Vintage San Francisco: Kathryn + Ryan

We've been dying to show you the images of Kathryn and Ryan's winter wedding for months! Martha Stewart Weddings did a wonderful job of featuring all of the spectacular details that went into Kathryn's wedding yesterday and now it's our turn! I must say - working with Kathryn was a dream. It was such a pleasure to collaborate with her on all of the details and to work with someone as into weddings as we are. She's incredibly sweet and sincere and all around just the loveliest person. It was such an honor to be a part of Kathryn and Ryan's big day. We hope you enjoy all the photos of the wedding as much as we enjoyed planning it!

So on to the wedding...

After searching for the perfect venue, Kathryn and Ryan fell in love with Swedenborgian Church in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. We had done a gorgeous wedding there a couple years back and have always loved its cozy feel. It's really magical - think roaring fire and tons of taper candles- and ideal for a winter wedding. With the church in place, Kathryn and Ryan decided to host their reception at The Presidio Social Club, a fun vintage-inspired restaurant housed in an old army barracks in the historic Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco.

Kathryn chose a color palatte of red and white with accents of charcoal gray and silver. I loved how it felt perfectly seasonal and how it worked seamlessly with the decor at the Presidio Social Club. We incorporated subtle seasonal references throughout the wedding - a simple wreath on the invitation, a pinecone rosette at each place setting, a "Poinsettia" signature cocktail and even eggnog on the dessert buffet!

After a sweet and emotional ceremony, guests recessed out of the church to find the Golden Gate Boys Choir singing "Joy to the World" and other Christmas carols. (We couldn't resist outfitting them in matching plaid scarves and navy peacoats!) Kathryn and Ryan headed to the reception in a vintage Checker taxi complete with a "Just Married" sign. At the Presidio Social Club, guests sipped vintage cocktails and enjoyed comfort food favorites, like french fries, served in custom paper cones from PS Paper. Kathleen Deery Design did a knock out job of outfitting the Club. Kathleen created a boxwood garland that lined the entryway to the club and hung miniature boxwood wreaths from the interior windows. The tables were adorned with white cyclamen in handmade vases (exclusive for Kathleen Deery Design) and just the cutest white pom-pom napkins. The whole look was timeless and elegant. After dinner, guests dug in to an incredible dessert buffet with desserts from Perfect Endings and gelato from the Noci Gelato Bike. It was a spectacular night! Be sure to check out Snippet & Ink for more photos, as well as Kiss the Groom!

Photos by Elizabeth Messina. Ceremony location Swedenborgian Church. Reception location Presidio Social Club. Floral design by Kathleen Deery Design. Personal Flowers by Michaele Thunen. Printed materials, escort buttons and dessert buffet styling by Jill Sassa Poole for PS Paper. Calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap and Maybelle Imasa-Stukls. Ceremony music by Lawrence Strings. Dinner music by Crystal Monee Hall and Jazz Mafia. Photobooth from Magnolia Photobooth. Boy's Choir from Golden Gate Boy's Choir. Wedding cake and desserts from Perfect Endings. Gelato Bike from Noci Gelato. Cocktail tent from Classic Party Rentals. Select linens from LaTavola. Sound by Delicate Productions. Valet from Soiree Valet. Bridal Party Transportation from Bauer's. Vintage Taxi from Marin Checker Taxi. Bride's gown by Angel Sanchez from Jin Wang. Hair and Make-up by Jim Avila.

As Seen In: Martha Stewart Weddings

Martha Stewart Weddings has the full scoop on Kathryn + Ryan's gorgeous San Francisco wedding today. Be sure to check it out later this afternoon over on the Martha Stewart Weddings blog. Kathryn is also showing her wedding film from Sandbox Love (the film blew me away - it's incredibly beautiful and heartfelt!). We'll be back tomorrow with more photos and details from the wedding! xo Photo by Elizabeth Messina.

Coming Soon: Kathryn + Ryan

At long last! We are getting ready to share the wedding of blogger, Kathryn of Snippet & Ink, and Ryan! Check back Wednesday for the full details and gorgeous photos. Today, Martha Stewart Wedding's blog shared Kathryn's story on finding a venue and Kathryn posted her very own wedding inspiration board. We can't wait to show you! xo photo by Elizabeth Messina

Q + A: Rebecca Schmidt Ruebensall of Mr. Boddington's Studio

Mr. Boddington's Studio is one of my new favorite go-tos for wedding invitations. Owner, Rebecca Schmidt Ruebensall, infuses all of her work with her clever and playful style, while maintaining an air of sophistication. I am always amazed by Rebecca's creativity and I love working with her and her team at Mr. Boddington's. We've collaborated on three incredible wedding weekends, two of which are featured here: Chrissy and Alex's Napa Valley wedding and Rachael and Larry's Carmel Valley wedding (see below). I'm still inspired by those weddings! Photos by Mr. Boddington's Studio.

