Some love stories sound like they were written for the screen, and Chanel and Marcus’s meet cute is one to watch on a Friday night with a bowl of popcorn. On October 5, two years after their first date, they brought that story to San Francisco City Hall for an intimate San Francisco elopement, married in front of the small circle of family who know it best.
A Meet Cute Worth Retelling
Chanel had just re-downloaded Hinge, and after one disastrous first date back, she was ready to delete the app for good. Then Marcus suggested sushi. Their first date, on a Sunday at a sushi spot near her house, stretched into four and a half hours of laughing, teasing, and real conversation. When he walked her out, her black wagon was parked right beside his white one. Yin and yang from the very beginning.
Marcus leaned in for a goodnight kiss and got a split-second hug instead. At a stoplight, he motioned for her to roll down her window so he could promise to message her. She waved him off, completely oblivious, music blasting. The next morning he asked for her number, and Chanel decided he would have to earn it. She sent him a ChatGPT riddle that turned out to be unsolvable, then another for her address. Hours later, and with what they lovingly describe as hired consultants, Marcus showed up for date number two at the right address with the right phone number.
Why an Intimate San Francisco Wedding
Neither of them had pictured a traditional wedding. Their relationship changed how they both thought about marriage, family, and building a life together, and they wanted the day to feel that way too: intimate, romantic, and unmistakably theirs. San Francisco was the natural choice. Marcus grew up in the Bay Area, and Chanel’s family has deep roots here and in Marin. With nine loved ones gathered on City Hall’s fourth floor, this was an elopement in spirit and an intimate wedding in heart.
The Look
Chanel’s look was nothing short of stunning. A custom tulle half skirt was made to match her cathedral length veil, so every step down the marble halls trailed soft, airy volume behind her. Her hair and makeup were by Raven Reed, her shoes by Manolo Blahnik, and her florals by Bloom Gallery Flowers. Marcus wore a Giorgio Armani tuxedo with an Eton shirt and bow tie, finished with Bruno Magli shoes. Together they looked like a film still: classic, chic, and just a little bit cool.
A Ceremony Built Around Their Story
Their niece led the way down the aisle with a “Here Comes the Bride” sign, and Marcus saw Chanel for the very first time as she walked toward him. Then came the moment that lingers longest. Before their vows, the two of them took turns reading aloud to their family the story of how they met: the sushi, the wagons, the riddles. Everyone laughed, and more than a few people reached for a tissue. They exchanged vows and rings, and moved straight into their first dance right there on the fourth floor.
Afterward, the group spent time with family and then wandered City Hall for portraits, letting the grand staircase, soaring arches, and soft window light do what they do best, with Chanel’s veil and tulle moving through every frame.
The Story They Read, In Their Own Words
Chanel and Marcus graciously shared the story they read at their ceremony. Here it is, just as their family heard it.
This is the story of how we met in a nutshell…
Marcus: From the very first messages, I knew I’d met someone special, someone unique. Someone who could match my wit, my sarcasm, and my complete inability to act like a human sometimes. Chanel had just re-downloaded Hinge after being single for a while. Her first date back had been a disaster, the kind that explodes, and by Sunday she was ready to delete the app and swear off men forever. Enter me, and sushi. Thank God I chose sushi. After that weekend, good fish felt like a personality test, and I passed, despite Chanel asking the waiter to watch her purse when she went to the bathroom.
Chanel: I arrived at the sushi spot near my house, intrigued that I had never tried it, expecting nothing. And then I saw him: well dressed, kind-eyed, standing right out front waiting for me and somehow even better looking than his pictures. Immediately I thought: okay, I’m in trouble, the good kind.
Marcus: From the moment we sat down, I was captivated, captured by Chanel’s physical beauty, style (her name is Chanel after all), presence, intelligence, humor, passion, and kind heart. Conversation flowed so easily that four and a half hours slipped by in what felt like five minutes. I even felt bad as I was wrapping up the date, at 10:45 PM on a Sunday, because I thought I was cutting it short.
