Cliff House Wedding – Cindy and Joe

Cliff House wedding nightingale photography

Cindy and Joe were married on October 3rd, with a ceremony and reception at the Cliff House in San Francisco.

These two met while training as psychology interns at a hospital in San Francisco, where they would often have lunch together at the ER cafeteria. They grew closer over time, bonding over psychology and music and their love of exploring the sights and sounds of the area.

Cindy and Joe’s San Francisco Cliff House Wedding

That’s part of what made the Cliff House a perfect choice for a venue for the two of them. It has a deep personal connection from their many excursions together, and they’ve celebrated birthdays and graduations there. So, when they got engaged, they immediately thought of using the Cliff House for all its classic charm, vintage elegance, and jazzy romance.

There is plenty of history with this venue, too. It started out as a way for Adolph Sutro to celebrate his streetcar success and share luxury with the rest of the public in the late 1800s. He drew in not only crowds, but celebrities. Five US presidents even came to visit—Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft. That’s some pretty amazing company to be in!

Cindy and Joe also loved this venue as a metaphor of strength and perseverance, since the Cliff House has burned down a few times. But no matter the damage, was always rebuilt and remains a steady San Francisco fixture. Looking into the history of the venue, it’s amazing to see how this one building has endured earthquakes, fires, and everything in between.

1920s Inspired San Francisco Wedding Photography

Before we went to the Cliff House, though, Cindy and Joe both got ready at the Hyatt Embarcadero in San Francisco, with Cindy in the presidential suite and Joe in the balcony suite. We staged a first look at the hotel before we headed outside to get some quintessential San Francisco portraits with the cable cars all lined up. We also got some great portraits at the legion, where the classic columns looked gorgeous with Cindy’s art deco, 20s-inspired look. She even used a parasol in some of the pictures!

A gorgeous, retro, classic car was waiting to take them to the ceremony at the Cliff House, where they were married on the balcony on a veranda near the Camera Obscura attraction. They’d actually bought tickets for their guests to go inside for cocktail hour, too. My favorite image of the day was by the Camera Obscura, though it was Cindy’s veil that stole the show for an epic moment as it flew through the air!

Throughout the day, there was no shortage of amazing art deco details to photograph, too. There was an old phonograph with escort cards, a cake topper that featured a cute half-moon, and peacock feathers on the tables. All of the details fit these two and their personalities, and it perfectly tied in with the theme that they had created for themselves and their wedding.

Once we got to the reception, I was surprised when Cindy and Joe, normally so reserved, absolutely ripped up the dance floor. They started things out with a choreographed first dance and then kept going all night. It was amazing.

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Vendors:

Caitlin Gutierrez, caitlin@flutter-events.com

Florist: Natasha Kolenko, hello@natashakolenko.com

Cake : Pretty Please Bakery, hello@prettypleasesf.com

DJ: Band during ceremony/cocktail hour: Laurent Fourgo and his band playing Django Reinhart/Gypsy Jazz, laurent@fourgo.com; DJ for dinner and dancing: Ashleyanne Krigbaum with Heart of Gold DJs, ashleyanne@heartofgolddjs.com

Make-up: Rachel Rockwood w/ FreshFace Makeup

Dress: Wedding dress purchased at Chic Parisien, Miami, FL

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