San Francisco - April 18, 2006

The Princess Bride

Spring 2006 Wedding Guide

Remember all the times your sister turned to you and said, “Not everything is about you”? Well, in her face, because you’re getting married and you know what that means: It so is all about you.

Want to make your poodle the maid of honor? Carry a bouquet of the rarest Andean blooms? Write your own vows in Pig Latin? Lucky you: This town is full of people who just can’t wait to give you exactly what you want on your special day.

Face Time
Sure, the dress is gorgous. But your face is what you’ll be looking at for years to come in photos. So leave it in the hands of makeup artist Nam Vo, who will leave you wondering who the stunning creature in the mirror is (408-828-0022).

Let Them Eat Cake
Montclair Baking’s Cheryl Lew is charmingly modest about her award-winning cakes. But one taste of her gorgeous creations will have you sold. She’ll customize taste (pound, black and tan, chocolate fudge) and design (molded marzipan, fresh flowers, pulled sugar ribbons) (2220 Mountain Boulevard, suite 140, Oakland; 510-530-8052).

Camera Ready
Leave it to Stephanie Pool to capture every aspect of the day. Her unobtrusive, doc-style snaps will leave you both laughing (cousin Arnie gorging on cake) and crying (that inevitable heart-to-heart with your pops) (415-460-0116).

The Paper Chase
Leave every last printed detail to Lisa Wong Jackson at Good on Paper. Her save-the-dates and invitations are clever, creative, and beautiful (510-501-3337). To complete the package, have Barbara Callow address them in impeccable calligraphy (415-928-3303).

Closeup, Mr. DeMille
Wedding videos? B-O-R-I-N-G. The newest thing is a 30-minute high-def movie of your big day, complete with soundtrack, from husband-and-wife team Savadelis Films (408-749-1211).

Best Laid Plans
Don’t be afraid to put your fate in the hands of event planner Lora Horvath. Whether your vision of an elegant ballroom or a Hawaiian beach, Horvath will make a masterpiece of the day, leaving you to relax and enjoy (510-326-7336).

Dinner Time
Kim Stevens and her staff at Living Room Events keep it fresh and tasty, whether you’re looking to please simple tastes or sophisticated palates (958 Illinois Street; 415-522-1417).

Flower Power
Floramor’s eye for unique buds and commitment to only the freshest flora make for jaw-dropping bouquets and centerpieces customized to your most demanding preferences (731 Bryant Street; 415-975-2020).

A Fitting Solution
Expert seamstress Diana Ackerman will make your gown fit just so, restore a vintage frock, or restyle Grandma’s dress to suit your look; and she’s a dream to work with (650-216-6111).

Back to the Drawing Board
Hire Gordon Ng to draw caricatures of your guests throughout the evening. It’s a fun activity, and they’ll go home with personalized favors (415-239-0289).

Get Down, Get Down
For cocktails and dinner, the Jazzaholics  set the mood — and play a fantastic rendition of The Sweetest Taboo (650-348-7972). But to really get the party started, bring out Pure Ecstasy for everything from Prince and Nelly to Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra (510-693-9899).

Dude, Where’s My Car?
Driving away in a vintage Rolls Royce? That should send the right message (800-398-7881).

Because on this day, you don’t just want to make a getaway. You want to get away with murder.