Shannon and Dan met in college at the University of Michigan and were friends for many years, before it occurred to Shannon that she was actually in love with him. So one night at a party, she made the first move and kissed him. Or, I believe her words were actually “pounced on him.”
Shannon and Dan told us this story during their San Francisco engagement session a couple of months before their wedding. I’m sure glad they realized they should be more than friends, because their chemistry as a couple is undeniable. They have an ease about them that comes from the foundation of being friends first. And their physical and romantic attraction to one another is palpable. The way they respect one another is inspiring.
Dan is from Michigan, but Shannon grew up in the Bay Area, so they planned a classic San Francisco wedding with a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, reception at The Palace Hotel, and a vintage cable car ride around the city, stopping at iconic locations such as Crissy Field.
San Francisco wedding planner and designer Crystal Gonzales with Amazae Special Events made sure the evening was fancy and flawless. We thought the ballroom looked like a party the characters of Downton Abbey would attend.
Even so, Shannon and Dan made sure the atmosphere was the complete opposite of a stuffy formal party, with rowdy country music sing-alongs, dancing jump-rope, and a rousing rendition of the Michigan fight song.
They were wise to hire Chrisman Studios’ videographer Vlad Chaloupka, with second cameraman Michael Reed, who caught all the best moments on film: Shannon and Dan’s San Francisco Wedding Video