San Francisco Wedding with Modern Elegance
SMP-ers meet Abby. Not me Abby. Another Abby. The voice behind the AWESOME blog Life in the Superburbs and the newest writer to join the Style Me Pretty team. I am madly in love with Abby and her cute sense of style and can’t wait to see what she brings to the table. Today, she’s blogging about one of our favorite San Francisco photographers, Lisa Lefkowitz and a crazy beautiful wedding that Alison Events designed to perfection.
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There is a reason the world is still enamored with Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis – they embodied a timeless style which would stop people in their tracks to this very day. This enduring style is the reason I am so excited to make my SMP debut with Jenny & Rick’s elegant wedding as shown through the talented lens of Lisa Lefkowitz.
I can barely contain myself when brides are able to incorporate impeccable wedding details that come together so seamlessly it is as if they naturally appeared in the venue along with the brick and mortar. I don’t believe Jenny had a role in the development of the beautiful St. Regis, so I think it is safe to say she just has a fantastic sense of style.
Audrey, Grace and Jackie would be so proud…
From Jenny, the lovely bride behind it all..
I had never really given much thought to my wedding day until Rick and I got engaged in the fall of 2008, and then I became absolutely obsessed! We decided to get married in March and knew it would be in San Francisco, the city where we met and currently live. Early spring weather in San Francisco can be unpredictable, so the ceremony and reception would be held indoors. We both have incredibly busy work schedules and initially didn’t have a wedding planner, so we chose to have our reception at a hotel that offered in-house catering and offered day-of coordination. We toured several locations, but the St. Regis was by far our favorite. Its modern elegance perfectly defined our style.
Several months into the planning process, I recalled a wedding we had been to several years prior at the Swedenborgian Church in Pacific Heights. A National Historical Landmark in the Arts and Crafts style, it was totally different than the St. Regis but felt completely right for our ceremony. It’s intimate and warm, with a wood-burning fireplace, rough-hewn wood arching overhead, and a gorgeous garden outside. I couldn’t think of a better place for us to exchange our vows.
Our color scheme was various shades of pink with touches of aubergine. We used lighter shades of pink at the ceremony and more vibrant colors at the reception. In keeping with the natural elements of the church, rather than using traditional ribbon to run the length of the aisle, we strung orchids that were tied off with light pink peonies, which was a beautiful touch.
The day of our wedding was gorgeous. One of my favorite moments was when Rick and I saw each other for the first time on the terrace of the St. Regis. Lisa got some of the best shots of the day there, including a few of us practicing our “first dance”. And then we were off to the ceremony in a 1958 champagne rose Cadillac Eldorado – I felt like a bride from the 1960’s! The guests traveled from the St. Regis to the church and back in cable cars.
Another reason we selected the St. Regis was for the delicious food! Our hors d’oeuvres included lobster BLTs, duck spring rolls, and mac and cheese fritters. In honor of Rick, whose family is Peruvian, our signature cocktail was a Pisco Sour. Dinner was filet mignon or black cod and was served with an Oregon Pinot Noir, a nod to my home state. To keep the party going, we also offered sliders and donut holes for late night snacks.
Finally, a highlight of the evening was the marinera dancers who performed a traditional Peruvian dance that symbolizes the romantic courtship of a couple. Several of Rick’s family members had travelled from Peru and it was such a joy to see how much they appreciated the dance.
The Vendors:
Wedding Coordinator: Alison Hotchkiss of Alison Events/ Church: Swedenborgian Church/ Reception Venue: San Francisco St Regis Hotel/ Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz/ Videographer: Justin Ferar & Georgina Szabo of Weddings on Film/ Floral Designer: Leighsa Smyser of Branch Out/ Lighting: Creative Lighting/ Hair & Make-up: Taylor Pham of Faces of Taylor/ Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid
19 Comments about “San Francisco Wedding with Modern Elegance”
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Gorgeous wedding Abby(2) : )
So feminine, so fabulous! Nice work Abby.
Beautiful wedding! Where are the brides earrings from? They are so simple and elegant!
Thanks!
Beautiful work!
Beautiful wedding and wonderful first blog Abby! I can't wait to keep reading, I am obsessed with the Super Burbs :)
I second the earrings inquiry! They are perfect.
What a beautiful wedding. Gorgeous! Great article...I look forward to reading more from Abby! Wonderful!
This wedding brought SOO much to the table. I love it.
Love the first post Abs :)
The earrings are from Saks Fifth Avenue...I can't recall the brand but they had a reasonably priced line (~$100) that are perfect for weddings. Thank you all for your kind comments! :)
So gorgeous! Who did the invites?
Union Street Papery in San Francisco helped with all of our paper products:
http://www.unionstreetpapery.com/
Great first blog, Abby!! Yay for you!!! And gorgeous wedding, Jenny! Love all of the details that made it uniquely your own!
the gorgeous maids dresses are Anna Elyse from Bella Bridesmaid, www.bellabridesmaid.com!
Can I ask where the vintage car came from? It is GORGEOUS!!! I have been looking for a vintage car to rent for our wedding! Please tell.....
Your wedding looked gorgeous...congrats!! Where and when did you get those Jimmy Choo's?? I love love love them...I'm getting married in May and need them :) Do you have a skew #???
Thanks
Great first post Abby, I can't wait to read more! What a beautiful wedding :-)
beautiful sf wedding! cannot wait to get married in this city come may :)
Everything looks gorgeous - congratulations!!
Please, please tell me where you got amazing shoes..i've totally fallen in love with them. x