An Elegant, Contemporary Wedding at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California

Erin Hewitt (26 and a choreographer and youth dance teacher) and Sean Gentry’s (30 and a lawyer) wedding was the perfect mix of classic and modern with lots of playful personal touches woven throughout. The day kicked off with a ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts, where Erin and Sean were wed by a close friend and exchanged their own personalized vows. The St. Francis Yacht Club played host to the reception, offering breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. “Because most of our family and friends would be traveling to come to our wedding,” says Erin, “we wanted to find a place that was truly unique to San Francisco.” A color palette of navy blue, coral, blush, cream and gold paired with fresh bunches of hydrangeas, roses, dahlias and lisianthuses by Fig and Twine to add a pop of bright color to both impressive spaces. Music was a top priority for the couple, who hired Friction Quartet to play during the ceremony, ukulele duo The Paper Dolls to get guests into the mood to celebrate during cocktail hour and a DJ, Four Leaf Entertainment, to keep everyone dancing all night long. Erin and Sean are both dancers, so a top-notch first dance was high on their must-have list. They worked with a ballroom dance instructor to choreograph a fun Foxtrot to surprise their guests. “It looked great on the wedding day and our friends and family kept asking for an encore!” says Erin. Another favorite detail was the Polaroid guest book. “We had Polaroid cameras people could use to take pictures of themselves and a scrapbook to put the pictures in with their message to us,” says Erin. “It was wonderful to have this keepsake to take home that night, rather than pictures you have to wait for. This is still one of our favorite mementos from the wedding.” A tip for the taking from Erin: “Your wedding will cost more than you expect! Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and negotiate, especially when picking your reception venue. Pick a few important things to focus on and try to be flexible about everything else.”