Shannon and Jay's wedding site is the perfect example of their luxe-lo approach, and of the kind of people they are in general! The duo -- who found Bridge International Academies, an organization that will bring a franchise of low-cost, for-profit primary schools to underserved communities in the developing world -- held their dream wedding at
Camp Reynolds on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. It took a bit of effort to persuade family and friends, and even Angel Island employees, that the former military camp was the perfect spot, but the state park's natural beauty (and budget-friendly price tag) eventually won over even the most skeptical critics. "Rather than paying $10,000 to rent San Francisco City Hall or the Flood Mansion, we had only to pay two park rangers overtime for hours worked after 5pm, which came to $90 an hour. In the end, our bill to the Park Rangers was around $500," Shannon says. Unreal!
To lessen their event's impact, Shannon and Jay used the park's natural elements to create not only seating for the guests, but also dividers separating different areas of the event. No extra furniture or materials required. A seating area made of tree stumps (image 1) provided a seating area outside of the large tent for guests to enjoy cocktails and the amazing view. To keep guests' clothes clean, the tops of the stumps were covered in pieces of burlap, which still presented an untailored feel. A large tree that had fallen on its side held the couple's handmade escort cards (image 2), which featured places around the world where Jay and Shannon had lived, traveled, worked, and where they fell in love.
Individually, each of Shannon and Jay's choices is a simple, elegant, cost-effective way to throw a green wedding. Together, they represent one couple's homage to love and to Mother Nature.
Photos by
Lisa Lefkowitz
