Old St. Hilary’s is a little church on a hillside, overlooking the San Francisco Bay, and one of the most charming places I can imagine for a wedding. Especially on a sunny day, like the Friday in August when Marnie and Brian wed. Says the bride:

We wanted something that was more romantic than anything else – something elegant but neither fancy nor overly rustic. Something intimate and unique. We wanted to find a small chapel for the ceremony and Old St. Hilary’s was perfect, and when I first saw pictures of the Outdoor Art Club I fell in love with it. We love that both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, and after that everything came together.

We chose music that we loved and that seemed fitting for the occasion including Fred Hersch’s interpretation of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, and “Good Day, Sunshine” by the Beatles for walking back down the aisle. We wanted music that provided a sense of joy and of the sacred and yet was not entirely serious.

We snuck down the road before the reception to take some photos with the best man and maid of honor. The trees are giant and covered with moss and it’s beautiful – we couldn’t resist clambering around a bit in the forest and the stream, a nice way to escape for a while.

After the ceremony, guests headed to the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley for dinner and dancing.

We have two adorable shelter mutts who couldn’t be there, so we included them by making a donation to Just a Dog Pitbull Rescue in lieu of wedding favors, and had little portraits of them on our invitations and cake.

Marnie’s advice for other brides?  You may need help where you don’t think you will, like remembering to do the basics (sleep! eat dinner the night before!). It’s so easy to get caught up in all the excitement and the lovely details, but no dress or make up artist or stylist can make you look nearly as good if you haven’t had a good 7-8 hours of sleep. You’ll need it! Also, if you’re keeping your dress long, make sure you have a free hand to life it as you walk down the aisle or you might trip.

 

Photography: Gia Canali

Ceremony venue: Old St. Hilary’s in Tiburon, California

Reception venue: Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley, California

Bride’s dress: Rosa Clara

Bridesmaid dresses: Dessy

Groom’s suit: Ermenegildo Zegna

Floral design: La Fleuriste

Catering / cakes: Elaine Bell Catering / Branching Out Cakes

 

Congratulations Marnie and Brian! And thank you to Gia Canali for sharing these beautiful photos with us – always a treat to have Gia visit us on Snippet & Ink.

 

 

Dessy is a sponsor of Snippet & Ink.