"Kenya and I have been lifetime sweethearts," Beau Thompson Caillouette says of his wife, interior designer Kenya Drake Gervais Stabler. Their families were close, and the two started dating at 16-years-old. After a dozen years together, he proposed while they were sitting along the Seine in Paris.

While planning their #KenyaTiesTheBeau wedding, they drew inspiration from Ceremony’s slogan, "Respecting traditions while writing our own story"—the jewelry company that made their custom wedding rings. "We really wanted this event to be an honest reflection of us," Kenya shares. And they chose the San Francisco Art Institute as their venue, after remembering they had fallen in love with it at an event years ago. "We are beach people at heart but also have a deep appreciation for the live, vibrant energy of the city, and we felt this was the only venue that truly gave us both!"

Kenya and Beau chose the date October 12th, 2019, as it fell on a full moon, so the rooftop views would be especially striking. And for decor, Birch only lightly embellished the architecturally stunning space with florals.

"We had a vision of 'formal chic,’" Kenya says of her and Beau's wedding day wardrobe. "We wanted to feel dressed up but comfortable and timeless, so from there, things just sort of fell into place." The bride actually fell in love with her shoes first—simple and elegant Prada heels. After that, she found her Vera Wang dress at her first bridal appointment.

Beau found his custom suit during a trip to Hong Kong, where Kenya got to show him where she grew up. The mandarin collared shirt was even embroidered with his initials. "I also gifted Beau a pair of silver cufflinks branded with the coordinates of San Francisco."

On the roof of the art institute, Kenya walked down the aisle hand-in-hand with her mother. Her cousin, who is more like a brother to her, officiated the spiritual ceremony. "I don’t do well in front of a lot of people...but once I got up there, my cousin had everyone close their eyes and take a deep breath, and all of a sudden, I was present," she remembers. "It was difficult too because I lost my dad very suddenly the year before. We made the decision to leave an empty chair next to my mom with a photo of him. It was a way for us to recognize and hold space for him to be with us."

Once announced as husband and wife, the couple went off to take portraits and spend some time together before joining their guests back on the roof for a seated dinner reception and dancing. After heartfelt and humorous speeches, Bay Area musician Tony Sanders organized an ensemble of local talent as entertainment for the evening, which turned out to be the highlight of the night.

The newlyweds had their first dance to "Harvest Moon," played by Beau's brother and the full band, while the real full moon shone above them. "The dance was choreographed by my brother, who is the lead in the Las Vegas show, Le Reve," Kenya says. "We pretty much remembered the first four steps and then improvised the rest."

Kenya also had her heart set on a pavlova wedding cake, and Mary Denham made her dream come true with individualized portions for every guest to enjoy. Then, the party started on the dance floor. "The ended the night with 'Could You Be Loved' by Bob Marley, as our friends gathered around us in a mosh pit, singing at the top of our lungs," Kenya reminisces.

For the spontaneous after-party, a group of small friends and family ended up at an underground cigar bar, where tequila shots and cocktails were enjoyed with a live salsa band.

"After dancing the night away, we returned to our hotel room at The Battery exhausted, craving only thin—french fries—which my brother and his husband magically had delivered right to our door," Kenya remembers. "That was a definite highlight and a perfect ending to a perfectly traditional, but in 'our way,' day."