San Francisco Bay Area Bride Guide » SF Real Weddings

Cupcake Heaven – Bay Area Bakery

Trisha Dean — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:00:17 +0000

I confess, I would rather have cupcakes over a cake. Yes, they are a bit “done” right now in the world of weddings, but I love being able to try different flavors and pop them in my mouth versus waiting for a server to hand over a plop of cake on a plate. And if they are mini cupcakes I rejoice as there is even less guilt as I pop two, three, maybe even four little cakes into my mouth. One of my brides introduced me to a fabulous lil’ Bay Area shop Marisa Cakes. And let me tell you – these cupcakes are TO DIE FOR! Her flavors are traditional with a twist and oh so yummy. I mean, seriously the best, and only, Peanut butter and Jelly cupcake (Peanut Butter Mayhem) I have ever tasted. I won’t lie, I thought it would taste funky…it was AH-MAZING. And with other flavors like The Devil Wears White (devils food cake, white cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate butter cream and coconut) and Rock n’ Mudslide (chocolate cake, marshmallow frosting, with chocolate ganache and caramel filling) each bite will lead you to believe you have died and gone to dessert heaven. The photo below is from a recent wedding we worked on together – gorgeous right?!? Marisa makes amazing cakes as well and even some gorgeous wedding invites! Take a peek at her site – it is super cute and it will make you hungry!

Photo Sources: Top photo by Gabriel Harber Photography, bottom 3 photos from MarisaCakes.com

Urban Glamor

Phantom Floranista — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:30:26 +0000

The Sir Francis Drake hotel is smack dab in the middle of San Francisco, around the corner from the historic Union Square, and right next door to Saks Fifth Avenue (the mother ship of all high fashion!). Sky scrapers, Tourists, cable cars, shopping, and gorgeous display windows surround this beautiful hotel built in 1928. When I received an email from a lovely bride-to-be about designing her wedding flowers at this venue, I was jumping out of my skin. This was going to be the perfect mixture of urban living and glamor!Click here to see all the floral details of their fabulous day.

Thriller Wedding Video

Elizabeth Zachry — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 18:05:40 +0000

Someday, I want to make my wedding party do this too!

Dahlias Daaahhhling!

Phantom Floranista — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:27:24 +0000

Over the Summer I had the opportunity to do flowers for an awesome Bride and Groom that were having a very intimate and beautiful ceremony at Mt. Tamalpais. When the bride contacted me again to put together a few arrangements for the reception she and her hubby were hosting at Café Du Nord, I was super flattered!

If you haven’t been to Café Du Nord in San Francisco, it’s a classic SF joint that hosts all sorts of awesome bands and events. With its dark woods, and red accents, it has a very speak-easy/ prohibition era feel to it.

Crimson colored Dahlias were the flower du jour! Other flowers that the bride wanted included: Crespedia (Billy Balls), Succulents, and Fig Branches. I threw in a bunch of white/green Hydrangea, and some green filler to help fill in the gaps. (I hope you’re all memorizing these plant names, as I will have a pop quiz at some point…. )

Dahlias, Billy Balls, Fig Branches, and Hydrangeas

The main arrangement was tall as it was going to be the centerpiece to the buffet.

A tall arrangement as the main centerpiece

Totally Succulent!

The Bride asked for a small bouquet that she could hold on to for some of the special moments at the reception. She was provided with a classic Nafis Designs yogurt tub holding vase for the moments that she didn’t want to hold on to her bouquet.

A bouquet with a lot of texture

A Succulent Bouquet and a Billy Ball Boutonniere!

The Groom received a small boutonniere made of a couple of Billy Balls, a Quail feather, and a sprig of green filler.

Billy Ball Boutonniere

After all the arrangements were complete, there were enough flowers left for an accent arrangement that could either help amplify the table centerpiece, or could be set aside as a separate arrangement.

Accent arrangements always come in handy

Accent arrangements can always be paired up with centerpieces for extra umph!

Costume Weddings

Elizabeth Zachry — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 07:50:36 +0000

With Halloween coming up tomorrow I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from themed weddings with costumes!

