Derek and Eillie met five years ago in New York City, where they were both dedicated year-round bike commuters (yes, even in freezing temps!!) and volunteered for the same bike advocacy organization. They met online, but they believe that eventually their shared interests would have brought them together if the internet hadn’t. 😊 We’ll get further into how the couple involved their love for bikes and incorporated them into their wedding day a little bit later!
The bride shares: “Both my partner and I had a really clear vision for what we wanted for the day, and we loved working together to realize it. He’s a super talented designer, and actually created our invites and menus himself. I have really specific taste for decorations and overall aesthetic, and worked closely with our amazing florist (Le Bouquet SF) on decorations that reflected my love of interesting textures, natural hues, and some distinct California elements (palm leaves + monster).
Our reception venue, Sunset Reservoir Brewing Co, has such an incredible space–it’s a two-level former produce warehouse, so it had incredible vaulted ceilings and exposed beams. It didn’t need much, but ended up looking absolutely magical!”
Let’s see the moments photographer Tim of Sullivan and Sullivan Studios captured throughout the day!
A Cozy Wedding Morning
The bride shares that for her, creating her outfit was a huge highlight. She has always loved fashion and clothing and had a pretty clear idea of what she was going for when she started shopping.
“I wanted something minimal but still interesting–good fabric, strong lines, and some choice accessories. I went to just one wedding dress shop–WildBride in SF, could not recommend more highly–and tried on maybe three dresses before landing on this gorgeous linen skirt by Cortana. I did some intense internet searching to find the exact backless silk top I had in mind to go with it (by Harmur, a UK brand), and the pieces worked perfectly together. Plus, going with a two-piece meant I could easily change into pants in the back of a car before the bike ride, which I absolutely did.”
The two got ready together at home in their cozy Oakland apartment, listening to WWOZ and drinking coffee before heading out for a pre-wedding “date” at one of their favorite San Francisco coffee shops—Sightglass in the Mission!
Their Love Story
“Our first date was a bike ride along the Brooklyn waterfront, punctuated with beer and Mexican food, and we’ve repeated a version of that ride many times since, even as we’ve made several big moves (from New York to Seattle, and then Seattle to Oakland), endured a pandemic, and supported each other through some major career moves. For both of us, bikes are a source of joy, but they also represent our worldview and how we try to show up for our communities as a couple. We don’t own a car and believe really strongly in making our cities more sustainable, more people-friendly, and more bike-able–and we’re lucky to both have jobs that work toward this shared goal.“
Before the ceremony, the two spent some time clambering around the ruins at Sutro Baths– which Eillie mentions was slightly sketchy in her heels, but she survived!
“We wanted our wedding day to reflect our ideal day together as a couple, and it did: It started off calm and cozy at home, involved a lot of walking and exploring in the city, had a bike ride thrown in, and ended at a brewery surrounded by our favorite people.”
The Oceanside Ceremony
“Our wedding was six months ago, but it’s still as clear to me as if it were yesterday. Because of how much time we gave ourselves to plan it and how focused we were on making the day feel true to ourselves, we really had a very low-stress experience. And we got to involve some of our closest friends in making the day feel special: my best friend from when I studied abroad in Ireland officiated, and we all worked together on the ceremony to make it unique, funny, and genuine.”
The groom looks so dapper in his grey suit from Anatoly’s!
A Ride to Remember
“When we were planning our wedding (we got engaged in peak pandemic on Thanksgiving 2020), my partner threw out an idea: what if we rode bikeshare from our ceremony venue to our reception? Our ceremony was at Sutro Heights Park in San Francisco–one of my favorite places in the world since childhood–and our reception was a three-mile ride away in the Sunset neighborhood at Sunset Reservoir Brewing (beer is also a strong theme in our relationship!).
The ride between the two spots would go along the ocean and through Golden Gate Park, where I’d recently worked on a project to close a road to cars and open it up to people. It was a whacky idea–but also kind of perfect. I said yes right away, but figured none of our friends would want in on it. I could not have been more wrong! We had a whole fleet ride with us on our wedding day, with music coming from a boombox bungee-corded into the front basket of a bike, and the San Francisco fog swirling. It was perfect.”
How romantic!!
One Heck of A Time
The couple boasts that their venue was just excellent, and they set their guests up with their Taco Tuesday menu and an open bar complete with custom drinks and their entire cocktail list…phenomenal!
“Everyone was so impressed by the quality of the food and drinks, and it’s safe to say that people were having an excellent time. As one of my dad’s good friends said afterward: “Everyone knows how to have fun in a bar!” I loved seeing friends and family from all the different parts of our life come together on the dance floor–people left the celebration with some new friends.”
This cake by Two Chicks in the Mix with orange details was picture-perfect! If you’re not sure which wedding cake style will suit your big day… we’ve got something super helpful for you!
Get some Polaroid cameras and circulate them around the party! We had three, and approximately 300 pieces of film, which we used all of. Those photos are absolutely priceless, and you get to have them to look at right after your wedding.
Lastly, the couple wanted to advise those planning now that are looking for venues… They found this event space just by Googling “breweries that also have cocktails” and sending the owners an email. It wasn’t publicized as a wedding venue, which was such a plus–they weren’t overwhelmed planning a lot of other events, so the couple got their pick of a date, and it was super reasonable for the price! Don’t be afraid to look beyond the typical spots that show up when you’re venue hunting!
Great parting words! A huge congrats to Derek & Eillie, we wish you nothing but the best!
photography: Sullivan & Sullivan Studios // venue name: Sunset Reservoir Brewing Co, San Francisco, CA, USA // planning: Studio DBI // florals: Le Bouquet SF // wedding dress: Cortana Jara (skirt); Harmur Audrey (top) // wedding dress boutique: WildBride // hairpiece: Erica Elizabeth Designs // bride's shoes: Reike Nen cutout slingback pumps // bride's ring: Artemer Vintage Style Baguette Deco ring // hair stylist: Heather Finley // makeup artist: Jillian Wilkey // groom attire: Anatoly's // groom's shoes: Taft Jack // groom's ring: Shawn Roberts from Esqueleto Oakland // cake: Two Chicks in the Mix // music: Ivy Hill Entertainment // officiant: Evan Rogers Johnson // Necklace: A.B. Ellie // Bracelet: Beaufille // Earrings: Faeber Studio
