Whenever I travel to a new city or country, one of the first things I do is find out if there’s a local botanical garden. They aren’t usually on people’s must-see list, which I like, and they reveal something interesting that’s unique to each place. Mostly though I just like looking at plants and smelling flowers. Of all the city gardens I’ve explored, (Mexico City and Lisbon are treasures!) my all time favorite is the one in my home town, San Francisco Botanical Garden.
Unsurprisingly, I also LOVE documenting weddings at San Francisco Botanical Garden (and everywhere else in Golden Gate Park!). Who wouldn’t want to stroll through an Andean cloud forest on their way to get married? Seriously though, you don’t have to be a plant nerd to experience the wonder and expansive energy of this place.
Tip: even if you’re not planning a winter wedding, go visit from January to March when the Magnolias are in bloom! The collection of over 200 trees with saucer-sized magenta flowers is truly amazing to see and smell. :)
Tina and Tripp are glowing humans with big hearts and fabulously harmonized hair. They married at the Botanical Garden’s intimate redwood grove in an emotional ceremony with their closest community. I loved that we did things a bit out of order. After some post-ceremony champagne and hot dogs, we headed back to their room at Cavallo Point. They built quiet downtime into the middle of their day to rest and get ready for the second half of the celebration... dinner at the quirky Sausalito Seahorse. Participating in this day was such a joy!
BEHIND-THE-SCENES ♡ ceremony venue: San Francisco Botanical Garden ~ musician: Mae Powell ~ reception venue + food: Sausalito Seahorse ~ photography: Rachelle Derouin [p.s. If you're planning a wedding at SF Botanical Garden, contact me and I’d be happy to share more about my experience there.]
