Get the DIY Details of This Multi-Cultural City Hall Wedding

Amy Wang, who’s Chinese, married Jorge Hernandez, who’s Mexican, in a small ceremony the couple dubbed a “Mexicasian” affair at San Francisco City Hall on August 8. They chose August 8th as their wedding date because 8 is a lucky number in Chinese. The Hernandez’s wanted the entire wedding to reflect their Mexican and Chinese backgrounds, so they incorporated their heritage throughout the big day in a number of unique ways. From serving traditional Chinese + Mexican food favorites to getting imaginative with custom fortune cookies, we were seriously blown away by these culturally-blended newlyweds’ attention to detail. Here’s a breakdown of Amy’s DIY details:

1. Invitations: Amy and Jorge had two tiers of invitees (one group for family + BFFs and another group for other close friends) so invitations needed some extra thought. Each guest received a special code they entered on A + J’s wedding site. From there, they’d get special instructions about the specific events they were invited to. The first group was given ceremony, dinner and party details while the second group only received party details.

2. Placecards: Kids received personalized Chinese drums while the adults got something a bit more epic: handmade, customized Patron-esque bottles of tequila. Oh, and what mini tequila bottle would be complete without a personalized label? Cheers!

3. Favors: Custom fortune cookies in Chinese takeout boxes were made for favors for guests. The couple went the extra mile here and had fun facts about themselves stuffed inside the cookies. The cookies were put in Chinese takeout boxes, sealed with gold washi tape (oh, you fancy, huh, washi tape?) and topped off with a tissue paper pom-pom. These were adorable on the outside and mega meaningful on the inside (literally).

4. Boba: Amy is a die-hard fan of boba (it originated in Taiwan, so has special meaning to her beyond just being delish) while Jorge loves horchata. The solution? HORCHATA BOBA, thanks to the drink geniuses at SF (and Brit HQ) fave Boba Guys.

5. Culturally-Blended Dessert Bar + Cake: No traditional wedding cake here, folks. A + J opted for a small cake from Miette (admittedly mostly for photo opps + adorable cake toppers painted by Jorge) but provided a *serious* dessert bar for everyone. The best part of this were the DIY marquee lights Amy made that said, “HOLA,” and “NIHAO,” which means “hello” in Mandarin. The “HOLA” side featured traditional Mexican treats Jorge grew up with, like chili-mango lollipops, while the “NIHAO” side included Amy’s faves, like almond cookies and egg tarts.

6. Personalized Champagne Flutes: DIY glass etching is much easier than you think. A + J opted to etch their favorite things on each of their glasses for an added special touch. Amy went for Hello Kitty while Jorge opted for the Oakland A’s logo.

7. “Tip Jar” Guestbook: Instead of just signing your name + best wishes, these newlyweds asked guests to leave them a tip — quite literally — about how to have a happy marriage. Such a unique idea that you could borrow for a bridal shower as well.

8. Ring Dish: Their DIY ring dish was personalized with Hernandez’s wedding date. We love how sweet and simple it looks.

Props to Amy for fully exhibiting the power of DIYing the details big and small on your Big Day — it really shows with her attention to detail and thoughtful display of meaningful memories for herself, husband and guests. Huge congrats to the Hernandezes on their recent nuptials. Next time you guys throw a party, we want an invite! ;)

VENDORS:

Photography: Your Dream Photo and Amy’s Pinterest
Ceremony venue: San Francisco City Hall
Reception venue: The Box SF
Boba: Boba Guys
Catering: Fraiche Catering
Fortune cookies: Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Company
Cake: Miette
Cake toppers: GooseGreaseUndone
Wedding coordination and florals: Ann Thai of LUX Premier Events

Do you have a DIY wedding that you’d like to share with us? Leave us a note in the comments, or email us at hello@brit.co.