A Love Letter to San Francisco

We met the way so many San Francisco love stories began during the pandemic — on Hinge. The city that had gone quiet but somehow felt more intimate. What followed was the kind of relationship that roots itself deeply in a place. So when it came time to plan our wedding, it was never a question of where. The city itself would be the inspiration, the backdrop, and the vibe.

Our wedding was a love story to San Francisco. With 250 guests flying in from across the country, we felt the weight and the privilege of that. It was the chance to show people what we already knew: that San Francisco is unlike anywhere else on earth. The brief became, “classic with a twist” — a phrase that would quietly govern every decision made across the entire weekend.

The Venue

The Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill was chosen not merely as a place to stay, but as the place to be. Perched at the top of the city with cable cars clattering past its front entrance, the hotel carries the kind of cinematic stature that cannot be manufactured. We wanted the feeling of a destination resort wedding with guests bumping into one another in the elevator, lingering over breakfast, building the easy intimacy that comes from sharing a space but set against the heartbeat of the city. With 250 guests under its roof, the Mark Hopkins delivered exactly that.

The welcome party took place at the Top of the Mark, the hotel’s legendary sky lounge, where panoramic views of the Bay stretch out in all directions. We approached decor with restraint as we were pushing the capacity limit and only enhanced with bud vases filled with white roses, warm uplighting, and espresso martinis served in perfect vintage coupes. The room needed nothing more. The existing charm was the point and we just let it breathe.

The ceremony, on the 21st night of September, was held in the Room of the Dons ballroom, a true San Francisco icon. The nine seven-foot-high murals lining its walls were commissioned for the hotel’s opening in 1926, depicting sweeping scenes of early California history: Spanish explorers, Native American figures, pioneer life rendered in rich, warm pigments that feel less like decoration and more like memory. I insisted on cabaret chairs and vintage pillars with structural florals framing a simple altar set at the window. The colors of the ballroom — deep and burnished — were a quiet preview of what was to come at the reception.

The Reception

For the dinner, reception, and dance party I was resolute: it would not be a hotel ballroom. It would be Bimbo’s 365 Club, where guests arrived via iconic San Francisco cable cars. I had first walked through the doors of the legendary North Beach venue in 2012 and it stayed with me. It’s got the most moody supper-club swag, with red velvet curtains, checkered floors, a sense that every great night in San Francisco history had somehow passed through its walls. It’s was statement and the best possible choice for a party.

The discovery that made Bimbo’s feel fated came later. Both of my grandmothers had been dancing at the club in their youth. My mom even found a Bimbo’s cocktail napkin tucked inside one of my grandmother’s keepsake boxes while planning the wedding. Some venues are chosen; others are inherited. We had the cocktail napkins remade, of course.

The design concept for the reception was built from the venue outward. The color palette was pulled directly from the room and from the city itself. This was an act of translation rather than imposition. Two shades of red anchored everything: a fire engine red and a deeper crimson. The reference, of course, was the Golden Gate Bridge, but the execution was something richer. Red moved through the evening like a thread. My nails, the floors, the curtains, the florals, the maid of honor’s gown were all red. Gold offered texture. Black and cream provided grounding. And then, applied with a light hand: peach and dusty blue, leaning into the retro tone the room already possessed. Blair wore peach that Friday evening; her sister-in-law, dusty blue. The damask table linens played against the checkered floors. Crystal glassware caught the light beside a mix of vintage china and silver, alongside modern Heath Ceramics stone plates. Both old and new textures, in effortless conversation.

The Table

The floor plan was designed around a single, firm conviction: no one would end up in table jail. We’ve all been to those weddings where you feel pinned to your chair through courses and toasts, cut off from the room. Long tables replaced rounds, opening the space to flow and conversation. Table lamps, inspired by the Carlyle in New York City, sat low and warm beside structural florals kept deliberately beneath the sightline. The food was the focal point, a radical idea for a dinner table.

The menu, executed beautifully by Jessica Lasky Catering, was served family style. The food was elevated California cuisine: fresh, seasonal, and ingredient-driven, food. A style originated in Northern California, emphasizing locally sourced produce, sustainable fare, and fusion influences. Platters were passed and shared across the table, course after course. As a vegetarian, I’ve spent years navigating the afterthought vegetarian option at other weddings. This format made abundance the rule. After the second course, guests were fully reset with fresh plates and flatware — an elegant gesture that quietly elevated the entire evening. It brought the best community vibe, with people leaning across the table, reaching for things and talking to new friends, just like you were in someone’s home.

And then, the surprise. We had custom cakes, one per table, each with its own phrase or quip, hand-delivered mid-evening. Guests cut in, debated flavors, migrated from table to table in search of their preferred slice. The dining room, which had already started to become a dance floor, became even warmer.

The Night

Dart Collective set the musical tone across the evening, but the night had one more reveal saved for the dance floor. A surprise DJ entrance where Truthlive detonated the room. While the night had already been filled with dancing, from the moment of the DJ reveal Bimbo’s became something else entirely: a full, proper San Francisco rave party. Late in the evening, grilled cheese and chocolate chip cookies arrived. Comfort food and classic 2025 EDM — it was perfection. The lights came on at midnight, and still, it felt too soon. The energy of the night was immaculate and I feel very proud that we created that.

The Dress

Blair wore a Markarian gown for the ceremony and reception, its craftsmanship befitting a room hung with century-old murals and supper club charm. It was the perfect execution of classic with a twist. For the dance party I changed into a 70’s vintage sequined gold dress: luminous, celebratory, impossible to ignore. Will wore a custom-made black tuxedo. We played the part of bride and groom, but in our own celebrated way.

Blair & Will Fox were married on September 21, 2024, in San Francisco, California

The Details

Bride’s Gown: Markarian (ceremony & reception); Vintage sequined gold (after-party)
Groom’s Attire: Custom-made black tuxedo
Venues: The Mark Hopkins Hotel, Nob Hill; Bimbo’s 365 Club, North Beach
Planning & Design: Maddix & Co — @maddixandco
Photography: Kristin Piteo — @kristinpiteophoto
Catering: Jessica Lasky Catering — @jessicalaskycatering
Band: Dart Collective — @dartcollective
DJ: