BLACK TIE WEDDING AT THE BENTLY RESERVE

If you're looking for a classic, quintessential San Francisco venue, the Bently Reserve should surely be on your list. Once an old banking hall known as the Old Federal Reserve Bank Building, it's Beaux-Arts exterior has been an iconic building in the heart of San Francisco's financial district for many, many years. It's classic, marbled banking hall inside is one of our favorite spaces to plan and design weddings! 

Alice and Randall fell in love with the space for its clean lines, high ceilings, and beautiful chandeliers. From the start, they imagined a formal, black tie wedding at the Bently filled with glamorous details. We had so much fun getting to know them through the planning, which helped us greatly in creating a wedding that truly reflected their personalities and style. 

On the morning of the wedding, Alice and her ladies got ready at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, conveniently located just blocks away from the Bently Reserve. Randall and his men were even closer, at Le Meridien Hotel, right next door to the Bently. Both places offered stunning views of the city! 

The two had their first look at the Embarcadero, and I don't think I'll ever forget the way Randall teared up when he saw his beautiful bride. It was such a sweet, sentimental moment, and the first of many times that day in which Randall teared up. 

We arranged for a cable car trolley to take them around San Francisco for their bridal party photos. Alice, looking absolutely remarkable in her Vera Wang gown, definitely made a lot of head turns as even tourists were snapping photos of them along the way.

At the Bently, white chiffon drapery softened up entry ways to the banking hall as ushers welcomed guests to the ceremony. The room was lined with rows of sleek, white Chameleon chairs with faux diamond buckles, and a black baby grand piano sat behind the last row, filling the room with soft, beautiful music.

As I witness the sentimental moment of Randall watching Alice come down the aisle to be married to him, I can't help thinking to myself that every couple needs to always, always remember this moment during hard times in their marriage. That moment of feeling overjoyed and immensely grateful to be marrying each other and all the reasons why they've decided to join union as one. Getting to be a part of such a monumental day in people's lives will always remain one of my greatest rewards of being a Wedding Planner!

The mood always lightens once the formality of the ceremony is over. Guests are ready to kick the party up a notch with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and the energy is much greater when the newlyweds are present. We advise clients to do the majority of their family and bridal party portraits before the ceremony, so that they can join in on the festivities of the cocktail hour and spend more time with their guests.

A room flip is required at the Bently Reserve, because both the ceremony and reception takes place in the same banking hall. We have approximately 1 hour for the room flip, and to execute smoothly, every logistical detail must be thought through in advance. Each vendor has very specific needs in terms of their set up. The band requires a certain amount of space, access to electrical outlets, space for speakers, and adequate time for sound checks. Dinner tables are set in layers that consists a team effort from the floral team and catering team. The lighting team has ladders and equipment that has to be maneuvered around everyone else. Without a detailed plan in place, it would be pure chaos as everyone would be toppling over one another trying to get their job done in time. 

As challenging as room flips may be, it is also a rewarding experience to see how awe-inspired guests are when they walk back into the same room one hour later and see it in a completely different context! 

For the remainder of the evening, guests feasted on a sumptuous meal catered by Componere Fine Catering, danced the night away to the tunes of their band-- Black Market Jazz Orchestra band, and indulged in desserts that included a nitrogen ice cream station and macarons hung from a faux banyan tree.

Thank you to our hard working team of vendors who helped to make this wedding a huge success! 

Event Planning + Production: Jubilee Lau Events
Event Design: Gloria Wong Design
Venue: Bently Reserve
Catering: Componere Fine Catering
Photographer: Samuel Lippke Photography
Cinematographer: Lighthouse Studios
Floral Design: Hunt Littlefield
Lighting/Draping: Enhanced Lighting
Music: Bay Music + Entertainment
Officiant: Jon Olson
Cake: Studio Cake
Banyan Tree: Blueprint Studio
Furniture Rental: Hartmann Studio
Chameleon Chairs: Classic Party Rentals
Linens, napkins, napkin rings: Wildflower Linens
Paper Goods: Good on Paper
Makeup/Hair: Mimi & Taylor
Transportation: Classic Cable Car

Cheers,