For Melissa + Mike, it really all started with the space – the Marin Headlands Center for the Arts. It was the first + only space they looked at and it’s such a beautiful building and area. It was an old army barrack, renovated and revamped by artists and it has an amazing vintage and lived-in feel that was the perfect representation of the city they love and live in, San Francisco. Using the venue as their inspiration, Melissa crafted all the decor – from the flags hanging from the lights, the banner, the floral arrangements, and so forth. It was all done with the space in mind and reflective of their love + appreciation for taking advantage of what was already there. Big thanks to the talented Ben Blood for sending this gorgeous wedding my way!
We created most of the decor from hand and that tied into everything else we did – the invitations were designed and screen-printed in our apartment, we hand typed the name cards, we designed and made buttons, the programs were screenprinted on our gocco and sewn together, and we made two beers (a Black Wheat and a Summer Rye) that were served all night long. This reflects who we are to our friends + family and what we do: we make things that look and taste awesome. :)
Prior to the wedding, our great friend and officiant emailed our friends and family and asked everyone to send him a few words about us and our relationship. During the ceremony he read some of these quotes to everyone. From "Mike and Melissa are perfect together" to "I have never seen either of them this happy", it was a really nice touch and a thoughtful gesture. But to top it off, one of our friends quote was the famous line from The Godfather- "And may their first child be a masculine child" - this brought the house down, loosened everyone up and was just an amazing moment during an amazing ceremony.
Processional: Rumpus Reprise – Karen O. & The Kids
Recessional: I Must Have It – Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks
First Dance: This Will Be Our Year – The Zombies
Our main advice is to take time to enjoy the process. It's cliche, but don't sweat the small stuff is really the key to having not only an amazing wedding day, but enjoying yourself throughout the planning process. Also, if you have enough time, give yourself a few weeks or a month off here and there and don't do anything wedding related! It's nice to be able to take a break and refocus on the life that is going on around you. Finally, DIY as much as you can! It saves a ton of money and adds so much to the day when you've put that extra love into it. We'd do it every year if we could!
photography: Ben Blood // venue: Headlands Center for the Arts // day of coordinator: Rebecca Pfiffner // floral design: Farmgirl Flowers and StudioChoo (bouquets) // wedding dress: Sarah Seven via Lovely Bride // hairpiece: Tessa Kim // shoes: J. Crew // bridesmaid dresses: Laila Azhar // makeup: Karen Quetano // groom suit: ASOS // cinematography: Steve and Angie Tures // invitations+ paper goods: DIY // catering: Katie Powers Catering // cake: A selection of desserts from Fat Bottom Bakery, Cinnaholic and Mission Pie // music: cocktail hour: Gaucho Gypsy Jazz Band, DJ: Mark Barrite
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