We’re starting to see a trend of couples using rad restaurants as their wedding venue for both their ceremony and reception. It’s such a good idea that can help you save costs + enjoy the space of some very well designed spaces. Allison + Brandon have modern taste in general so they wanted their wedding to reflect that, plus be relaxing. Axis Café & Gallery set the modern tone with an industrial space and abstract art. For the decor itself, the flowers were the only pop of color in rich, vibrant jewel tones and incorporated florals not typically featured in wedding arrangements including green persimmons and striped leaves.
Allison’s bridal bouquet recipe: peonies, garden roses, eucalyptus, cornflower, and viburnum berries.
Their wedding songs:
Walk down the aisle song: “These Days” by Nico
First dance song: “My Baby Just Cares for Me” by Nina Simone
Post ceremony song: “Run” by Ben Kweller
Announced as a couple at the cocktail reception song: “Love Vibration” by Josh Rouse
Just after the ceremony, we snuck away for five minutes together just the two of us in a tiny room they use as an office for the restaurant. Those few moments we had together right away were so incredible, we were just crying and hugging each other – feeling so happy to finally be husband and wife.
Allison made bamboo green tea, indian summer, and citrus spice scented soy candles as favors.
We fell in love with the modern details of the restaurant and it’s outdoor space – concrete walls, large pieces of abstract art, a lit from within wooden bar and two warm fireplaces for our friends to gather around. We wanted a location that wouldn’t require a lot of dress up and the size of Axis created a warm, intimate environment.
Ok, you guys see those gold dipped votives, right? With the help of her mom, sister, and maid of honor, Allison hand dipped a hundred of them for the tables. Love how they came out!
Their signature cocktails sound delicious. On the left was a blackberry basil crush (blackberry, basil, soju, squeeze of lime), and on the right a ginger pineapple spritzer (ginger beer, pineapple, soju, squeeze of lemon).
Brandon and his best man built the welcome sign below of reclaimed and distressed wood together at TechShop in San Francisco.
The most important thing I learned throughout the planning process is to work with people that you really connect with. We had a bad experience in the early stages of planning and almost booked a venue managed by someone that was not a good communicator. When we met Karina at Axis Café, we were instant friends. I knew she was someone I could trust to help oversee all the details and execute our vision. As I met all of the other vendors who put our wedding together, our amazing photographer Jessica, our florist and day of coordinator they all had this in common – that immediate feeling of trust and collaboration. In the end, these are the people who really pulled the day together and made it run so smoothly. Thanks to them, we had exactly the wedding we wanted. I’ll never forget falling asleep the night of our wedding feeling such incredible love and happiness, thinking about how everything worked out just how we had imagined it.
Photographer: Jessica Burke / Event coordinator: Wiebke Thrasher / Venue Coordinator: Karina Paz Oshiro / Hair & Makeup: Meaganne McCandess / Florist: Kristin Pahati, Petals and Posy / Cake: Miette Hayes Valley / Catering: Venue, Axis Cafe & Gallery (now Aracely Resturant) / Invitation & signage designer: Sara & George Alread, Alread Designs / Bride’s dress: Priscilla of Boston (Melissa Sweet Madlives Dress) / Shoes: Dani Black / Veil & dress alterations: Elisa Overholt / Belt: Jennifer Behr / Lipstick color: MAC lip liner in Dervish, LORAC lipstick in It Girl, MAC gloss in Love Nector / Groom’s suit: Hugo Boss / Shoes: Bruno Magli / Maid of Honor dress: Rebecca Taylor / Best Man suit: Hugo Boss / Ring bearer: Ralph Lauren / Ring bearer pillow: Edgar & Aguilar Heritage on Etsy
