We wanted our wedding to reflect the environment of coastal California.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Violet is a full-time culinary student at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. She loves to go on long walks with her husband and their dog in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Her passions include cooking, fashion, art, interior design, Pilates, and apparel spritzes. Nick works in real estate and shares Violet’s love for long walks in Golden Gate Park. He also enjoys golfing, spearfishing, and spending time outdoors. Nick is a sports enthusiast, with a particular fondness for baseball, football, and most sports.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met during the COVID-19 pandemic through a mutual friend who had attended school with each of us at different times. Violet was having a difficult time on dating apps, and Nick was experiencing similar challenges. Violet asked Rob, who officiated our wedding, to set her up with someone he knew and could vouch for, and he called Nick. Our first date was supposed to be dinner in San Francisco, but Nick messed up the reservation, so we ended up going to the East Bay instead. What was meant to be a short, hour-and-a-half date turned into a six-hour evening that felt like just one hour. It just felt right.
When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Nick realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Violet when he noticed that his day got exponentially better with every passing minute spent with her.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We wanted our wedding to reflect the environment of coastal California, with artistic accents that were original and authentic to a classic coastal California Victorian theme. There wasn’t much matching of silverware or plateware, and the decor was quite colorful with flowers that were semi-natural to the environment. We didn’t have a specific color palette, other than the natural flora of coastal northern California.
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).
Funny enough, the barbecue we got catered created a funny and pretty great visual element against the more formal setting with the cakes and the dancing.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
The best part of the planning process was seeing our vision come to life. Violet did an amazing job executing her thoughts and vision in a way that not many could. Our tips for couples starting their planning journey are to start early, get your planner integrated early, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box, even if your vision isn’t what someone else’s might be.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
The groom’s main outfit was a tuxedo from Klein Epstein Parker in the Castro of San Francisco. Klein Epstein Parker, known for their work with RuPaul, is quite diligent in their tailoring process. Nick went in three or four times to get the fit just right. The stitching was fantastic, the fit was perfect, and everything went off without a hitch on the day of the wedding.
What was 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?).
We were happy to spend a little more on the alcohol, venue, and florals. Photography was also very important to us, but we decided not to use a videographer and instead went with an extremely high-quality photographer whom we trusted. This made the photography a more personal choice.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
One funny moment from our wedding day that we laugh about in hindsight is how, after Violet and I went to bed, it seemed like the rest of the party decided to ramp it up a notch and go wild. It felt like they didn’t have to be quite as accountable once we were gone.
BRIDE @violetwitchel GROOM @nickkoar CEREMONY & RECEPTION Switzer Farm, @switzerfarm PHOTOGRAPHER Stephanie Klotz, @stephanieklotzphoto STYLIST Love and Wolves CO, @loveandwolvesbeauty PLANNER Boheme Events, @boheme_events_ FLORIST Evalina Flora, @evalina.floral ENTERTAINMENT Lucky Devils Band, @luckydevilsband CATERING FOOD Big Earls BBQ, @bigearlsbbq HIRE Matt Rowland Events, @mattrowlandevents BAR Mendocino Outland Bartending, @mendocino.outland.bartending CAKE Tartine Bakery, @tartinebakery SIGNAGE Zola, @zola ACCESSORIES & RINGS Yadav Jewelry, @yadavjewelry BRIDE’S MAIN OUTFIT Ines Di Santo, @inesdisanto HAIR & MAKEUP Love and Wolves CO,@loveandwolvesbeauty GROOM’S OUTFIT & SHOES Klein Epstein Paker, @kleinepsteinparker GROOM’S WATCH Cartier,@cartier BRIDAL PARTY MAIN OUTFIT Bronx and Banco, @bronxandbanco
