Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?
Isaac and I first crossed paths during our freshman year at UCSC, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We dated throughout college, and after ten beautiful years, we decided it was time to make it official with a wedding! Isaac is a wildlife botanist, absolutely obsessed with anything related to nature, bugs, and hiking. I, on the other hand, am a Sex, Marriage, and Family Therapist specializing in queer relationships and identities. Together, we have a shared love for vintage antique fairs, indulging in good food, traveling, and—most of all—being completely unhinged together. We both have a goofy, child-like sense of humor that keeps us laughing constantly. It’s that shared silliness that has been the heart of our relationship from the beginning.
Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?
Our venue choices were really important to us—we wanted them to reflect who we are as a couple. We also wanted to create experiences that felt intimate, quirky, and sophisticated. After debating between a large wedding or a smaller one, we ended up doing both!
We kicked off the weekend with a Friday night welcome dinner at our home in West Oakland. We hosted 60 of our closest friends and family on the rooftop of our residential building. It was such a special way to start the weekend—no rush, no pressure, just a slow evening of connecting, eating, and soaking up the last of the summer sunshine. Watching the sunset fade behind the city skyline and the bay waters felt like the perfect prelude to the wedding festivities.
Saturday was a complete shift in vibe. We wanted the aura of the reception to feel like our guests just entered into a “seductive spaceship” and the Ciel Creative Space in Berkeley was the perfect fit. This historic warehouse space, with its towering white walls and sun-drenched windows, felt like a second home to us. The venue itself, known for its art production and media work, captured everything we love: brutalist architecture, and industrial charm. It was the ideal place to celebrate to host our rave-like after party with 100 of our best friends!
What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?
The theme of our wedding was “anti-wedding.” Unbeknownst to our family and friends, Isaac and I actually got married during the COVID pandemic in 2022. So this wedding was more of a celebration for us to finally share with everyone our little secret. We are actually already married, so welcome to our— whimsical, moody, completely non-traditional affair.
We wanted the wedding to reflect both of our personalities. Isaac, with his love for nature, took charge of all the floral arrangements for the welcome dinner. He created these stunning tablescapes filled with dark neon, expressive florals that contrasted beautifully with our black china and flatware. Yet to keep things playful, we added heart-shaped menus and encouraged our guests to wear colorful outfits to keep the mix of both worlds alive. We even had a live sketch artist and two giant inflatable dolls that looked just like us! The decor was bizarre, quicky, and utterly “us.”
For the ceremony and reception, the vibe got even more surreal. Our wedding planner Alex, designed these floral arrangements that looked like something out of a mad science experiment—wild, organic, and unpredictable. As the evening progressed, we transformed the warehouse space with red hues of uplighting and bountiful candlelight. The dining table was an ode to Star Wars, featuring nothing but a single, glowing red LED light strip. As darkness fell, the entire venue came alive. It felt enchanting and otherworldly.
What was your first dance song? Did you choreograph or improvise the dance?
Our first dance was hands down the highlight of the weekend. In fact, we combined our walk down the aisle with our first dance. Instead of an officiant, we had our two best friends, Ruby and Wes, standing at the end of the aisle. They wrote an original song for us and performed it live as we made our way to the ceremony. Our guests stood “runway-style,” creating a path for us to walk down together.
When we reached the end of the aisle, we were overcome with emotion, seeing all of our loved ones standing there with us. Without even planning it, Isaac and I just started dancing right there in the middle of the ceremony. Midway through the song, a moody fog rolled across the floor and magnetic fireworks went off. It was an indescribably emotionally charged moment. Our guests erupted in cheers, and Isaac and I were both crying tears of joy. I still remember the chills I had in that moment overcome with feelings of love and community. It was perfect.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our vendor team was absolutely phenomenal. Alexandra Piper from Earth and Events was our wedding planner, and she was a godsend. She understood our vision from day one and brought it to life in ways we couldn’t have imagined. She expertly made our wedding feel like a classy living work of poetry, yet still full of grunge and moodiness. Something that we have never seen a wedding embody, she somehow translated our wildest dreams in our heads into a real life fairytail.
Alex Mari, our photographer, was another incredible find. We only reached out to her because her work spoke to us instantly. She has this talent for capturing raw, sexy moments that feel both candid and timeless. She nailed it with our wedding photos by delivering us with a sexy gallery of photos that were the perfect balance of editorial stills and documentary moments.
Our DJ, Shido aka. DJ Jambalaya, is a close friend of ours and he completely owned the night. At one point, he remixed the Macarena into Tell Me When to Go by E-40, and it was iconic! My mom, who runs her own catering business, did the grazing table for the welcome dinner, and the main entrées were from Hopscotch, a restaurant we frequented while dating. Having those personal touches made everything feel even more special. And, of course, Ruby and Wes—our dearest friends who not only married us but also wrote the original song for our ceremony. We couldn’t have asked for more.
Did you have any special or unique elements at your wedding?
If it wasn’t clear by now, our wedding was a show! I wore three different dresses and a custom veil, which was made using parts of my mom’s wedding dress. The dress I wore for the welcome dinner was a pink thrifted find from a road trip to Joshua Tree. For the ceremony, I wore a sheer Mirror Palais gown—silk on top, sheer everywhere else—and then changed into a mini Revolve dress to dance the night away.
As for dessert, Isaac and I are huge cake lovers, so naturally, we went all out. We had three custom wedding cakes, all mismatched and uniquely shaped, from Rivas Boulevard. Each one was lit with candles, turning them into their own little smoke shows. It was the perfect, dramatic end to a weekend that was nothing short of magical.
VENDORS
Planning and Design @earthandevents
Photography @alexmari_
Content @esmefrancophoto
DJ @djambalayaa
AV @paul_stylez
Rentals: @foundrentalco
Catering @hopscotchcatering @beyondthebordersf
Cake @riverasboulevard
Stationary @ally.with.love
Venue @cielcreativespace
Live illustration: @kieronpiper
Matchboxes and inflatables @earthandevents
Dress @mirrorpalais@Revolve
