Sanctuary Bistro Featured Bay Area Vegan Wedding: Jessica and John

December 5, 2015 Sanctuary Bistro were honored to be a part of an amazing wedding for Jessica and John.  It was an extremely special day.  It was a beautiful and crisp morning.  I was able to arrive one hour early and just breathed in the Red Woods while I waited for the wedding community to show up. I can understand why Jessica and John would choose the Trocadero Clubhouse, it was an oasis from the chaos of life.The family arrived and they were like those Redwoods.  They were solid and strong and ready to be a support network for each other.  They were working together to create this special day.  Coordination was easy because the family was ready to help.  There are many ways to throw a wedding and this is one... maybe it will spark ideas for you.  Or maybe it will help you realize that in our day to day lives when we remain calm and united we can to anything. - JenniferHere is the story of Jessica and John's wedding as told by Jessica:John’s twin eloped so we felt an obligation to have a wedding. We decided in July. John proposed three times before I completely realized what he was asking. We set a date for December, when we knew family from Mexico, Germany, Argentina, New York, and the West Coast could all attend.

 Planning the weddingThere wasn’t much planning. We rented a space and it was the first and only place we even considered, a beautiful redwood and eucalyptus grove near our home with an old house for the reception. The provided tables and chairs. We sent out invitations. We found an organic vegan and gluten free caterer.  We ordered mason jars and metal straws. Then we sort of forgot about it. Every now and then an rsvp would show up in the mail and we would think “I guess we should start thinking about decorations, table settings, drinks, music, flowers, and photography.” But, we never really did.The family started arriving

When family starting arriving, I made a to do list on a sticky note and that was the “plan.” Within hours we had borrowed enough wine glasses, gathered tea and coffee, rented plates and silverware, bought napkins from craigslist, had friends buy roses, found enough vases around the house, bought cheap mismatched curtains to use as table clothes, brought scarfs from my closet, took some leaves from trees and pinecones from the neighbors, got beer and wine, asked my dad and son to play music, and finally asked four of our loved ones to come up with a ceremony.The result? Perfection. The whole shebang was set up and cleaned up by our friends and family. The only hired help was the caterer (and boy did she help). All the work added to the fun of the day. I will never forget it.Some adviceTrocaderro Clubhouse at Stern Grove in San Francisco is a great place for a wedding. Stacey Lorinczi should make your wedding rings. And Sanctuary Bistro is the best caterer (slash wedding planning advisor) I’ve ever encountered and 70 guests from around the world completely agree. Jennifer was such an inspiration. She totally got the vibe we were going for, helped us cut costs at every turn, and her team made the most amazing meal. We had stuffed mushrooms, sushi, and fingerling potato appetizers followed by beet burgers, lasagna, veggies, potatoes, salad, and cupcakes. She accommodated our guests with allergies, gave my son a pep talk when he was upset his guitar string broke, and worked with us to be out of the space at the required time. She even let us borrow her containers to take home leftovers. Just be sure you order three times as many cupcakes as you think you need….to die for.<