KOHL MANSION, BURLINGAME, CA

    Stacey and Wilson met at church in New York City in August 2000, when a friend introduced the two West Coasters (Stacy from San Francisco and Wilson from Seattle). “We had both recently moved to New York and didn’t know many people,” Stacy explains. At their next meeting, while looking at Wilson’s family photos they discovered that their grandmothers had been best friends! And, it turned out that Wilson’s mother and Stacey’s father had grown up together in Taiwan. No wonder that Stacey and Wilson became fast friends, only beginning to date six months later.

    After five years, Wilson proposed. “We both enjoy traveling,” he says, “so I wanted to make the proposal place a special destination, without being in a very public or crowded area.” He chose to pop the question in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on limestone cliffs overlooking the ocean at sunset. Stacey didn’t expect the proposal at all, for she didn’t even know that Wilson had purchased a ring.

    The couple’s wedding at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto reflected their Christian beliefs through song and scripture. Wilson’s mother had passed away the year before, so he lit a candle to recognize her and her importance to the couple’s lives. Because it was spring, the décor theme was light and bright, with flowers in a mix of pink, white, and lavender. In keeping with the spring theme, the linens were off-white with periwinkle napkins.
    Stacey’s gown, from Marina Morrison Bridal Salon and designed by Liancarlo, was a modified-A mermaid style in taffeta. Wilson wore a black tuxedo with a white-collared shirt, and an off-white vest and tie.
    The couple chose Kohl Mansion for their reception for its difference from the venues at other receptions they’d attended. “We had many out-of-town guests, and we wanted to give them a different experience,” Stacey says. “Although Kohl Mansion is large, it still has a cozy feeling. We wanted everyone to feel connected.”
The reception dinner, catered by Le Papillon of San Jose, included slow-roasted king salmon with lemon thyme and caper relish and spice-seared pork tenderloin with a yam timbale and red onion marmalade, served with a selection of California wines. The layered wedding cake was chocolate, strawberry, and peach mousse.

    Stacey and Wilson stayed at the Four Seasons San Francisco for two nights so that they could spend time with out-of-town friends, including 60 guests from New York City. They then visited Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora.