A COLOR-DRENCHED CELEBRATION THAT REIMAGINED CLASSIC SAN FRANCISCO ELEGANCE

Sep 2

San Francisco isn't simply where Kelly and Mateo got married. It's where their love grew, where they set down roots, and where they built their community. So when it came time to celebrate, they wanted a wedding that felt unmistakably San Francisco—but entirely their own.

Their day moved through some of the city's most iconic spaces, beginning at the Fairmont San Francisco before an outdoor ceremony beneath the columns of the Palace of Fine Arts and an evening celebration at Gallery 308 at Fort Mason.

Classic San Francisco, with a lot more color.

An Iconic San Francisco Wedding, Their Way

Kelly loves to be a little extra—in the best possible way. A dancing queen at heart, she wasn't interested in a wedding that took itself too seriously.

Color became part of the entire guest experience. Friends and family arrived dressed in saturated pinks, oranges, reds, purples and greens, becoming part of the visual story themselves. Violet and Aster carried that energy through expressive florals while Events by GS transformed Gallery 308 with long candlelit tables, colorful details, chandeliers and disco balls. Against the industrial architecture and waterfront views of Fort Mason, it felt playful, elegant and distinctly them.

A Wedding Remembered on Film + Super 8

Documentation held a deeper meaning for both of them. Kelly is deeply sentimental, and photographs have always been part of how her family remembers and connects. Mateo grew up with documentary filmmaking through his mom and was especially drawn to having their wedding preserved on Super 8.

That made documenting this celebration across digital, film photography and Super 8 feel particularly fitting. The polished portraits mattered, but so did everything happening around them: a parent's expression, friends around the dinner table, movement on the dance floor, and all the beautifully imperfect moments in between.

Their wedding felt like a celebration of the city they've chosen, the community they've built, and doing things with just a little more personality.

Planning a San Francisco Wedding of Your Own?

If you're creating a wedding that feels personal, expressive, and unmistakably yours, I'd love to hear what you're imagining. I document celebrations throughout San Francisco and beyond on film, digital, and Super 8. INQUIRE ABOUT YOUR WEDDING.