Weddings are all about love and the people you bring together to celebrate with you. This couldn’t be more true for this wedding. Mike and Mariel wanted simple plans. They were mostly focused on their two week honeymoon to Costa Rica and the traditional big wedding didn’t appeal to them. They chose a City Hall ceremony with some family and some friends, followed by a fun dinner at a jazz club in the Mission where Mariel’s dad performs now and again. I absolutely loved these plans!

It turns out, they didn’t really need a marriage license and judge either.

I can only hope I explain this in a way that shows how remarkable this day was.

When the time came in the clerk’s office to receive their marriage license, a form of identification was accidentally an expired license … which wouldn’t fly with the clerk. Everyone and no one was to blame for this mishap. But what do you do when you’re all decked out, you’re ready to get married, you have a party bus full of 30 people waiting to celebrate and they tell you, “Sorry, you’ll have to reschedule.”

Lynn and Shauna, ‘the mom’s,” march into the clerk’s office and we figured they were either coming out with the license or in handcuffs. They returned to us and said, “Who cares- it’s just paper. You can go next week and sign the documents and make it official.” Lynn wittily said that she never raised her kids to need the church or state to live their lives, why should today be any different. So, on we went and found our group, who greeted the couple with warm open arms. I found a civil ceremony speech on my iPhone and Mariel’s dad performed the beautiful ceremony in a gorgeous corridor of the historic building.

Lemonade was made that day. A very sweet, optimistic lemonade in which will make for a memorable wedding story for all those who shared in the day.

This is a wedding near and dear to my heart. Mike (and now Mariel) are my in-laws and two incredibly sweet and gratious people. I’ll never forget this wedding.

“All you need is love” – the Beatles.

Ceremony: San Francisco City Hall
Reception: Savanna Jazz Club
Dress: Cody Sai (Mariel’s very talented brother)
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Transportation: California Party Bus
Cake: Walnut Creek Baking Company
Florals: Florali
Dress Hanger: Kathe Kellett
Hair/Makeup: Marianne Godfrey
Decor: Shauna Allison & family