Though they live in Washington D.C., Courtney and Blair both grew up in California, so a San Francisco wedding made perfect sense. Says Courtney (a Snippet & Ink bride!), “We were enamored with the idea of inviting our friends to San Francisco for Labor Day weekend so they could get a chance to experience the city. With that in mind, we felt the Presidio was the perfect way to reflect San Francisco and California history.”

200 guests joined the couple to celebrate their nuptials, and Matt from Our Labor of Love captured the day beautifully…

Credits: foggy san francisco

Credits: affordable letterpress invitations

Credits: non-matching bridesmaid dresses blue

Says Courtney: One of the more difficult aspects of planning a San Francisco wedding is just how unpredictable the weather is. We chose Labor Day weekend because it tends to be one of the driest times of year. We were even more excited when the entire week was sunny and warm! But, like it does in San Francisco, the fog and wind rolled in on our wedding day. And I have to say, once we got our pictures back, I was so happy it did, because the pictures of the fog covered Golden Gate Bridge and of my bridesmaids and me being blown about in Pacific Heights are some of my favorites.

Credits: groom in a red tie

Credits: presidio post chapel san francisco

Credits: wedding with bagpipes

Credits: groomsmen matching red ties

Credits: red dahlias and mariachis

I think one of the great things about weddings is that sometimes the unplanned aspects can be the most special or memorable. We had arranged for a mariachi band to play for our entrance, but there was a miscommunication and they left too early. Our amazing DJ was quick on his feet and picked out the Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” for our entrance. Then, at the end of the night he played it as our last song and all the guests formed a circle around us and slowly closed in on us until we were all in a huge group hug. It definitely wasn’t planned but it was one of the most memorable moments!

Credits: garland for chairs bride and groom

Credits: wedding toast

Credits: first dance bride groom

I love that Courtney and Blair let their venues direct style choices, without being too theme-y. Courtney says, “We loved the mission-style architecture of the chapel and the surrounding buildings and tried to reflect its style in our invitations, music (mariachis), cuisine (our midnight snack was churros and jamon sliders), and decor. Also, I chose a dress with a lot of lace to sort of echo the Spanish feel.”

Photography: Matt Miller for Our Labor of Love

Ceremony venue: Main Post Chapel in the Presidio, San Francisco

Reception venue: Golden Gate Club in San Francisco

Bride’s dress: Monique Lhuillier purchased at Carine’s Bridal in Washington D.C.

Bridesmaid dresses: J.Crew and Bella Bridesmaid

Groom’s suit: Brooklyn Tailors

Stationery: Kathleen Designs (From the bride: “I first saw Kathleen’s own invitations on A Cup of Jo and thought they were some of the coolest invites I’d ever seen. I am so happy I contacted her because she created custom letterpress invites for us that perfectly captured the mood of the whole event and were so affordable that we ended up asking her to create menus, programs, and even thank you cards.”)

Flowers: Grace Street Florals

Catering: Grace Street Catering

DJ: Ron Grandia

Congratulations Courtney and Blair! Thanks so much for sharing all of the wonderful details of your wedding, and thank you to Our Labor of Love for sending over these beautiful photos.

Bella Bridesmaid is a sponsor of Snippet & Ink.