When scheduling her first date with Michael Vyvoda, Suzanne Mayer specifically chose the night before she had an early flight. As they connected via a dating site, she figured it would be useful to have an excuse to end the date early in case it didn’t go well. “We stayed until the bar closed!” she reveals of the pleasant surprise. 

Their relationship grew with time, eventually sharing a home together as well as two dogs, both present for the proposal. After a relaxing day, the couple sat down for dinner and Suzanne noticed her boyfriend seemed particularly quiet. Then, when she had a sip of wine she discovered a stunning oval sapphire ring set with a halo of diamonds with rose gold and a hidden pink diamond. The unique engagement ring would go on to inspire the color scheme for their wedding day. 

As neither Suzanne nor Michael grew up in Northern California where they reside, they knew whatever location they chose would involve travel for family. “We chose to keep it close to home as San Francisco is where we met, is a city we love, and it gave us the chance to introduce our families and friends to the area,” the bride explains. A historic mansion with views of the bay and the famed Golden Gate Bridge made for an ideal venue. “It felt like quintessential San Francisco,” Suzanne confirms. “Elegant, historical, and the size felt perfect for a smaller guest count.”

Several dozen of their closest family and friends sat in gilt chairs as the sweethearts exchanged vows in a ceremony that involved both laughter and wine, as an ode to the locale of the nuptials as well as their engagement. Once they were pronounced husband and wife, attendees enjoyed an outdoor cocktail hour before entering the luxurious hall for the reception. 

Due to the intimate guest list, everyone sat at one 60-foot-long banquet table, with décor that achieved the delicate balance of Art Deco and Northern Californian aesthetics. The soft neutral linens were offset with gorgeous azure china and lofty floral arrangements in shades of blue, pink, cream, and violet. The lounge area had a chic velvet sofa in sapphire, contemporary rugs, and gold lanterns. The mantle over the fireplace was adorned with over one thousand roses in soft pink and peach hues, accented with Papilio Ulysses butterflies. “This was truly the most beautiful floral piece I had ever seen,” the bride gushes. 

All of the hard work of their wedding team came together to create the elegant dinner party the couple desired for their nuptials. Suzanne muses, “I really felt like we designed the whole day to best reflect the two of us and allow our guests to further get to know us as a couple.”