Event Design: Classic Romantic Wedding | The Palace Hotel, San Francisco

Classic. Romantic. Glamorous. Those are the three words that described the vision for Nicole and Nick’s wedding at the fabulous Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Nicole and Nick hired me to do the Event Design and Coordination for their wedding. It was an absolute pleasure working with them and their families. Nicole and her mom’s relationship reminded me a lot of my mom and I, so I could definitely relate to them and it was fun to see the similarities. I felt like I was part of the family!

The venue played a great part in the inspiration for the wedding. The ballroom at the Palace Hotel has gorgeous ornate gold walls and crystal chandeliers so we really wanted to play off of that. To keep with the classic romantic esthetic, the colors of the wedding were soft blush, ivory, and gold. When guests arrived to the reception they were greeted by the place card table that had a mix of ornate mirrors with the place cards placed on top. Nicole and I purchased a variety of mirrors from home décor stores and I painted them with a metallic champagne spray paint. Place cards tend to be an afterthought for most weddings, but I always like to create something unique to set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Asiel Design did a fabulous job on the florals keeping a classic shape but bringing in a gorgeous mix of roses and hydrangeas that had been hand spray painted with metallic gold. The mix of 3 different centerpieces gave a nice high low effect and gave the guests an opportunity to admire the different styles. The dining tables were covered in a soft blush paillette linen and topped with sparkly chargers, adding the perfect amount of glam. Each place setting had a chocolate favor that had a pearl and rhinestone broche on top.

My favorite design piece of the wedding was by far the head table for the bridal party. We chose to do a different linen here to keep it unique from the rest of the dining tables. The linen was a soft blush color with rosettes, adding a beautiful texture to the table. We purchased fabric from the store and created a beautiful drape with a rhinestone broche for the head table chairs. The Palace Hotel’s fireplace was a perfect backdrop to the head table. I simply added my high and low candle pedestals on the mantel to add a little candlelight.

I think that one important design element that couples tend to overlook is lighting. Lighting can completely transform a room and adds warmth. For this wedding we stuck with light gold uplights around the room and changed the color tone to a soft rose for the head table to again make it stand out. We also used an antique rosette pattern to add texture to white dance floor.

There were a few special touches for the guests throughout the night.  On top of the abundant spread of desserts, a gelato cart rolled into the reception serving up Nicole and Nick’s favorite flavors. It was definitely a hit! And no party would be complete without a midnight snack. Towards the end of the wedding we had a spread of truffled grilled cheese sandwiches and sweet potato fries.  It was the perfect ending to a beautiful night. Nicole, Nick, and Tantig Houry, I had such an amazing time planning this wedding with you. You have such impeccable taste that you made my job easy. I wish your family all the best and many more fun celebrations to come!

Event Design & Day-of-coordination: Simple Little Details / Invitations & Paper Goods: Simple Little Details / Photography: Chung Li / Ceremony: St. Gregory Armenian Church /  Reception: The Palace Hotel / Florals: Asiel Design / Lighting: AEC Tri-Valley / Linens: LaTavola / Chargers & Dance Floor: Hartman Studios / Chivari Chairs: Lush Event Rentals / DJ: DJ Cocheze / Gelato Cart: Sweet Springs / Desserts: Sweet Tooth Confections