Intimate Wedding in Cherry Blossoms | Allied Arts Guild

/

What a treat it was to celebrate J & J’s special wedding day in cherry blossom season! Cherry blossoms are in full bloom now and we really are so lucky to enjoy cherry blossom trees here in the SF Bay Area. Though our planning timeline with J & J was short, we rolled with it and were able to accomplish every single detail of wedding planning - from venue hunting, to booking vendors, to planning and designing - in under 5 months!

We initially started planning for an elopement, but priorities shifted and we started working towards an intimate wedding. Boba, bagels, and spending time with loved ones were important to J & J, so we made sure to tastefully incorporate these details to the wedding design. Hosting their wedding in a beautiful garden led us to lean into natural elements. J & J both adored anemones and greenery we made sure to use them in all our florals! J & J also opted to for a private first dance with one another - we made use of a quiet fireside café room and J & J shared their first dance as newlyweds with just them and the music.

A wedding in March also meant that we had to prepare for rain. We had rain contingencies drafted up and communicated with vendors in advance so that everyone was prepared… BUT! We were so blessed to enjoy full sun and warm weather! Fortuitously, this warm weather allowed us to enjoy peak Cherry Blossom blooms. What makes cherry blossoms so beautiful and special is that their delicate light pink flowers only last for 1-2 weeks at most!

We are so grateful for the time we spent working together and getting to know this beautiful couple. Congratulations again to J & J!

 

Venue: Allied Arts Guild

Photography: Orange Turtle Photography

Planning, Design & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

Classy Outdoorsy Wedding | Silver Creek Valley Country Club

/

How time flies! Looking back on M&E’s special day, we are so proud and thankful for how everything came together in a short amount of time. In spite of a tight 6 months schedule, we were able to accomplish every single detail of wedding planning and designing!

We love how M&E dared to go in a different direction for their special day. With their shared love for hiking, natured and art, we decided to embrace the great outdoors and created a wedding experience that reflected their love story.

We started the wedding day with a beautiful church Ceremony, and then enjoyed a cocktail hour and reception at a private country club. Even though it was a rainy day and health conditions were not faring so well, everything still went so smoothly!

We leaned into natural elements of moody florals and greenery, and lots of DIY. One of the most charming aspects of their wedding day was all the DIY decorations that M&E lovingly crafted themselves! M&E worked hard in the months leading up to the wedding day to prepare these handmade decorations, like drinking looooots of kombucha to stock up on amber bottles to be reused for the floral centerpieces! The reception tables were adorned with centerpieces of florals in the recycled amber bottles and table names named after US national parks. The seating chart was cleverly designed as a map of the United States, pinpointing the locations of US national parks! Wedding favors were thoughtfully-packaged artist pens. The couple also created a digital guestbook, with unique keychains for each guest to punch in their message to the couple! The Bride even stitched her own wedding dress top! It was all of these little touches that made their wedding so personalized and unique.

M&E’s outdoor-inspired wedding was a celebration of their love for each other, for others, and for nature & adventure! We are so grateful for the time we spent working together (and for all the opportunities post-wedding to see each other at various events!). Cheers to M&E and many more adventures in the great outdoors and beyond! Happy Anniversary!

 

Venue: Redeemer Bible Fellowship Church and Silver Creek Country Club

Photography: Zha Zha Photography

Planning, Design & Coordination: Made by Connie Designs

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

/

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

/

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 | A + C

/

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!