Winter Wedding in the City | General's Residence Fort Mason San Francisco

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D & B broke our record as the longest wedding planning journey! Their easy-going, down-to-earth, and quirky nature helped make the 19 months we spent working together truly such a joy.

The first draft of D & B’s wedding saw a simple garden wedding at a local community center. They had initially wanted an extremely toned-down and small wedding. As time passed, D & B decided to throw a beautiful and meaningful celebration for their family & friends. We were happy to plan either way, but it was fun for us to be able to design and execute a bigger and more intentional vision!

With the Groom’s background in the United States military, we knew the perfect venue to recommend and secure. Together, we settled on the General’s Residence at Fort Mason San Francisco and lucked out with amazing sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay throughout the Ceremony and Reception!

Classy, minimal, and clean themes were still a priority for us. So, we went for a classy and romantic affair (“light & airy meets Audrey Hepburn”) by picking out simple and elegant elements. Our color palette was white, black, and blush pink. We also wanted to lean into the Residence’s dressier vibe so we decided to go with simple “black-and-white” for the reception design (some of the décor we sourced ourselves for the couple!). The Bride and Groom share a love for Disney and Star Wars (think: Disney’s Club 33 Restaurant!), so we made sure to sprinkle them into various décor such as the placecards and Grand Entrance.

Due to winter weather conditions in the Bay, we were unable to hold the Ceremony outdoors. We established the “rain contingency plan” weeks before with the venue & vendors and waited until the last day to pull the trigger, holding out for as long as we could! But, moving the Ceremony indoors turned out to be a blessing-in-disguise as guests were able to enjoy the festivities in warm temperatures indoors and still be able to experience the full sweeping view of the San Francisco Bay! During dinner time, guests could even see the beautifully lit-up Ghirardelli building.

It was such a sweet day, celebrating with D & B and their loved ones. We are incredibly grateful for the time we spent together and wish D & B many more years of love and happiness. Congratulations again D & B - Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary!

 
 

Destination Estate Wedding in Napa | Suisun Valley Inn

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Can’t believe it’s been one year since J&C’s beautiful wedding! Their destination wedding in Fairfield, CA (right next door to Napa Valley) was a testament to love, family, and these two beautiful souls coming together.

We hosted J&C’s wedding weekend at a private estate with scenic vineyards and breathtaking landscapes. Transforming this estate into the wedding venue of their dreams was no small feat! We brought together a diverse team of vendors, including BBQ & Taco catering, rentals, a photobooth trailer, mobile bar services, shuttles, a live band, and vintage decorations. What made our wedding planning journey even more memorable was the collaboration with both mothers of the couple. With their wealth of knowledge in the restaurant/hospitality industry and our experience in weddings & events, we formed a dream team!

The weekend’s festivities began with a warm welcome reception the night before the wedding. It was an opportunity for guests to relax, mingle, and enjoy drinks & tacos. The wedding day itself was so perfect, but there were two moments that standout:

1. Wanting to save the most precious moment for the Ceremony, J&C chose not to have a traditional "first look" with the bride beforehand. Both the Bride & Groom shared “first looks” with their parents instead, and the Groom took time before the Ceremony to greet each attendee who arrived!

2. For their table visits, we decided to make a game out of it! Inspired by Tiktok, we played an upbeat song and the couple raced to each prepared table to take a quick photo. The song ended before the photos were finished, but we kept the game going and everyone had a blast!

What a privilege it was to be a part of J&C’s wedding celebration. We wish y’all many more years of love, laughter, and happiness. Congratulations again, J & C!!

Modern Chinese Wedding | Hakone Gardens Saratoga

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We are beyond excited to finally feature A&C’s stunning wedding, a wedding that looks like it was straight out of a Chinese soap opera!! Upon reflection of their special day we can't help but feel immense pride and joy for being a part of their journey. We spent a remarkable 14 months together, meticulously planning and crafting every single detail from start to finish (and through a pandemic!).

A&C’s wedding was a beautiful fusion of their Western upbringing and Chinese heritage, an homage to their cultural roots. From the very start, it was clear that they wanted their wedding to be a true representation of their blended cultures and identities. As their dedicated wedding planner, we worked alongside them to plan, design, and coordinate a modern Chinese wedding that would leave a lasting impression on everyone who attended. From the attire & decor to the color palette, music, linens, florals, and food — every detail was thoughtfully chosen to weave important customs in a modern way into every aspect of their special day.

The event design itself was a labor of love. We worked hard to ensure an immersive ambience for all the guests to enjoy cultural Chinese traditions and contemporary elegance. We found the perfect venue to lay the right foundation. The carefully curated color palette and floral design evoked vibrancy, with the pops of red and gold (and blush pink/peach to tie it all together). For the couple’s attire, A&C donned traditional Chinese celebration clothing and kept the bridal party clothing Westernized. For the decor and table details, we leaned into touches of Chinese symbolism and cultural motifs while working with a Chinese calligrapher and Western calligrapher to design a few pieces. Even the music selection was a harmonious blend of traditional (and pop!) Chinese melodies and contemporary tunes! A&C desired for their family and friends to witness their traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony, so we tied it into their Western Ceremony and invited all guests to enjoy.

