1. Real Weddings

A Victorian, Botanical Wedding in San Francisco, CA

An interior designer by trade, Sondra takes inspiration from an unlikely place: National Geographic. “It was only natural for the magazine to be integ

An interior designer by trade, Sondra takes inspiration from an unlikely place: National Geographic. “It was only natural for the magazine to be integrated into the wedding aesthetic,” she says. A rich palette of burgundy, gray, sage and the magazine’s iconic yellow suited the venue’s Victorian décor famously.

The bridesmaids’ colorful posies were bursting with hydrangeas, burgundy ranunculus, anemones, dusty miller, lavender and eucalyptus seeds.
Crisp white napkins, each topped with a single air plant, greeted guests at their assigned seats.
Lush centerpieces were surrounded by pewter candlesticks, mercury glass votives, stacks of books and vintage issues of National Geographic.
White and Green Ceremony Decor
Nic’s lisianthus-and-eucalyptus bout matched the bridal bouquet. A paisley pocket square was a dapper touch.
For her “something old” Sondra had the stems of her elegant bouquet of white lisianthus, eucalyptus and dusty miller wrapped in fabric from her mother’s wedding dress.
In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, the couple opted for three delicious tres leches cakes.
The bridal party looked regal in charcoal-gray floor-length gowns and sharp suits. Sondra says she wanted her dress to “reflect the romance and history of the University Club.” Her ivory, Empire-waist, lace gown did just that.
Burgundy blooms, succulents and the yellow of the National Geographic magazines popped against gray table linens.
A nod to the day’s slightly academic inspiration, Sondra and Nic had guests share their well-wishes on cards, displayed in an antique library card catalog.