From Geek Twins

Zombies - From Bad-Ass Weddings

Are you planning a Halloween wedding? Please send us your photos! – info@bayareabrideguide.com

In Case of Emergency: What to Have on Hand at a Wedding

ErinFrank — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 19:14:40 +0000

By Erin Frank

“Be prepared” may be the scout motto, but it’s great advice for a bridal party as well. Maids of Honor and Mothers of the Bride (or any well prepared family member or friend) can save everyone a lot of grief by packing a well-stocked emergency kit. At a recent wedding I was blown away by the level of preparedness shown by the photographer. Check out the amazing emergency kit pictured here! Here are just a few of the items they pack for every event:

Allergy Medicine
Tide Pens and Shout Wipes
Hair Spray
Antacids
Ibuprofen/Aspirin
Contact Lens Case and Solution
Mole Skin
Hairbands / Bobby Pins
Eye Drops
Floral Pins
Safety Pins
Lighter
Nail Glue / Nail Clippers and File
Sharpie
Tweezers
And, of course, booze! Miniature bottles of alcohol can work wonders to calm an overwrought bride or groom.

Obviously, these folks are prepared for a multiple weddings per month. A tackle box full of items doesn’t make much sense for your one day occasion.

Here’s what to pack for your one-time only event:

Band Aids
Safety Pins
Concealer — go one further and bring tiny pots of the bride’s makeup with you
Bobby Pins
Listerine Spray
Emery Board
Hairspray
Fashion Tape
Small Folding Scissors
Aspirin
Pepto Bismol Tablets — they handle both heartburn and nausea
White Chalk — for covering up small stains on a bride’s dress
Q-tips — if you or your bridesmaids will be handling your own makeup
And last, but not least, tissues for the inevitable tears of joy.

With just a little bit of planning ahead everyone will enjoy a less stressful wedding day. Be prepared—your bride will thank you!

3 days and counting!

VeraDevera — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:52:03 +0000

My friend, Patrina, gifted these Anthropologie monograms and they were perfect props for our engagement shoot with Steve Hughes at Piedmont Community Park. We’ll be tying the knot this Sunday, October 10!

Here are a couple more photos from our e-session…

Photo by Steve Hughes

$80 Wedding Flowers!

Phantom Floranista — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:00:54 +0000

I was introduced to a bride that was looking for a bouquet and a few other arrangements by a great San Francisco artist whose mother owns a flower distribution shop at the SF Flower Mart. (If you ever need fantastic roses, you MUST check out “Sunshine International” )

The bride and I spoke over the phone a couple of times, and we went through her special day. The wedding was going to be intimate, with a total of 6 people attending (including the bride and groom) in the foothills of Mount Tamalpais. The bride had antique blue Hydrangeas in mind as her dress had silver accents on it and she felt that the blue hue would look nice against her dress. She also mentioned that she likes non-traditional flowers, as she’s not a very traditional person, and was adamant that we use the signature Nafis Designs yogurt tubs wrapped in wax paper as her vases! A truly low cost, environmentally friendly wedding!

Total material cost: $80.00

Shopping list: Antique Blue Hydrangeas, Green Hydrangeas, Fig Branches, Sedum, Bells of Ireland, Star of Jerusalem, White Roses, Scabiosa Seed Pod.

The bride’s bouquet was made up of Star of Jerusalem flower, Sedum, Green Hydrangea, Blue Hydrangea, and Scabiosa Seed Pods, and was wrapped with light silver satin ribbon at its base.

The Groom’s boutonniere was crafted with three Scabiosa Seed Pods and some interwoven silver wire.

There were enough flowers left over for three really full arrangements that could be used as alter pieces, and or table arrangements.

Once again, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get some great looking flowers that will leave a lasting impact in your wedding photo album!

Tip of the day: If you want Hydrangeas to be in full bloom for your event, place the flower head in cold water and watch the blossoms burst open!

The Greatest Wedding Toast

Elizabeth Zachry — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:21:58 +0000

This is a “must see” wedding toast! I wish I had thought of this for my friend’s wedding!

Best Wedding Toast Ever!!

Spread the Love with Jam

VeraDevera — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:47:56 +0000

A couple Sundays ago, my bridesmaids and I joined Shakirah Simley, of Slow Jams, at La Cocina to make the last batch of our wedding favors: onion-bacon relish! Our friend (and wedding caterer) Chef Peter made the bacon himself, so there was lots of extra love put into these. [If you want to try Slow Jams, head to Bi-Rite Market in the Mission!]

The favors are ready to go but we have yet to label and decorate them. Here is some inspiration I’ve been looking at. Have you seen any that you love? The “Spread the Love” label is available on Etsy.com from Miss Pickles Press for $15.

{From OnceWed.com}

{from Whimsical Wonderland Weddings}

{the Spread the Love labels remixed}

{from DailyCraft}

{Not jam, but I love the doily and baker’s twine! From We Met in a Bar}