Erica + Jemil by Sophie Berard

We wanted the experience to feel like a slow and easy vacation.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

I am originally from Philadelphia, and Jemil is from France, but we’ve built a life together in the places in between. We spent years navigating the distance between New Orleans and the Bay Area before eventually settling in Oakland, California.

As a couple, we have a shared language of nourishment; Jemil has a deep appreciation for the slow process – whether he’s curing fish or baking a tart – while I am the one parading him around to spend time with the community we’ve built.

We find peace in the rituals of a shared kitchen and those long nights around the table with friends and family. For us, life is about these small, intentional choices that help make meaning out of the perfect randomness of our path.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met in 2017 when I walked into the San Francisco apartment of three good friends, not knowing Jemil was their fourth roommate. I was instantly taken with Jemil’s curls – and that he felt safe, calming, and had a specific authenticity I was drawn to.

We were drawn to each other right away; what started as an encounter launched years of travelling back and forth between New Orleans and the Bay before we eventually settled together in San Francisco. I know this is both universal in partnership and also entirely our own, but it’s humbling to think how a single weekend in the Mission District became the foundation for our little world.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

We chose southwest France because it’s deeply nostalgic for us; it is where Jemil’s family is from and where we eventually got engaged. The remoteness of Manufacture Royale in Lectoure and Château Engalin in Mauvezin – with its mix of traditional architecture and playful, modern elements – felt like a perfectly resonant backdrop. Because our guests travelled so far, we wanted the experience to feel like a slow and easy vacation, with little surprises along the way.

I handled the signage and stationery myself to keep the storytelling personal, and we wanted evocative and immersive details like long, candlelit tables. Instead of traditional place cards, we wrote each of our guests a letter as a way to honour our history with everyone there. Our florist, Alice at Jungle Utopia, used a mix of flowers that felt like an organic complement to the setting; her arrangements were reused in different ways across the entire weekend to set a consistent tone.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

We most enjoyed the collaborative nature of the process. Because we wanted the weekend to feel like a collective undertaking, we leaned on the specific talents of our friends – from the invitation design to the music and the French translations. We chose to invite only our families and closest friends, which fostered a level of intimacy at about 80 people.

My advice: Look for ways your community can participate in a way that feels natural to them. Many of our friends took on a role – translating, speaking, videotaping, singing – which helped make the celebration feel less like a formal event and more like one big, storied weekend where everyone had a hand. We all gathered there for three days, just us, and that made all the difference.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Our photographer, Sophie Berard, was a dream to work with; we were connected through friends in New Orleans and our shared love of film, and she so authentically captured the spirit of the weekend and, most importantly, the people. Working with our florist, Alice at Jungle Utopia, was a highlight – from our first conversation, she understood us completely and transformed the space into something that balanced play and care so brilliantly. Lou French, our planner, made the grounded logistics and sourcing feel entirely effortless; there was a lightness to her work that meant the weekend never took itself too seriously. Whitney Otawka provided exceptionally delicious food, and together with Nat Higley and the rest of the team at Chateau Engalin, helped us all feel taken care of and nourished.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

I have a sweet, protective sense toward my wedding looks. For the Friday welcome event, I wore a sheer gown by Kamperett, which set a delicate tone. For the Saturday ceremony, I chose a dress by Wed Studio, but I paired it with the Evan Kinori shirt Jemil had worn on Friday – it felt right to weave our two stories together. I had never actually seen myself in a wedding dress before I saw Wed’s designs. I finished the look with Nomasei shoes and Gabriella Kiss baroque pearl earrings from Métier SF, a gift from both of our moms.

Later that evening, I changed into a vintage party outfit sourced from ReLove. It was important to me that so many of my pieces – from Kamperett and Evan Kinori to Métier and ReLove – hail from San Francisco.

For our Sunday pool party, I leaned into other brands I love, like Maryam Nassir Zadeh and Eckhaus Latta. Jemil stayed true to himself throughout the weekend in Evan Kinori and Mephisto. His style is so effortless to me, reflecting that same authenticity I was first drawn to.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

My engagement and wedding rings are from Hamilton Jewellers, while Jemil’s ring is by Rebecca Overmann. During our ceremony, our friends and family passed around our rings before we exchanged them. By the time they returned to us, they felt less like jewellery and more like a physical representation of the community that’s supported us.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

Food, photography, and music were the elements that anchored the weekend for us. We wanted a space where conversation was savoured – where it really felt like a moment in time.

For photography, we sought an artistic eye like Sophie’s to capture the specific, unscripted way our different worlds finally came together. For music, we worked with a friend, Juan Izguerra, from Los Angeles. We loved that he sourced and curated music that wouldn’t be instantly known by guests, and he ensured the energy was exactly right throughout – from the dance floor on Saturday night to the more eased-out, recovery mode during the pool party on Sunday.

We wanted people we respected to do the thing they do best.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

About a month before the wedding, I had sent everyone a video to learn a dance to Caroline Polachek’s So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings. When the song finally came on, seeing the entire dance floor come together was incredible. More than the dance itself, I loved that all weekend I’d catch different groups of friends practising the steps together in the courtyard. It felt like everyone was all in on the celebration.

Another favourite was our Sunday pool party. After the whirlwind of Saturday, having the sun come out so we could just lounge all day, relaxing and listening to Juan, was exactly what we needed. It gave Jemil and me a chance to feel present and simply bear witness to so many people we care about being in one remote place together.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

To me, marriage is about creating a unit that values curiosity – a commitment to navigate life with compassion and the freedom to grow both alone and together.

Our most cherished ritual is the one we always return to: the kitchen. It’s the place where we best know and amplify each other’s strengths, and we now find so much joy in the fact that friends who were strangers before France now know and love each other independently of us. To have them back around our table in Oakland is really what it’s all about.