Wedding Event Design: Hannah and Dan Found Love in San Francisco

carlofarinas
Mar 5, 2023
4 min read

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d2. Different approaches/mood board

e. Final designs and the process

table setting map (24x36)
table numbers with design, two-sided (19 illustrations, 5x7)
signature cocktails sign 8x10
guestbook sign 8x10
candy bar sign 8x10

Hannah and Dan, my dear friends (and housemates!) came to me seeking to add a personal touch to their wedding experience and decor. Their idea was to share their first few experiences together being at outdoor parks throughout the city due to the pandemic.

They were expecting a total of 160 guests for their wedding set in Novato, about an hour north of San Francisco.

The designs needed to be:

accessible:

legible and easy for guests to understand where they are

what purpose does the sign have

any directions that the guests are requested to follow

personal:

represent Hannah and Dan's personalities and styles together and independently

share their love story and personal relationship to San Francisco

Objective:

Create the following print media for Hannah and Dan’s wedding:

1. table setting map (24x36)

2. table numbers with design, two-sided (19 illustrations, 5x7)

3. signature cocktails sign 8x10

4. guestbook sign 8x10

5. candy bar sign 8x10

b. Team

Hannah and Dan: clients, creative direction

Me: Designer, creative direction

c. Timeline

Date Completed	Phase
11/16/22	Research (including direction and production)
11/30/22	First preview, illustration (2) and sign
11/30/22	Submit for approval
1/12/23	Illustration execution (19 illustrations for table signs 5x7)
1/22/23	Illustrations review and finalize
2/8/23	24x36 poster, 8x10 barista menu, 8x10 guestbook sign, 8x10 candy sign
2/10/23	Production deadline

d1. Background and research

This information was presented to me by Hannah and Dan:

Colors of wedding: Burnt orange and navy blue

#ac4a31

#3a4961

Wedding photos, personal photos and website header

Table signs:

They came to me with this idea of having each sign be representative of a park/outdoor area in San Francisco that they've visited during their first few dates.

Mission Dolores Park

Golden Gate Park

Washington Square

Alamo Square

Balboa Park

Lake Merced

Ocean Beach

Sutro Baths

Lands End

China Beach

Baker Beach

The Presidio

Marina Green

Sue Bierman Park

The Panhandle

Twin Peaks

John McLaren Park

Duboce Park

Stern Grove Park

Table seating chart:

Hannah and Dan wanted to include this as their title:

“Hannah & Dan found love in San Francisco…now go find your seat”

Inspiration photos provided by Hannah and Dan:

d2. Different approaches

I decided the vibe of the project would be:

nature-y

parks and official designs of parks

quintissential San Francisco bay area

rustic, millennial

gold foil

warm

silly/light hearted

Inspiration photos:

table signs:

patches or logo for each sign that depict the park, looks civil, official

contains one/two symbols that represent the specific park

sans serif type

table seating guide poster:

Map of San Francisco, looks reminiscent of an official map

with “Legend” to determine/reference specific patch

e. Final Designs and the Process

1. 24x36" table seating guide

Final design

When first approaching how I'd design the seating guide, I wanted to differentiate each location and table simultaneously with a badge. I also created this pin that resembled pins used in Map apps on smartphones.

I displayed the cheeky quote that was requested by Hannah and Dan to be put in at the top left. They wanted the design to be representative of not only their relationship to the city but also their own sense of humor.

I used two fonts throughout the project:

Articulat CF Bold - clean, utilitarian, legible, humorous

Filosofia All Small Caps OT - traditional, literary-reminiscent, intelligent, romantic

Space and legibility for the 20 tables and their names was a concern. This was the second proof prior to completing all the badges and receiving the names.

The fourth proof was the closest to the final design.

2. 5x7" table cards

Final designs

I wanted to create a two-sided table sign that used the two colors of their wedding. It was important for each sign to be unique and so I created different shapes for the badges that best suited the illustrative element within the badge.

Prior to designing, I researched what I could illustrate that viewers would immediately know what location is tied to their table. The gentle curve of the location name is inspired by brand design for the Ferry Building Farmers Market and Blue Bottle Coffee. Hannah and Dan enjoyed going to the farmers market at the Ferry Building and getting the chilaquiles on Saturdays! :)

I also made sure that the table number was the most immediately visible part of the sign.

Mission Dolores Park

- palm trees, tightrope walker, dogs, blue ribbon

Golden Gate Park

ferris wheel, golden gate bridge, flowers

Washington Square

church, tall trees

Balboa Park

kids playground, leaves

Alamo Square

full house painted ladies

Lake Merced

lake, surrounding sidewalk, pedestrians

Ocean Beach

kites, bikers, houses

Sutro Baths

rock formations, ocean, stairs

Lands End

labryinth, golden gate bridge

China Beach

golden gate bridge, sand, beach goers

Baker Beach

golden gate bridge, sand, beach goers

The Presidio

brick buildings, golden gate bridge, lush trees

Sue Bierman Park

ferry building, bay bridge, tall trees

The Panhandle

bikers, haight st hippies, benches

Twin Peaks

twin towers, two hills

Duboce Park

homes, muni rail, dogs

Marina Green

golden gate bridge, grass, pier

John McLaren Park

flowers, golf course, skyline

Stern Grove Park

tall trees, music, stage

First proof (rough preview of designs before final)

Hannah and Dan loved the different representative illustrations for each location. I proceeded to refining the spacing and proportions of the elements. Borders were added to the patch illustrations to better convey the idea they're patches or signs that you could find throughout San Francisco.

3. 8x10" signs

I continued with styles of the table signs for the 8x10" station signs for their guestbook, cocktail menu, and candy bar station.

Final designs

f. Feedback and grading success

My primary metrics to evaluate the success of my design project were:

- Feedback from Hannah and Dan

"Dan and I just wanted to thank you so much for all the hard work you put into making our seating chart, table numbers, and signs. Carlo we love it !!!! Thank you!" - Hannah

"We know how many hours you put into this - and we're so grateful for your creative talent into making this super personalized aspect of our wedding." - Dan

- Wedding attendees' interaction and ability to understand the prints

Guests found the menu easy to understand and was an efficient way not only for them to order but also for bartenders to prep the drinks beforehand.

Hannah and Dan had this clever idea of using a set of jenga blocks as their guestbook and requesting attendees to write well wishes for them on each block. Guests of all ages understood what to do and thought it was fitting for them because they love puzzles and board games + picnicking throughout the city.