I was introduced to Tim and Jake by Gina of Make it Mariko Events, their wedding coordinator. Gina and Tim are actually both coworkers of mine, but I had never met Tim before! When we met up for coffee to discuss the wedding, I was immediately struck by how incredible Tim is. His boundless enthusiasm just shone through as he told me about Jake and their wedding plans. Tim moved from Australia many years ago, but it’s clear he still holds a love for his home country.I love that they designed their wedding ceremony to incorporate Indigenous Australian, American and the ancient European traditions reflecting their ancestry. Just wait until you see their ceremony. I’m so excited to share Tim and Jake’s San Francisco Presidio Cafe wedding with you guys!

Tim and Jake’s San Francisco Presidio Cafe Wedding

There’s the quote about the coldest winter ever spent being a summer in San Francisco… and it held true on Tim and Jake’s wedding day! As I drove up from the South Bay, the weather changed from warm and sunny to overcast and windy. Tim and Jake definitely didn’t let the weather throw a damper on their day though!

Their ceremony was held in a small clearing next to the Presidio Cafe and golf course. I watched with fascination as their friends set up the ceremony site, carefully setting out the sacred altar space and laying kangaroo pelts, crowns, floral swords and other sacred items on the ceremony table.

Just before the ceremony, Tim and Jake headed to the nearby eucalyptus grove to spend a few quiet minutes grounding themselves. Their ceremony drew from ancient cultures and was absolutely beautiful and incredibly moving. They honored their ancestors by bringing in Jake’s grandfather’s purple heart and Tim’s grandmother’s necklace. All of the elements were a part of their ceremony: they were anointed with droplets of blessed water, their hands were smudged with ochre, gold necklaces represented the mineral world, kangaroo pelts the animal world and floral swords the plant world. When Tim and Jake exchanged vows with the ribbons on their crowns tying them together, there were very few dry eyes in the crowd!

The reception was held in a tent off to the side of the Presidio Cafe, hung with string lights and paper lanterns. There were many toasts from Tim and Jake’s family and friends, each toast making it clear just how special these two are! Finally, the wedding wrapped up with the BEST first dance ever followed by a Greek Zorba’s dance, which ended in all the guests arm in arm, dancing in circles.

It was such an honor to photograph Tim and Jake’s wedding! Sending them lots of love on their honeymoon.

• Wedding Planner: Gina of Make it Mariko
• Cake: @cakebybalabell
• DJ: @livinproof
• Boutonnieres: Juna Alinea
• Floral Swords: Calla Rose Ostrander