So sorry I'm a little late on this post but it looks like I'm going to be able to squeak by with a few minutes of Friday left for those of you still up {and at home} ;o) ... so let's welcome back Lisa Marie from Orange & Blossom to chat with us once again today ahem, tonight {and every Friday this month!}. It's all yours, Lisa Marie:
Thanks again, Sarah. Now that I’ve shared the wedding details, I thought it would be fun to delve into the vintage-inspired honeymoon trip …
One of the most fun parts about eloping is that we get to start our honeymoon before we even get married! Rikky and I plan to head up to San Francisco a day before our ceremony at City Hall, then stay on a few days to run around as “man and wife” and soak up the city.
For both the wedding and the honeymoon, we’ve kept things easy and affordable. We contacted 3 photographers based on their websites, cut one based on price, and chose Lilia Photo for her warm personality, artistic images, and vintage-inspired portfolio of City Hall. I contacted one makeup artist, Bara Krejcikova, who was referred by Lilia, and booked her quickly. We’ll have a trial at my house in June before the wedding in August. That makes it more expensive, but she kindly agreed to provide a few valuable makeup pointers during the trial. Phew… I need them! Because I’m opting for handbags over a bouquet and we’re still pondering options for Rikky (a handmade feather boutonniere, a vintage porcelain flower pin from England, an orange handkerchief à la his all-time-favorite Frank Sinatra?), no florist was required.
{Image credits: Left: Frank Sinatra care of Telegraph; Top right: Makeup by Bara Krejcikova (On her blog: http://barakrejcikova.blogspot.com/2010/01/wedding-kelli.html); Bottom right: Lilia photo}
We opted for a few more nights at a less expensive hotel over 2 nights at the view-laden Mandarin Oriental. (We have our whole lives to travel in high style, right?) In keeping with the vintage feel, Hotel Vertigo was a perfect finishing touch. It’s a renovated, retro-style old hotel that plays homage to its namesake Hitchcock film, which plays continuously on a loop in the lobby. Some scenes were filmed in the original hotel that occupied this building, and leading lady Kim Novak lived here during the last half of filming. The mod orange interior and dizzying staircase will make for some fun photos when we come back to change clothes.
{All above images credit to http://www.hotelvertigosf.com/}
Beyond the hotel, we envision a romantic yet restful adventure filled with experiences we can’t have at home. On the list of possibilities: Chinatown for two pairs of newlywed chopsticks (I use them at every meal), Japantown for wooden sandals and a cast iron teapot for our evening tea, an Ethiopian restaurant, the classic Conservatory of Flowers (constructed in 1878) and Palace of Fine Arts, a hand-carved wooden booth in the Fantasy Room of the Maharani Indian restaurant (with silk cushions and beaded curtains, it’s all about the atmosphere), an old wine bar, a historic food tour, a tea house with garden (we enjoyed one so much in Venice where we got engaged), paddle boats on Stow Lake, views of the Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field, North Beach for pastries, Café Claude for jazz among vintage travel posters, and Top of the Mark (popular among WWII Navy officers) for a drink and the view. We may have to save some of these, and a walk among the larger-than-anything redwoods of Muir Woods, for anniversary visits. Thank goodness for the quick one-hour flight!
{Image credits: Top row: vintage Top of the Mark postcard; view from Crissy Field by A Romantic Spot; Absinthe Brasserie & Bar; Middle row: Muir Woods; Chinatown; Conservatory of Flowers; Stow Lake; Bottom row: Palace of Fine Arts; Café Claude; Maharani’s Fantasy Room}
Wow, I am in love with Hotel Vertigo!! Thanks for stopping by again, Lisa Marie! See you next Friday!
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