1. Real Weddings

Courtney & Hugh: An Outdoor Wedding in San Francisco, CA

Once Courtney was introduced to Hugh through a mutual friend, they were inseparable. The Bride Courtney Baber, 39, merchandising vice president The

Once Courtney was introduced to Hugh through a mutual friend, they were inseparable. The Bride Courtney Baber, 39, merchandising vice president The Groom Hugh Lewis, 42, business development director The Date October 21 Five years later, the couple and Courtney’s Persian cat, Casey, arrived at their beach house in Stinson where glowing candles and rose petals had been strewn throughout the house. Just as Courtney sat down to take it all in, her cat jumped up onto her lap. That’s when Courtney discovered the beautiful engagement ring that Hugh had tied around the feline’s neck. Just over a year later, the couple wed at a historic mansion in San Francisco.

At the reception, family photos were displayed in antique picture frames.
A variety of white blooms, including dahlias, sat alongside small white pumpkins.
The couple married outdoors in the cobblestone courtyard of the mansion. Courtney and Hugh stood on the marble steps beneath an archway while their guests looked on.
Very little decor was added to the ceremony space. Simple white flowers in tall glass vases were placed on the steps alongside candles and mini white pumpkins --“I love pumpkin anything,” Courtney says.
Courtney donned antique gold and crystal accessories. A vintage hairpiece completed her elegant tousled twist.
The Accessories
When Courtney and Hugh took to the floor for their first dance, it was to the tune of Etta James’ “At Last.”
The stunning four-tiered ivory wedding cake was decorated with a light blue pattern that matched the lace on Courtney’s gown. White piped dots and simple white sugar flowers completed the outside of the cake, while the inside was filled with coconut cream, vanilla, and fresh raspberries.
Hugh wore a simple, black, fitted suit and an off-white silk tie. His sleek boutonniere was a slender white tulip.
Guests found their escort cards -- made out of simple off-white cards and calligraphed by Courtney’s sister -- on a table draped with one of her grandmother’s antique lace tablecloths.
Long white tables, dressed with white linens and paired with gold chiavari chairs, filled the mansion for the reception. Gold chargers and ivory napkins made for an elegant table setting.
White tulips and hydrangeas, set in tall clear glass vases, graced the long reception tables. White pumpkins, white candles, and antique lace overlays mimicked the ceremony decor and pulled the reception look together.
Courtney walked down the aisle in an Italian-made, fitted, lace gown by Atelier Aimee. She kept her hair up in a tousled twist and wore a simple, ivory, chapel-length veil.
Courtney carried an all-white bouquet that included her two favorite flowers -- tulips and hydrangeas. The fresh cluster of all-white blooms was tied off with a simple white ribbon.