WEDDING BLOG

Christina and Andy envisioned a wedding that was a cozy, authentic, and unforgettable gathering, like hosting the ultimate dinner party in their own space. They aimed for an atmosphere that exuded warmth and joy, complete with exceptional food, drinks, and music. With this in mind, they meticulously infused elements of their personalities into every facet of their Presidio Yacht Club wedding. The result was nothing short of extraordinary—a celebration that beautifully captured their love and cherished values.

They knew they wanted a unique venue, a place not typically considered for weddings. They got creative and made it a spectacular event by having the ceremony on the dock, with the city and bay as a backdrop. Flowers played a big role, with whimsical and airy meadow-style installations behind the altar. The reception took place in the old boat house, where they hung old sails for a rustic touch, strung lights across the ceiling, and candles on the tables added a warm glow. To cap off the evening, they danced in an old-school, wood-paneled dive bar upstairs.

If you’ve ever pondered about infusing your individuality into every detail of your special day for a cohesive and elegant theme, then this wedding is a must-see. These stunning photos by Junebug member Teri B perfectly capture the spirit of their love tale and the remarkable day they curated. Explore all the imaginative ideas that will add a personal touch to your big day, making it feel even more intimate and special.

The Couple:

Christina and Andy

The Wedding:

Presidio Yacht Club, San Fransisco, California

Creating Meaningful Moments During the Ceremony

We had a good friend officiate, and to architect her words, she did short interviews with our parents. It was beautiful to hear how she wove all of their inputs together. We also asked two friends to do readings, nothing religious, and we gave them pretty loose guidelines to read a passage, song lyrics, poem, or article that represents love and long-term partnership to them. We wrote our own vows, and Andy surprised me with song lyrics at the end of his. We were smiling ear to ear and laughing the whole time. I’m shocked I didn’t cry!

Creating a Unique SF Experience: Why They Chose a Presidio Yacht Club Wedding

We knew we wanted a venue with some character, a space you might not even think of for a wedding. And because we decided to host our wedding in SF, where we met seven years ago, we wanted to ensure our guests had a “very SF” experience. We started with the venue search. We knew Presidio Yacht Club was the one! It has a lot of character and grit, with some of the best possible views of San Francisco. We could host the ceremony on the dock, with the city and the Bay behind us, have dinner in the old, rustic boat house, and finish the evening dancing in the old school, wood-paneled dive bar upstairs. Andy always joked he wanted to get married in a dive bar, which was as close as it would get! The venue was a big part of setting the vibe, but it was a space that needed a lot of work to bring it to life, so a lot went into curating all the decor and flowers to bring it to life. The venue also had a perfect setup for each portion of the evening, which made it easy to contain the whole wedding and reception in the same place while still offering a change of scenery from ceremony to dinner to dancing.

How They Curated Their Dream Wedding Without Overspending

San Fransisco is an expensive place to get married, and we only had a limited budget, so we curated creative inspo that we loved and then shopped around to find vendors who could achieve our vision while matching our budget and being able to execute our vision without breaking the bank. We found creative ways to achieve a pretty stunning evening. Because food was so important to us, that was the first vendor we booked, Katie Powers, who is known for delicious family-style meals made from locally sourced ingredients. We wanted florals to play a big part in decor and wanted something whimsical, airy, abstract, and unexpected. We found a local flower farmer who grows some of the most gorgeous flowers in the Bay and was game to take on our vision (she crushed it!). A good friend of ours is a horticulturist and has been making biophilic art for years—she offered to make us some meadow-style installations to go behind us at the altar and behind where we sat at dinner. We hung old sails across one of the boathouse’s walls, adding to the rustic vibe, and lights were strung across the ceiling. Candles on the tables helped create a warm glow.  

Setting the Mood Through a Thoughtfully Curated Playlist for Their Presidio Yacht Club Wedding

We had a DJ playing music throughout the wedding, and we spent hours, I mean hours, curating playlists to serve as guides for him. He played vinyl during the dancing, which was a total vibe with the disco ball spinning above and red lights, making the room feel perfectly moody and cool. Our guests played a massive role in the overall feel of the wedding, too! We have a really fun crew of friends, and they absolutely brought the energy that night.

Top Tips for Stress-Free Wedding Planning: Stay Organized and Communicative

Start early, stay organized with spreadsheets and Google Docs, keep a close tally of expenses (and expect to spend more than you want to!), and have clear communication with your vendors. Don’t be afraid to give very clear instructions and feedback to vendors. It’s so important that they clearly understand your vision and what you like and don’t like—block time to work on wedding stuff together as a couple. Do as much as possible as far in advance as possible because a million tiny little things will come up in the final weeks, and the last thing you want is to be stressed out. We created a master spreadsheet with different categories and then line items for each expense. We researched costs and put in projected costs, which we updated with actuals once we had final expenses. We kept this updated close to real-time and shared it with all our parents for full transparency.

Congratulations to Christina and Andy on their intimate and scenic Presidio Yacht Club wedding, filled with delicious food, captivating views, and great music. A heartfelt thank you to Junebug member Teri B for beautifully capturing all the intricate details that reflect their unique love story. To see more incredible celebrations, check out Teri’s profile in our directory of the world’s best wedding photographers.

Your love story is unique and deserves to be celebrated on your big day, just like this couple did. Whether you’re considering an unconventional venue or adding a personal twist to traditional wedding elements, strive for a wedding that reflects the distinctiveness of your love story. Dive into our guide for creative ideas to make sure your special day is truly unforgettable.