Cozy Winter Wedding in San Francisco Photographed by Megan Wynn

Cozy Winter Wedding in San Francisco Photographed by Megan Wynn

via

Photography by Megan Wynn.

It's no secret around here that we have a soft spot for winter weddings... especially in San Francisco, like our founder Kathryn's beautiful day. Kelly & David's wedding included so many parts that make wintertime celebrations some of my absolute favorites: from a seasonal (green and ivory) color palette, to the bride's long sleeved gown, to a fireside ceremony and a candlelit reception complete with a handmade wreath and garlands of fir tree branches!

Kelly managed to get peonies in wintertime - what a lucky girl! She tells us "my bouquet was wrapped in vintage silks, which I am keeping as a gorgeous memento from the day."

When Kelly told us how she met her groom, we just had to share it with you! "While researching an electronics store on Yelp, Dave came across one review he found to be particularly helpful and witty. He reached out to the author (me!) and we began exchanging notes. After 8 months, we decided to meet in person and the rest, as they say, is history!"

Isn't this first look just darling? One of the sweetest moments we've seen in recent memory!

Sweet moments between a bride and her dad get me every time - emotions like these really are what weddings are all about. I'm sure Kelly and her dad will always treasure these pictures!

The Ceremony

Why did you choose this location for your ceremony? Dave and I both share a fondness for Lake Tahoe, cabins, lodges, and cozy winter decor, so we were thrilled to find the Presidio Log Cabin smack dab in the middle of San Francisco, only five minutes away from our apartment.

How would you describe our ceremony in three words. Heartfelt, intimate, meaningful.

What was your ceremony music? Processional: I Can't Help Falling in Love, Acoustic Moods Ensemble / Bridal Processional: Portuguese Love Theme, Love Actually score / Recessional: Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Stevie Wonder

Kelly told us about walking down the aisle: "I shed a ton of tears during our first look, so I thought I'd be composed coming down the aisle. As soon as I saw Dave, the waterworks started flowing again. I can't even describe the wonderful emotions of that moment!"

Who officiated your ceremony? How did you choose him/her? We chose one of our closest friends, Tyler Clark, to officiate our ceremony, which added to the personal, intimate feel of the day.

How did you go about planning your ceremony? Tyler interviewed both of us separately over coffee about our relationship, special milestones and moments, and what we both dreamed for our marriage. It was incredibly special and allowed him to plan and craft a really personal and meaningful ceremony for us. While Dave and I knew a bit about the outline, the actual content of the ceremony was a surprise for us that day.

What were your ceremony readings? The book " The Alchemist" has always had special meaning to me, as I've read it several times throughout different stages of my life. Getting to introduce Dave to that and finding a passage to include in our ceremony felt really personal. We also chose "Union" by Robert Fulghum.

What were your vows like? We read dozens of vow examples online and were definitely drawn to more modern versions, though ones that still expressed some of the traditional "in sickness and health"-type sentiments. We ended up using a version we found online and modified it slightly to fit perfectly. I still cry every time I read them because they so perfectly encapsulate our hopes for our marriage and the immense joy we feel that we found each other.

See Kelly & Dave's vows and entire ceremony (modern meets traditional) script right here!

What was your favorite thing about your wedding ceremony? There was a moment where Tyler (our officiant) had us turn to look out to our friends and family and really take in the moment. To see the faces of everyone we love all beaming back at us was amazing. There was a ton of love and laughter during the ceremony, and it felt just like us.

The Reception

How would you describe your reception? It was elegant, cozy, and personal. It was really important to us to keep the celebration intimate with just our closest family and friends. With our final guest list at 58, we were able to spend quality time (and dance!) with everyone.

What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? Planning a December wedding made us very conscious about not having it look like a holiday party. We wanted to bring some elegance to the rustic look of the Log Cabin based on a palette anchored in green and ivory and lots of twinkling lights. The idea of lush garlands and flowers in the cabin setting was really appealing to me. I used a ton of wedding blogs and Pinterest to look for lodge-style inspiration, and I created a crazy wedding binder full of ideas. All of our vendors were wonderful and helped me expand on the vision for the day!

Please tell us about any other special details or moments from your reception. One of my favorite design details of the day were our flowers. They were so incredibly beautiful! Our florist created such lush, organic garlands that all had so much personality and detail. The fireplace mantel design and entrance wreath also took our breath away.

What advice do you have for other couples in the midst of planning a wedding? My advice would be to find vendors who you feel an immediate "click" with - almost like dating! It made such a difference to know that these professional, talented people were also friends and lovely humans who I trusted wholeheartedly. By choosing people whose work and personalities I adore, I was able to relax knowing they would bring my ideas to life and make them better than I could imagine.

Do you have any budget tips for other brides? We wanted to be conscious of our budget and make smart choices, but we each had an area where we were willing to splurge. For Dave, it was the food and for me, photography. By setting those priorities early on, we focused on those vendors first so that we could work with our top choices, and then flexed our budget accordingly for the other elements of the wedding. I also leaned on our planner, Cassy of Cassy Rose Events, for her help in recommending respected vendors at my price points, and that guidance was invaluable.

What type of cake or dessert did you serve? We served a traditional three tier wedding cake from SusieCakes bakery. The layers were red velvet with cream cheese buttercream, chocolate with coffee buttercream, and (my all-time favorite) confetti cake with vanilla buttercream!

Remember how Kelly told us the couple met through her Yelp review? One of her favorite moments of the reception was when a friend gave a surprise speech that began by reading the "review that started it all." Kelly says it was "simultaneously mortifying, hilarious and touching!"

Is there anything else that helps tell the story of your wedding? We had been so nervous about the weather and how the rain could potentially change our cocktail hour and photos. Even with the stormiest day, the rain actually ended up being one of the most beautiful memories. It was so romantic and almost felt like a movie. It also made being inside the Log Cabin by the fireplace feel even cozier. And it rained on my parents' wedding day forty-five years ago and they've always told me it was lucky, so we'll take it!

If you had it to do over again, is there anything you would do differently? Other than maybe not purchasing way too much champagne (what a problem to have!), no regrets!

Login to comment

Follow us on