Photos by Victoria Kurkina
Sarah and Joe got married at ERIA Sausalito, on the waterfront in Sausalito, California, in March 2026, under a chuppah overlooking the bay, a few steps from where they had their first date. Instead of a plated dinner, guests wandered between live stations for handmade pasta and fresh sushi.
Their relationship started long distance, with Sarah in Texas and Joe in Portland after family introduced them, and stayed that way for years, including a stretch living abroad together in Switzerland. They eventually settled in San Francisco, so Sausalito was close to home and full of history. They treated the whole town as part of the wedding: waterfront hospitality, local restaurants and boutique hotel stays for guests.
A Caroline Castigliano gown and a moody palette
Sarah wore a Caroline Castigliano gown, structured and understated, with a clean silhouette. Joe kept his look classic and tailored. The drama came from the flowers: The Bloom Bar Co. worked in rich plum, mauve, soft blush and deep berry, a darker palette than most waterfront weddings and one that looked great against the blue of the bay. Arrangements framed the water at the ceremony, filled the bouquets and tables, and helped the venue shift from daytime brightness to a candlelit evening.
A chuppah over the water at ERIA Sausalito
Their Jewish traditions ran through the whole day. They married beneath a chuppah looking out over the bay, included the circling ritual, and displayed their ketubah on a table Joe’s father built by hand. Sarah’s brother performed live during the processional, and the couple names standing under the chuppah as one of the most special moments of the day.
Food stations instead of a seated dinner
Sarah and Joe wanted the night to feel like a dinner party, so they skipped the plated meal. Chef Ryan Scott and Sushi Ran ran live stations for handmade pasta, fresh sushi and other chef-driven bites, with Emporio Rulli also on the catering team and a cake from SusieCakes. Guests moved between the stations, waterfront lounges and candlelit tables instead of staying in their seats all night, which is exactly what the couple wanted.
Get the look
Editor picks inspired by this wedding, not what the couple wore.
- Birdy Grey Kaia Chiffon Dress in Plum, $129 at Birdy Grey. A long, swooping chiffon skirt in the deep plum The Bloom Bar Co. built these flowers around, if you want your bridesmaids to carry the palette too. Mulberry and Fig sit right next to it in Birdy Grey’s color range, so order swatches and hold them up to your florist’s samples before anyone buys.
- Estelle Colored Wine Stemware, Set of 2, in Amethyst, $95 at Estelle Colored Glass. Hand-blown purple glass that picks up the plum on a candlelit table. It’s hand wash only, so put a pair at your own seats and keep them for anniversaries rather than buying them for every guest.
Their advice
Skip tradition for tradition’s sake. “The moments our guests still talk about are the parts of the wedding that felt personal and intentional rather than expected,” Sarah and Joe say. “We also learned that guests really remember how a wedding felt.”
Wedding vendors
- Venue: ERIA, Sausalito, CA
- Photographer: Victoria Kurkina
- Wedding dress: Caroline Castigliano
- Floral design: The Bloom Bar Co.
- Catering: Chef Ryan Scott
- Catering: Sushi Ran
- Catering: Emporio Rulli
- Cake: SusieCakes
- Calligrapher: Jessica Tamar Deutsch
- Invitations: You're Invited
- DJ: Macki Event Services
