An Artistic San Francisco City Hall Wedding

In late 2016, San Francisco meteorologist Drew Tuma was on the evening news, so he worked late most nights. That turned out to be a blessing: “On December 7, 2016, after midnight at The Edge, a favorite dive bar in The Castro, Drew had just gotten off work and was out with coworkers,” remembers Joey Hersh. “I was going to an afterparty with some colleagues after our company holiday party. When we first locked eyes, I approached Drew, and we’ve been inseparable since!” 

A few years later, Joey proposed. He enlisted help, pegging Erin Rugala of Pins & Petals to get large marquee letters that read “Marry Me Drew?” displayed on San Francisco’s famed Kite Hill. “At the time, our condo’s balcony overlooked Kite Hill, so I kept Drew off the patio the entire day,” Joey shares. “Then, I brought him out to the balcony and got on one knee. I arranged to have about 30 friends meet us at Kite Hill for a Champagne toast.”

The duo turned once again to Rugala to bring their wedding vision to life on April 1, 2022. “We went into planning not having a firm grasp on what we wanted exactly, but Erin stepped in and designed the day perfectly, representing who we are,” the couple shares. “With a mid-century modern flare, a hint of both masculinity and femininity, and an overall really cool vibe, the vision for the wedding came together so organically.” They infused the wedding with rich tones like navy and emerald—and a hint of coral—focusing on what mattered most: “knowing that no matter what, our closest friends and family would be there to celebrate our love!” 

Read on to see all the personalized details of Joey and Drew’s big day, planned by Events by Pins & Petals and photographed by Stephanie Lynn.

Both grooms donned amethyst velvet Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jackets, but styled them slightly differently. Drew—after prepping with a simple shower and shave and a dab of Kiehl’s moisturizer—wore an Eton diamond weave formal shirt, Tom Ford bow tie, black Boss trousers, and black velvet loafers by Christian Louboutin.

For his part, Joey went with a Tom Ford plisse plastron tuxedo shirt, Santorelli wool pants, and glitter velour Louboutin loafers. “We worked with Johnathan Gonzales at Neiman Marcus to style our entire outfits,” Joey says. “He came over the morning of and dressed us. I had my hair and beard perfected two days before the wedding to give it ample grow-in time.” 

Their looks were completed with two very special accessories. “Our wedding rings were made specially for us out of 24-karat gold and platinum by my father, who is a jeweler,” Joey says.

“City Hall in San Francisco has a beautiful classic elegance about it that we loved,” the couple shares of their ceremony venue choice. “From the sea of marble to the grand staircase and the beautiful balconies, it was an easy choice.” Found Floral outfitted the space in a lush arrangement that spanned the length of the balcony that would serve as their altar. 

The couple’s nieces and nephew entered first as flower girls and ring bearer, donning petite nosegay bouquets and a hellebore boutonniere. Then, the grooms made their entrance, each accompanied by both mom and dad. 

During the ceremony, Joey’s longtime friend sang an a cappella rendition of Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and the couple exchanged personal vows. 

The duo had used their wedding photographer, Stephanie Lynn, for engagement photos leading up to the wedding (which they had on display at the reception!). Both then and on the wedding day, “she really showed our personalities and who we are as a a couple,” they share. 

“Our venue, Art Attack SF, felt like a natural choice for us,” the couple says. “It is an art gallery located in the heart of The Castro in San Francisco, which obviously appealed to us as it is our favorite community, but also very close to our home and the site of our engagement.” 

“The art gallery was a great blank slate with its white walls and cement floors,” Joey and Drew continue. “It was an added bonus that they were willing to clear the space and let us completely transform it to our wedding day vision.” The decor drove home their mid-century modern vibe. “With velvet lounge areas, charcoal linens on the cocktail tables, and a glass and chrome cake table, it felt modern, cool, and classic,” they say. “The ceremony florals adorned the staircase and the built-in bookshelf was accented with floral arrangements in locally handmade ceramic vases.” A custom neon sign further personalized the space.

Dinner was a “full Mexican menu” the grooms say. “Passed apps—every item you can imagine—and a taco bar.” To accompany the cuisine, a pair of simple “his” and “his” cocktails made up the signature drink list: A vodka soda for Drew and two shots of vodka with a Diet Coke for Joey. ”The bartenders were thrilled we had easy signature drinks,” they laugh.

“Diamonds” by Rhianna made a second showing, this time as the newlyweds’ first dance song. It was one of the couple’s (accidental) favorite moments. “We never did any lessons beforehand or discussed the logistics of how it would play out,” they admit. “When the DJ called us up, we already had our buzzes and were rejoicing in the company. But, when the music started and we began dancing, we both immediately started singing, laughing, and smiling—we had so much fun. It was unique to us: It wasn’t a sappy precious moment, but more of a display of the love, laughter, and fun our relationship represents. The whole crowd joined in; it was a movie moment.”

“Neither of us are big fans of traditional cake, so we opted for something more unique and delicious: a croquembouche,” the couple shares. But, it wasn’t just any croquembouche. “It was made by none other than Bravo ‘Top Chef’ contestant Monique Feybesse, owner and creator behind Tarts de Feybesse in San Francisco.” It featured two different flavors of profiteroles—classic Bavarian cream and a hazelnut cream coated in a hard caramel shell—on a soft gingerbread base in 12 tiers. 

After bringing their love story full circle in The Castro district, the couple jetted out of San Francisco for a romantic honeymoon in Bora Bora—where they relaxed, unwound, and sipped more vodka sodas.