Wedding Blog

Mr. Penguin and I originally wanted to get married in San Francisco. We are both suburban transplants who enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Bay (or “the Yay! ” as I call it). Here is some info on our top venue contender in San Francisco, Hotel Vitale.

Before we sat down and realized that we had 1.8 billion people in our family, Mr. Penguin and I thought it was a great idea to have a very small wedding with 30-50 guests. We used to live on the Embarcadero, right near to the fabulously sleek Hotel Vitale. The hotel has several outdoor balconies that you can host events on.

The outdoor balconies boast gorgeous Bay Bridge and water views, and the location would allow for some pretty spectacular portraits on piers, in the Ferry Building, and some great urban shots in the Financial District (which is deserted on Saturdays, perfect for street portraits).

The Hotel Vitale outdoor event space can accommodate 100 standing guests (or 50 seated guests). Ceremony setups look like this:

and can also be transformed into a seated dinner while your guests enjoy cocktails on another balcony like this:

Most weddings opt for a standing ceremony, cocktails and hors de oeuvres on a terrace, followed by a seated dinner in their banquet room downstairs (accommodates 100):

I communicated back and forth with the Events Coordinator there, and she was incredibly prompt with E-Mail responses (within 24 hours), and of course was always available for phone calls. Small, intimate ceremonies and receptions (30 people) on the terraces ONLY (not a banquet dinner downstairs), with their food and beverage minimums, can cost right around $15K, (for venue, food and beverage), not bad for such a 4 star boutique hotel.We eventually realized that there would be massive heartbreak if we only invited 30 guests (on both our parts) and eventually looked elsewhere. But its wonderfully sleek and intimate, and you can’t beat the view!

For more information on hosting your wedding at Hotel Vitale:

www.hotelvitale.com
8 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Special Events Manager: Candace Palec
Phone: 415-278-3711

All Photos from the Hotel Vitale website.