The Reception

Haas-Lilienthal House, September 19, 2019

The couple at their table against a brick wall, the bride laughing in her crown and gold lace dress, the groom smiling beside her.

At half past one we departed for the Haas-Lilienthal House, twenty blocks away.

Cocktails were at a quarter to two on the first floor, with a kids room upstairs and coffee in the courtyard, in cups custom stamped with a design by Colin. At three the buffet opened in the ballroom downstairs and the toasts were given. At four the ballroom closed and guests moved up to the first floor. At a quarter past four we cut the cake. At five there was dancing in the ballroom, the garter and the bouquet. At seven it was over.

Our families were there, with Rena's brother, sister and mother, and Colin's parents. Our friends celebrated the day with us. It was a perfect San Francisco day.

The Hedge coffee bar in the courtyard: a Chemex pour-over coffee maker, a barista pouring milk behind it, and a paper cup stamped with a crown, Rena & Colin and the date 9.19.19.
Coffee from Hedge, in cups stamped with a design by Colin.
The bride in her crown and veil holding a green bouquet in the courtyard garden, guests standing among string lights and tables beyond.
The courtyard.

The Toasts

Toasts were given by Jerry Sebestyen, Best Man & Father of the Groom, and Rochelle Macapagal, Maid of Honor & Sister of the Bride.

The Cake

Rena sent our cake designer at Jasmine Rae Cakes two of Colin's videos and a list of things we loved.

I mainly gravitate towards how he visualizes sound. Music really connects us both.

Rena, to our cake designer, July 2019

What came back was a sketch and a concept. She had been thinking about the book The Dot and the Line, about setting something solid beside something ethereal, about showing a progression in a shape that looks simple and is not simple to make. She drew on the movement in Iris van Herpen's work and weighed it against the refined austerity of the Haas-Lilienthal House.

The finished cake on a slate slab: two square tiers marbled in plum and deep brown, with pale sugar leaves and fine stems rising out of the top.
The finished cake seen from a low angle in window light: a plum and copper marbled block with a tall jagged fin rising from it, hung with pale wafer paper petals.
The same cake from the front, the marbled block and the tall fin with its cluster of translucent petals and fine wires.
A close view of the top of the cake: layered plum blocks with a pink vein, and curled sheets of wafer paper in grey and white beside a curtained window.
Two tasting slices side by side on a white plate.
Cake tasting, San Francisco. Jasmine Rae Cakes.
A small white cake topped with candied ginger.
Light...bright...and airy... LOVE!
Overhead view of four cake tasting cups on a white oval plate: vanilla cream, caramel drizzle, dark chocolate and candied ginger.
Wedding Cake Tasting 2019

Photos by Rena

The Menu

Afterwards Rena asked for a copy of the menu as a souvenir, and it came back set in the same typeface as this site.

  • New Potatoes & Brentwood Corn vegetarian, gluten-free peppery creme fraiche dressing, confit gypsy peppers, baby fennel, & fresh basil
  • Lonely Mountain Baby Lettuces vegetarian, gluten-free spiced pepitas, aged cheese, & sherry vinaigrette
  • Heirloom Tomato Panzanella vegan toasted levain tossed w/ tomatoes, cucumber, & summer herbs
  • Grilled Eggplant & Golden Couscous vegan chickpeas, jimmy nardello peppers, charmoula, & almonds
  • Roasted Snake River Porchetta dairy-free, gluten-free pork tenderloin & belly w/ mizuna, lemon, & cracklings
  • Braised Beef Short Ribs dairy-free, gluten-free almond + pine nut romesco sauce & chervil
The printed dinner menu on the day: a plain white card laid on a round wooden board on a white tablecloth.
Guests seated at round tables in the ballroom during dinner, flowers and folded napkins on the tables and the wooden staircase behind.

Menu by Fogcutter

Download the menu (PDF) 0.8 MB

The couple dancing in the ballroom, the bride laughing with her head against the groom's shoulder while guests at round tables look on.

The Music

Or Treggor DJed our playlist. Some of the tracks are on the Media page.