Jayna & David // A San Francisco City Hall Elopement

Jayna & David flew in from Denver to elope at San Francisco City Hall with two of their favorite friends. David had lived here long ago, and the weight and romance of City Hall drew them back to the Bay Area to begin their marriage.

Mild introverts, and big fans of snacks, Jayna & David packed champagne and sweets for a post-ceremony picnic. We drove into Golden Gate Park and they laid out their spread in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. Jayna kicked off her shoes as David popped open their champagne and they toasted to the next phase in their lives. I gave them a bit of space to enjoy this quiet time together, and Jayna gave David a book of poems she had secretly been writing in the lead up to their wedding day. 

As we were getting ready to leave the Conservatory grounds, we spied two food trucks getting their grills going. With her sweet, sweet smile (and the help of her wedding dress), Jayna convinced the taco truck to serve them early, and they devoured marriage tacos in the golden light of the setting sun. 

Lauren & Eric at San Francisco City Hall | Wedding Reception at Cliff House

Lauren at Eric met years ago working together at Best Buy in San Francisco. Now living in Southern California, they knew they wanted to start their marriage in the same city that brought them there. They also knew that they wanted to plan something quiet and low key, focusing on bringing their families and closest friends together for a small ceremony in San Francisco's most beautiful building - San Francisco City Hall - and a lovely lunch on the most iconic beach in the city. 

After their ceremony and some portraits around City Hall, the three of us ventured off to the apartment where Eric lived when they first started dating for a quick and dirty (well, rainy and windy) portrait, and then we met their people at Cliff House in Lands End. 

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.