When I first met Natasha, I was not only blown away by her charm and beauty – I was also deeply impressed how organized she is. She had been planning her dream wedding for more than a year, and she had dozens of spreadsheets to show for it! So I felt very honored and happy that she and her fiance, Fabian, decided to entrust the coordination of her Great Day to me.
For their wedding ceremony, the two had chosen Mission Dolores Church, the oldest church in San Francisco…
… and for their celebration with 200 guests – all family members and close friends – they had picked the historic Golden Gate Club on the Presidio of San Francisco, a former military outpost.
Lots of local history and high style! And lots of family ties to celebrate on this special day… Both bride and groom had six attendants, there were four flower girls and one ring bearer, and many “padrinos,” family members who had contributed to this very special day.
The bridesmaids, in hair by Le Burget Salon and makeup by Susy Gonzalez of Piera Beauty Salon, wore elegant pale purple ruched dresses with an asymmetrical neckline, and the bride was radiant in a crystal-encrusted lace mermaid gown:
Before heading to Church, Natasha and Fabian posed with their cute doggie while Photographer Lyndsay Undseth and Shtiv Valencia of ReViewlutionary Visions recorded every moment.
Here they are, the new “Mr. and Mrs,” back from Church in high style in a snow white vintage Rolls Royce from NSL Limousine …
… and ready for a huge party!
Their guests, having signed a beautiful personalized guest book with the couple’s engagement photos…
… were already awaiting them over cocktails (by Barbary Coast Catering) with cheese and fruit (by Ulisess Catering).
While Natasha and Fabian were mingling with their guests at cocktail hour, an elegant dinner reception had been prepared, starting with rental furniture from Lush Party Rentals and escort cards in a bed of rose petals…
… and luxurious flower and candelabra centerpieces by Amy Burke Design:
Guests found picture frames on their place settings – to be filled with snapshots from Kyle Mills-Bunje’s photo booth (which proved to be a true guest magnet throughout the evening!).
As a nod to their shared cultural heritage, bride and groom had designed table symbols in lieu of table numbers – all inspired by game cards for the beloved “Lotteria” board game, and paired these with escort cards cleverly displaying the table symbol in back. After guests had found their seats...
… the newlyweds followed them into the dining room – with a spectacular flourish: a Grand Entrance of sorts! Parents, padrinos, bridesmaids and groomsmen in couples all entered, each dancing to their own specially chosen songs – and finally, Natasha and Fabian with a whole Mariachi band in tow! What a start to a spectacular evening!
Tito Arias from Ulisess Catering and his crew kept feeding the crowd while family members and friends shared memories and hilarious stories about the young husband and wife, and cheers and laughter often drowned out DJ Hugo Gomez‘ carefully chosen dinner music! And then it was time for the newlyweds to share their First Dance:
The dance floor and walls were illuminated in glowing gobos by Just De’Lights, magically transforming the space. Latin dance music brought everybody to their feet…
… and guests only took a break from dancing to enjoy Chef Bala’s (aka the Cakemaker‘s) delicious wedding cake.
More high points of the evening were still to come: the bouquet toss…
… garter toss…
… and the traditional Money Dance!
After the dance, a beaming Natasha and Fabian – both covered in Dollar notes big and small – retrieved their “Honeyfund” and handfuls of pins from their wedding gown and tuxedo…
Most guests stayed right to the end of the festivities, and they would have gone on and on all night! Everyone agreed it was a great party, and I was reminded once more…
… why I love my job so much!
Thank you, Natasha and Fabian, for allowing me to be a part of your Great Day – and again, congratulations, and many happy years together!