Taj Campton pulls off holiday wedding at City Hall

Why wait for Valentine's Day for a love story? A German couple staying at Taj Campton Place decided, spur-of-the-moment, to get married in San Francisco over the holidays, but didn't know how. Staff at the four-diamond hotel were directed to help Alexandra Hetzer and Marc Keske obtain a license and make an appointment for Dec. 29 at City Hall. Last week, a concierge showed off photos that the newlyweds (pictured), now back at home, had e-mailed to the hotel, thanks to hotel General Manager Ashrafi Matcheswala's executive assistant, Dori Portner, who served as witness and official wedding photographer. The reception? A Champagne toast in the lobby with hotel department heads and any guests who happened to walk by. Now that's white-glove service.

-- Good Vibrations, the women-friendly sex education boutique, is hosting a grand opening party for its new store at Fifth and Mission streets from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 29 - an event that's open to the public. As a warm-up, on Wednesday, sexologist Carol Queen will host an "Ask our Doc" session; on Jan. 20, the works of LGBT artists Rink Foto, Sholeh Asgary and Kija Lucas will be featured in a multimedia exhibition; and on Jan. 25, a "Mommy Playdate" with alcohol and cupcakes will feature a reading and book signing by Pamela Madsen, author of "Shameless: How I Ditched the Diet, Got Naked, Found True Pleasure ... and Somehow Got Home in Time to Cook Dinner." Leave the kids at home.

- Carolyne Zinko, czinko@sfchronicle.com

This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle