Priscilia and Albert eloped at San Francisco’s City Hall after putting aside weeks of discussion and deciding to go with what felt right for them. With understanding family and friends, the gorgeous couple embarked on their elopement journey.
“After much discussion about what would be right for us, we decided to have a celebration that put our mind at ease and in a way allowed us to completely enjoy the moment. We wanted it to feel natural and at the same time, we wanted to avoid making things complicated. An intimate wedding was exactly what we needed,” Priscilla said.
The two planned to have a reception in Indonesia later that same year.
With photographers like Evonne and Darren Photography, it’s hard not to smile at these gorgeous photos!
Priscilia, 26 & Albert, 27
Location: San Francisco, California
Wedding Date: March 23, 2016
Number of Guests: 15
Wedding Cost: $5,000
Wedding Ceremony Location: San Francisco City Hall
Wedding Reception Location: Indonesia
Why did you have an intimate wedding?
Our idea of a wedding is that special day when we acknowledge and share our love to each other overtly. Yet, we felt that it would be challenging to put this into practice if we have a large crowd. After much discussion about what would be right for us, we decided to have a celebration that put our mind at ease and in a way allowed us to completely enjoy the moment. We wanted it to feel natural and at the same time, we wanted to avoid making things complicated. An intimate wedding was exactly what we needed.
What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?
The main challenge was picking our wedding date. Most of our close family and friends reside in Indonesia and Singapore. It was difficult to find a time that worked for all of them. Furthermore, the elopement ceremony at the San Francisco City Hall is only available on the weekdays. Most of our family and friends work full time and had to take the day off to attend our wedding. It took us so much time discussing and trying to figure a date from everyone’s schedule. It was honestly quite frustrating for us. In the end, we just decided to pick a day that worked best for us and everything else got easier to handle. The main challenge was picking our wedding date. Most of our close family and friends reside in Indonesia and Singapore. It was difficult to find a time that worked for all of them. Furthermore, the elopement ceremony at the San Francisco City Hall is only available on the weekdays. Most of our family and friends work full time and had to take the day off to attend our wedding. It took us so much time discussing and trying to figure a date from everyone’s schedule. It was honestly quite frustrating for us. In the end, we just decided to pick a day that worked best for us and everything else got easier to handle.
Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?
It was difficult, indeed. We made a list and were alarmed to see the number was beyond what we had in mind.
Did you have any issues with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?
This was not much of an issue. We told our family about our intimate wedding vision and how important it would be for us to have such celebration. Both our families were very understanding and supportive from the very beginning. Nevertheless, we have decided to hold another celebration with our extended family and friends in our hometown later this year.
What were the highlights of the ceremony?
We didn’t take our eyes off each other from the moment we exchanged our vows until we were officially pronounced as husband and wife. We were completely absorbed by the serene and joyful ambiance. Seeing our loved ones constantly smiling and cheering throughout the day made our special day even more complete. We were really grateful for their efforts to be present and to shower us with so much love. My girlfriends surprised me by coordinating their dresses’ colors. We were so glad to have Evonne and Darren as our photographers. They knew the San Francisco City Hall inside out and also gave us practical advice for our photo session. Our officiant, whom we only met a few minutes before the ceremony, was very entertaining and took our nervousness away. It was a relief that the day was everything we have imagined it to be and even better.
What were the highlights of the reception?
We are going to have our reception in Indonesia later this year.
What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?
There are no rules and no expectations. We got to style it any way we wanted and easily incorporated almost anything we wished for (I wore a blush dress and no veil which was not common in our tradition.) It was easy to be present and let our love shine on each other. Furthermore, with the small guest list, we did not spend too much time catering and entertaining our loved ones. We felt very comfortable and were able to express our appreciation for the love and company from our loved ones.
What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?
Don’t worry about getting everything perfectly in place. Instead, be present and cherish every moment. If you get anxious, remember the most important thing is that you are marrying the love of your life and think of how exciting your life together will be.
Vendors:
Photographers: Evonne & Darren Photography
Hair and Makeup Stylist: Makeup by Quis
Florist: Tango & Foxtrot
Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Wedding Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti
Groom’s Suit: Indochino
Groom’s Shoes: Santoni