Chanel: Four and a half hours of laughing, teasing, and conversation about life, depth, experience, and everything in between. By the end, I was full: full of sushi, full of laughter, and full of “why does this feel like exactly what I’ve been looking for?”
Marcus: When it came time to end the night, I walked her to her car, her black wagon serendipitously parked right next to my white wagon. Yin and yang from the very beginning. Jazzed up from our four plus hour date, I leaned in for the goodnight kiss. She gave me a split-second hug and an exit so indifferent it could have been in a spy movie. As we drove away in our respective wagons, I motioned for her to roll down her window at the stoplight. I tried to tell her I’d message her on the app. She waved me off. Totally oblivious, because she was blasting music like she was at a rock concert.
Chanel: Confused that I did not receive a message that night… The next morning, I woke up to a message in the app: “Can I have your number?” I thought, if he wants it, he’s going to have to earn it. So I sent a ChatGPT riddle to solve for my phone number. I didn’t know it, but it was unsolvable. Then another ChatGPT riddle for my address. Also unsolvable. Many hours and hired consultants later, unsolved mysteries were solved, and he showed up for date number two at the right address with the right phone number.
And that’s when I knew: his favorite movie is Brown Sugar, he’s trouble, he’s brilliant, he’s hilarious, he’s driving me to a concert to see a band he’s never heard of, and we were both hooked.
Marcus: Two years later, through changes, espresso, shared moments, laughter, learning, adventuring, emotional growth, better movies, fights, and even more laughter, what we’ve created together feels like an oil painting. Layered, bold, sometimes messy, one-of-a-kind. And somehow even more beautiful because it’s ours. Proof that sometimes love isn’t about solving the riddle. It’s about showing up (OKAY, maybe showing up after solving the ChatGPT riddle). And apparently… after all the sushi, unsolvable riddles, and loud music… we’re so excited to actually be getting married. Riddle me that!
A Cable Car Full of Strangers
From City Hall, the group caught a cable car toward the reception, and it was packed. The operators were wonderfully kind, and every rider aboard shuffled over to make space for the bride, the groom, and the cameras that followed them. Chanel and Marcus hung off the side as the car rattled through the streets of San Francisco, and the whole car broke into “Going to the Chapel” for them. Strangers singing to newlyweds on a cable car. It was truly glorious, and it was the most San Francisco moment of the entire day.
Dinner at Gary Danko
The day ended at Gary Danko with a quaint, intimate reception for just the two of them and their family. Their cake from Butter& was waiting, and they cut it together before settling in to celebrate around the table with the people they love most.
Notes From a San Francisco Elopement Photographer
Days like this show why intimate weddings leave room for the moments that cannot be planned: a love story read aloud, a cable car of strangers turned choir. This day was photographed on a mix of medium format film, 35mm film, and digital, so the gallery carries both the polish of the architecture and the warmth of the people in it.
The story does not end here. Two days later, the couple headed down Highway 1 for their Big Sur honeymoon session with a vintage Porsche and Bixby Bridge.
Dreaming of your own day in the city? The San Francisco wedding planning guide walks through venues, light, and logistics.
Planning an intimate elopement of your own? Browse the wedding photography portfolio, then inquire about your wedding to start the conversation.
Vendors | Venue San Francisco City Hall | Photography Tiffany Longeway Photography | Reception Gary Danko | Hair and Makeup Raven Reed | Florals Bloom Gallery Flowers | Cake Butter& | Violinist Ilana Thomas | Officiant Reverend Tim Mills | Bridal Boutique Kinsley Couture | Dress and Veil Galia Lahav | Bride’s Shoes Manolo Blahnik | Bag Vanina | Bride’s Ring The 1916 Company | Groom’s Ring Chaumet | Tuxedo Giorgio Armani | Shirt and Bow Tie Eton | Groom’s Shoes Bruno Magli | Tailoring Jila Tailoring
