Tell us a little about yourselves!
Jordan and I met on a flight from SF to LA in 2012. We first locked eyes at an airport bar called Legends of San Francisco, which no longer exists and is now a legend itself. I decided to strike up a conversation, we sat next to each other on the flight (thanks, Southwest Airlines!), and we’ve been together ever since.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
San Francisco has been the backdrop for many of the most pivotal moments in our relationship. It was where we met, first moved in together, and where we got engaged on our 10 year anniversary. But it’s not just these milestone events that have special meaning. Some of our fondest memories together are of our everyday life in SF: walks through our neighborhood in Potrero Hill, eating and drinking our way through the city, and urban hiking with our dog to watch the sunset.
But our time in San Francisco is coming to an end! We are moving to Boston in January, where I will be starting as a biological engineering professor at MIT. I got the job in May 2023, and we quickly realized 1) it would be especially meaningful to get married in San Francisco, and 2) we needed to do it fast!
So we came up with a somewhat unconventional wedding weekend: We would get married at SF City Hall on August 3, 2023 (our 11 year anniversary) with our immediate families.
However, our wedding wouldn’t feel complete without our chosen family - we have some very close sets of friends living all over the US from various stages of our lives. We decided to host a reception for these friends with the goal of showcasing everything we love about San Francisco: the city that brought us together. I knew we had found the perfect reception venue when we toured Flood Mansion in SF: a stunning beaux arts mansion located in the quintessential Pacific Heights neighborhood, with breathtaking views of the bay. It was the perfect setting to help our guests fall in love with the city like we have. When we found out they were available the Sunday after our city hall ceremony that sealed the deal!
How many guests did you have?
Just over 50 of our immediate family and closest friends.
Tell us about your outfits.
As you can probably tell, I gravitate toward fashion that makes a statement. I bought my reception dress almost immediately after seeing photos online, and luckily it was even better in person! I loved that it was modern, yet classic with its nod to 60’s styling, and the bow train was everything! I knew it would echo the dramatic architecture of Flood Mansion. I accessorized the look with sculptural pearl earrings from Agmes, a modern bouquet of calla lilies (my favorite flower), and some vintage jewels from my personal collection (a tennis bracelet from Kinn Studio, my engagement and right hand rings from Andria Barboné, and my wedding band featuring an antique diamond from Marrow Fine Jewelry).
For our welcome event at one of our favorite wine bars, I wore a Rebecca Vallance dress (the pink one! with the shoulders!). Almost as fun as the dress were the sculptural Proenza Schouler kitten heels I paired with it. I continue to wear them every chance I get!
For our private city hall wedding, I kept things a little simpler, but loved that the draping on my slip dress from Fame and Partners gave it a sculptural element. The team at Tailor Maid in SF altered it to perfection – I felt so comfortable and chic on wedding day. I wore understated jewelry from Kinn, some of which I wear every day, and my mom’s sapphire engagement ring as my “something blue”.
For both our ceremony and reception, Jordan wore a bespoke 3 piece suit from Hive and Colony. Simple changes in styling of his tie and pocket square helped make it feel appropriate for both city hall and Flood Mansion. Jordan has adopted my love of jewelry and accessories, so you’ll also notice his wedding band (the impossibly cool peak band designed by Rebecca Overmann in SF), box chain bracelet from Marrow Fine Jewelry, and sculptural tie clip from Agmes.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We were so grateful to friends and family who traveled from all over the US to celebrate our marriage. In return, we wanted to give them a sense of place, by sharing all the things we love about the bay area. On Saturday, we showed our guests what a typical weekend day is like for us in SF. In the morning, we hosted an urban hike through Pacific Heights and the Presidio (our dog Millie came too!). We ended with lunch at the food trucks parked at SF’s new National Park, Tunnel Tops, with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. That evening we hosted a welcome event at Buddy, a natural wine bar in the Mission with incredible food, wine, and low ABV cocktails. With those who wanted another round, we walked over to Trick Dog, one of the most celebrated cocktail bars in SF. As self-proclaimed foodies and wine lovers, we have loved living in a city where excellent food and beverage is not hard to find.
