Kate & Azam in San Francisco | A Restaurant Wedding at Trattoria Contadina

 

When Kate & Azam began planning their San Francisco wedding, they had three priorities in mind: to keep things intimate, giving them space to breathe and the time to spend with the people they loved most; to keep things close and simple, again giving them space to breathe and the luxury of planning a wedding without losing themselves to wedding planning; and to return to North Beach - where they had their first date, and Trattoria Contadina - where they shared their first bowl of spaghetti. 

They hosted sixty friends and family at their intimate marriage-themed dinner party, and the chef, owners and staff at Trattoria Contadina could not have made their lives easier. Kate & Azam brought florals and other final touches by, but otherwise left the decor of the restaurant as-is, and showed up fifteen minutes before their guests so that they could host them upon arrival. After an hour of hugs and catching up with their friends and family, they stood up in the front corner of the restaurant and recited vows they had written for each other. Kate's grandfather led their ceremony, and they ended with a big kiss and a short walk back to their table - where everyone shared a delicious, classic Italian meal. 

 

Sarah & Alon in Stinson Beach, California // a marin county beachside wedding & garden dinner party

 

venue: historic stinson estate     planner: sasser events     food: shalimar restaurant & on call staffing     florals: arranged by sarah & friends, after a workshop with home sweet flowers     hair: heroes & hairoines

 

Sarah & Alon's planner, Casey, reached out to me a couple months before their October wedding. For big, important reasons their budget was small and their planning last minute, but they were hosting an intimate celebration in one of my favorite towns on earth - one of my soul's homes, really - and for that reason and a few others I felt strongly that I should be there. I left honored and blessed to have shared the day with them.

They had a beautiful ceremony with some of my favorite Jewish traditions - seven blessings were personalized and read by family, their chuppah also made by family of branches and wild flora from the woods across the street from the estate. They read earnest vows, held hands tightly and tenderly. 

After the cocktail hour, the three of us made our way to the beach to catch the golden light of sunset. I remember my first time driving from Fairfax to Bolinas to Stinson Beach - that afternoon I felt a sense of home that I had yet to feel since moving to California. That was six years ago, at least, and every time I head that way I feel it all over again. It was amazing to share that place with Sarah & Alon, so sweetly in love. We took portraits and watched the sunset, the rest of our lives stretched out in front of us.