Magical Retro Seaside Engagement in San Francisco

Editor's Note: I'm digging into the archives today to re-share this summery engagement that I know you'll fall in love with all over again. And guess what? Last fall when I was visiting SF, photographer Laura Monfredini drove us out to The Cliff House for a nightcap after our fun portraits in the Presidio. It was so much fun! 

Crashing waves. Pink balloons. An awesome art deco-era building on the beach. And San Fran. Oh, and a couple that totally bears resemblance to Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Yep, this amazing engagement has all of those insanely cool factors and the sum equates to nothing short of magic. / Photos by eLLe PHOTOGRAPHY.

Says photographer Laura, "Felicity (better known to everyone as Fizz) and Chris met a few years ago while working together as ski instructors in Lake Tahoe (seriously, how cool is that?!). When it came time to propose, Chris wanted to pop the question somewhere outdoors. 

He procured the ring, made the calls to Fizz's parents to get their blessing, and then he decided to wait for the perfect moment. Well, perfect moments are hard to find, and as the days were passing and everyone was waiting with baited breath for the big news, he decided to propose one very foggy and drizzly day while on a hike along the coast in Marin County, California.

Trouble was, Fizz didn't really feel like going on a hike that day because the weather was so awful, so she kept suggesting alternative activities to no avail. Chris insisted on a hike, and in the end, Fizz was really glad he did because he proposed to her along the way with a ring that's been in his family for years.

Obviously, she said yes, because here's their engagement shoot. They're having a destination wedding in Hawaii this fall, but it was really important to them to do an engagement shoot in San Francisco where they both live. 

We had initially planned to go to Marin County, close to where the proposal happened, but the Golden Gate Bridge approach was closed that weekend. Instead, we went to Ocean Beach, which is their favorite beach in San Francisco, and took some shots on the beach and by the famous Cliff House -- an art deco styled building that's one of the last structures from a popular beachside amusement area in the 1950s that was called Playland.

It was also nice to shoot at the beach since their wedding will be taking place in Hawaii, and this way they have shots from both sides of the Pacific. We also incorporated their rescue pup, a sweet little poodle named Annie (because she was an orphan) into a few shots."

Classic Summer California Wedding {with two gowns!}

Catherine and Peter wed in June at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in Ojai, Calif. The bride donned different gowns for the ceremony and reception - both stunning and an idea I absolutely love! Wouldn't it be fun to have two dresses? Oh, and there's a Love Actually -inspired 'scene' during the ceremony - too cute for words! / Photos by Christine Chang.

Says Catherine, "The best advice I got as I was planning our wedding was simply 'pick what you like' and 'don’t overthink it,' which seems ridiculously obvious in hindsight. But after you get engaged and you finally choose a date, everyone starts asking you, 'What is your vision?' I wasn’t the kind of girl who grew up fantasizing about every detail of her wedding so I had no idea! And after looking at hundreds of gorgeous photos of other people’s weddings, I couldn't decide what my 'style' was. So, I started by focusing on the feelings I wanted to have present during my wedding weekend: joy, romance, and fun. My fiancé and I wanted everyone to feel like a huge part of the experience, to connect with each other and to relish in the overflowing love we have for each other and them!

Basically, I realized it wasn’t the details people would remember, but the feeling of the weekend. From there, we decided that our venue would have to be a great location for an easy getaway so our guests would feel like they were on a mini-vacation and be encouraged to hang out for the whole weekend. We decided on the stunning Ojai Valley Inn because the event areas were absolutely beautiful and they offered so much for everyone to enjoy from the pools to hiking, golf, and an adorable downtown area just minutes away. We kept all the weekend’s activities 'on-campus' so everyone could easily attend, mix and mingle, including our Rehearsal Dinner, Welcome Reception, Wedding, and Brunch. It also helped to make planning easier since their stellar catering staff helped to streamline the process.

Once we had decided on the venue, we let the location and time of year of the wedding guide the process. The ceremony was held in an intimate courtyard overlooking the valley, so a simple arch covered in greens and a sprinkling of flowers under the oak tree helped enhance the natural beauty of the setting.

Says Vikki Marsee, the wedding coordinator, "This was one of the BEST moments of the whole wedding. The bride is a huge fan of the movie Love Actually and so the groom planned it that during the ceremony, one of their friends was to say a reading, but in fact, he did it all with signs. It started with the same music that was playing during that part in the movie (thats the "go with it" sign) and he showed the rest of the signs, basically saying a very similar thing to the movie (to me, they are perfect vs to me, you are perfect). She cried like a baby and it was amazing!"

Golf carts waited for the guests after the ceremony for the short ride down the path to the Cocktail Hour at the Herb Garden where they served 'Pink Moment' cocktails and Cucumber Mint Jalapeno Margaritas that made even the drinks colorful and bright and gave a nod to the specialness of the location (Ojai has a daily 'pink moment' during the sunset over the mountain).

 

The reception was on the Herb Garden lawn, so by selecting seasonal flowers in bright but varied colors, incorporating fresh herbs, and using varied containers and votives provided by our incredible florist, we captured a feeling of a romantic, yet unfussy straight-from-the-garden arrangements. Tables were named after places that were significant to our relationship, including Match.com where we met! Since we were outdoors we wanted to protect our guests from the sun, but not block out the beauty of our surroundings. 

Our dinner was served 'Family Style' to encourage interaction among our guests and Peter and I had a few surprises throughout the night to make for an exciting event. I serenaded Peter during my speech, backed up by my bridesmaids and friends with a guitar, tambourines and homemade signs for our guests to sing along. For dessert, we brought in a froyo truck as an unexpected summer treat where guests could add their own topping, which added a whimsical touch.

Together with our rental company, we designed a tent that felt open, festive and romantic using fabric and market lights. We got a great boost from Mother Nature since we were celebrating under a Super Full Moon! 

My husband is Korean, and I’m half, so we had treat bags filled with Korean candies as our 'Thank You' favors that were given out before the end of the night when we had a 'Sparkler Send Off' grand exit.

The most incredible moment of the night came when right after we had made it through the pathway created by our guests with sparklers, our wedding coordinator ran up and told me to look to my left, and BOOM!! My husband surprised us all with an incredible fireworks display to cap off the most romantic and fun day of our life!"

Thanks so much to Vikki Marsee, of All You Need is Love Events, for submitting this beautiful wedding and big congrats to Catherine and Peter! xx.

Credits: Venue: Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, Ojai, Calif. / Coordinator: Vikki Marsee and Shannon Dexter, of All You Need is Love Events / Photographer: Christine Chang / Rentals and Lighting: Town and County / Music: Scratch Weddings / Video: Cinevent Production / Floral: Twig and Twine