Boy, it’s been a crazy year… but you know that already. Because we opted for a teeny-tiny ceremony instead of the 100+ person extravaganza, we created this page so we could still share our experience with you, and stay connected, wherever you are. Enjoy the photo-journey that follows, and stick around for the fun interactivity at the end!
Back in the wee early months of 2020, everything was falling into place. The Guest List. The Wedding Gown. The Date. The Menu. The Photographer. A week before our planned photoshoot at the beautiful Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, rumblings about viral spread reached our shores, and things became weird. Not all at once, but enough to shelf all our plans and make us rethink what a wedding means to us. This meant boiling it down to its basest essence and coming up with a way to still officially get married, express our love for each other, and involve all of you, even at a distance. So our wedding was transformed into three essences:
The Orange County Clerk-Recorder had this brilliant idea to make use of the currently unused facade of the sports and entertainment venue, the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. They moved their wedding services from the standard courthouse to set up a quirky and fun alternate way to get married in front of a ticket booth. The year has already been silly, so why not roll with it?
With our early 2020 engagement shoot scrapped and the chapel ceremony put on ice, we regrouped and reconfigured our approach, both to capture our precious memories and to honor our local family. We kept the Honda Center ceremony short and sweet, and laid out the next day to take our post-wedding day wedding photos and to hold our recalibrated, outdoor Chinese Tea Ceremonies.
It’s not over yet! Coming in early-to-mid 2021, we’re heading to our original ceremony venue, Wayfarer’s Chapel. The plans aren’t concrete yet, but we couldn’t let go of the opportunity to stage and capture an event for our future memories with this extraordinary backdrop. And then further into the future, we’d love to get together with you all for a meal or three, to casually, belatedly celebrate, as well as to reintroduce ourselves, the newlyweds.
Once we decided to hold our nuptials at the Honda Center, we started mapping out how we wanted it to look. We’d seen some videos online of how others’ ceremonies looked, and they ran the gamut from ultra-casual to full-on gown ’n tux. Even though the venue isn’t a church or a vineyard, we wanted our own experience there to have the right look. Stephanie toiled away on making her own dress (!) with the help of her auntie. Super-Wife Stephanie also turned into a florist for a day, making *all* the flowers featured in all the photos and videos you see, including the Baby’s Breath lei on our adorable little Flower Girl. Stephanie’s mom and dad played Photographer.
Presenting: the newlyweds! A cinematic walkthrough of our Essence #2. Filmed and edited by the talented Ralph G. at Carissa Woo Photography.
Many couples have either engagement or pre-wedding photos done. The scheduling didn’t align this way for us. Instead, we planned a day to breathe in nature and to honor our families. The beautiful hidden gem, Rockbluff Park in Rolling Hills Estates, CA, provided the early morning backdrop for what you may call our “second look” photos after getting married. Keep an eye out for silly smiles and a wandering dog!
Our shoot was a ton of fun and flew by too fast, and when it finished we set off for our parents’ homes, where we held our own version of the traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. This ceremony honors our parents, grandparents, etc. by serving them tea, and they give us gifts in return. Special thanks to Julie for presiding as our dai kam jie (Master of Tea Ceremony)!!
We give our heartfelt and sincere thanks for the gifts and well-wishes that we’ve received. Even though many of us are apart, we certainly feel the warmth and friendship from those around us - all of you. So we wanted to express our thanks for being there in whatever capacity you have been over the past few months. Just because we didn’t have a reception doesn’t mean we aren’t giving out wedding favors!
“Our personality differences... you being the sweet, fluffy, white marshmallows, and I being the strong, intense, classy dark chocolate. With hot water, we make the perfect.. hot chocolate”
We want to share our everlasting love with you, so this gift is given to you, wrapped with care, in a custom-designed, flexible and versatile wrapping cloth from Stephanie’s own brain!
In keeping with the theme of creativity and sustainability, the jar is hand-washable. Use it to plant a sapling, or store little miscellaneous items, or hide your Skittles!
We know, you weren’t told there would be a test. But that’s how it goes! Listen up - While you’re tasting both flavors of hot cocoa (per the included instructions), say “Cheers” to Love! Then join us in deciding which one was better by filling out the questions below.
Though we may not be in the same place, our words to each other mean a lot, and can leave a lasting impression. Please help us build some more memories by leaving a message below