Your fresh style at Mr. Boddington's is what I love most about it, what inspires you to come up with new designs and unique typefaces?
Thank you for the compliment Ms. Arons.... I would say the same thing about your style! There are three sources of inspiration at Mr. Boddington's Studio. The first comes directly from the collection of eclectic artists and designers who really run the studio. I use to say that we employed "Little Williamsburg" (the hipster mecca in Brooklyn) but that makes some of the team grouchy. I meant it to be a compliment... because they always have the freshest ideas and are forever in front of design. Although I am far from being ancient, it is a splendid trick to have young people in your space revealing what works and what doesn't. Secondly, the clients. A cliche, I know, but all the more true. If a bride comes in and chirps about a "farm chic wedding on the banks of Lake Placid" then we get it and design from there. You asked about creating fonts. Creating fonts is a smart way to control the design. And lastly, I am always enamored by some THING... whether it is a period in history, a piece of nature in some far jungle hidden in the Amazon, the movie I saw last Saturday night or what my one year old is reading (Babar, oh Babar!). I am typically glued to that thing for about one month... currently it is True Grit, the movie. The lead actress is wearing a tailored outfit of dark brown wools with a ruffled cotton poplin shirt underneath. Wearing that while traipsing through the rough is such a site.

Do you have a favorite type of client to work with and what is your favorite kind of project?
Nice clients! Our shop is designed to be old fashioned and brilliantly serves those who want to slow-it-down and relish in an experience that doesn't take thirty seconds. I think there use to be a certain ladies and gentlemen civility that framed business transactions. Of course we will extend that to anyone who walks in the front door but secretly love our clients who yearn for those old sophisticated ways. After all, it is your wedding so you really should adore every last drop of the planning phase. As for specific projects, I bet you would think we prefer the more unique creative briefs (pirate chic on the Ivory Coast?). Yes we do, but it is lovely to meet a bride who is going classic too.

Can you describe a typical client and the process of working on a custom designed line with you, lead time, etc...?
Meeting with clients is the best part of my job. So often a party is figuring the design and logistical details out at the invitation stage so I get to observe the dialogue. So we try to weed through the swarm of thoughts and zoom in on the paper. The paper should never be overlooked. Not only does it give a hint as to what the celebration will be like, but more importantly speaks to the couple's social personality. Once we establish a creative brief, the studio goes away and creates palettes or drafts for each piece. This allows the bride to see all the ideas in her head on paper. We bounce a few drafts back and forth until it is perfect and then go to print. Everything is letterpressed and hand tailored so takes gobs of time. The entire process can take anywhere from two to eight months.

Your wallpaper backings are so fun. I love that concept and what is so refreshing is that you don't do the typical matchy-matchy look and it works.  Has wallpaper backing been a really popular thing for Mr. Boddington's? I know my clients love it. 
Many clients come to Mr. Boddington's for a wallpaper backing or liner. I think it is much like designing a living room. You want to make sure each piece has a dialogue with the other, but using the same french blue toile on the couch, drapery and wallpaper is overwhelmingly drab. The ticket is to find patterns and colors that compliment one and speak to the creative brief. Recently the studio has been into designing new patterns for each bride. This morning we created one for a southern belle ball in Memphis. The wallpaper looks like something you may find on a dress in the antebellum period... think Scarlett O'Hara in a Swiss Dot dress.

Anything new at Mr. Boddington's on the horizon?
Redefining engraving is top of mind. And of course Mr. Boddington is always thinking about clever ways to get people to stop tapping away on their blueberries and pick up a pen. Maybe we can get the hipsters to write formal invites for dinner parties.

Your company is so special from the designs to the fun fresh terms you use, what inspires your creativity most?  Did your past career in advertising set you perfectly on this path?
Working in advertising taught me how to pull all-nighters, sweep the floor, scrutinize the competition and balance the books... all critical business skills one needs to run a small business. Creatively speaking, I had to chop off the part of my brain that use to work in the ad game to start this business. All due respect to Donald Draper...

Day of Silence

I have a wonderful Q + A with Rebecca of Mr. Boddington's Studio to share with you, but I've decided to hold off until Monday and take part in the Blogger's Day of Silence to acknowledge the tragedy in Japan. If you can, please donate. xo Photo by Abby Ross.

Love This: Spring Tulip Bouquet

So happy Spring is right around the corner! I love seeing tulips at the market and I think they are exceptionally pretty in bouquets. This stunner is from Kathleen Deery. Photography by Angie Silvy.