H&H Weddings

How did you meet?

Craig and I met online via OKCupid (gosh, does that even still exist these days?!). We met at the Embarcadero Ferry Building for coffee and ended up talking well into the night! It was pretty clear that we both liked each other fast!

What about the proposal?

Craig’s a light sleeper, so Thomas wasn’t able to figure out ring sizes and make it a surprise. We went to Tiffany’s to check out rings, and a few weeks later, Thomas popped the question first. Craig followed up with a ring for Thomas a couple weeks later.

When did you know that you were meant to be with each other?

Three months into dating, we had a real “trial by fire!” Craig hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at his place, and Thomas agreed to help. After double the number of guests appeared and the entire dinner was cleaned out, they both knew this relationship was going to work!

Going into the wedding planning, what did you definitely know?

We wanted something that was fun, and not too stuffy. A big party for our friends, and we definitely didn’t want our wedding party to be running errands for us the week leading into the ceremony.  We had just signed a contract with the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens and were realizing that we had to build out our own kitchen. It seemed a little complicated… thankfully we found Chanda!

What surprised you during planning? What was easy, what was difficult?

It was incredible the sheer number of vendors we ended up needing. From the bus service to florist to lighting and music, there were many relationships to juggle, especially trying to judge if someone was friendly to the LGBT community. The easiest part was definitely the cake tasting.

Is there anything you wish you knew while you were planning your wedding that you know now?

Navigating etiquette got super complicated; the timing and phrasing of who to invite, and in what format, and how to exactly say what you needed to say was harder than we expected, especially when choosing the guest list!

Any advice for couples planning weddings now? Anything you would have done differently or anything you’d like to add?

The first advice we give to our friends who are planning their special day is to get a wedding planner! The second piece is to decide what elements are really important to you, and think hard about those specific pieces. Lastly, everyone is on the same team, but there will be differences of opinion. Being able to compromise and understand what’s most important to everyone will keep those nerves from fraying.

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

Craig: Seeing the joy and happiness reflected in our guests’ eyes made the year+ of planning worth it.

Thomas: Walking my mom down the aisle at the start of our ceremony was a great way to make her feel both loved and involved.