Similar to our house hunting days, we thought our list of
must-haves was pretty straightforward – a single location for both the ceremony
and reception, ideally with unique architecture, an outdoor element and an
in-house caterer. We thought a good restaurant would be the
easiest option (both from a planning perspective and also for our out of town
guests). And so began the search.
The very first option I found in the very first wedding
magazine and on the very first bridal website I looked at was Foreign
Cinema…and I was immediately in love.
It was perfect! It had an outdoor
space for the ceremony, indoor options for dancing and bad weather, it had excellent
food and I knew Martin would appreciate the architecture and space. And so
with the vision already developing in my mind, we went there for dinner in late
September to check out the space in person (and of course, have a nice dinner
to celebrate the engagement). Dinner
was perfect and the space was even better than imagined… We were sold… Although not quite yet; it is
never that easy.
Unwilling to potentially miss out on another great option
(at a cheaper price), we spent the next 6 weeks exploring websites (both bridal
and non), getting recommendations from friends and trekking through the city. We saw and/or researched almost every spot
available in San Francisco, but unfortunately all spaces we saw were either:
too small, too large, too commercial, too boring, too cool, too expensive or
too much work. It was like Goldilocks
and the Three Bears. All was not lost
though; just like Goldi, we did have a few enjoyable meals at several great
restaurants throughout the process.
In the end, we simultaneously admitted defeat and victory
and booked Foreign Cinema! With the
contract signed and deposit paid, I couldn’t be more excited!
