A Black Tie Wedding at SoMa’s 25 Lusk

THE COUPLE

Lauren & Andres hosted a modern black tie wedding at a smokehouse-turned-restaurant in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood. Their celebration was thoughtfully planned to share their passion for food and music with family and friends who traveled as far as Uraguay to be with them. Lauren wore a sleek Nicole Miller dress with a bold lip. Andres wore a gray and black tux with signature Nike sneaks. To say they looked cool would be an understatement. 

THE VENUE 

Brick and timber construction nods to 25 Lusk’s former meat-packing use. The venue is industrial, contemporary, and moody by design. Cantilevered tables and chairs, dim lighting, and a basement lounge made it a super sultry setting for Lauren & Andres’ nuptials. During the planning stage, I met them here over a cocktail to get a feel for the space and talk design. 

THE FLOWERS

Instead of using a color palette to dictate the design, we drew inspiration from Japanese ikebana, minimalism, and bold architecture. Lauren’s hope was to use floral design to create impactful moments for her wedding guests. We focused her budget on one big ‘wow’ factor: a suspended installation piece for their ceremony. 

Floating over their ‘I Do’s,’ a cloud-like structure of babies breath and dried plumosa painted in shades of blush, red, and plum wove ethereal vibes into the space.

Asymmetrical table pieces featured anthuriums, vanda orchids, blushing bride protea, ranunculus, and dahlias in shades of white, blush, mauve, and black. Vibrant hues of red popped in the dim lighting. Structural blooms were softened by accents of smokebush foliage, dried plumosa, and baby blue eucalyptus. Lauren’s bouquet was a small but dramatic selection of the most distinctive blooms, while Andres sported a blushing bride protea boutonniere.

GRATITUDE

Thank you to Lauren and Andres  -- for sticking to your gut, being unapologetically you, and entrusting me with bold designs. What resulted was a vision brought to life, unique to you and your day.

Floral Design: Anastasia Andenmatten

Photography: Dani M. Photographs

Venue: 25 Lusk

Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller

Hair/Makeup: Chantelle Studio

Music: David Carvalho

Cake: Cypress Grovers 

An Intimate Spring Wedding at Central Kitchen

I have a thing for Friday weddings. Maybe I am biased because I myself was married on a Friday. But let me tell you, when I first heard of the grooms’ plans, I was so happy they reached out and gave me the opportunity to design their wedding flowers. 

Paul and Chen married at San Francisco’s City Hall on a sunny Spring morning. From there, they headed to lunch to celebrate with 20 of their closest friends. What a way to start a weekend.

THE VENUE

The couple chose Central Kitchen, a restaurant and private event space located in the heart of the Mission. They had the upstairs space (fittingly called The Upstairs) to themselves. It's industrial and modern, with paned windows up to the ceiling overlooking 20th Street, cement floors, and earthy artwork by Melissa Dickenson. The oversized communal tables are perfect for a special group meal. Created by the Ne Timeas Restaurant Group to focus on culinary adventures, the food is by Chef Thomas McNaughton of neighboring Flour + Water. This venue is a good one. 

THE FLOWERS

The grooms chose simple orchid boutonnieres for their City Hall nuptials. For the party flowers, their only request was “yellow, spring.” With that, I let the season dictate the ingredients. When I saw these yellow tree peonies, I knew they'd be the focal point. I wanted the arrangements to be asymmetrical and full of texture, so I chose spirea for height and white lilac for depth. Pieris Japonica went in next, spilling over the edge of the ceramic vases. From there, I worked in butter yellows with tulips, butterfly ranunculus, and geranium leaf. Icelandic poppies added some playfulness. I incorporated mokara orchids and tangerine geum for a splash of orange. 

I feel like I say this of every season, but early Spring is one of the best times at the flower market. The options for flowers are endless, full of spring fragrance, and always make me excited for the weeks and months to come. 

GRATITUDE

Celebrations like this one remind me that weddings can come in all shapes and sizes. I had so much fun working on this for Paul and Chen, and wish them all the best in this next chapter.

THOUGHTS

Here are a few other San Francisco restaurants with private dining spaces that would be perfect for a small wedding or party (and places I would love to design flowers for!):

• Marlowe (SoMa) 

• Park Tavern (North Beach)

• Octavia (Pac Heights) 

• Cotogna (Jackson Square)  

• Twenty Five Lusk (SoMa)  *I’ll be here to flower a wedding in July! 

• Del Popolo (TenderNob) 

• The Progress (Nopa)

• Che Fico (Nopa)

• Foreign Cinema (Mission) *see the wedding I did there here

• Fiorella (Outer Richmond)

• Stable Cafe (Mission)