On reception day, we brought the best of the city to our venue. Some of it was intentional, like the out-of-this world meal (described below) and including seasonal, local flowers. But the best part was out of our control. If you know SF, you’ll know that the Pacific Heights neighborhood can be caked in fog, especially in the summer. But on our reception day, it was (magically?) perfectly clear. We were treated to postcard-worthy views of the bay and a killer sunset. Thanks, San Francisco. We love you!
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
With an intimate reception, we wanted to prioritize guest experience. We set out to create moments of beauty, peace, and luxury so that our friends and family could relax and enjoy themselves. To me, our cocktail hour felt like spending time at a chic Sonoma winery. We did our best to make our dinner experience feel similar to one you might have at a Michelin star restaurant, with catering by Componere Fine Catering. Finally, setting up a lounge in the belvedere allowed guests to unwind and take in the gorgeous views of the city.
Perhaps the most unique and special element we were able to incorporate was a piano performance by one of my childhood friends, who is working on his BFA from Cal Arts. When we found out that Flood Mansion had a baby grand piano, we asked if he’d be willing to perform and he graciously agreed. We worked together to compile a set list: Debussy’s “Claire de Lune”, Chopin’s “Ocean”, and Carmen McRae’s “I’m Always Drunk in San Francisco”. How cool is it that these are our wedding songs?
Any tips for couples getting married?
Try to embrace the process! We loved being able to curate an experience for our guests. Yes, it took time to do things like source our favorite local wines and pair them with our food, research flower arrangement styles (we love ikebana, which our florist executed beautifully), or collect rocks from one of our favorite SF beaches to use as part of our place settings. But all the thought and effort that we put in more than paid off. These intentional, personal touches made our reception feel like us and helped us express how much it meant to have our friends and family join us to celebrate our marriage.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
With only about three months to plan our wedding, working with stellar vendors was critical! We couldn’t have done it without the one and only Shaley Bagan of Downey Street Events, who understood our vision from the jump. She helped us create an elevated, intentional wedding weekend that was even better than we imagined.
Alana of Bourne Paper Co helped us create gorgeous menus and signage for our event featuring a custom J&J monogram. Marissa and her team at Wild Fleur Co created truly breathtaking works of art featuring many of our favorite funky native flora. Speaking of art, Janet Mariscal is a real talent and helped me, my mom, and my sister look and feel our best. The DJs at Dart Collective are just the coolest: they helped us set an effortless loungey vibe during cocktail hour and dinner and then threw a killer dance party. Bonus: not only did they affirm our choice to put most of the Renaissance album on our playlist, they brought it on vinyl!
Last, but certainly not least, Sophie Lin Berard documented our weekend with absolutely incredible photography. Her next-level talent and care for her subjects is so obvious in these images. For us, it looked like spending unhurried, quality time with us at our home, at some of our favorite public spaces around the city, and on our reception day. She made us and our guests look as cool and as happy as we felt, and for that I will always be grateful!
Photographer: Sophie Lin Berard @sberardweddings | Ceremony Location: Private Ceremony at SF City Hall | Reception Location: Flood Mansion | Entertainment: Dart Collective @dartcollective
Styling: by the Bride @_shmess | Planner: Downey Street Events @downeystreetevents | Hire:
Theoni @theonicollection | Flora: Wild Fleur Co @thewildfleur_co| HMUA: Janet Mariscal @muajanet | Hair: Ailise McGlinchey @hairclub_byailise | Catering + Beverages: Componere Fine Catering
@componerefinecatering | Stationery: Bourne Paper Co @bournepaperco | DJ: Dart Collective
@dartcollective | Pink Dress: Rebecca Vallance | Reception Dress: Prea James Bridal purchased at Loho Bride @preajames_bridal @loho_bride | Suit : Hive + Colony | Engagement Ring: Andria Barboné Jewelry @andriabarbonejewelry | Bride’s Wedding Ring: Marrow Fine Jewelry @marrowfine | Groom’s Wedding Ring: Rebecca Overmann Jewelry @rebeccaovermannjewelry | Shoes: Proenza Schouler; Schutz Nike Air Force Ones for dancing @proenzaschouler @schutz | Bride’s Jewellery: Kinn Studio @kinnstudio, Andria Barboné Jewelry @andriabarbonejewelry, Agmes @agmesnyc | Groom’s Bracelet: Marrow Fine Jewelry @marrowfine, Groom’s Tie Clip: Agmes @agmesnyc
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