Jeannie Choe met Bryan Haggerty in 2006. She was supposed to be interviewing him for a design article she was writing, but they ended up chatting about everything else. “Needless to say, we didn’t talk much business that day,” she remembers. “And the rest is history!”
You may have read about their engagement on other blogs, but if not, check out the story here. The short version: Bryan designed a custom iPhone app that sent Jeannie around the city on a scavenger hunt ending in the big question.
The two (he’s a designer at Twitter and she is a brand director at Alite) tied the knot at Stable Café last fall in a hip wedding that lived up to the creativity of the proposal. We asked Jeannie to tell us about event.
Why Stable Café?
I was laid off as a packaging designer at Method in 2009 and started working at Stable managing their kitchen and private events. The owners and staff are really wonderful people and the space became a second home to us, so we couldn't think of a more special and meaningful place!
Tell us about the book theme.
Since we were working on a tight budget I came up with some DIY projects to get a whimsical look and feel without a huge price tag. I re-used old books from thrift stores, ordered library cards and pockets online, hand-wrote and stamped cards, and crafted all the details by hand. My incredibly talented and creative friends were also a huge help in making it happen. [Note the table cards tucked into the row of vintage books with stamped spines—how creative can you get?]
I see that everyone from the dog to the groomsmen were dressed unconventionally. Tell us about the outfits.
Bryan wore black J. Lindeberg pants and a plaid Theory tie as well as a charcoal J. Crew cardigan that all the guys sported for a more casual, but still dressy, look.
My girls wore black cocktail dresses of their choice. Though it could've been an opportunity to save money and re-use something they already had, they saw it as a great reason to pick up a hot new dress! I can't blame them, as they all looked so gorgeous! I wanted them to be comfortable and to wear something that could truly be worn again—not like those "I'll just hem it to knee length and take the bow off and dye it" dresses.
Our dog Josie's outfits were a gift from my sister-in-law Chiho (Bryan's brother's wife) who has her own Etsy store for dog clothing called Usagi Team. Chiho loves animals and it shows with the loving hand and creativity she puts in her dog clothing.
Are the banners made by hand?
Yes, my friend Grace is amazing at crafts and she encouraged me to have a triangle-cutting "party" with our friends and I'm so grateful for that! It was a team effort to put them together. Grace generously sewed the colorful fabric strips into garlands for our wedding.
Tell us about the other hand-crafted elements of the wedding.
Baylor from Lila B did a phenomenal job with the flowers. Her studio is next door to Stable and I got to know her before the wedding. She is in love with flowers and plants and all things nature and it shows in her work. All of our arrangements were done in canning jars and mix-and-match thrift store vases!
What did you serve guests?
The food was done by Jane Hammond Events and the desserts by Batter Bakery. I can say I'd recommend both for incredibly fresh and unbelievably delicious food.
JHE worked with us to create a family-style California menu with the best in-season produce and local ingredients. We had heirloom tomato salad, mac-and-cheese with all local cheeses (sinful), and brined roast chicken, just to name a few dishes. They really went above and beyond and their chefs are so talented.
I already knew Jen from Batter Bakery because she started her business out of Stable's commissary kitchen, Mission Creek Kitchen. She's a passionate baker and I still haven't tasted better cupcakes, brownies, scones, or shortbread in SF to this day!
Where there any other special touches?
We had a photo booth on site, which was so fun. You can see a lot of the shots here. And of course, the best part was having everyone we loved in one place, because that just never happens in life. We'll always remember that special day.
Photography:Lisa Wiseman
Flowers:Lila B
Makeup:Julie Dy
Catering, Bar, and Service:Jane Hammond Events
Desserts:Batter Bakery
Venue:Stable Café
Live Music:Keith Johnson Band
Photo Booth:Photoworks Interactive