As fellow members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community (and having just celebrated AAPI Heritage Month this past May), we are proud to say that nearly all of the vendors involved in this wedding were AAPI-owned businesses. It was important to the couple and to us that we support and highlight the immense creativity and skill within our community.

It was an honor to be a part of their special day and witness the love, culture, and traditions that intertwined throughout the celebration. Cheers to many more years of love and happiness! Congratulations again, A&C!!

Thank you to this wonderful team of vendors who helped make this wedding a reality!

Romantic Blush Pink Wedding | Hollins House | N + T

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N & T truly brought a classy style to their special day, and it was a joy to work with these two ambitious and hardworking folks (who were also fellow F1 fans!). We spent the final stages of the wedding planning process together, focusing on all the big and little logistical details to ensure that everything ran smoothly on the day of the wedding.

N & T’s wedding was romantic and elegant, featuring gorgeous blush pink lounge furniture and vintage tabletop rentals from a family member's rental company based in Southern California. The vintage tabletop rentals added a touch of nostalgia and history to the day, and the blush pink lounge furniture provided a cozy and inviting atmosphere for guests to relax and celebrate. It was a beautiful and cohesive look that perfectly captured the essence of their love story. 

The ladies started the wedding day with some lipstick and bubbly! After getting ready details were completed, we headed to the venue for the couple’s First Look. N & T were both so gorgeous and dashing in their complimenting wedding outfits! After a sweet Ceremony, guests enjoyed tossing petals in the air in celebration of N & T tying the knot!

The food and drinks were great all around - everything from the appetizers, to the open bar, to the dinner buffet, and to the dessert spread & cookie favors showed how much the Bride & Groom cared for their guests. As part of the Bride’s Chinese tradition, every guest was also given red envelopes with lottery scratch cards to try their hand at good fortune!

What a privilege it was to be a part of N & T’s wedding celebration. We wish y’all many more years of love and happiness. Congratulations again, N & T!!

Thank you to this wonderful team of vendors who helped make this wedding a reality!

Chinese Tea Ceremony and Banquet Family Reception | HL Peninsula | E + E

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We’re back to feature another celebration with E & E! We feel so lucky to play a part in another big day for E & E and their family members, in planning and coordinating their traditional Hong Kong Tea Ceremony.

We were brought on to bridge the gap between family expectations and how to execute on these visions. Despite differing communication styles across generations, E & E were always ready and willing to work with us and with their families to solidify plans.

As is traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony customs, we started the morning at the Bride’s home with “Groom games”. Only after successful “hazing” of the Groom (and Groomsmen) could the Groom retrieve his Bride. The Bridesmaids prepared a series of fun games to challenge the guys, while family members of both sides observed. As soon as the men arrived, they were blindfolded with facemasks (creative, no??), put on trashbags, and were led to the backyard to play the games. 

The first game tested the guys’ tastebuds as they were forced to eat very creative (and often gross!) snacks and guess what they ate. These snacks included Korean fiery noodles (buldak), silkworms (!!), and natto. The second game lined up the men to compete against one another in eating various treats attached on strings. Unfortunately, the poor Groom was boxed out at the last minute and had to eat a super crazy hot ghost pepper as punishment for being last to finish the race. Family members swiftly provided milk to abate the hot-pepper-sweats.

The final game tested the guys’ singing and performing ability, as they were required to write an original song. After all these trials, the Groom was finally able to receive his Bride!

Everyone then traveled over to the Groom’s home for the Tea Ceremony. Both the Bride and Groom were dressed in Xiu He Fu (繡和服) traditional Chinese attire for the Chinese Tea Ceremony to formally honor their family members. We compiled a list of over 30 sets of parties to be honored. It was a beautiful thing to witness all the Aunties and Uncles actively preparing and participating in the whole Tea Ceremony. During this process, lunch was delivered and the Bridal Party enjoyed a brief break. After the Tea Ceremony and lunch, we headed over to the Chinese banquet hall to set up the reception space. We worked quickly alongside the decorator, banquet staff, and helpers to set up the room and completely transformed the space into a classic Chinese banquet reception!

The Dinner Reception featured a Welcome photobooth for every guest to take a photo with the Bride and Groom. Throughout the reception, the MC entertained everyone with fun games and generous prizes and all the guests enjoyed delicious Chinese banquet dishes.

Overall, it was so sweet to work with E & E in planning a Chinese Tea Ceremony to serve their families! What a joy it was to spend another few months working alongside them again!

Thank you to this wonderful team of vendors who helped make this wedding a reality!