Ever After Events // Florist: Beijaflor Botanicals // Caterer & Desserts: Fogcutter // Rentals & Lighting: Bright Event Rentals // DJ: Beau Bergeron of Above & Beyond Events // Videographer: Daniel Chae // Officiant: Lauren Sneed of Rhythm & Light Ceremonies // Hair & Make-Up: Joey Cheung of Urban Beauty Loft // Invitations: Minted // Eugenia's Dress: Maggie Sottero // Rohan's Suit: The Black Tux // Rings: Brilliant Earth 

An Elegant Summertime Brazilian Room Wedding » Tilden Park, Berkeley /  by Vivian Chen

Community is important for Stacy and Emanuel. So when they planned their wedding, they kept it small with their nearest and dearest friends and family. Emanuel's sister officiated while their vendors were made up of local Santa Cruz businesses, where Emanuel grew up. The warm summer day meant that guests were able to enjoy the expansive outdoor space of the Brazilian Room with lawn games and cocktails. After a delicious dinner by Blue Heron, everyone cooled off with gelato for dessert before shaking it up the dance floor. 

Venue: The Brazilian Room // Hotel: The Claremont // Wedding Planner: E Events Co // Florist: Willi Wildflower // Hair & Make-Up: A-List Makeup // Stacy's Dress: Grace Loves Lace // Emanuel's Suit: Hugo Boss // Rentals: Pieces by Violet // Lighting: Quantum Party Productions // Caterer: Blue Heron Catering // DJ: Santa Cruz DJ Company // Dessert: Coletta Gelato

St. Columba Church + Lake Merritt Terrace Room Wedding » Oakland, California /  by Vivian Chen

Jessica and Adrian were married with a small family only church wedding at St. Columba Church in Oakland. After the traditional Catholic ceremony, the couple headed out to the Oakland Hills where we took some portraits in the redwoods. It was a nice little peaceful getaway before we all heading to the Terrace Room at Lake Merritt the main celebration. The large reception included a pianist that entertained the party the whole evening. As a twist on the classic clinking of glasses to get the couple to kiss, the pianist picked a couples name out of a fish bowl and that couple had to kiss first and Jessica and Adrian were to imitate their kisses. After dinner, Jessica and her friends lead a fun singalong before everyone enjoyed dancing and special Indonesian desserts as nod to Adrian's heritage.

An Autumn Elliston Vineyard Wedding » Sunol, California /  by Vivian Chen

Pauline and Ryan were married on a lovely autumn afternoon at Elliston Vineyards in Sunol. Personal touches were seen throughout the day, from their good friend officiating the ceremony to the dinosaurs and succulents decorating the reception tables. After dinner and wedding bundt cakes, DJ Rufio kept the music going through out the night for an epic dance party.