Wedding | Stephanie & John

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met through mutual friends who would have never thought to set us up together (classic introvert/extrovert combo), but that’s how it works sometimes I suppose. We’re huge bookworms and typically wind down the day reading together in bed. But we also love getting rowdy at our college football tailgates. We still chase each other around the apartment playing tag, and use our kitties as “guns”. You can find us out running or biking on the weekends when we’re not traveling, and eating whatever delicious food Steph has found in the local farmer’s market during the week.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

St. Dominic’s Catholic Church has always been a special place for us. When we had broken up after going through some tough family things, St Dom’s kept us in each other’s orbits and still regularly seeing each other which in turn led to us reconnecting.

How many guests did you have?

We had about 110 guests.

What was your budget?

Our original budget was under $100k, inclusive of welcome drinks and a goodbye brunch, but as with many things — especially in San Francisco — we ended up going a bit over. The process became an interesting and valuable exercise in really digging into what mattered most to us.

We chose to forgo a videographer since we’re much more “photo people,” and instead decided to splurge on rentals and chairs, as design was especially important to Steph. Those kinds of decisions helped us stay aligned with our priorities, even as the budget shifted.

That said, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting married in San Francisco if sticking closely to a budget is your top priority. We encountered a number of unexpected costs and city-related markups compared to other weddings we’ve heard about, and we likely could have stayed well below our original budget elsewhere. Ultimately, though, it was important to us to get married in the city where our relationship began and where we still live, and that made the investment feel worth it.

Tell us about your outfits.

Steph: I originally wanted something much more minimalist and light, but my mum kept pushing me for more, reminding me when else do you get to go big and a bit over the top. I’m so grateful that she kept pushing me because after three dresses that I thought were “it” and she vetoed, we landed with something incredibly unique and although it was heavier in volume, it still really felt like me.

John: Unlike our extremely casual day-to-day dress, we wanted to go pretty far to the other extreme and landed on a more formal look/vibe for what we wore. I personally wanted something that I could wear again for other occasions, so a black tux seemed like the right fit. When picking the specific tux, the choices ended up being pretty self-obvious combining the desire for a modern look with the limitations of what looks odd with my tall and lanky frame. I might have gone with a colored bow tie in isolation, but we ended up deciding to use colored bow ties for the groomsmen and to differentiate me just used the classic black.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The guest experience was an important aspect for us, as we wanted them to have a wonderful and fun time. We absolutely love weddings and appreciate when couples think through the guest experience too, so we wanted to prioritise that, between transport, drinks offerings, variety of food, cross-pollinating groups to encourage lively conversations, etc.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We wanted all aspects of the wedding to reflect parts of our relationship, from our venue, which is a place we run and bike by often, to the menu, reflecting a cross section of our favorite foods and culture — all designed to help our guests experience the places, flavors, and moments that have shaped our life together.

Any tips for couples getting married?

We highly encourage turning a vision-boarding session into a date night. Early on in the planning process, we spent an evening talking through what we envisioned for our wedding — what elements felt most important to us and what mattered less. That conversation was incredibly helpful in clarifying our priorities and guiding where we chose to spend both our time and our budget.

Location is also a major factor to consider, as it can have a significant impact on both the overall experience and the costs involved.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We cannot rave about our photographer and caterer enough.  

Starting with our photographer, Ruthie Martin Photo — having someone who could truly put us at ease on one of the most emotional days of our lives was incredibly important. Even more than that, it mattered to us to work with someone who was aligned with our values and deeply understood the kind of photos and memories we wanted to document.

Our experience with our caterer, Fraiche, was another standout highlight, not only on the wedding day itself but throughout the entire planning process. From the very beginning, they asked exactly the right questions — many of which we didn’t even realize needed to be asked. By the time we arrived at our tasting, they had already captured our vision almost perfectly. Beyond understanding what we wanted, they completely exceeded our expectations in terms of quality. Good food was extremely important to us, and we wanted dinner to reflect that. Fraiche went above and beyond the high bar we had set.

Photographer: Ruthie Martin Photo @ruthiemartin_photo | Planning: Earth & Events @earthandevents | Flora: Cosmos Collective @cosmoscollectiveca | Ceremony Location: St. Dominic’s Catholic Church | Reception Location: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture @fortmasoncenter | Hire: Bright Event Rentals 

@BrightEventRentals; Found Rental Co. @FoundRentalCo; Table Method @TableMethod | Celebrant: Fr. Carl Schlichte | Makeup Artist: Hannah Colby @hannahcolby | Hair: Janet Marical @muajanet | Catering & Beverages: Fraiche Catering @fraichecatering | Cake: Grand Opening @grandopening___ | Stationery:

 Wishing Well | Entertainment: The Freshmakers @freshmakersband | Bus Hire: Big Bus Tours  @bigbustours | Dress: Alena Leena Bridal @alenaleenabridal