Wedding Inspiration: Whimsical Modrophenia Elopement

Who says an elopement can’t be full of fun details? We teamed up with Jenny Sais Quois Events for a two-part vintage-flavored wedding just in time for rising temperatures. Our inspiration? The whimsy of the Audrey Hepburn/Gregory Peck classic Roman Holiday and the edginess of the mod-vs.-rockers film Quadrophenia. Our colors? Red, white, and turquoise, a nod to the iconic mod target. Our mascots? Dachshunds Elvis and Priscilla, wearing floral collars made of light blue delphinium and eucalyptus. (Florist Sheryl of Thistle and Bone really outdid herself, as you’ll soon see!)

Our fantasy elopement featured two dresses, two bouquets, two boutonnieres, and a Vespa ride to the beach for dinner and a sunset, plus cocktails and bite-sized treats (macarons and mini cucpakes) for fuel. For the ceremony look, our “bride” Eidelyn donned a white, full-length, tulle gown with sweetheart neckline, turquoise accessories, and red peep-toe heels. A comb of chamomile and red carnations and a birdcage veil enhanced her gravity-defying beehive while a bouquet of red carnations tied everything together. (Check out the darling—and literal—ring of chamomile and baby’s breath Sheryl made, too! It seriously put the daisy chains we made as children to shame.) Our “groom” Jon rocked a classic slim gray suit with skinny black tie, accented by a red pocket square and carnation boutonniere.

For the start of their new journey together, Eidelyn slipped into a flirty, multilayered, red-and-black dress, a sparkly black cardigan, black heels with red hearts, and red heart sunglasses—the better in which to zip to the next location with her honey. A bouquet of white carnations, chamomile, and hydrangea and lotus pods painted turquoise brought us back to our playful color story, as did Jon’s hydrangea-and-lotus-pod boutonniere. The sunset dinner on the beach was simply the icing on the cake, and just one example of how you can make a special day even more memorable. Now on to the eye candy! (Special thanks to Mike for letting us use his Vespa!)
White dress: “Queenie” by Simply Bridal
Bow shoes: Nina
Red/black dress & cardigan: Betsey Johnson
Heart shoes: Melissa Shoes
Heart sunglasses: Urban Outfitters
Suit: Ben Sherman
Shoes: Will’s Vegan
Styling & design: Jenny Sais Quoi Events
Hair: Onika at Glamarama (San Francisco)
Make-up: Veronica Sandoval (she used RCMA Makeup Foundation/Powder, Makeup Forever High Definition Blush #420, Makeup Forever Aqua Black Eye Liner, Kryolon Eyelashes, Anastasia brow color, Morphe eye shadow, NYX Chaos red lipstick)
Florist: Thistle and Bone
Macarons & cupcakes: Indie Cakes (Berkeley)
Flatware: Dishcogs (Etsy)

Breanne & Adam’s San Francisco City Hall Elopement

A gorgeous Beaux-Arts building appointed with a sweeping staircase, San Francisco City Hall is perhaps the most popular place to get married in San Francisco on a weekday, with local, national, and international couples alike making their way through its doors. It’s also a common site for protests. We encountered both when we arrived on March 14 to capture Breanne and Adam’s nuptials, but thankfully the clutch of protestors wielding signs to save City College of San Francisco didn’t prevent anyone from getting hitched that day.

Since we had a full hour between their marriage license application and their civil ceremony appointment time, we had the pleasure of getting to know our stylish couple, who had flown in from Reno. Breanne is an artist and events manager and thoughtfully coordinated everything, from her fanciful spring-inspired dress, mustard-colored cape, and mustard-colored shoes to Adam’s green tie and pocket square. She even put together Adam’s boutonniere and her lovely bouquet of ranunculus, white roses, and spray roses.

At one point while we were watching a couple get married under the grand rotunda, the groom broke down in tears. Breanne almost did the same but Adam came to her rescue (the other bride ran to the bathroom to get some paper towels for her groom). She managed to hold it together for their own sweet ceremony. Here are some of our favorite moments from our time together.

Dress: Unique Vintage
Suit: Jones New York
Bride’s shoes: Modcloth
Groom’s shoes: Allen Edmonds
Bride’s custom-made ring: Madelynn Cassin Designs (Etsy)
Bride’s cape: Colorstore 2011 (Etsy)
Flowers: Church Street Flowers; bouquet and boutonniere created by the bride

Anna & Steven’s Glamtastic Hotel Diva Engagement Session

For their engagement session, Anna and Steven invited us to join them at Hotel Diva, one of their favorite San Francisco getaways. Smack-dab in the theater district (it’s directly across the street from the American Conservatory and Curran theaters), the hotel is fabulously chic with an interior that’s both comfortable and chockablock with eye candy. Anna and Steven’s stunning room on the Salon Floor, for instance, boasted striking artwork, plush furniture, a hanging egg chair (!), and a working fireplace. Time whizzed by as we captured them popping open a bottle of champagne, divining their future with tarot cards, laughing up a storm, and exploring their glittery digs before finally getting some fresh air. Whew! What a treat! Here’s how this glamtastic session played out.